[QUOTE=stolensilver;6034466]
The whole discussion here is a massive oversimplification. [/QUOTE]
I agree with the statement above referencing gross over simplifications being made here. (And breeding is not about mathematical formulations, if you think it is, show me the consistency in what you have produced, in performance, not some inspection scores, and I will stand corrected).
First and foremost, a breeder must see the animals in the pedigree, as many of them as possible. Photos and video are not sufficient. And, a breeder needs to understand structure and movement, and how to assess animals – entirely on their own, independent of the agendas of others.
Many of the attributes we wish to perpetuate are not autosomal dominant traits, i.e. not controlled by a single gene … but for those that are, if the animal does not carry the gene, it will not be transmitted… period. It does not magically “pop up later.”
If the animal is heterozygous (or god forbid homozygous) for a trait that is not an autosomal dominant trait (even if it doesn’t show), then it can pop up.
The perfection in conformation that we desire is not so simple, it is not a matter of one gene here and there. But structure is apparent early on, if you know what you are looking at.
However, nurture (epigenetic factors) will impact the expression of genes… so the beautiful and correct animal, raised poorly , will not achieve his/her potential. We are on our fifth generation of Dobermans, and I knew every animal in the 5 generation pedigree of our foundation bitch. Our Doberman breeding program is modeled most closely on how Holsteiner breeders breed, in that I have placed extraordinary emphasis on the bottom line of our pedigree. It has given us the ability to produce consistency. I know what to expect with our Doberman pedigrees, I know what our pedigree is prepotent for, and I breed accordingly. In the horses, it is so much more difficult, in part because it takes years for the horse to mature, and so many things can derail a promising horse.
Anyway, just some thoughts… and here is some holiday cheer. Merry Christmas from Arthur and I
