Breeding Dogs

[Wendy V]

And if you don't know what dogs I'm talking about, don't ask me.

 

OK, call me dense, but what dogs are you referring to?

[Debbie Meier]

Since the genetics of these herding traits are unlikely "simple", each parent also likely carries the genetics for a range of these traits and environment (experience) fine tuned the trait that the individual exhibits. For exmaple, a parent that comes from a cross of extremes could carry the genes for both extremes eventhough it "is" ideal.

 

Yes, and I think we see that currently, when pups from top or proven parents end up not working to the level of their parents even though they had the proper opportunity.

 

When we first went to buy a border collie pup with the intentions to trial the rule of thumb I was given was 1 or 2 in a litter will be good ones when breeding proven parents together. Just this past week the Stockdog Journal came out, Glenn Guttridge mentioned that Hank had a 60 plus percent rate of producing good working cow dogs, and he felt that it was an unheard of ability. Basically 3 out of 5, that's still 2 that are not good workers, what are they useless or just not up to his standards?. Now you have the question of what are Good Ones? Red Zone, Orange Zone depends on what the breeder/evaluator considers good...which then hinges on what the breeder/evaluator uses their dogs for or what they are willing to work with. The first example was given to me by a person that is trying to produce working dogs that can be competitive at the open trials, the second Glenn, is by someone that is raising and breeding working ranch dogs.

 

There are as many opinions as there are people, but I think that is a good thing.

[kelpiegirl]

In my humblest of humble opinions, the dart board analogy holds water, when talking about the usefulness of a dog, and not necessarily the trial-worthiness of said dog. A sheepdogs real use should be judged in the work it does in a real world basis- breeding them anyway. I also know of dogs who haven't been great on the trial field but have produced great dogs- and vice versa, where good trial dogs haven't produced what was expected. Biddability does not have to be tested on the trial field- you can test that every day in real work. To me, the most important attributes in a sheepdog, are the willingness to do whatever is asked- and if not easy- figure out a way, and the willingness, and ability to get the job done with the least amount of stress caused to the sheep and the handler.