In Breeding Puppies - Page 1

Excuse me if I sound stupid for asking this question as it may sound very basic but I'm relatively new to knowledge of GSD breeding. Q IS it not good to own an inbred puppy especially 2-2 Q IS it against the Championships or does it affect on the health of the puppy if it is inbred for example half sister and half brother litter?? What are the repercussions of owning an inbred puppy is it inferior in any way to the out breds???

What does inbreeding (in the genetic sense) do? Basically, it increase the probability that the two copies of any given gene will be identical and derived from the same ancestor. Technically, the animal is homozygous for that gene. The heterozygous animal has some differences in the two copies of the gene Remember that each animal (or plant, for that matter) has two copies of any given gene (two alleles at each locus, if you want to get technical), one derived from the father and one from the mother. If the father and mother are related, there is a chance that the two genes in the offspring are both identical copies contributed by the common ancestor. This is neither good nor bad in itself. Consider, for instance, the gene for PRA (progressive retinal atrophy), which causes progressive blindness. Carriers have normal vision, but if one is mated to another carrier, one in four of the puppies will have PRA and go blind. Inbreeding will increase both the number of affected dogs (bad) and the number of genetically normal dogs (good) at the expense of carriers. Inbreeding can thus bring these undesirable recessive genes to the surface, where they can be removed from the breeding pool. Unfortunately, we cannot breed animals based on a single gene - the genes come as a package. We may inbreed and rigorously remove pups with PRA or even their parents and littermates from the breeding pool. But remember inbreeding tends to make all genes more homozygous. In at least one breed, an effort to remove the PRA-causing gene resulted in the surfacing of a completely different and previously unsuspected health problem. It is easier and faster to lose genes (sometimes very desirable genes) from the breeding pool when inbreeding is practiced than when a more open breeding system is used. In other words, inbreeding will tend to produce more nearly homozygous animals, but generally some of the homozygous pairs will be "good" and others will be "bad".

Your awesome KennyR. As long as Vikram can understand. You explained it perfectly. :-)

THIS HAS GOT TO BEAT ALL THE CRAP I HAVE SEEN www.furrarikennels.com/panda.htm

Good stuff indeed,kennyr! You wouldn't perhaps care to expand comments even more and relate it to connection to hybrid vigour, or inbred loss thereof?

Vikram, Before you breed another litter, or maybe your first, you weren't clear on whether you've bred any litters yet or not, go and buy yourself a good book on canine genetics and try to find some seminars in your area. If you live near to any GSD breeders who breed per the SV standard, talk to them. You might also think about asking the breeder(s) of your dogs form some advice.

kennyr -- excellent commentary on gentics !! i have a tremendous background in gentics .. i complenment you on words better enunciated that what i could have !!! -- well explained !! as with previous discussions on this forum -- that is why i am of the opinion that occassional LINEBREEDING even a 2-3 maybe ok --- but conastantly linebreeding , let alone inbreeding which in essence is just tighter , recapitualtes to many poor genetics/genes [ as well as the good ] -- but it's just just not worth seeing the bad problems , especially when in health issues arise .. there is / or should be a wide variation of genetics [ especially the GSD is a well rounded versatlie breed ] to mix . match amd choose from in oreder to mate and produce outstanding GSD .. in nature that is what helps makes a breed/species evlove to the betterment .. to enable it to adapt to environment , and survive .. there a a great many traits , no dog [ or person ] will ever have it all . -- if we look at nature .. do we see anturally occuring any one so called type of that animale ... gentic variation is best .. so do we go for a well balanced genetic variation that produces the standard of what the GSD is or do we keeop trying to produce THE GSD at a great genetic cost ?? what do you folks think ??

Kennyr, That makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up........Shame on them

As all major blood lines lead back through Quanto, Canto, Jalk, Mutz and thence to Rolf and Utz etc,how is it possible to achieve or maintain genetic diversity in the Breed? Does present-day breeding not consist of mere and an endless re-combining of the same lines?

Patrishap, maybe you should modify that statement/question a bit... "As all major SHOWLINE bloodlines lead back through Quanto, Canto, Jalk, Mutz and thence to Rolf and Utz etc,how is it possible to achieve or maintain genetic diversity in the Breed?" Simple...do more than breed for color and a non functional structure. In laymen's terms, go back to the working lines to get some diversity, just like has been done in the past.