No More Fluffies?!
I have recently contacted Twinkie's breeder about finding a brother for her. Our conversation went extremely well and I think she is going to keep us in mind for one. The only part of her email that has me chilled to the bone is when she said that breeders are getting better at isolating the fluffy gene and therefore having litters with NO fluffies! I love the fluff! Deep down I know that good breeders want to keep within in the standard, yada, yada, yada. Why can't the AKC recognize fluffs? There are both smooth and rough St. Bernards in the show ring. I am frantic because I just love a fluff. Can't we just call them "Glamour Coats" and get it over with? In my experience (and what others have said here) fluffs have sweet dispositions and I think they shed less. And cute? Forget about it!
I know a lot of you are breeders and you can explain it to me better. I am really afraid that fluffs will become a thing of the past
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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I'm not a breeder, but I know that in a working Corgi a fluff is deservedly a fault. Think about it: would you want a fluffy to be in a cattle yard every day? LOL Seriously I know must of us are pet people and most of the breeders are not working their dogs, but they still stay away from the fluff. Practically speaking, since the fluffs can't be shown, you are reducing the number of potential show prospects in a litter if you breed fluffs. I know that Maddie was bred before we got her and she was DNA tested as a fluff-carrier, so she was bred to a fluff-free.
Having grown up with a hunting springer spaniel and seen what the show people have done with the coat (intentionally breeding a dog that requires heavy trimming to be able to run through brush) I am personally thankful whenever a breed club tries to keep a dog that at least looks like it could do the work it's allegedly intended for.
Cardis are a different story. Not sure why, but it may be because there are fewer out there and breeders are therefore reluctant to limit the gene pool.
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Permalink Reply by Jane on
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Yep, there is a test out there for fluff. IMO the AKC won't recognize a fluffy as part of the standard because corgis were bred as working farm dogs. A fluffy coat isn't wash and wear like it should be, and doesn't hold up against the elements as well. Breeders don't want fluffs in their litters because that cuts down on the number of puppies they have to choose from for future show/working prospects.
Cardigan breeders seem more accepting of fluffies than the pems, although that may be partly due to the much smaller pool of available breeding dogs. Fluffy cardigans also don't seem to be so extreme as the pems, and I have seen a couple that were finished champions and/or produced very nice litters. I've even heard some speculation that breeding a dog that carries for fluff produces the more desired show coat more often than a dog that doesn't carry for fluff at all.
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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I'd thought that even though fflufffies were never intentionally bred, breeders perhaps unintentionally selected for the fluffy gene because the heterozygous carriers had a better coat. Is that true? I've seen only 2 corgi litters, and both were about 1/4 fluffy, what you'd expect from a Mendelian recessive and two heterozygous (carrier) parents.
Al & Gwynn are quite likely fluffy carriers -- Al at least had fflufffy littermates -- their coats are sinfully luxuriant, and just shed rain, snow and mud. There's beauty in function. It's hard to argue with what works so well.
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Permalink Reply by Shepdog on
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Oddly enough we were just talking about this the other day Cardi wise. Strangely, being hetero for the fluff gene doesn't make coats fuller or thicker or heavier, weirdly enough. You'd never know that some dogs carry fluff, or dogs that you think should be fluff carriers don't have it at all. A friend of mine has a dog who's got almost a fluff coat and we were shocked, he came back clear for fluff.
Caleb's clear, and he's got a better coat than Simon for the ring. Simon's a fluff carrier, and yet he has one of those tight, "non-glamour" coats that is totally wash and wear, but isn't a great one for the ring. Simon just knocks the mud off. Caleb isn't wash and wear -- he's just mostly a lot of wash, haha. ;)
Tempe's a carrier, and yet she's got a way thicker coat than the two boys, but that's also because her dad has a pretty nice coat, and his dad had nice coat too. ;) Her lines are known for their heavier coats.
Frankly.... most of us Cardi folks go, it's just cosmetic. Fluffs don't matter for health. No one I know would take a fluffy out of their breeding lines if everything else was there health and structure wise -- they'd just breed to a dog that was not a fluff carrier.
That said, Tempe's brother was one of the Fluffiest Dogs I've ever seen. I admit, every time I saw him all I wanted to do was hug the heck out of him and go, "He's SO FLUFFY." ;) (I have some pictures of him I took, he was gorgeous, wow. Stunning dog.)
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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on
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Looks like I better get my second corgi now then! I'm dying for a fluffy! I too have read that fluffy carriers have a better coat for the show ring. Frank had no fluffies in his litter and his coat is quite smooth and he has a pretty pathetic undercoat. Its fine for me because it means way less shedding, but would likely be a fault in the show ring.
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Maddie has a fabulous coat. It is softer than Jack's and does not shed dirt as well. She's a fluff carrier. I don't know if Jack is a fluff carrier or not. His breeder thinks he might be because his trappings are so long, but of course since he's a neutered pet he was never tested. Either way, both have nice full coats but Maddies is softer and she carries a lot more coat. Jack has the proper hard outer coat with a lot of undercoat. In summer he loses his undercoat completely and looks pretty bad.
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Permalink Reply by LaRissa L. Head on
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I understand WHY they don't want to make it a standard, but after owning a fluff and foster normals I would pick a fluff any day. Roslyn barely sheds and never has a problem with mats. Her coat gets funny/cute crimps (like from the 80's) in the rain, but dries much faster than the thicker short hair coats.
If I am going camping I take her to a groomer and get her butt curtains shortened so she doesn't drag the forest back into our tent. She also has never had a tick found by our vet, unlike her short haired sister (both get lymes vaccinations, due to lots of camping in the summer)
Form and function for my doggie needs!
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Side note:
Both girls are going to start training in August to herd sheep (they can herd geese and chickens like pros already). Next year I will own a small hobby farm for my personal wool/veggie/egg needs.
Great thing about sheep is they live in fields, not cattle mud pits. My fluff can be used to field herding without the added mess, although all feet need to be cleaned before entering the house again! (husband's included!)
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Permalink Reply by Caryl on
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That's fabulous that your girls are herding and will do sheep. I know some Corgis aren't usually used for sheep because they are considered too exciteable (the Corgis, not the sheep). Lucky you to be able to do a hobby farm!
I love the description of Corgis as "market dogs" since they were often used to get the geese and other critters to market.
Whatever we do with our Corgis - they are a wonderful addition to our homes
!
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Permalink Reply by Ellen Andersen on
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Time to stock up on Fluffs!
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Permalink Reply by Chris West on
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I think the point is to keep the dog within the ability to do the job is was designed for. The shorter coat is preferred because it cleans easier, regulates temperature properly, is resistant to picking up "junk" (burrs, twigs, leaves, etc, etc). These are all things you would need to consider if you are using your corgi as a herding dog. If you feel that there should be fluffs because they are "cute", then you must also recognize that you are supporting the breeding of some of the "designer dogs" that are being bred these days with the only purpose of "being cute." On the other hand, I feel like the AKC doesn't do a very good job of updating breed standards to recognize the changes between a dog "now" and how that same breed looked 100 years ago. Some of the regulations in some breeds are just plain outdated. If you haven't seen it, I think everyone should watch this BBC documentary. It was really eye opening for me: http://www.mycorgi.com/video/pedigree-dogs-exposed
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