linebreeding - Page 2

Stephen and Clayton have very interesting observations that I think we can all learn from. Thanks for your input on this topic. Although not a breeder myself, I do not believe in linebreeding per-say because I prefer the genetic diversity of not linebreeding. In considering the necessity in the beginning to lininebreed/inbreed with our foundation dogs to develop the breed several years ago, I believe it was necessary. Thankfully, these were very knowledgeable breeders. Today's breed suffers some what due to the lack of genetic diversity and any prospective buyer should truly study the pedigree as linebreeding doesn't always inhance what you have.

ALL dogs carry on the average four or five defective genes, so the question is not whether your dog carries a defect or not, it does. The important point is WHAT defect it carries. If a breeder tells you their dogs have never produced a defect, their dogs have probably produced only one litter, they don't follow up on their puppies, or perhaps they are being less than truthful. The risk of producing a given defect is just as high with an outcross as with inbreeding. If want to have an impact in controlling the genetic diseases and undesirable traits in our dogs, we are going to have to be open and honest with each other, and less condescending.

Linebreeding with any common ancester in the first five generations is inbreeding as Clayton so well stated. Here is the great and ultimate dilemma for breeders. Typically if you are breeding w.Ger show lines for the total GSD (confirmation, temperatment & working abiity) as a significant number of top breeders of showline dogs in w.Ger attempt and succeed at, you must breed as cose as 4-5, inmy opinion. 3-4 & 4-4 is not as common and probably for a good reason. Outcrossing (no common dog in 5 generations)typically produces very high variability of very mediocre dogs unless there is that very rare superproducer who is dominant for all the desired traits and carries very little problems). There have probably not been more than a dozen of these dogs in the past. It appears that if you breed too close (closer than 4-5) you risk concentrating problems and general vitality (unless again you are inbreeding on that very rare "dominant superproducer"). One always hast to make the best comprimises by breeding to compensate for known problem raits in their stock. Only the most knowledgable breeders or breed wardens in w.Ger are privy to this valuable information. The trick is to mask flaws by "burying them" in the pedigree through such breeding compensations. The old breed wardens in Germany are incredibly skilled at this given all the difficulties. The day is rapidly approaching many or most specific canine gene locations will be located and perhaps gene splicing technology can be used. If one can splice in (or even breed in) covering genes dominant for good traits over non-dominant, or problem genes or can get rid of problem genes through the random splitting and recombining during reproduction, one can cover weaknesses and have and display desired traits. For example, there are apparently five specific gene sites for vitality (or disease resistance, immunological vitality). The ideal GSD has heterogenous or different genes at each location of the five. If a GSD has more than two of the five locations with common genes, the dog typically has a weak constitution and many health problems emerge, including diluted pigment and light nails. I think that the w.Ger breed wardens thoroughly understand this issue and have come up with perhaps the best solution for the "total GSD" by usually recommending a 4-5 breeding from top and proven producers. The more progeny the stud dog has out there being shown, the better one can deduce about his producing ability. Using a near perfect young unproven stud dog is a very big gamble. Certain top stud dogs become known for certain dominant traits, if they don't produce everything great. For example, Esko Danischen Hof is known to be a top hip producer, apparently this comes from his dam side and has proven to be very potent. One of the reasons Americans have gotten into such a deep trap with Lance of Franjo (half w.Ger import, if I remeber correctly) is that he was a phenomenal producer. Even when bred to mediocre bitches he produced good temperament, movement, confirmation. Many of his progeny were great dogs and producers too. So American breeders just kept breeding these lines since they didn't bring in much other geat blood and otherwise then got basically nothing but mediocrity. So they kept this up and went down the bad road we have today in the USA. One of the top judges and breeders in the USA has stated that based on his experiments with trying to use top very excellent w.Ger import studs with American blood bitches has been a failure after even five generations because the offspring look and take after their American blood only. He says that the overusage of Lance has caused a genetic depression which cannot be overcome and that American bloodline breeder need to import w Ger. blodlined bitches, use good w. Ger import studs and basically start over.