Chimera Kennels

The Breed's Future

(by H. Lee Robinson, M.S. Animal Sciences and owner of Chimera Kennels)

• Part 1 - The Breed's Future - The Fight Against BSL
• Part 2 - The Breed's Future - Producing a Better Dog
• Part 3 - The Breed's Future - Selecting the Working Prospect
• Part 4 - The Breed's Future - Understanding Animal Behavior
• Part 5 - The Breed's Future - Some Basics on Training (to come later)

Part 1 - The Breed's Future - The Fight Against BSL

Represent the dogs in a manner that allows you to both fulfill your desired goals and display a degree of civil responsibility. One of the best ways to do this is to "let the good light shine." You can still do the "tough stuff" but keep it in an appropriate context and/or market view. Don't plaster stuff that can be misinterpretted on public forums for one or youtube videos. If you want it on your website, keep it in context. I am sure all dog owners could do a bit better at this, and we all have a role in it. To deny this is to put your head in the sand about the way politics and legislators work. They do judge us based upon how we act, speak, as well as by evaluating what we promote or endorse. Practice good citizenship. Be involved in obedience training. Demo those dogs as good citizens. If you have dogs that are not good citizens or that are too intense for the public, be aware of that. Obey leash laws, have good confinement when the dog is left home, etc.This section is entirely about citizenship, and this may just be the #1 biggest threat to the future of certain breeds.

Part 2 - The Breed's Future - Producing a Better Dog (think about your breed of choice)

(Section A - Producing a better dog)

Raising, conditioning, training, and breeding quality canines are passions of mine. I have had dogs nearly all my life. To me, canines truly are one of man's best friends, and I don't take this lightly. Before giving a little background about me, let me openly say I am greatly disappointed how our society distorts the truth to our own likings...often times creating the illusion of ourselves being gods when we are not. You may ask what exactly do I mean by this, so let me explain.

I have studied canines and animals in general since I was a small child. For as long as I can remember, I have had an interest in gaining more knowledge about animals, especially canines. My interests in canines and animals in general have stimulated me to pursue accurate information in the various philosophies, theories, and experiences pertaining to animal behavior, anatomy, physiology, husbandry, nutrition, genetics, reproduction, and other aspects within the various animal communities. This eventually led me to more studies at a professional level, and it was during the year 1990 that I began learning about John B. Swinford's (DVM) work and the Swinford Bandog. Eventually I obtained a B. S. from the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois with emphasis on the scientific aspects of breeding, training, animal psychology, and general husbandry. After finishing my B.S., I furthered my education in Animal Sciences...focusing on Reproductive Physiology and eventually obtained a M. S. and AI breeder's certification again from the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois. While at the University of Illinois, one of my advisers owned and operated a K9 training facility, at which I was fortunate enough to gain personal experience from while working and training with many rescue dogs. Later, I was fortunate enough to work with the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens (Center of Reproduction of Endangered Wildlife, CREW).

Since we founded Chimera Kennels in the year 2000, we have developed our own program with several multiple generation lines of what we believe to be the finest canine breed in existence to function as a family companion guardian for civilian use. We refer to our dogs as the American Sentinel K9. Over the years, our program has grown into professional quality kennel and is based upon the 9 acres of land on which we reside. We have obtained thousands of dollars worth of professional grade training equipment, obtained a 4 dog stainless steel air conditioned dog trailer that we can use to travel with, continued our education in canine training, have hosted several decoy seminars flying in professional life long dog trainers, and have developed a quality training field area. I have learned both experience and education are necessary to begin a true understanding. Quality equipment and other resources are an important components to gaining experience. Remember this following statement before continuing your pursuit of knowledge (and read it over until you get it).

Animals don't define behavior or genetics, they display behavior and genetics (being displayed within the parameters defined by God). We have to take what we see the animals display, and then we define these observations with words in accordance to how they are displayed. Experience provides the "display" component. Education provides the "definitions" component. By doing this, we are able to build upon the knowledge acquired by those that came before us. By combining both education and experience, one begins obtaining a true understanding...and only after this true understanding begins to occur is the proper application of true knowledge possible.

