Isn't that how you get a dog breed?
Line breeding is almost necessary for trait stabilization, yes. Lots of culls. When the "breed standards" market values looks over anything else for 50yr+, you get... what we got now.
Study: Most Dog Breeds Highly Inbred
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Re: Study: Most Dog Breeds Highly Inbred
#42Why not cross different dog breeds to increase total diversity instead of trying to protect what's left?
there are many benefits to having a mutt
the dumbest dogs I have ever owned were a very-pure viszla and a very-pure mastiff. between the two of them there could not have been ten working brain cells.
now I have a mutt that has such diverse characteristics that it is confounding for dog experts to tell me what he is...he is also, by a mile, the smartest dog I have ever had
I am convinced the purebred = dumb observation is not just an anecdote
Re: Study: Most Dog Breeds Highly Inbred
#43I vaguely remember reading that if you randomly bred dogs they slowly revert back to the "original" kind (strays). Is that true?
Do you perhaps mean wolves by strays? If so,, I don't think that's how natural evolution works, otherwise humans might start looking like Homo erectus.
The main distinction between an actual 'stray' dog and a domestic dog is environmental, being around humans and so on and less to do with genetics.
If you let dogs breed freely they'd probably still clump into sets of similar genetic and physical traits based on time and location (and their prior genetics).
Re: Study: Most Dog Breeds Highly Inbred
#44It's sort of strange that everyone thinks that an aggressive eugenics program for animals is completely normal and morally acceptable (just because it's been going on for a long time). In my opinion, purchasing a purebred pet is cringeworthy at best.
Eugenics gave us much better cows, pigs and chickens. We've continued that to freakish levels in some instances. You morals are your own; mine are just fine with short lived chickens and $2/lb chicken breast.
The angus and longhorn enthusiasts better police some of their nuts or they're gonna get the Aurochs back.
Re: Study: Most Dog Breeds Highly Inbred
#45A lot of dog "breeds" are basically just genetic deformities being perpetuated through in-breeding.
For example, some French bulldogs have a face that is so deformed it can barely eat or breathe. Some people think such deformed animals look "cute" but various Kennel Clubs are starting to penalize them in dog shows.
Re: Study: Most Dog Breeds Highly Inbred
#46I think this is one of those studies where you didn't really need to do a study.
New study shows most water is wet
Re: Study: Most Dog Breeds Highly Inbred
#47A good rule of thumb is that the more a dog looks like a wolf, the less inbred it is.
Re: Study: Most Dog Breeds Highly Inbred
#48A good rule of thumb is that the more a dog looks like a wolf, the less inbred it is.
Really? Alsatians have dreadful hip dysplasia, and look pretty wolfy.
Re: Study: Most Dog Breeds Highly Inbred
#49What I find interesting is that dogs are way better adapt at living a “city life” or an “apartment life” than we ever will be (unless we start breeding for those traits ourselves). People think “ah dogs are animals and should live in nature and not in closed doors of a city apartment”. Nope, from a genetic point of view some dogs are way more naturally fit to live indoors (look at Maltese for instance who’s bread to…
> What I find interesting is that dogs are way better adapt at living a “city life” or an “apartment life”
This is certainly not the case with some of the herding / working dog breeds (GSD, Malinois etc) - it is borderline cruel keeping them in an apartment in some cases, and dangerous in others.
I lived with a presa canario for a year in an apartment (roommates dog) - it was not a good situation for the dog or anyone else. After I moved out, I learned the dog attacked someone and was euthanized.
Re: Study: Most Dog Breeds Highly Inbred
#50This is well known. Sometimes people breed the grandfather with the bitch or even the father. I think 'Pedigree certificates' has a lot to answer for in this regard. It doesn't encourage any kind of genetic diversity and people are actively discouraged and punished for trying to introduce new blood into lines. Another group to blame are 'puppy farms', people who breed merely to make money and take no responsibility f…
> Generally you want your dog to be smart enough to read your queues and work around you
Great write up. Btw, in that context you want "cue" instead of "queue".