Bloodlines and regions

I was reading some of my archive and came across something that I thought was interesting.

Do you think that a line of dogs can change due to enviornmental influences and or owner caring? In other words do you think the traits the line carries can change, ie. shorter dogs, taller dogs, thick coat/skin, thin coat/skin etc. etc. For example, some eli dogs I've seen in the south had thinner coats/skin than the some of the ones I've seen in the north. And,(correct me if I'm wrong triple J) some of the midnight cowboy dogs in the southeast are buckskin with bow legs. Now those are just examples for you all to catch my drift with.

 

I think the answer is yes. I don't think the characteristics of the line will change per say, but more like adapt to there surroundings.Like you said in the south the eli dogs have thinner coats and skin, I guess it would be because of the environment, warmer and more humid. The thinner coat would keep them cooler.If I had to make an educated guess I would say that if you took one of those same dogs and put em up north for two full years going through the seasons, the coat would thicken up.Not really changing characteristicly, but adapting.
Just my opinion mac, excuse me if I sound like a rambling fool, I'm going on two days no sleep, the only thing keeping me going right now is caffeine and nicotine.

 

I remember those days, 24-33 hr shifts, and 12 hr days 6 days a week. I miss that. I will respond on what I think, just want a little bit more responses first.

 

It seems alot of the bloodlines developed and maintained in the Northern states seem to run a lil larger. I have herd dogmen speculate if this was due to the cold wether etc???? Interesting topic Mac 11

 

I agree, interesting topic.

 

Give us an example/pics big game.

 

The Kingfish and Mccoy lines are both good examples

 

This is a good topic. I totally agree that dogs will adapt to their surroundings. It's key to survival, even though dogs now days are taken care of by humans, I would think there would still be a reason for them to adapt to changes over time. All living things do.

 

Sure dogs will adapt to their surroundings but doesn't an evolution like that take quite some time???

I mean if you take a couple of Eli dogs from down South running.... say low 40s.... and you move them up north I don't believe their offspring or even their offspring's offspring will be larger dogs...

I dunno... interesting discussion though

 

I agree. I don't think it would happen overnight, it would probably take several generations.That would be an example of evolution.The example of thinner/thicker coats would be more adaptation I think.

 

my bitch's line is from puerto rico and she is very short haired

 

all animals over time will adapt to their environment. only humans don't because we change our environment to fit us.

 

good topic, good q?
not something i have really studied, but i will say, enviroment is key and evolution is also.
i have for sure noticed dogs that come from a colder climate, although bred through similar lines show a thicker structure along with longer, dencer hair. while those from the hotter climates are of a naturally leaner structure and have much shorter thinned out hair.

 

good post mac i would like to hear more,never really thought of that...

 

I think that environment definitely will change the coat, at least. I can say that from my experience with it. In Maine it got to be -30 sometimes where we lived. We had Cadillac, Atlas, Aurora and Mush Mouth while there. They all shedded like hell in Summer even on good food (it gets very hot in summer). But in the fall/winter they had thick coats.

When we moved here the first summer they shedded a lot but then after the first winter they didn't have very thick coats. They have had medium coats since then. . not too thin.

But, Cadillac and Mush produced Petey and Atreyu who both have very very very thin coats and hardly shed EVER.

So, i'd say the environment they are born in maybe makes a difference for life but they adapt the best they can.

This is what I've seen anyway.

 

Then also dogs raised in runs as aposed to dogs on a chain spot, I've seen more bow legged dogs on chains spots than in runs or house dogs. Down south its kinda hot and dry so dogs tend to have more of a dry tint to there coat as appose to dogs in the rainy states tend to have more natural oil in there coat. Dogs that walk on muddy or soft ground tend to have wide feet, then some on a little harder surface have tighter tucked toes.

 

Some really good observations. reason says a dog in a colder climate will have a thicker coat and would [I imagine] need top store more body fat...hence over time seeing bigger dogs generally?

where I live conditions are not majorly extreme either way, I dont see much shedding of hair at all. very interesting topic mac.

 

Your answer is yes! hell you can tell the difference in yards not even miles away its all in care taking. As far as the cowboy dogs that's the strain they use. a lot of the tight happy jack stuff threw squat dogs.

 

i think you will find variations among the same strains of dogs not because of an evolution, but by the hand of the breeders in question. i do believe you could take one family of dogs, split it amongst several different breeders in different areas of the country, and in 3 or 4 generations you will have animals that have many similar characteristics, with distinct differences between them, all of which would be dependent on what each breeder seeks out in his or her breeding program.

 

after a few generations i think you would see things in dogs that are not just adaptations to the enviroment. if you took a thin, short coated dog from the heat of the south up north it wouldnt be long before its coat grew some longer and thickened up. but i think after so many generations have lived and grew up in the extreme heat and humidity of let say florida, it wouldnt just be there coats but these would be more naturally heat tolerant dogs whos puppies will be tolerant of these extreme conditions so that they could thrive easier in there enviroment. and i think these type dogs if taken up north would continue to throw this heat tolerance for a few generations even though they are not being subjected to the heat.

these are just my thoughts, and i am no scientist.

as far as care goes, over years malnutrition of a line you are going to see dogs puppies and there puppies, puppies suffer. i think you could ruin/destroy a line by this.