In my private and professional studies, I began to realize the best performing domesticated animals were produced by people that 1. accepted limitations of man's abilities and 2. removed delusional mindset often created by wishful thinkers. Instead, the best breeders out there are people who yielded to reality and accepted the practices of natural selection. Natural selection is based on the concepts of survival of the fittest. What I mean by this is...Simply because we want something to be so, doesn't make it true. We can't be kennel blind or wish something into existence. Producing quality takes work...and a lot of it. Simply because we desire the best, doesn't mean we will have the best. To get the best, we have to select for the best performing individuals in a given area, then we have to place the performance to a desired task above all other criteria.

People have purposefully mutated many breeds of dogs and then try to justify it by stating they are "breeding to the standard." These same people often say they are breeding "working dogs" but very few actually get out and actually work their dogs on a regular basis. So, this claim often puzzled me. In fact, I have come to realize, it is delusional to think one can produce working dogs without actually working them. One can't speak performance into existence just by claiming it. Like I stated above, we are not gods here. Sure, many breeders hope their dogs are healthy and often hope they can perform, but hoping isn't going to cut it. When breeding dogs (especially working dogs) we should put health and ability over all else. Dogs should at least be able to live functional lives to some minimal degree, but when breeders purposefully produce dogs towards a mutated standard (knowing the dogs are unable to perform the most basic aspects of life) or breed dogs plagued with genetic diseases that are actually caused by chasing a standard...it becomes obvious that breeders are not considering the overall well being of our canine companions. Dogs obviously do not wish to be imprisoned within mutated bodies and genetic disorders. If you think I am exaggerating look at breeds like the English Bulldog, Neapolitan Mastiff, Chinese Shar-pei, Chinese Crested, and many others. People have also continually tried to find short cuts to replace performance testing, but the truth lies in what works. There are no short cuts to replace performance testing...not looks, not love, not availability, not lab tests, nor any other measure. Be it milk production in dairy cows or the speed of a greyhound, actual performance testing for the desired task is the only way to truly and objectively measure performance. If you want to include other tests, such as some lab tests, fine...but don't let those tests replace good old fashion health testing via performance selection.

The selection within the breeding gene pool (wild animals) in nature is controlled by "natural selection." Although breeding animals within captivity is technically called "artificial selection," by using performance criteria to select breeding stock we are able to model the performance selection or "tool" that nature uses in "natural selection" and achieve our goals...even if our goals are different than what would be best in nature. What is this tool one might ask? Well, the tool is performance selection towards a desired goal. In the wild, the selected task is survival in nature, but in captivity the selected tasks are often set by the breeder. If you are a breeder, you have to determine "What is your goal?" If you desire performance, you have to breed for it! "Beat'em in the brood box" so to speak. If you desire to produce performance animals, don't select for head size. Selecting for head size will get you head size. Selecting for blue will get you blue. Selecting for hip scores will get you hip scores. Selecting for loose skin will get you loose skin (and likely skin disease as well). All the above methods are selecting for a form or a type, but not a function. The answer to producing quality living beings is very simple...To get performance, you have to start by selecting for performance. This the practice at Chimera Kennels! Our dogs perform as family companions and as guardians...hence the reference to "family companion guardian."

(Section B - Producing a Better dog)

One of the finest lessons I learned runs parallel with the thoughts of a great dog man, Bert Sorrells, who for decades produced of one of the finest lines of APBT that existed. Bert Sorrells' knowledge of working dogs is extensive, and he is well known for producing dogs that excel in truly competitive performance measures. According to Mr. Sorrells (this is not word for word, but printed here in a summary form)...

"If you want to produce dogs that perform, you breed dogs that perform. You can't make excuses for why a dog fails, and then try to justify breeding it. This will only produce more dogs that fail. If a dog is consistently a strong performer though, you can make allowances for things you don't really like if you wish to breed this dog. The difference between "excuses" and "allowances" is determined by performance. Excuses are made for losers. Allowances are made for winners.

