08/09/2026
***stolen and revised but great point***
If We Lose the Job, Do We Lose the Dog?
Or perhaps an equally important question...
When a working breed no longer has a job, what begins to replace function as the goal of breeding?
For generations, dogs were bred with purpose. Every physical characteristic had a reason. Speed. Endurance. Intelligence. Strength. Stamina. Scenting ability. Herding instinct. Retrieving ability. The dog's body was shaped by the work it was expected to perform.
But when work disappears, something else often fills the gap.
Fashion.
Instead of asking "Can this dog comfortably do what it was bred to do?" we begin asking "Does this colour sell?" "Is this face cuter?" "Can we make it smaller?" "Can we make it flatter?" "Can we produce a rarer coat?"
Over time, selection shifts away from health and function towards appearance and novelty.
The result is exactly the debate making headlines today, with calls for restrictions on breeding dozens of popular breeds because many now suffer inherited health problems linked to exaggerated physical features.
It raises an uncomfortable but important question.
Have we forgotten what dogs were originally bred for?
Working and sporting breeds offer an interesting contrast.
Whether they are sheepdogs, gundogs, search-and-rescue dogs, sled dogs or racing greyhounds, these dogs are still expected to perform the job they were developed for. Their ability to work depends on efficient movement, healthy hearts and lungs, sound joints, strong muscles and bodies capable of sustained athletic performance.
A dog that cannot breathe properly cannot work.
A dog with painful joints cannot work.
A dog whose spine cannot withstand normal movement cannot work.
Function naturally rewards health.
Fashion does not always.
The curr is an excellent example of breeding where athletic function remains the priority. Every aspect of the breed reflects efficient movement rather than exaggerated appearance. Their deep chest, powerful hindquarters, long limbs, flexible spine and streamlined body exist because they contribute to speed, endurance and efficient locomotion—not because they satisfy a passing fashion trend.
That doesn't mean Curr dogs are free from every health issue—no breed is. But when breeding decisions are driven by performance, there is a powerful incentive to preserve the physical qualities that allow dogs to remain healthy, capable athletes.
Perhaps that is the lesson we should take from today's headlines.
The future of dog breeding shouldn't be about creating the next fashionable look.
It should be about preserving dogs that can live comfortably, breathe freely, move naturally and do the jobs they were originally designed to do.
Because when we lose the job...
we risk losing the dog that evolved to do it.