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Originally Posted by Ladyhawk  I'm not sure what you're trying to say here but you can't pull a gene. There is a gene that tells the body how to build every part of a dog. Some features are built with one gene but alot of features and traits are dependent on more than one gene, they are known as polygenic. You can breed to fix a certain trait by breeding until you have a dog that is homozygous for that trait be it dominent or recessive. Temperment is strongly influenced by the genes a puppy inherits. You can breed a dog down in size or breed for prick ears instead of floppy ears but if both parents have a correct temperment you have a very strong chance of producing pups with correct temperement. If you only look at one peice of the puzzle such as size or the length of muzzle and pick your breeding pair for that trait without considering temperment or health you're going to create problems. |
Sadly many a breeder only looks at the way a dogs looks without any understanding that you mess with the looks the traits for temperment go along with it.
I live with a dog that is a genetic temperment and health mess that a breeder never stopped to concern the fall out at all. Mine is lucky to be alive with all the concerns both aggression and pysical concerns my dog be one big money pit. But well loved.
I worked with one with legs that are very bad for a large breed again the breeder hide him fast and never carried.
I have a dear freind that got a call from a breeder that has top of the line spaniels and she breed for the looks in a litter she had one bad tempered whole unable to funtion little one...... what she miss the mother had fear issuses. Most aggresion is based in fear. Little man got lucky he made a fast move to a great trainer and lives a life of great care and love and works with dogs now that have issuses as he got caught young.
Another dog differnt breed... great show breeder ans working dogs... breed a litter. more then the one but one bad one reactive aggressive...... what got missed again the mother would flip out do to fear when going to the vets and going in the door...
Both those females should never have been breed.
You start messing with the way a dog looks your going to pull a behaviour trait.
You correct a floppy ear and what behavior gene goes with that.
You make a dog more resiliant to pain ... what gene goes with it.
You breed down in size what behaiour gene goes with it.
You want a smushed in nose on a dog .. what gene of behaviour goes with it.
You lenghten the nose what gene of behaviour goes with that.
Genes that change a shape of a dog are matched with a behaviour gene. Change one thing over time you change the behaviour of the dog as well.
Any dog showing fear or aggression of any type needs never to have a litter or alowwed to stud a litter as aggression and fear are passed down genration to generation.
JL