For a breeder that desires performance, it doesn't matter how the dog over comes the challenges to perform. All that really matters is if the dog is a consistent performer or not. Breeders that consistently produce dogs that consistently perform do not make excuses for dogs that consistently fail. Dogs that don't perform have to be removed from the breeding program (gene pool) regardless of how much we like certain things about them. And, dogs that consistently perform well can be bred (given they have appropriate temperaments) if we wish to breed them regardless of if we like everything about them or not. Breeders have to decide what traits they are going to select for. If a breeder measures performance as a trait, and selects on this basis, then the breeder is more likely to produce dogs that perform."

This is what we strive to do at Chimera Kennels, as I agree with Mr. Sorrells completely. He also stated that you have to decide what performance features you desire to obtain and be clear about that goal. During our discussion he referenced to desired selection measures being set by the "traits," and for performance dogs the expression of these traits are to be measured by performance criteria in order to maintain objectivity just as if we are doing scientific experiments. Sure we should see and observe...and we know what we know...but we shouldn't let our knowledge lead to speculation...and we should accept the performance truths as they present themselves (assuming data is fairly represented). Bert knows dogs and knows what he is talking about. The use of this thinking though shouldn't be used just because he stated it though...it should be used because he is right.

The pressures placed upon a species by natural selection determines how a species "evolves." If a dog fails the test, it is "not breed worthy"...and it doesn't matter why the dog fails. Don't excuse the failure. If a dog does perform and it doesn't matter why the dogs succeeds, then the dog "is breed worthy" if you choose to breed it. If you select for non-performance goals (blue coat, head size, hip scores, etc), don't expect to produce performance dogs as these traits don't ensure performance. And, if you want performance, then performance measures need to be your selection pressures...not anything else. Would you breed a dog for a "big head" or a "blue coat?" Although there is nothing wrong with these traits per say, balance must be maintained and measured by performance. If these traits exist in your performing dog, that is fine, but to produce performance dogs you can't select a dog just because a dog expresses a particular physical feature within its phenotype. And if we start looking for "other traits" besides performance then we will often loose our objectivity into accepting the truth as it is presented. This type of thinking is why many show breeders have ruined or are ruining so many working dogs. It is happening today because the strong voices of ignorant show breeders influence many uninformed people...and without in depth thinking on such issues the blind quickly follow the blind assuming that if these things are popular they must be correct.

Performance selection will remove for any reason of failure...be it temperament, angulation, tendons, ligaments, muscles, drives, cardiovascular, respiratory, and the most important nervous system. Performance is obtained by a combination of features. To "test" for all of the needed features for performance we would first have to be able to... 1. recognize all of the contributing factors of performance instead of simply looking at the performance results (the sum result) AND 2. Have a test for ALL (hundreds, if not thousands) of each individual component. Obviously, this is not only impractical, but it is impossible. Instead just select for performance and you will end up combining working gene pools together and improve the dogs rather than "improving" the paper work.

Part 3 - The Breed's Future - Selecting the Working Prospect for use as a Family Companion Guardian

What to look for in an adult would be...

1. High in prey and fight drives
2. Forward defense drives (in terms of defense drives, it shouldn't be in and out IMO, but should be steady forward once it is triggered and actually be more of a fight type response...not a fear type response).
3. Solid nerves to environmental factors (gun fire, fire crackers, odd objects, etc)
4. Non-rank drive, having a submissive to master, but not submissive to strangers
5. A high pack instinct and desire to please the master. This helps the dog have a good work ethic.Clear headedness (no redirecting...but clear focus while working)
6. Select the dog that doesn't start trouble, but one that has the confidence and drive to impose his/her will should trouble come his way.
7. And of course, proper structure and movement.

