This article appeared in the July 1955 issue of The Dog News.
Author: Alice Rosenthal
AT the June meeting of the American Kennel Club, the Board of Directors examined and approved a proposed amendment to the rules applying to registration and dog shows, by which any dog that is a Monorchid or Cryptorchid would be ineligible to compete at any shows. Before this becomes a rule, it must of course go before the Delegates for discussion and for their vote. In the meantime, it is up to the exhibitors to give the matter considerable thought.
The only question that really concerns Boxer breeders is that of disqualifying the Monorchid, for Boxers which are Cryptorchids are not shown at present, and they figure rather negligibly in any breeding program, for their potentialities in reproducing is limited to a very few months in those cases when it exists at all.
So it is with the possible disqualification of the Monorchid that the Boxer breeder is primarily concerned. On first thought it would seem logical to disqualify the Monorchid. Do this, and in ten years or so, this all-too-prevealent fault would be completely eradicated. Such thinking seems logical, but is it?
While most breeders are convinced that Monorchidism (and Cryptorchidism) is an inherited fault (a few still are not) it is generally agreed that they method of inhereritance - the pattern one might say - remains a complete mystery. That the fault does not always descend directly from father to son, is certain. How then are these faults inherited? Perhaps throught the bitch - i.e. - from mother to son, or possibly from a perfectly normal appearing animal who may carry the defect as strongly as his defective brother? To date no positive answers to the questions can be given.
THere is one thing about being able to show a Monorchid if otherwise show-worthy. One knows the devil that is there! The defect is apparent and it is up to each individual to decide whether or not he cares to breed to the Monorchid dog.
How difficult it would be if the Monorchids were disqualififed. One would never see them at the shows, and few breeders would boast of having them. The great new Champion (with no defect along this line) to which so many people might be sending top bitches, could well be the litter brother to a couple of Monorchids, but who would know it? And since the method of inheritance for these faults is so problematic, might not the normal Champion produce just as many Monorchids and Cryptorchids as his defective brother? And would he not possibly produce more than if breeders knew - from ringside observation - that his brother and perhaps a few uncles or cousins were Monorchids?
It seems to me that this disqualification on Monorchids is much like a practice of the dark ages when a defective child was isolated and his existance blandly ignored or denied.
Until such a time as the method or pattern of inheritance of Monorchids is not better understood, might it not be wise to keep them out in the open, collect all possible data and do some really worthwhile research on the method of this inherited fault?
Author: Alice Rosenthal
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