Quote:
Originally Posted by yorkieK9trainer  I don't know what to tell you. Other than, perhaps you should keep doing your homework and visit sites that are more geared towards genetics rather than just breeders experiences.
If these breeders were all doing fabulous things for our breed, that you are siting or holding on high, then perhaps they would be recognized within the parent club at least for being breeder of the year...or something. |
I am doing LOTS of homework and said I was only giving
one example of what some breeders write -- and I never said I was "siting (sic) or holding on high" anyone. I have read this numerous times in many different resources (books and web) and just did a search to cite one quick example of what I was talking about. The site I listed is a show breeder -- she
is listed on the parent club site (ytca.org) as a recommended breeder. I did not see any of them being touted as "breeder of the year" (have you received that honor?). But I did not pick a fly-by-night site -- did you look at her dogs and philosophy? Superb!
I don't profess to KNOW IT ALL -- I am asking questions to learn well in advance of thinking more seriously about breeding. I think it only natural to mention that I have read exactly opposite of what I saw posted in your reply. I did not do it to be adversarial -- just suggesting there seem to be other opinions on this.
I actually did take some genetics classes and physical traits are different in the way we inherit them. It is not just recessive and dominant, but also specific gene linked (like some kinds of deafness being linked to a pigmentation gene), some are X-linked or Y-linked, sex-limited, single loci, multi-loci, and a dozens of modifiers, etc. Since I can't know all the genes and linkage prior to breeding -- looking at the phenotypes (or the physical characteristics not the genetics) as yo suggested is exactly what I was talking about.
I have two pups from excellent background. As I watch them grow, I will continue to evaluate them. I have every reason to believe these two will be close to standard in every way. But, they are different -- for instance one is longer legged and one shorter legged. I don't think either length is extreme or enough to call a "fault" as they are still "square" but I wonder if this is one of the traits that compliment each other. Will puppies mature with more average length legs? And is this considered breeding to improve the breed? We can't all use "proven breeders" -- they all start sometime.
Height (which for a dog is mostly all about leg length) is one of those characteristics that are multi-loci or multi-factorial. Our own height depends on more than one gene with more than one allele on each -- how many "active" alleles we inherit determines the potential for height. So, if we get lots of active alleles from one tall parent and few from another shorter parent -- that does put us in the middle somewhere. (Just potential -- environment/diet can affect too).
There are many different factors to most physical characteristics -- some really are as simple as breed two extremes and get somewhere in the middle. Others are more complicated with two extremes producing offspring showing one of the two extremes and nothing a mix, or others producing every conceivable mix.
I don't know how ears work -- but from it being used as an example in several resources, I have to wonder if maybe it works more along the lines of height too. Do you have a reference that shows dogs with small and large ears will not produce medium ears? I do know genetics is not exact -- you are going for "the most potential to produce what you want" and not "exact in every case" for most characteristics.
I think breeding has to consider BOTH genetics and the phenotype (physical appearance of the ones in front of you). I want to understand which traits are more simply dominant and recessive and which might be more multi-factorial. But I don't think I want to go back to college and get a genetics degree. I also want to know breeders experiences. I just do not think I will get it all from books and technical sites.
IF I do breed my two, I want to do it with some very intentional forethought. I want to know what other breeders have seen with their own offspring and I want to be fairly sure of what I am going to get BEFORE I do it. I don't want this to be a science experiment. I don't want to nitpick myself out of breeding these two but if it happens that it is not the best match, then I will just have an excuse to begin a search for another addition.
Nowhere have I seen anyone suggest breeding a 14 pound Yorkie. No "stupid sign" hanging on me! My example post only mentioned going slightly over standard. Thanks for your input though.