For a pup, look for the same but don't worry about defense drive in a pup. Although a degree of suspicion MAY BE acceptable in a pup when someone is at a distance, at close distance a pup should QUICKLY accept good people and love people handling him/her.

Part 4 - The Breed's Future - Understanding Animal Behavior

In this article, I am discussing behaviors, not breeds. Breeds don't define the behavioral terms. They display the behaviors. We have to take what we see the animals display, and then we define these things in words in accordance to how they are displayed. Experience provides the "display" component. Education provides the "definitions" component. By doing this, we are able to build upon the knowledge acquired by those that came before us. By combining both education and experience, one begins obtaining a true understanding...and only after this true understanding begins to occur is the proper application of true knowledge possible.

The degree to which a dog displays a behavior may be influenced by the breed and dog...but never the less...the terms themselves are unified for all breeds...as they don't define breeds, but behaviors.

First, let’s define drive. A drive is a behavior that is motivated or displayed in order to preserve a species. Sex drive for example is the desire to engage in intercourse..., which is obviously necessary to preserve a sexually reproducing species.

Behaviors include...

1. Prey drive - The desire to chase, hunt, catch, or kill...for food. This drive can be harnessed and cross over to "non-food" items. What some people call "play drive" when a dog chases a ball is actually prey drive even though the ball is not food. It is the instinctive response to catch (and typically bite) the object. This drive supplies food, which is obviously a necessary component of life and therefore prey drive, as do all drives...preserves the species. The perfect example is the cat and mouse...or dog and rabbit.

2. Defense drive - The natural reaction to defend against a threat, perceived threat, or challenge...to protect themselves, others, or what they possess. Defense has many degrees. There are courageous defenders that are forward. There are fear biters that would opt for flight if given the chance...leading to the phrase "fight or flight" that often pops up when discussing defense drives. The perfect example of defense is a coyote or wolf protecting its den from a bear. If the coyote is courageous (perhaps motivated in this example by protecting it den with young pups in it...so it views the need to protect as worth the risk of courage in this case)...the coyote or wolf may actually pursue the bear until the bear is a safe distance from the den. If the wolf is not courageous (or feels the den isn't important...no pups), the wolf may leave...or "cur" to choose flight...realizing that success may come at too big a cost for little gain. This behavior is species preserving and is therefore defined as a drive.

3. "Fight drive" - I put "fight drive" in quotes because true fight drive doesn't exist at any significant frequency in the natural world. Let me explain. Very few people truly understand what real "fight drive" is. Fight drive is only found among a few domesticated animals that have been selected to fight. In the natural world, fighting an unnecessary battle causes injury, infection, death, and eventually extinction. Let's remember, the definition of the word "drive" is a behavior that is motivated to preserve the species. Therefore, by definition of the term drive, "fight drive" can't be labeled in the natural world as a "drive" in the sense that fighting behavior (fighting simply for the sake of fighting) would go against preservation and species. One may fight for prey, defense, rank, food, sex, territory, etc...but to fight simply for the sake of fighting simply would cause injury and extinction in a natural world. HOWEVER, in an artificial world...a domesticated world...in certain populations (such as game fighting dogs), if a dog quit then was not permitted to breed. Only the ones that would win were allowed to breed...and over time (with the help of using medicine to preserve winning dogs that would have otherwise died)...the dogs got "gamer" and "gamer" until "game dogs" began displaying a behavior that would cause their own extinction if it wasn't for the aid of man and medicine. These dogs we saved and admired...and bred. So, what was unnatural developed into a "species preserving behavior in an UNNATURAL and DOMESTICATED WORLD...hence "artificial selection" creating "an artificial drive" known as "fight drive."

4. Rank drive - is simply trying to obtain dominance. Although rank drive has some roots to defense, as it is a motivated to "protect" one's position within a pack and the benefits of status that come along with this status, rank drive is also different than pure defense drive in that rank drive also tries to establish higher positions within a pack in order to improve the benefits of status. This difference may seem slight, but it is vital. So, although rank drive is similar to defense drive in some ways, I believe rank drive should be defined totally separately from defense drive as this is a significant difference that is clearly visible in real life. Unlike rank drive, pure defense does not "establish" new domain or dominion. Do not underestimate this slight difference, as it is an important note when selecting a family guardian. I have studied and observed two forms of Rank drive. Intraspecies rank and interspecies rank.

