Page 118 - Aussie Magazine - 2024 Issue 3

Breeding

3. Open your eyes

to dogs from
other lines.

Don’t just focus on big winners.
Remember: handlers and
advertising can make a top dog
out of a mediocre one. At the
same time, don’t get caught up in
the “hidden treasure” syndrome, in
which you think you’ve discovered
an unknown, perhaps un-shown,
dog that nobody else has noticed.
Judge him as objectively as you
would the big winner, without
excuses. Just because a dog
has lost a leg in an accident, for
example, doesn’t mean he would
have had perfect movement if he
still had four legs. All else being
equal, a dog with a better win
record has a greater chance of
attracting puppy buyers, so don’t
totally neglect that aspect.

4. Write out

sample
pedigrees of
proposed litters.
You can find programs (some
on the Internet are free) that
will calculate a coefficient
of inbreeding (COI) for each
proposed pedigree. The COI is
an estimate of how inbred your
puppies would be, which in turn,
is an estimate of how likely a 5.
recessive allele will double up in Arrange to see prospective stud
one of them. Give extra points to dogs in person.
the pedigree with a smaller COI,
particularly one under 10 percent. Pictures can be doctored, and videos can be carefully
Because many hereditary health edited to disguise faults and hide temperament issues.
problems are inherited recessively, The best place to see a lot of stud dogs is at a specialty
your chances of healthier puppies show or, if you’re looking for a performance dog, at the
are greater with lower COIs. premier event for that activity.

118 | A Worldwide Magazine for the Aussie • Issue 3/2024