Inheritance? - Page 1

Ok seems like a dumb question but I shall ask anyway. Can someone tell me how much of a dogs grand parents gt grand parents character temperament is inherited? Obviously I know that much of a dogs make up comes from its parents but what about its grand parents and the like? If say the grandsire on the dams side that a bad temperament but the dam had a great one could the pups from the dam inherited this? Any info would be gratefully received Mick

They can have the grandsire's bad temperment or the granddam's great temperment as well as the temperment of the sire's parents or the dam or sire themselves. Basically if it's in the lines, it can come out. If it is your dog you are asking about and considering breeding, then I myself would not breed the dog because of the liability. But if you choose to breed her find a stud that has GREAT temperment for at least two generations (I'd look for three) and produces very friendly outgoing puppies. The sire's genes are just as important as the dam's. Also make sure any of the pups that do show any sign of the gransire's temperment get sent only to homes that know how to handle a dog like this and don't have small children.

First off need to ask why the grandsire had a bad temperment. was it an inherited trait or a learned trait. A dog can start out with good temperment and through poor training bad enviroment or abuse turn bad. Secondly are you line breeding or doing an outcrossing, breeding dogs who have no common ancestory. If you are line breeding and the temperment is inherited then your chances are higher as some genes are homioglycos, excuse spelling, meaning specific traits are found on the same genome in the same location in both parents and are basically a dominant trait passed on. (simplified way of explaining it). If breeding outcross then it is basically an unknown. If you where only talking one dog in the one line. Personally, This would not be a reason for me not to breed the dog. I have seen alot of dogs in my line of work with alot of bad temperment but other than a few that I can say had a screw loose most where enviromental. Have seen handlers take nice dogs and turn them into bad temperment dogs.

anything is possible. even a pupp can have a temprament of his own. More or less, everything is theoretical in this context.