Inbreeding?

R

Rileys mom

Forums Enthusiast
When I bought my puppy, I was told he was registered. However the registry turned out to be Continential Kennel Club not AKC. He did come from BYB who's goal is to raise therapy dogs. I probably did a dumb thing and registered him with the Cont. KC. I did it because I was curious to what his pedigree claimed. I do plan on getting registered with AKC's PAL program and getting his CGC and maybe trying agility or herding.

On his Cont. KC papers his sire and dam are half siblings both sharing the same sire. Other then trying for a specific color, why would people bred dogs that closely related? Is that type of inbreeding common?
 
Hi and welcome!

Yes, half-sibling breedings do happen. It's definitely not something that happens often (or should happen often), but if you want to really concentrate the shared parent's traits (and if the half-siblings are of good quality themselves), that's one way to do it. The idea would be that you then had offspring that were very "close" to the shared parent, and would take those offspring and outcross them to less closely-related dogs. The end result would be that you would have a number of dogs that shared the desired traits, but had some genetic diversity as well.

We really don't "try for a specific color"; sable to sable makes sables, blue to tri makes AOACs, and a good dog can be any accepted color. Color is far, far down on the list of what makes a quality Sheltie, regardless of the purpose for which the dog is bred.

Now, if someone's "goal is to raise therapy dogs", I doubt that this kind of careful planning was part of the program. The necessary traits for a good therapy dog are that the dog have a kind, confident temperament and not be too anxious - traits that, frankly, any number of dogs currently sitting in your local shelter probably have. They are not traits that need to be carefully curated - they are traits that every single Sheltie ought to have.

My guess is that, in your dog's case, the breeding was done out of laziness ("I've already bred Prince Fluffypants to every bitch I own, and I have a whole bunch of Prince Fluffypants kids, so I might as well breed this one to that one"), or that it was an "oops" litter.

I am sorry if all of this sounds harsh. I have no doubt that you are a loving and conscientious owner, and that your little dog is a lovely Sheltie. I hope you have every success with him.
 
I agree with tofu pup, although I wouldn't do it, there are people who breed dog with close relations, i.e. half siblings. You can still show your dog in agility or herding that aren't AKC.
Have fun with your little pup!
Tabs
 
No, you don't sound harsh. I appreciate an honest answer:smile2:

Since joining the forum I have learned a lot. I wish I would have done it sooner!

I appreciate people putting up with all my questions!
 
Feel free to keep asking - we're all here to learn, and to help each other.

I was thinking about how I feel about backyard breeders, and it is a little funny... the best analogy I can make is something like wine-making. Imagine someone who dedicates his entire life to making the very finest wine... he buys a little land, carefully amends the soil, selects the vines that will grow best there, and tends them lovingly, season after season. He learns everything he can about how to make the very best wine, and he knows his education will never be completed. He ages the wine with every attention to the barrels and the conditions in which they are stored. The wine that he produces is the result of years of care and dedication.

Now, imagine someone walks up to him and says, "Oh, you're a winemaker! I love wine, myself - I always buy that good stuff that comes in a box!" :lol:

The "fancy" winemaker is a bit of a snob, yes, but can you blame him? :wink2: It's just a different perspective.
 
tofu pup said:
Feel free to keep asking - we're all here to learn, and to help each other.

I was thinking about how I feel about backyard breeders, and it is a little funny... the best analogy I can make is something like wine-making. Imagine someone who dedicates his entire life to making the very finest wine... he buys a little land, carefully amends the soil, selects the vines that will grow best there, and tends them lovingly, season after season. He learns everything he can about how to make the very best wine, and he knows his education will never be completed. He ages the wine with every attention to the barrels and the conditions in which they are stored. The wine that he produces is the result of years of care and dedication.

Now, imagine someone walks up to him and says, "Oh, you're a winemaker! I love wine, myself - I always buy that good stuff that comes in a box!" :lol:

The "fancy" winemaker is a bit of a snob, yes, but can you blame him? :wink2: It's just a different perspective.
Click to expand...

Very good example! I agree completely!
 
The thing is, you are doubling up the good stuff however this also doubles up the recessive genes and there is where you must tread carefully...

you get 2x the good, 2x the bad

You are likely blessed with all the good and none the bad. Time will tell. :)

I know that closely linebred dogs are how famous kennel "types" are made!
 
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