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The Breeding Program

The genetic improvement of a herd, litter or a breed requires careful planning with regard to the choice of animals for breeding, and the mating combinations that are carried out.

Methods of Selection

Selection of breeding animals can be carried out in different ways. Among the more important are mass selection, pedigree selection, family selection, and progeny selection.

1. Mass selection is based solely on individual merit. Applied to traits with high heritability and about equal manifestation in both sexes, mass selection can be expected to give good results. With decreasing heritability the efficiency decreases, and for sex-limited traits - heritability is considerably below 0.5. , it is always inefficient.

2. Pedigree selection depends on the merits of the potential animal and its ancestors. It is valuable in the first selection among young animals, especially when the heritability of the traits is high. Relying solely on pedigree selection, however, results in very slow progress.

3. Family selection is based on the merits of collateral relatives, such as full sibs or half-sibs, and it is used mainly as an aid to individual selection. It is especially valuable with regard to sex-limited traits, for traits with low heritability, or when some animals have to be slaughtered, as for determining the carcass quality. In the selection of young males for breeding, for example, no data may be available on their individual performance; e.g., egg production in the fowl. When sib groups of pullets start laying early in the autumn, the cockerels may be selected for breeding on the laying records of their full sibs and half-sibs. Similarly, young bulls may be selected mainly on the milk records of their paternal half-sibs; that is, on the progeny tests of their sires. Individual pigs may be selected on the basis of carcass tests made on their sib groups. With regard to traits that can be recorded for all the animals alike, males and females, selection of individuals can be based simply on their family average or on an index that combines the individual's own performance and the average for the rest of the family. A simple procedure, applicable in dog and pig breeding, would be to select the best individual from the best litter.

One difficulty in the application of family selection is that systematic environmental differences may occur, especially between full-sib groups, and these tend to mask the genetic differences. When inherited defects appear in sib groups, there is a certain risk that some of the healthy animals carry a hidden gene for the defect.

4. Progeny selection has been applied with great success in dairy cattle breeding, and in general it is valuable in all types of livestock when applied to sex-limited traits and traits with low heritability. Early progeny testing of males on a sufficient number of offspring and an effective selection among those tested are very important. The disadvantage of selection of sires on progeny testing is that it means increased length of the generation interval and thereby tends to slow down the rate of genetic improvement.

In general, it is not necessary to include all the traits used for selection in an overall index; for example, all animals used for breeding should possess normal fertility, and those that do not should be excluded from the breeding program. Also, as a rule, any animal known to be a carrier of a gene for a serious metabolic or morphological defect should be eliminated even if the merits for some other traits are fairly high.

Usually selection is made in a stepwise fashion. With regard to dairy bulls, for example, selection on the basis of pedigree can be made soon after birth; a second selection can be made later based on growth rate during the first year of life and fertility in the first series of inseminations; and finally a third selection can depend on the results of progeny testing, when offspring are old enough to be judged.

Whelp - A young dog; puppy - Archaic - a cub.

An ill-mannered child or youth - a child in Old English.

To give birth to in canines.

Whad You Lookin At !!??

Brucellosis - or undulant fever. An infectious disease of farm animals caused by the bacterium Brucella abortus. Symptoms include fever weakness, cough, joint pain, and sometimes swelling of the lymph nodes. The antibiotic tetracycline usually cures the disease, which can be contracted by man from contaminated milk.

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Making Money

Breeding your female dog, and doing it right, can be an expensive enterprise. By the time you've picked out a good animal, waited for her to grow old enough, which is a minimum age of two years before breeding, then picked out the best dog to mate her with, gone through all the health checks she needs, ensured that the stud-dog you want to use also passes the same health checks, and has an acceptable history, you have invested a lot of time and effort.

You still have to pay a stud fee, or offer the dog owners a 'pick of the litter'. A stud fee, especially for a large dog, could be as much as $1,000.00 or Ł5-700.00 - Premium Cost.

And of course you have the potential extra expenses during pregnancy. Not forgetting extra food and nutrients for your dam. You have the time and expense of whelping.

Thoroughbred - But with no Pedigree

Of course you may not have papers for your dog, the Pedigree and it might even be a proper mongrel - a dog of no definable type or breed, and you want to breed it. We will not judge or give opinion on whether this is good or bad. For the sake of dogs in general though, try to prevent your female dog from becoming pregnant if it is not what you, as an owner, has planned.

If your dog is definably of a particular breed, a thoroughbred, but without pedigree, you will not be able to sell the puppies for any premium price. Even though it would appear and be the truth, that its lineage goes back many generations, uninterrupted by any other type of dog. It would not be worth paying a premium stud fee, as the puppies would have no papers.

Prior to getting another dog of your dog's breed to mate, get a finite figure sorted out, as to what you will pay for any 'stud-fee'. This is usually the cost of one of the puppies, or a 'pick of the litter'. A thoroughbred puppy, but without papers will sell for about a third of what you could expect for a dog with documentation. A mongrel per se, maybe impossible to sell and might sell between zero to a tenth of the cost of a premium dog.