A. Intraspecies rank drive is normal rank drive behavior, which is the desire to move UP WITHIN THE PACK for things like breeding rights, first at food, etc...(Intra-species rank has nothing to do with humans). It is a desire to obtain dominance ONLY within the given species and not directed towards other species. Some degree of intraspecies rank is to be expected among all social animals.

B. Interspecies rank is when rank drive/dominance crosses the species barrier (and is directed towards humans)...and is not normal in most animals and even in many breeds of dogs, but has been selected for in SOME lines of dogs (such as the GSD, Rottweiler, Malinois, Chow Chow, Sharpea, and others). It is BASICALLY defined as dominance towards humans or other non-canine animals...and is often linked to what is known as social aggression. Although many traditionalists desire a degree of interspecies rank or social aggression among police and military types of service dogs, it is my believe that interspecies rank drive is unacceptable for a family companion guardian type of dog, as I find such dogs to be untrustworthy and often times unstable, especially around children.

5. Cur - this is not a drive. This is a descriptive reaction. It describes an animal that quits as a result of realizing success isn't likely. This is both a positive and a negative. In the natural world...in nature it promotes survival...which is good. A natural world a canine shouldn't fight a losing battle, not if it wants to live and reproduce. For some types of domesticated dogs though this is not desirable. Fighting dogs, protection dogs, and even tracking dogs have been selected to not quit their job...and for these groups a "cur" is not desired. A rank driven dog will often cur when it sees it can't dominate, therefore a term developed known as "rank cur" came about when a dog would bluff or start rough, but would rather decisively quit as soon as it realized it wasn't going to dominate its opponent. This is not the type of dog you want for PP work, and this is another reason why I don't like rank driven dogs.

6. Game - this is not a drive. This is a descriptive term that is often used to refer to a dog that won't quit and that always sees himself as winning or succeeding...no matter how bad a situation becomes.

7. Courage - Is not a drive, but is a measure of confidence and in some cases overlaps to stability and nerve.

8. Stability - This is not a drive, but is a measure of "clear headedness." A stable dog does not flip flop or redirect with inappropriate behaviors regardless of stress. Although redirecting behaviors are expressed in response to stress...A stable dog may have strong nerve, but does not require strong nerve. A weak nerved dog could also be stable by simply shutting down. To help clarify this unique behavior, let's refer to many game dogs for examples. It is known many game dogs will not bite a person even in a heated fight even under stress in that "driven" environment. These dogs will often remain focused on their opponent regardless of the stress (not redirecting = stability) yet the same dog may shut down when taken into a noisy busy shopping area or traffic (expressing stress = weak nerve). Although nerve and stability are connected, they are not the same.

9. Nerve - This is not a drive. Nerve relates to a behavioral expression of stress. A strong-nerved dog is a dog that isn't easily stressed. A weak nerved dog is a dog that is easily stressed.

10. Threshold - This is not a drive. If there is any aspect of animal terminology that is often misunderstood...this would be one such term. A threshold refers to the amount of stimuli required to elicit a change in behavior. In other words, a threshold is what is needed to cause a new response by stimulating it. A clear example would be a stimulus strong enough to the illicit the "fight" option of defense drive...but not so strong to cause flight. A threat presents itself and the dog/animal responds by showing a change in behavior (aggression). Then there are ALSO thresholds that cap that behavior by again causing a new response. Take the same example of defense, but now say the heat of the threat gets turned up and causes the dog/animal to change from the fight option to the flight response. By ending the fight option and started a new behavior we capped the fight threshold and just caused the flight response. And now take it further...and say the dog has ran so long that it is exhausted and must lay down...this again is a new stimulus (tired) and therefore caused a new response (laying down/no longer if flight).

