Animal husbandry, and the ethics of "amusing" genetic traits

[chamaeleo]

Yet another in a long list of personal peeves, I genuinely dislike breeders who selectively perpetuate traits that render their lineages silly, miserable, or of ill health. The classic dog horror story is the English bulldog: prone to stubborn temperament, hip dysplasia, skin conditions, eye problems, allergies, poor respiratory efficiency, highly subsceptible to heat stroke, inability to give birth sans C-section...for starters. I know they're adorable and all, what with all the wrinkles, slobber and cute little waddle, but these were originally bred for "baiting" bulls...grabbing it by the snout, and suffocating it, for the amusement of gamblers! Not the most honorable of heritages, but the modern breed makes their ancestors look downright chivalric!

While researching goats, I stumbled upon Fainting Goats:



Read the comments that accompany the Youtube video. Most are pretty unsympathetic to the plight of the goat, whose muscles freeze for several seconds whenever they're panicked. How would it feel, to have been selectively bred to become paralyzed whenever threatened. Is this encouraging animal cruelty, or am I completely off-base?

[Chaigidel]

humans have a long tradition as regarding all life, no matter how sacred as nothing more than tools and playthings--- the rewards of this behaviour will come to fruit eventually.

[tree151]

humans have a long tradition as regarding all life, no matter how sacred as nothing more than tools and playthings--- the rewards of this behaviour will come to fruit eventually.

That's exaticaly what I wanted to say, though I'm not sure dogs would eventualy rebel agienst humans and conquer the human world. Most of the humans think of themselves and they're race as superior (and not coincidentily, they also belive were better then anything outside earth). I salute those who are smart enough to understand that humans are just a stage in earth's history...I know I would laugh when the stage of the ants comes.

[Chaigidel]

no its just our irresponsible use of likely the rarest thing in the universe, viable life.( at the very least our system will not be reproduced exactly anywhere)