So... here I am again... sticking my neck out.
I am of a different opinion - not too different, but different nonetheless. It comes from owning Ball Pythons that come in such varied colorations that I have 6 of them in different colors to match the room decor. And then I have the African rats that also come in such cute colors that I spent a good year trying to produce a specific color that I really like.
So, in dogs... a dog's color does not an unhealthy dog make. Okay, I was trying to sound cool. Hah! What I'm trying to say is - the color of a dog is not a direct indication of its health nor breeder reputation. I, for one, enjoys specific coloration - like, I got this cool yellow with thin black striped ball python that looks like candy. He's the favorite snake in show and tells because he looks so pretty that people forget their way-too-common-phobia of snakes. And when I was looking for my dog, I specifically chose a bichon frise not only for his temperament but also for his stunning white cotton-like fur. And when I got my very first dog - a German Shepherd - I picked a red one instead of a tan one because it is much better looking. So yes, I'm sure y'all are familiar with this habit of ours of choosing Brindle bullies over white and tan bullies... nothing really wrong with that.
But then - here comes AKC with the "breed standard". Does that mean non-standard colors are bad dogs because AKC won't take them in dog shows? Not necessarily. You can even register a non-standard color if the litter is registered. Yes, the AKC will probably inspect the dog to make sure it is really an english bulldog and not a dalmatian or something...
But, it is very true that a lot of specific dog colors came about by certain levels of line-breeding/in-breeding to produce that particular color. So that, if the initial breed line had hereditary health issues then that health problem can get compounded as they in-breed to achieve a specific coloration. So that, you could possibly end up with the same issue as the White Doberman. But, if you're familiar with the White Doberman history, it is good to note that the AKC registered Padulas Queen Shebah (the first white dobie) because she is a purebreed descended from 2 black-and-rust AKC dobies. The owner and breeder of Shebah decided to line-breed to get another white doberman not knowing the ramifications. It took the AKC about 5 years to finally get the color genetic tested and that's when they found problems with the breed. They found that the extremely reduced melanocytes that produce the white dobie is also the cause for its photosensitivity and other health issues so that a white dobie generally live a shorter lifespan than the other dobie colors and they are generally difficult to keep healthy. So that the Doberman Pinscher Club of America took it upon themselves to take steps to minimize the breeding of white dobies.
This is not the same case with Lilac Bulldogs, though, I don't think. At least, I don't know of any genetic testing done on lilacs that determined that they are genetically inferior to other english bulldog colors. Although, yes, that would also mean, if there are problems with the color, nobody as yet found out about it. But, if I want a lilac bulldog, does that mean I'm a bad mama? Or, if I'm a breeder and I breed lilac bulldogs, does that make me a bad breeder?
Now, if you really think about it and be honest with ourselves, English Bulldogs are almost as problematic as a White Doberman. So, if we are going to say, we are only going to breed dogs that are going to be healthy dogs, then we shouldn't breed English Bulldogs altogether.
Now, about paying 8500 for a specific color... I know of a guy who paid $15,000 for a specific ball python coloration. Now, the interesting thing about that is you can get the standard jungle ball python color for $25! And the ball python don't act any different - I mean, the $15,000 snake still has the same smelly poop, ya know? But, that's really no different than me paying $400 for the yellow/black stipe color... when I can just get the regular color for $25. It's pretty, and it's worth $400 to me. And if I was the ball python breeder and somebody wants to buy my snake for $15,000 why should I say no? I mean, I made sure that the snake is healthy and would be a quality pet, and somebody is willing to pay $15,000 for that specific color (that it took me 6 years to produce), why not? - that $15000 could be the difference between sending my kids to the crappy inner-city public school or getting them quality education somewhere else and hopefully get them out of the gheto. Does that make me greedy?
But, on the same token, breeders of ill-repute wouldn't mind breeding out health-problem-dogs just to get that extra buck out of a rare color... so yeah, it's something to think about. But then, this goes for any color bulldog. One should research a breeder before getting dogs from them...
Okay, just my thoughts on the matter...
Maybe that is why I think she is sooooo cute! lol. She really is pretty.
business.
