Breeding for "Quality"

[Mach1girl]

But thats what Im saying, EXCEPT conformation. Suppose he became a champion at EVERYTHING else. Still not worth breeding even if he was bred to breed the gene out??

Just trying to keep the subject open minded.

TY, he is adorable!!Lo, Im gonna have him lick stamps for me at work.LOL

[anna84]

this was a really good post. I have had some amazing family dogs all came from backyard breeders or are were mixed accidental litters. My parents simply didnt know any better but none of our dogs have been bred. in the future i'll either pay for a properly bred dog or adopt from a rescue.

[IliamnasQuest]

Thanks, guys. As I said, it was just my opinion but I think that it's good sometimes to put out opinions so others have an idea of what can/should be considered "breeding quality" (I like that better than just "quality" .. because I think ALL of my dogs are quality, just not necessarily breeding quality).

Mach1 - well, I wouldn't breed a dog with a fault such as that. In my way of thinking, your dog may be wonderful in a number of ways but there are others out there who are wonderful in those ways AND have a proper bite.

My oldest chow has five obedience titles, four agility titles, a schutzhund BH and is an amazing herding dog (very natural instinct). She was the #1 chow in the US in obedience two years, with more than 100 points ahead of her nearest competitor the second time. She took numerous first places in open obedience competition (which is all off-leash, and requires retrieves and jumps) beating border collies, labs, goldens, etc. in classes of up to 25 dogs.

And yet I wouldn't have every bred her. Conformationally she has flaws that don't meet the breed standard. Her temperament is wonderful, but she had entropion that had to be surgically fixed. Yes, I could have produced some awesome working pups, perhaps, but they would not have been the full spectrum of what I expect in a chow of good breeding.

Now, if I could get Kylee's ability and longevity and overall health (she'll be 15 in October and has been relatively healthy) and combine it with the conformational standards, I'd have a perfect Chow! I'm hoping that Khana will fit that bill, but we'll see. She's not yet two and I haven't had x-rays done yet, nor have I done the thyroid testing and eye certification. But her temperament, conformation and intelligence are what I would expect.

I wonder what she'll do when I get her out on sheep .. I'd love to see if she can herd. I just have to find the right sheep person. Some people automatically assume that a chow is going to have sheep for dinner .. *L*

Melanie and the gang in Alaska

[corsomom]

Melanie, great post! I just wish that everyone had such high standards for breeding.

[Zoom]

I've had a similar question. Say you have a dog that is conformationally correct, is perfect on just about everything else, but has a mismarked coat. Would that be enough to keep it out of your breeding program?

[Mordy]

Exactly my thinking, Melanie - that's why I am such a huge advocate for the breeding system the way it is done in Germany, for example, with breed surveys, strict control from the breed club, breeder inspections by the breed steward and so on.

Sadly much of that would be considered "infringing on people's personal freedom" here in the US.

[Gempress]

Originally Posted by Zoom

I've had a similar question. Say you have a dog that is conformationally correct, is perfect on just about everything else, but has a mismarked coat. Would that be enough to keep it out of your breeding program?

I'm not a breeder, but if I were, I think it would depend on the coat. If it were something fairly minor (like a patch in the wrong place or something), I would probably breed it. That dog could have beautiful puppies, provided the correct coat is inherited from the other parent. But I would have all mismarked puppies immediately spayed/neutered. A patch in the wrong place is completely harmless to the puppy, and it would still be a great pet. Now if it were a glaring fault (like a completely unacceptable color), I wouldn't breed.

Mach, I wouldn't breed a dog with an overbite that severe. No matter how skilled the parent is in obedience, working, etc. While a mismarked coat is harmless, I think an overbite like that is a health issue. I wouldn't want to risk passing that on to any puppy, not even a simple pet.

[wolfsoul]

I agree completely. I'll be breeding my dog, Visa, on her next heat. Her pups will definatly be wonderful examples of their breed.

[wolfsoul]

Originally Posted by Zoom

I've had a similar question. Say you have a dog that is conformationally correct, is perfect on just about everything else, but has a mismarked coat. Would that be enough to keep it out of your breeding program?

I don't think a mismarked coat is a big deal, honestly. If the dog still has a good structure and working ability, and you can tell what breed it is, I think it's fine. I, myself, am going to breed my groenendael's son to a malinois -- this will create dogs that can't be shown. However, they can go on to be very valuable to a breeding program, and they still have the structure and wokring ability. I don't think you should be breeding FOR the colour specifically --- but if you breed a mismarked dog in order to improve your breeding program, I think it's perfectly legitimate.

[Zoom]

Out of curiosity, why are you going to mix? Why not just find a great match for your Groenendael?