LINE BREEDING - Page 2

A  4-4 would have half the potency that a 3-3 would generally provide, but a 3-3 could contribute more than it's expected share of consistency, provided the following offspring were selected for specifically desired trait combinations.  I know of an acquaintance who was quite surprised to find an intense genetic aggression in a now maturing young adult linebred 3-3 in Yoschy von der Döllenwiese.  Another dog bred 3-3 in Yoschy would not be certain to carry this trait.  Just depends on if it was selected for or not throughout the line.  Pedigrees provide useful information and an indication of genotype, but the parental phenotype is the proof of selection, a primary indicator that can't be ignored.

just like to say that i find it very funny and it always maks me laugh when people hear the word aggresion and start to get bent out of shape.just remember human being have more aggresion than a german shepherd ever will.do not be so quick to panic.thanx and have a good one.

Held

Nice comment on people freaking out when they hear the word aggression on GSDs,as if it is a sin to have this trait,they always presume that it is a maniac biting everyone.

darylehret

Interesting results on the 3-3 Yoschy,both dogs are 3-3 on Yoschy,one dog has aggression and the other dog seems to be different. Can you please tell me more on the lines that both dogs have in their pedigrees other than Yoschy? Maybe that's what made them to have different characters.

Thanks.

The dog with aggression is the only one I'm acquainted with.  I meant simply to propose a theoretical second dog, that over the bridge of two generations has lost the significant trait it's ancestor possessed.  I could give examples of other lines, other traits, but as you say, it's loss is most likely due to crossed influences from other lines.  Even in a single generation, not all pups in a litter are guaranteed to possess all the strong traits of of a given parent, especially in my opinion, if the parent is less "prepotent" because it is less genetically homozygous (with no linebreeding).

I'm pretty fond of my own boy (11 month old), linebred 3-3,4 in Yoschi, and expect to see very similar results once we begin protectionwork.  My TD once mentioned to me that the most intense aggression he'd ever seen in protectionwork was from a dog linebred in Troll von der bösen Nachbarschaft (Yoschi's sire), so I imagine that was an significant influencing factor in my personal selection.  The prey drive is incredibly pleasing so far ;-)