Selecting for Health and Longevity, correct Phenotype, reproducible Genotype and Breed Temperament means knowing how to read pedigrees, predict inheritable factors, and discern which characteristics are in fact, Genetic or Environmental.
SUCCESSFUL DOG BREEDING LINEBREEDING, INBREEDING, OUTCROSSING " AND WHY Do
you count your litters or do your litters count? Are you a "dog
breeder" or a "breeder
of dogs"?
What is your ratio of producing dogs that finish?
E. Katie Gammill "TheDogPlace / August 2009 - After buying a national winning bitch, a breeder wonders why the bitch fails to produce quality offspring. She doesn"t understand her bitch is not the only ingredient in her recipe for success. Throwing time and money away, she blames the bitch. In all actuality; it is her lack of knowledge regarding her breeding program that is at fault. Breeding her bitch to currently winning dogs without giving a thought to health, pedigree, or cross faulting, she puzzles as to why others accomplish what she can not. An excellent breeding program isn"t "happen-chance". Cross faulting,
health certifications, and pedigree research is imperative as is breeding
with the future in mind. It is imperative one has a "breeding plan" in place. There are reasons
why some people consistently breed top winners and others breed a "flash in the pan" with the inability to
reproduce its qualities. One may go to the expense of buying a top winner,
but to reproduce a winner without a "battle
plan"
is an effort in futility.
The goal of all breeders should be to breed to standard. Breeding something different to "catch" a judges eye may temporarily produce a winner, but it doesn"t do the next breeder in line any favors toward trying to build a credible breeding program. This "quick fix" is a fad with little lasting value that pushes the standard to the side. This in turn creates a continuously moving target and sadly, it is the reason many people in the sport drop out within the first five years. For everyone to SUCCEED, we must aim for a stationary target (the breed standard). Only then will we perfect our aim toward producing "breed excellence". So let"s start with the basics.
OUTCROSS: This is a breeding of pedigrees where the first (5-6) generations have NO common ancestry. To achieve a successful outcross, determine if the chosen male offers "locked in" genetic abilities to produce such virtues by observing his offspring. A "flash in the pan" winner offers instant gratification, but where does one go from there if he isn"t bred to reproduce himself?
When possible, visit his sire and dam as well as siblings. If the male of choice does not appear to produce what you need, WHAT IS THE POINT OF BREEDING YOUR BITCH to him? Using an inbred or closely line bred bitch when introducing new characteristics may assist you as this particular outcross invites a lack of uniformity.
You have choices. If the puppy
reflecting the "trait" you went after is not sound,
but is showy, consider growing
out a second puppy as well. The first puppy may well carry the genes to
produce that which the second choice sounder puppy is not capable of reproducing.
Only by growing the two puppies to maturity and breeding a litter
from each, will you know
My ten girl cousins were the "spitting image" of my father"s family look. My sister and I took after my mother. As "half-baked" youngsters, one would never guess our heritage but with maturity, our body type and size, even our voices and actions confirmed we were of the same "ilk". So every litter offers "different types". Watching my two puppies and
breeding them resulted in "What
you see is not always what you get. The lesser of the two adults actually
produced more desirable puppies. How did I learn this? By growing the two puppies to maturity. When evaluating the offspring of their litters, I gave those virtues most important to me additional consideration. Without losing what my own line offered, while evaluating the virtues, I was able to incorporate them through the outcross. The goal was "the best of both worlds. My male produces a certain "look" and through serious consideration I will incorporate this into my initial soundness. This explains the difference in phenotype (What you see) and genotype. (Hidden value). Eventually, offspring from the bitch will be bred to offspring of the male, anchoring outstanding virtues into the pedigree by careful selection. At this point, it evolves as "line breeding". LINEBREEDING: Line breeding is the concentration of valuable characteristics. It allows some control over "families". This method requires one of the selected parents having one or more common ancestors in the pedigree in the last several (5-6) generations. These ancestors themselves may be a successful line-breeding of outstanding individuals. Use only healthy individuals or the program will meet with disaster. Health, fertility, temperament,
type, is imperative because compromises
negatively affect your future breeding program and will require further
elimination.
INBREEDING:
Once reaching the pinnacle of desired virtues, INBREED. This "sets" breed type and defines a certain
"look". You will "reap what you sow. Inbreeding
results in "the
best of the best"
and "the
worst of the worst".
This is what makes a breeder! This
risk is not for the faint of heart. If things go "south", take responsibility for the
results and act accordingly. TO PUT IT IN A NUTSHELL: OUTCROSSING introduces new traits for definite improvement. Our biggest failing is "throwing the baby out with the bathwater". LINEBREEDING creates and establishes a pedigree which in degrees, incorporates and produces specific traits on a continuous basis. If a good female results from a breeding, she can be bred back to her grandsire for consistency of type reflecting the sire"s side. INBREEDING sets type and simplifies goals. Inbreeding consists of mother to son, father to daughter, brother to sister, etc. Strengthening desirable dominants as well as hidden recessive, the breeder must recognize and correct once again through out crossing...
Breeders must always be aware of hidden genetic positive and negative effects. A breeding made from paper study alone is like an arranged marriage-it may be consummated, but there is small chance for success". (EHH 1968) Successful breeders "arrive" through heartbreak, tears,
and hard work. They achieve desired results by eliminating animals that do
not reflect their goals. These animals are called "pets". The standard IS our
blueprint, although too often, personal opinion takes precedence.
For a more in depth study of how to
correct faults, read Lloyd C. Brackett"s
"Planned Breeding"
article on the website www.nylana.org. This
breeder, following Brackett"s
methods, is known for Best in Show Schipperkes. Although there are over 53
pages, for a serious breeder the consumption of ink and paper is certainly
worth the printing.
Not for the "squeamish", there is another type of breeding: BACKBREEDING.
If one has a superior male and lovely bitch excelling in health, type,
temperament, and conformation. MATE THEM. Keep a female from this litter
and mate this puppy to her sire. Keep a female puppy from the resulting
litter and take her to the original sire, (her father). Breed until you
reach the desired results or until weaknesses become apparent. Few will
take up this challenge, but it"s
something to consider. "Back
breeding"
produced many of the "GREATS" in a variety of breeds. This
is WHY many greats of the past were dominant for producing their qualities
generation after generation. This confirms becoming a respected breeder is
a slow and painful process.
Back
Breeding "sets
type".
The offspring will mirror the excellence of the line. When line- breeding and
in-breeding is done properly, strengths, NOT weaknesses, will be the end
result.
True breeders are "tough cookies". Through their dedication to the standards, the goal of "breed excellence" will remain firm, moving our great sport of dogs into the future. ~ E Katie Gammill http://www.thedogplace.org/Articles/Breeder/09081-Dog-Breeding_Gammill.asp Copyright NetPlaces, Inc. / TheDogPlace All Rights Reserved, Under penalty of law, no portions thereof may reproduced or reprinted without obtaining Reprint Permission from the publisher |