Types of Dog Breeding and the American Blue Lacy Breeding Practice

Types of Breeding:

Inbreeding, Line-breeding, Out-crossing, Out-breeding

In-breeding

Inbreeding is the mating of very close relatives, for example, father to daughter, half-brother to half-sister, brother to sister, mother to son, etc.

One reason for in-breeding is to “set” desirable traits. You are trying to "concentrate" or "homogenize" the genes for those traits by producing offspring from parents who already carry similar genetic packages. The desire is for exemplary samples of the breed, but also that they will be prepotent for these desirable traits and have a stronger tendency to pass them on to their offspring. Inbreeding intensifies the faults in a litter as well as the desirable traits, so considerable discretion must be used in the choice of the dogs.

Another reason for in-breeding is to “magnify” undesirable genetic traits. With the limited input of first relatives you’re most likely to double up on any hiding hereditary health issues and producing a affected puppy.

In the re-creation of a nearly extinct breed or creating new breeds in-breeding is usually the only option.

You have to keep in mind that inbreeding produces the extremes of both the good and the bad in the genetic makeup of a litter. It hugely reduces fertility and strength of a breed creating less than good immune or endocrine systems and having huge effects on the whole genetic makeup.

Line-breeding

Line breeding is the mating of dogs having one or more common ancestors or mating to a removed relative, e.g. granddaughter to grandsire, uncle to niece, etc. The benefit of line-breeding is the production of more consistent litters, strengthening the desired characteristics and eliminating the health problems. In order to reinforce desired traits one has to have a complete knowledge of both pedigrees of both the sire and the dam. Generations of dogs are produced using one ancestor as a "pivot point'. That is... each generation is planned so as to maximize the genetic input of one individual from the past. In general, most breeders adhere to a policy of line breeding so they can insure uniformity of quality without risking the inherent dangers of inbreeding. The more loose the line-breeding, the slower and less sure the progress.

Line-breeding is probably the most common formula used by breeders. Over time, it allows breeders to make progress in reducing hereditary diseases and producing typey dogs.

Out-crossing

Outcrossing is the mating of two dogs that are the products of line breeding but of two distinctly separate lines. Out-crossing is the mating of dogs who are unrelated. No common ancestors in a 3 generation pedigree or 1 common ancestor in 4 generations is an outcross. When out-crossing, a breeder selects a stud that offers strength in the area(s) in which the bitch, and/or her line, are weak, that reinforces the areas in which she is strong, it also avoids doubling up on the hereditary diseases likely to be a part of her genetic package. It’s generally used as a long-term proposition to bring certain traits into a line that are otherwise deficient. These traits are then usually intensified by proper line breeding or inbreeding.

Out-crossing is not for those who want to get someplace fast... but when done carefully and with depth of information, it does offer the potential for producing generations of healthy pups and perhaps... improving the overall vigor of the breed.

Many backyard breeders put down the show & hobby breeders for "in-breeding" and “line-breeding” (which they lump in with inbreeding). They will loudly proclaim that their dogs aren't related and that's supposed to be a wonderful thing. Problem is... mating two unrelated dogs without extensive knowledge of their genetic package is likely to produce far less desirable results than in- or line-breeding dogs in a well informed and well planned program.

Out-breeding

Out-breeding is the mating of two dogs that not only are the products of two distinctly separate lines, but on top are not the products of line breeding. Out-breeding is seldom employed since in most breeds dogs that would qualify for out-breeding simply do not exist.

Each has their place and breeds probably benefit the most from having the use of all three... in appropriate measure.

Blue Lacys breeders do not line breed in the hopes of preventing any health problems, which as a general rule are caused by close in- breeding. Keeping in mind when in-breeding you can expect a true representative of the breed to come through because it will get all the good genetic traits of both parents. You can also expect the genetic bad traits to be expressed. When you in-breed two dogs you must be prepared to euthanize the “wrong” puppy.

Blue Lacy breeders do not line breed anymore. In order to create the breed ~ there was nothing but line breeding - that's how you set the genes and 'make a breed'. This practice continued for many Blue Lacy generations. The breed has its look, temperament and type. There is no longer a need to practice “in- breeding” and we don’t practice close “line breeding” in the hopes of preventing health issues that are prevalent in so many other well known breeds.

All breed clubs used to solemnly state that their breed's health was their first and foremost concern. This lacks credibility as long as in breeding and very close line breeding is not strictly banned in their code of ethics. Dog breeding should not be gambling with canine health. Even a breed's absolute purity, while rightly being a sacred principle, must be secondary in a genetic emergency situation.

Because the Blue Lacy gene pool is considered small the chance of line breeding can occur. Always ask for a pedigree of the breeding pair.

You want to check the pedigrees of the parents to a litter you are getting a pup from, ask for copies of both parent’s pedigrees ahead of time. You should always get these when you eventually pick up your pup anyway.