Lets keep up the good work Lee Im hoping the breed is here to stay for along time!

this is top of the line standards and info

Freedom requires independence,

Independence requires the acceptance of self-accountability, &

Without self-accountability freedom can NOT be maintained.

Here is why...without maintaining self-accountability, many people will adopt parasitic behavior. Crime an other socially irresponsible behavior will rise...and then in order to protect itself, the host (society) will find it necessary to eliminate the parasite. If we want to maintain freedom, we must accept self-accountability. This requires that breeders and dog owners accept responsibility for their actions. For this to happen, education on responsibility is necessary. Education requires an acceptance of the truth. The truth isn't always nice per say...however, if it is accepted it can be constructive...as the truth builds prosperity via freedom, knowledge, wisdom, and Independence.

Laws then come into place to manage a problem created by the irresponsible...the parasites to society. For this reason, the K9 community must promote responsible breeding and ownership. To solve the problems of irresponsible ownership and breeding, we have to first acknowledge where the weaknesses are so we can fix those weaknesses ourselves. If we refuse to do so, then the public will eventually find it necessary to do so. Maintaining and protecting our freedom requires our independence and accountability...and the promotion of such.

Cars, guns, cigarettes, fast food all do more harm than dogs...but, there are laws regarding off of these topics that require one to be SELF ACCOUNTABLE. Cars requires licensing and insurance. Gun ownership requires that you can't be a criminal (convicted felon) or crazy. Fast food and cigarettes cost you your health...and you can't make others consume them for this reason. Using those products requires free choice...but they also come with accountability. Dog ownership and breeding has not yet required owners and breeders to be self responsible. They should be...but they are not. Many breeders seem to think that one can present an IMAGE of professionalism by creating a nice looking banner...but that does NOT MAKE ONE RESPONSIBLE.

If we are HONEST...out of sight = out of mind. So, why is the public thinking about BSL? It is because they SEE that owners and breeders are not accepting responsibility. The public is having to deal with the consequences. If we properly secured our animals and refused to allow the public ever be subject to paying for our dogs in ANY WAY...we would be fine. If they never were exposed to a dog bite, do you really think they are going to care about the criminal that gets bit while breaking into your home? Nope. If they never had to deal with any pet over-population problem, do you really think they would care if you humanely put down any dog that you didn't want and couldn't find a suitable home for? Nope. Out of sight, out of mind...this means, it is only a problem to the public if the public has to deal with the problem. If we manage ourselves, the public will gladly move on...as it won't be a concern to them.To fight BSL, we have to be self-accountable. This is the ONLY WAY to maintain liberty = independence and accountability. If we don't want laws to regulate us, then we need to use education and accept the philosophy of self-accountability.

Biology defines three types of relationships within a community...

1. Mutualism - both organisms benefit. Both do well. This would apply to "friends and family" as this promotes community.

2. Commensalism - one benefits, the other isn't affected. Both survive. Creating the out of sight out of mind view off the public.

3. Parasitism - one does well by harming others. In order to survive, healthy populations develop a system to resist and eradicate parasites.

If people are going to be allowed the freedom to post advertisements and banners on a public forum and do so free of charge, then "We the People" have a responsibility to expose bogus claims or promotions of social irresponsibility...in order to protect FREEDOM!

If they want to post, OK fine...but I don't like parasitism. If we do not question social irresponsibility (which IS a form of parasitism), then we are not a free society...but are a socialistic one...and in socialism, the responsible are taxed to take care of the irresponsible. Is this what you want? For once that happens, the next step is slavery...as it becomes impossible for the freedom to survive chaos...and restrictions become more necessary to regain "order"...typically in the name of "safety."

To maintain our FREEDOMS, the parasitic way of thinking needs to be exposed and condemned. By denying self-accountability, parasitism does not operate under the philosophy of independence. As a result, parasitism is a threat to freedom by producing slavery. We do NOT want that!