Whelping - You or someone responsible has to be at hand during this time, day or night, not to mention the possible inclusion of the Vet. You may have to take time off work, and be prepared to rush your dog into the vets, should something go wrong.

Ideally, and morally, you then need to keep the puppies for a minimum of 8 weeks before sending them off to their new homes. You need to advertise and find good homes for the puppies. You need to make sure they have had their shots before letting them go.

You possibly may have further vet bills if the puppies require extra attention. If some of the puppies die, or you have a smaller than usual litter, you may not get as much money from the sale of the puppies as you had considered.

There are even potential problems later on with dissatisfied customers, who want their money back. If any of the above go against you, breeding dogs is not quite so profitable. If all of the above go wrong, you will be seriously in debt.

Breeding Opportunities

Preferably, a female-dog should only be bred every other year and she should not be bred until over two years of age. The estrus show after the second birthday is a good one to start with; certainly no earlier than this. You should have noted her previous estruses and be organized. In some breeds, you may have to wait another season before commencement. By this time, she is better prepared mentally and physically for having puppies, more so than she would have been in her first few seasons. Her physical growth should be concluded and pregnancy should not endanger her health so readily, but this is provided that she is healthy to begin with.

[ In breeds with a propensity to Hip Dysplasia, many people wait until after two years of age so that the parents can be certified or checked by a Vet. ]

The rate of recurrence of breeding must be kept as low as possible. Even at most, you want to allow at least one clear non-breeding season between mating attempts. This will allow your dam to rest and recapture her strength and ability. A mother that whelps too often can produce weaker, sickly puppies who will be more likely to die before and after birth. Too many pregnancies in any animal are dangerous to general health, and if you are buying a puppy, inquire to how many litters the Dam has had.

For males, they should have all the documentation required to confirm pedigree and health, and if both sire and dam are over two years old, everything should be in place. A male can actually breed at almost anytime, unlike bitches; in nature evolution has not prevented this as generally older more mature dogs will not allow young animals, to mate, but this will not stop them trying.

Frequency for the male in most animals is not generally a problem, although high mating will reduce sperm production. If a dog mates everyday over a long period, they might not produce sufficient sperm to impregnate, as time goes on.

If you own the female, it might be a good idea, to negotiate, if practicable, that the dog mates with your dam, three times over a 7 - 8 day period. But make sure that the dog is not being mated with any other dams at this time, or any reasonable period before. This practice might add extra puppies to your litter. make it part of the deal that no pregnancy - no stud-fee.

A short period prior to mating, both the male and female must be fed extra vitamins and mineral supplements, and as much as they can eat of top quality food.

Heat Cycle

This is a litter of seemingly pure Rottweilers. But three appear to be another dog-type. This could be some throw-back from a another type of dog, entering the lineage, in the recent past, or even 100 years ago. It could even be a mutation; the start of a new type of dog, not produced through some kind of selection.

Temperament

Whilst we believe that a lot of temperament problems are through nurturing and conditioning, that is, caused by the lack of good training, nevertheless, there are inherent traits in some animals that cannot be trained out. And we do not mention any particular breed here. ALL DOMESTIC DOGS have members of their group who are as placid and well behaved as any other group, but then every type of dog has its rogue element as well.

Read About Wild African Dogs

So never breed any animal that has temperament problems. This has been the cause of much of the degeneration of many breed's general temperament. If you consider that your animal is untrustworthy around people; more than usually aggressive to people, uncontrollably excitable, or is a fear-biter, do not breed it. But accept also that the dog maybe fine, it has been your training regimen that is at fault.

If also it is shy or overly submissive, again do not breed this dog as you may pass on these traits. Look for a happy, confident and obedient animal, one that has a shiny coat, a wet nose, a spark in its step and is outwardly a friendly dog. Such breeds like the Rottweiler, whilst having a reputation for being aggressive are not anymore aggression than any other. ALL DOMESTIC DOGS, Species Canis Familiaris, can be vicious and aggressive.

You should bring your dog up, repressing any aggression, and promoting friendliness and obedience. Any dog's natural ability to guard and protect will come out when the need is there. Of course, some types due posses greater guarding abilities but most any dog is very much like another.

Species - A unit of classification of animals and plants. Individuals of the same species / genus can breed among themselves, producing fertile offspring that resemble the parents. Some species are divided into subspecies and varieties. Breeds of domestic animals and cultivated varieties of plants have been developed by man and are derived from wild species. All breeds of domestic dog, for instance, belong to the same species - Canis familiaris - and can breed together.

	Š Copyright Roy G Symonds 2005
	*" Breeding Your Dog "*
	A Thousand facts About Breeding Your Dog

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	Updated: 05/26/06 14:01

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