HOW TO CHOOSE Breeding Stock
Choosing which puppies to raise for breeding is not complex, but there are still some ground rules.
The first thing to consider is the purpose of the dog breed you are raising.
The purpose of the Australian Cobberdog, is to be a helping dog for many different kinds of physical and emotional human conditions as well as a social family dog void of aggression. Their Inborn and unique intuition should never be compromised. A sound mind is the perfect complement to a sound body (form to function). Follow the link at the foot of this page to see more on Form to Function.
The first thing to consider is the purpose of the dog breed you are raising.
The purpose of the Australian Cobberdog, is to be a helping dog for many different kinds of physical and emotional human conditions as well as a social family dog void of aggression. Their Inborn and unique intuition should never be compromised. A sound mind is the perfect complement to a sound body (form to function). Follow the link at the foot of this page to see more on Form to Function.
FIRST STEPS
1. Check each puppy carefully against the official Breed Standard. Conformation, correctness of type, temperament and nature, and of course coat quality.
2. Remind yourself of your goals, (or set them) and then consider where each puppy lies on the scale of your priorities. Not every puppy in a litter is suitable to be a breeding dog, and no animal is ever perfect.
3. If you are keeping a male, think about what your females are lacking or particular qualities you want to improve on. Equally important if you are keeping a female, consider which breeding male you plan to use, bearing in mind that he should be pre-potent to complement her good points, and minimise her shortcomings. If you have no knowledge of what has been produced when the parents' bloodlines have been bred together, you are basically in the dark and will have only their appearance to go on - until you start to keep your own records and build your knowledge base.
2. Remind yourself of your goals, (or set them) and then consider where each puppy lies on the scale of your priorities. Not every puppy in a litter is suitable to be a breeding dog, and no animal is ever perfect.
3. If you are keeping a male, think about what your females are lacking or particular qualities you want to improve on. Equally important if you are keeping a female, consider which breeding male you plan to use, bearing in mind that he should be pre-potent to complement her good points, and minimise her shortcomings. If you have no knowledge of what has been produced when the parents' bloodlines have been bred together, you are basically in the dark and will have only their appearance to go on - until you start to keep your own records and build your knowledge base.
Strong Points:
* Powerful short back (protects hindquarters & elbows in movement
* Slight rise over the loins (powerfully connects front and rear in movement)
* Long sloping shoulders and stifles (to synchronise stretch in movement)
* Brisket neither too deep nor too shallow ( heart room and breathing)
* Elbows neither tucked in nor jutting out (in alignment with withers for balance)
* Slight dip behind withers to separate neck from the start of the back
* Sufficient length of neck (to free the shoulders in movement)
* Strong short hocks (to support the impact of hind feet as they strike the ground)
* Straight strong front legs perpendicular to the ground (support weight in front)
* Moderately deep chest, not too broad nor deep (not pre-disposed to bloat)
* Well proportioned head and face with a sweet alert expression.
* Powerful short back (protects hindquarters & elbows in movement
* Slight rise over the loins (powerfully connects front and rear in movement)
* Long sloping shoulders and stifles (to synchronise stretch in movement)
* Brisket neither too deep nor too shallow ( heart room and breathing)
* Elbows neither tucked in nor jutting out (in alignment with withers for balance)
* Slight dip behind withers to separate neck from the start of the back
* Sufficient length of neck (to free the shoulders in movement)
* Strong short hocks (to support the impact of hind feet as they strike the ground)
* Straight strong front legs perpendicular to the ground (support weight in front)
* Moderately deep chest, not too broad nor deep (not pre-disposed to bloat)
* Well proportioned head and face with a sweet alert expression.
What does pre-potent mean?
A dog is made up of two major collective components which control the way he or she will produce: Phonetic - which is the way a dog looks, and Genetic - which will influence the qualities in its progeny. Sometimes they may be the same, but often times not!
Example: hypothetically, if a dog has say, too narrow a head himself, (what we see when we look at him) but consistently produces broader heads on his offspring regardless of the head types on his female partners, then that dog is pre-potent for good heads, and so on.
When we use a dog or bitch for breeding, the resulting puppies are not only a combination of genes from their parents. They will also be influenced by their grandparents and pre-potent ancestors further back in their ancestry, and often more so than either their sire or dam. This is the reason that breeding dogs and bitches produced from all non related out crosses are seldom pre-potent in their own characteristics. When we hear someone say "oh, Flora has the same eyes as her mother" there were many more influences at play than just Flora's mother.
Example: hypothetically, if a dog has say, too narrow a head himself, (what we see when we look at him) but consistently produces broader heads on his offspring regardless of the head types on his female partners, then that dog is pre-potent for good heads, and so on.
When we use a dog or bitch for breeding, the resulting puppies are not only a combination of genes from their parents. They will also be influenced by their grandparents and pre-potent ancestors further back in their ancestry, and often more so than either their sire or dam. This is the reason that breeding dogs and bitches produced from all non related out crosses are seldom pre-potent in their own characteristics. When we hear someone say "oh, Flora has the same eyes as her mother" there were many more influences at play than just Flora's mother.
TRUE STORY
During my dog showing years, I bred 2 German Shepherd Dog litter sisters I couldn't choose between to keep for breeding. So I kept them both, thinking that their success in the show ring would make my decision for me. They were identical in colour and general appearance. After a year of showing them both, Gretel placed behind her sister Maedchen every single time. I decided to breed each of them to the same stud dog to see what would happen. Show winning Maedchen's puppies were mediocre, but Gretel's were outstanding in every way. It wasn't rocket science to work out that Gretel was pre-potent and Maedchen was not.
During my dog showing years, I bred 2 German Shepherd Dog litter sisters I couldn't choose between to keep for breeding. So I kept them both, thinking that their success in the show ring would make my decision for me. They were identical in colour and general appearance. After a year of showing them both, Gretel placed behind her sister Maedchen every single time. I decided to breed each of them to the same stud dog to see what would happen. Show winning Maedchen's puppies were mediocre, but Gretel's were outstanding in every way. It wasn't rocket science to work out that Gretel was pre-potent and Maedchen was not.
INTUITION / EMPATHY is seen in the eyes, which are serene, clear, and always seeking intimate and direct contact with human eyes.
The extra intuitive puppy in the litter is easy to spot. He/she is more interested in you than the food in the bowl. When the siblings are tucking in, this super special puppy isat the gate, watching you until you're out of sight. Onlywhen you're gone will the puppy join its mates at the food bowl.
Temperament and nature (character) are two separate things. Environment (for instance early socialization, good or bad experiences etc) can and does affect behavior either for good or for bad. Character is inborn and does not change.
SOUNDNESS IN BODY or FORM TO FUNCTION
is just another name for correct conformation (anatomy, or skeletal body structure with its attending coverings of soft tissue). A Cobberdog with overall correctness in the ratio of long bones to short bones. their angles to one another, and the covering of muscle and other soft tissue will move with the least stress on joints ligaments and tendons and is far less likely to develop OCD's ( such as HD and elbow dysplasia) or arthritis even into old age. |
The Truth About Skipping Cycles (heats) do they 'rest' the Bitch?
Read what renowned Dutch breeding scientist Robert Hutchison has to say=
_breeding_frequency__joanna_kimball_y.pdf |
dr_kate_schoeffel_back_to_back_breeding.pdf |