Well, I wouldn't consider that the major point, but it is definitely a consideration. The problem is it doesn't really apply to cavaliers in the way she recommends. There is no way to determine if a cavalier is a 'carrier' of SM or MVD and all evidence is that almost every single CKCS, if not all, are carriers, so we are way past the point of rescuing the breed that way (as can still be done for Griffin Bruxellois, if breeders test and use protocols!). So you can't pick a 'non-carrier' to breed to. YOU HAVE TO TEST and use late onset breeding protocols. And that is the major problem with the majority of breeders: they don't, and the evidence is there that they don't. Most at best only check that a dog has no syrinx at 2.5 and evidence, as much as they don't want to hear it, is that they need to at least scan once more. Though some breeders try to blame the researchers, the genetic issue is what it is -- not wanting to pay for multiple scans or a cardiodologist or echocardiogram doesn't make the genetic issue go away, and multiple studies by multiple researchers in mixed geographies have been consistent on this issue now (despite what breeders claim in their own surveys... )! And researchers didn't make it up to vex breeders, they identified it as an issue that must be addressed in order to help breeders and the breed, or the breed is at the end of its road.
Cavalier breeders have no choice but to test by a specialist, and then retest as dogs age as the majority of cavaliers will have both these problems eventually, and aim for late onset dogs. Cost cannot be an excuse not to test and know what you are breeding into your dogs (or people should just get out of the breed) -- and too many still do not even test, or retest for SM at a later point, and are then in effect breeding at least one affected dog anyway, if not two.
Simon Swift has noted that if any reasonable number breeders actually followed testing and protocol recommendations, there would have been at least some -- rather than NO -- improvement in hearts within the club breeders in the UK. The fact that there was no improvement in over a decade means hardly anyone tests or follows protocols -- despite what people say.
Breeding some dogs with small syrinxes and without clinical signs *as determined by a neurologist, not the breeder*, is part of the breeding protocol already for SM so this really isn't any big change in approach. It was already incorporated in years ago for the reasons stated in this podcast.
But ... the issue remains the majority of breeders not testing at all, not testing more than once at a young age, and/or not following breeding protocols. For all that breeders claim they are -- or tell you they are -- they aren't. It remains really hard for puppy buyers to find a single breeder in many regions who test and follow protocols. And the breed supplements from the clubs show how many breeders, including committee members and health reps, are breeding underage dogs routinely (whatever about whether any of them test their dogs).
Nonetheless I hope some of them will listen to the podcast.
PS: Would you want a puppy from an AxD litter if the odds are significantly increased that you will end up as you did so sadly with Ella? Is that risk going to be a price difference point in future? TSuch questions are going to be serious issues for puppy buyers and breeders. Maybe breeders will need to be people capable of keeping entire AxD litters to use only the As for future litters.