SMOKIN HEMI
12-23-2007, 03:19 PM
Just an article I found that others may find interesting.
A world apart from the previous example we also see breeders that are more educated or maybe lucky enough to take a much safer road in the breeding game. These are the individual breeders that obtain quality dogs and line-breed a well developed and established line that has been created by a true artist. In all likelihood the art will continue to be copied to various extents. It may never be as good, in a few instances it may be better. With line bred dogs and a bloodline that has been established by a breeder-artist (hopefully using sound genetic based breeding practices and ethics) there are many more desirable gene pairs aligned than there could ever be in the scatter-bred dog for instance. Because of this increase in aligned alleles those who line-breed, within this bloodline, will continue to maintain homozygous alignment of many more traits than our scatter-breeder BYBer from the previous example (this will make more sense the further you make it in this primer). There may never be a dramatic improvement in the quality of the artwork and in all probability with continual line-breeding without constant and consistant and appropriately chosen outcrossing, there tends to be an increasing thinning of the paint “so to speak”. There is a term for this and a reason which we will discuss in time. Still, this type of line-breeding is a great thing and is very honorable and those who spent their lives developing such a bloodline truly appreciate someone maintaining it or developing off of it. Indeed these breeders will or should encourage these new generation breeders, hopefully by mentoring. (We will also discuss mentoring).
A more in-depth look at the concepts of line breeding, the intricacies and importance of out-crossing, the stupidity of scatter-breeding, and the importance and dangers of inbreeding will all be discussed as this primer progresses.
Note of History
It has been said that Maurice Carver was a true artist and could look at two dogs and know if they would produce the breed and working type he was looking for. From a historical perspective if we look at the records of these dogs this may even be true. It is doubtful that this artist knew more than the basic principles of inheritance yet those breedings he orchestrated produced amazing results. Do not get delusions of grandeur at this point "You are no Maurice Carver" . If you find yourself thinking you got the gift and do not need to improve your knowledge, then you do not... what you do need to do is load them dogs up and head to the spay clinic.
One thing I MUST stress about the art of breeding: There is a saying that “Art is always in the eye of the beholder”, but in the case of dogs, art must be expressed within the boundaries of working type (canvas if you will). We must seek the favor of the breed art critics (Conformation judges) even if we feel that WE KNOW BREED TYPE. We may think a big huge bowling ball of a head is what an APBT should have, but in actuality this goes directly against breed type. IT is against the functional characteristics that define the breed. If you do not know why a huge head is wrong please read more on the conformation site especially on the "head (http://apbtconformation.com/apbt_head.htm)" page. We may also think that an overabundance of bone and substance is what is “typical” or "looks good" for the APBT. I defy you to show me any dogs from back in the original working dogs (fighting dogs for instance) that had bodies short-wide and thick like an English Bull Dog. No these dogs were all around gladiators not sumo wrestlers. We as breeders cannot redefine the original performance perfected standard. We cannot take a dog that should be able to compete AND Excel in agility, obedience, herding, weight pulling all at the same time (SEE THE SUPER DOGS (http://apbtconformation.com/super_dogs.htm) PAGE) and turn them into a overdone tank that cannot get all four feet off the ground at the same time let alone jump a 3 foot hurdle in agility. (see the GR CH from history page (http://apbtconformation.com/historical_apbt.htm) on the conformation site if you need a refresher on proven breed type). Fad verses Fact. Do you want to be a true artist or considered to be a Fad Breeder.
The message I am trying to convey and I will fall back on my analogy is that, we as breeders cannot be impressionistic in our art, we must be classical artists not Surreal Impressionists
A world apart from the previous example we also see breeders that are more educated or maybe lucky enough to take a much safer road in the breeding game. These are the individual breeders that obtain quality dogs and line-breed a well developed and established line that has been created by a true artist. In all likelihood the art will continue to be copied to various extents. It may never be as good, in a few instances it may be better. With line bred dogs and a bloodline that has been established by a breeder-artist (hopefully using sound genetic based breeding practices and ethics) there are many more desirable gene pairs aligned than there could ever be in the scatter-bred dog for instance. Because of this increase in aligned alleles those who line-breed, within this bloodline, will continue to maintain homozygous alignment of many more traits than our scatter-breeder BYBer from the previous example (this will make more sense the further you make it in this primer). There may never be a dramatic improvement in the quality of the artwork and in all probability with continual line-breeding without constant and consistant and appropriately chosen outcrossing, there tends to be an increasing thinning of the paint “so to speak”. There is a term for this and a reason which we will discuss in time. Still, this type of line-breeding is a great thing and is very honorable and those who spent their lives developing such a bloodline truly appreciate someone maintaining it or developing off of it. Indeed these breeders will or should encourage these new generation breeders, hopefully by mentoring. (We will also discuss mentoring).
A more in-depth look at the concepts of line breeding, the intricacies and importance of out-crossing, the stupidity of scatter-breeding, and the importance and dangers of inbreeding will all be discussed as this primer progresses.
Note of History
It has been said that Maurice Carver was a true artist and could look at two dogs and know if they would produce the breed and working type he was looking for. From a historical perspective if we look at the records of these dogs this may even be true. It is doubtful that this artist knew more than the basic principles of inheritance yet those breedings he orchestrated produced amazing results. Do not get delusions of grandeur at this point "You are no Maurice Carver" . If you find yourself thinking you got the gift and do not need to improve your knowledge, then you do not... what you do need to do is load them dogs up and head to the spay clinic.
One thing I MUST stress about the art of breeding: There is a saying that “Art is always in the eye of the beholder”, but in the case of dogs, art must be expressed within the boundaries of working type (canvas if you will). We must seek the favor of the breed art critics (Conformation judges) even if we feel that WE KNOW BREED TYPE. We may think a big huge bowling ball of a head is what an APBT should have, but in actuality this goes directly against breed type. IT is against the functional characteristics that define the breed. If you do not know why a huge head is wrong please read more on the conformation site especially on the "head (http://apbtconformation.com/apbt_head.htm)" page. We may also think that an overabundance of bone and substance is what is “typical” or "looks good" for the APBT. I defy you to show me any dogs from back in the original working dogs (fighting dogs for instance) that had bodies short-wide and thick like an English Bull Dog. No these dogs were all around gladiators not sumo wrestlers. We as breeders cannot redefine the original performance perfected standard. We cannot take a dog that should be able to compete AND Excel in agility, obedience, herding, weight pulling all at the same time (SEE THE SUPER DOGS (http://apbtconformation.com/super_dogs.htm) PAGE) and turn them into a overdone tank that cannot get all four feet off the ground at the same time let alone jump a 3 foot hurdle in agility. (see the GR CH from history page (http://apbtconformation.com/historical_apbt.htm) on the conformation site if you need a refresher on proven breed type). Fad verses Fact. Do you want to be a true artist or considered to be a Fad Breeder.
The message I am trying to convey and I will fall back on my analogy is that, we as breeders cannot be impressionistic in our art, we must be classical artists not Surreal Impressionists