"Poorly bred" is not an individual insult. But does breeding matter?

Here’s a fact: Scout is poorly bred.

My former stray is not an altogether great representation of what Australian cattle dogs are supposed to be. (And even if we’re skeptical about modern breed standards—as I believe we should be, at least a little!—there’s no denying that she isn’t very physically or mentally sound.)

At a personal level, I don’t care one bit that she isn’t well-bred. Her exact lineage does not change my adoration and commitment! But on a larger scale, I understand why trying to produce solid dogs through ethical breeding is so important.

Here’s why.

First: How can we tell Scout isn’t well bred?

1) She doesn’t match any thoughtful breed standard

Scout is out of the official Australian cattle dog breed standard.

There will always be variation within a breed. Every dog is an individual, and well-rounded standards try to account for that! Many dog people also do not necessarily think all current breed standards are great or should remain exactly the same moving forward. (Moveme…