I’m sharing another great article from the Institute of Canine Biology with you today on breeding and genetics written by Carol Beuchat PhD.  This blog and Carol’s writings offer a wealth of information for the serious dog breeder and I’m going to be

recommending quite a bit of reading from this site for just that reason.

In this article Carol covers the topic of genetic disorders and the choices breeders face when planning a mating. She says “Breeders know that they can use inbreeding to concentrate the genes for the traits they prefer and to increase the predictability of a breeding by reducing variation in the offspring. But breeders have no way to increase the good genes but not the bad ones through inbreeding. (There are ways this can be done, but not using inbreeding.)”

As breeders we simply must take time to learn and understand genetics.  “You will hear people say that their lines are “healthy”, or that a particular problem is “not in my lines” This is a quote from Carol’s blog that I’ve heard oh, so very often, from many, many breeders over the years. Before you assume that you are safe to use statements like this as fact, read this article. It will indeed help you to more fully understand what lies beneath the surface.

Click the link that follows to be whisked away to the land of Genetics! Why all the fuss about inbreeding? (Or “Why are there so many genetic disorders in dogs?”) 

Sally Gift, Mesa AZ

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