Linebreeding - Page 1

Does anyone feel it is necessary to utilize the close linebreeding in order to establish your line specific traits? What I mean is, when I look at the di casa nobili lines and other Italian lines I see a lot of close close linebreeding. Sometimes 2-2 breedings or sometimes breeding uncle to niece or aunt to nephew. Also if you look at the Kirschental dogs and Arlett dogs they do heavy line breedings on some of their super produces. I think it can even go back to the Arminius and Wienerau kennels. From these kennels you get consistent strong pigment, or large heads, or great workability and/or structure. What are your thoughts? You hear a lot of people downing close inbreeding but I think it can beneficial in establishing traits of a line.

Of course line breeding is good in good dogs,  but what you need to look at is the health and longevity of those good dogs;  did they have good health, did they have a long lifespan, how about littermates also.  OF course hips/elbows but also other health checks like spine,  cardio, VWD, epilepsy, and the list goes on and on.  These health checks are available to all breeders;  were they utilized in those line breedings or even in their inbreedings?  If the good health is not there then  you have nothing, does not matter what kennel or where the dogs are coming from or if they lived to be 2 or 12 or were great working dogs with great titles and ancestors. 

When you do inbreedings and even some linebreedings you are also doubling up on good traits but also on bad traits they pass on.   Nan

the people you mention know the dogs for many generations and what might also be working against them.

It can quickly establish traits, but no guarantee it will always be the good ones.

Rik

Yes, that's the whole point, really.  Linebreeding is about achieving consistency in what you produce.  Linebreeding or not, when the breeders down the line fail to be consistent in their goals, where do you suppose that will lead?  Ever wonder how so many dogs linebred 3-4 on so-and-so end up nothing like the dog of importance?  Most likely either A) the producer wasn't all that prepotent in the first place, or B) the standards or criteria of the breeders down the line were different.  Is there an unbroken chain of consistency down to the breeding that you're regarding?  Place your bets where they count. 

Linebreeding isn't about making better dogs, linebreeding creates dogs who themselves can be more consistent producers.