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| Most champions in the ring and field today
are bred using the linebreeding method.
Linebreeding is a gathering of lines in several generations, back to one or more good dogs and/or bitches that share common ancestors but are not closely related. For example the dogs may share a common great-grandparent. If a breeder is looking to set a particular desirable feature of his lines then inbreeding and choosing the offspring most strongly possessing that trait can be beneficial, however with linebreeding you breed animals that are related, but you are also routinely introducing genes from other lines into the genetic mix. It takes longer to fix the desirable traits this way, but doing so lowers the risk of those problems associated with repeated in-breeding. The main purpose of linebreeding is to transmit a large percentage of one outstanding ancestor's genes from generation to generation without causing an increase in the frequency of undesirable traits often associated with inbreeding. Because linebreeding is not based strictly on mating closely related individuals (with very similar gene types), it does not necessarily cause a rapid increase in homozygous gene pairs. Consequently, it will not expose undesirable recessive genes as extensively as closebreeding. For this reason, linebreeding is for most breeders safer than inbreeding. Every good strain is linebred, usually to the strain itself, because top breeders know heir stock from tip to toe, so know exactly how to use their own bloodlines. With a tight linebreeding you might find the same four or more dogs showing up numerous times in a 6-generation pedigree. According to geneticists, linebreeding can be carried on for many generations without deleterious effects on the line or breed, as long as the individuals involved have few hidden genetic disorders. . When a specific ancestor appears more than once behind at least one animal on both the sire's side and yet another animal on the dame's side, homozygosity for that animal's traits are possible. However, if this specific ancestor appears only through a particular offspring of the ancestor in question, then the breeder is actually breeding on this offspring of the ancestor rather than on the ancestor itself. This is why having many "uncovered crosses" to a specific ancestor (those that come through different offspring of this specific ancestor) gives the breeder the greatest chance of making the desired traits of the specific ancestor homozygous. Homozygosity greatly improves the chances that the resulting pups will in turn pass on the desired traits of the specific ancestor to their pups. When selecting pups from a linebreed litter the breeder must choose pups that display the desired traits of the specific ancestor, or he has accomplished little. In fact, if these traits are not present in a linebred pup it is very likely that it inherited its genes from the remaining part of its pedigree and will be unable to breed true to type, because the breeder selected “out” for the pups that didn’t display this original ancestor’s traits. One of the best methods of evaluating how successful a linebreeding has been is to gauge the similarity of the littermates as compared with pups of other litters with similar pedigrees. Considerable similarity among littermates tells the breeder the genes have "nicked" or paired together as anticipated. The resulting pups will likely be able to pass these genes to the next generation. The secret of breeding is that all linebreedings must be made on a combination of performance, appearance and ancestry. If a breeder is going to be successful in solidifying a certain trait, he must rigorously select breeding specimens which display the desired trait and have similar pedigrees. In so doing breeders have a chance of making this desired trait homozygous over time. This is the one key to successful linebreeding that is most often missed by unsuccessful breeders. In choosing a line of dogs within any bred it is wise to choose a line with "critical mass". Find a line within your breed where the most prepotent individual was mated many times and produced many superior offspring. Without enough genetic diversity it will be more difficult to find animals within the line that do not also share the faults of the pre-potent individual. These are the faults the breeder will have the most difficulty in eliminating. Most beginning breeders think they should start with a brood bitch of a particular line and they are correct. If at all possible the new breeder should obtain females that come not just from the same important stud, but actually from the same motherline that is behind the stud in question. Instead of trying to get a bitch as close to the stud in question, look for a pedigree in which the mothers of the sires are themselves from the same genepool. This is the female who will likely produce great pups. The bitches are far more important than the studs in carrying particular genes forward. Understand that this is true even if the genes most sought were originally found in a pre-potent male. The key for any successful breeder is to isolate those females that carried his traits and breed off of them. It has been our experience that many important traits are indeed sex linked and carried by the dams from generation to generation. Successful linebreeding is a long and arduous task - one that requires a lifetime's commitment to a particular line of dogs. While nothing in dog breeding is clear cut, linebreeding is the method which is employed as the most reasonable way to both maintain breed type and to possibly eliminate genetic health defects from a breed. . Is it or isn't it a match? Some linebreeders however have found from experience that it is sometimes wise to bring in new blood. The use of a stud from a totally different bloodline may be considered, but you should hang on to "your" phenotype. This produces and outcrossed litter and "reshuffles" the genes that have tended to become fixed, in a more or less predictable manner, through previous linebreeding. Sometimes, particularly with an overly refined bitch, an outcross will give surprisingly good results. An improvement in the health and vigor of the resulting puppies is apparent from the time they are born. This process is known as "nicking". While the litter will sometimes lack uniformity, nevertheless some really good show dogs have been produced in this manner. When two strains have nicked successfully, other crosses between them may work as well. Puppies from such matings usually are bred back into one of the two strains, thereby providing a basis for a "new" line, and we're back to linebreeding.  I want to use Boris as a stud dog when he's ready for it, and I want to keep puppies for my future bloodlines. It would be such a waist of years and years of careful and skilful linebreeding to outcross Boris' lines. The results of such matings are very uncertain. So I will acquire bitches that match Boris' bloodlines, and by doing so I will keep these lines intact. Just to show you what I have in mind, I've made some pedigrees of non-existing litters sired by Boris (if he only knew!) and three different dams I selected. .  As you can see I brought in some "old blood" (Foulby Tittle Tattle and Carromer Charlie Chalk), I "enhanced" the Carpenny Catchpole part, and I brought in "new blood" (Ahti Aspen of Finnwoods). Foulby Tittle Tattle and Carromer Charlie Chalk are still very much present in this pedigree. .  In this combination I brought in new blood (Othamcourt Rue of Colinwood), and old blood (Foulby Tittle Tattle and Carromer Charlie Chalk), but you will notice that Foulby Tittle Tattle is one generation closer. .  Enough new blood in this example, but all the goodies are there, on both sides. . I'm not at all against outcrossing, and when breeders want to use my Boris to improve their lines, I welcome them to do so. But with a dog like Boris I myself, as a breeder, wouldn't think of acquiring bitches that don't match these lines, and I certainly will build on these lines. They are a treasure, the result of many years of hard work! . |
