31/03/2022
Choose wisely in choosing stud
Show dog or Stud Dog?
tips 101
What is inbreeding, line breeding , outcrossing and scatter breeding?
Everywhere I look I see bully owner's focusing on inbreeding dog's, but not enough people focus on outcrossing. It blows my mind how fast a person will choose to inbreed, over an outcross in a split of a second. I even see a lot of newcomer's inbreed for their first breeding, but why is this? Why do people think this is a “secret to success?” With inbreeding there are many things that can go wrong, especially in the American Bully breed. Why is that you might ask? Before I continue let's look at the 4 method's of breeding and what they offer a breeding program:
- Scatter breeding: This is when there are four different bloodlines in a pedigree, both sire and dam are outcrosses. This is probably the least preferred breeding method in the bully world, but in other breed's people do scatter breed. Why would a breeder want to scatter breed? Even though this method produces the least in consistency because of the four different bloodline's, it does offer some good. Health problems are lower, a scatter bred dog is cleaner in structure too. *The best way to scatter breed, is by making sure all four bloodlines are very tightly bred.
- Outcrossing: This is when you incorporate a new bloodline into your gene pool, outcrossing helps introduce new traits your dogs might not have. Outcrosses are known to produce the best show dog's, but the best show dogs are not always the best producer's. By outcrossing you can lower health problem's in the gene pool, it also helps clean up the structure too. *The best way to outcross is by breeding two dogs that are very tightly bred, this helps pass down traits from both parents.
- Line breeding: This is when you breed into the same bloodline, uncle to niece, nephew to aunt and grandpa to granddaughter. With line breeding your chances of producing those desired trait's are greater, but only line breed on good dog's. You don't want to lock in flaws and bad health! * IMO the best line breeding is an uncle to a niece or aunt to a nephew by way of an outcross.
- Inbreeding: This is when you breed a father to a daughter, son to a mother or litter mate's, a lot of people have the wrong idea about this breeding method. There is nothing magical about inbreeding, honestly you can do more harm to your program than good. By inbreeding you can bring up health problem's, from inbreeding depression to problem's with reproduction. With the American Bullies you can also lose substance and bone, your dogs will begin to look like Pit Bulls. An in**ed stud can be a valuable tool, but in**ed dogs are best for outcrosses only. *The best way to inbreed is by breeding dogs that are scatter bred or dogs off of an outcross. If you have an inbreeding coefficiency of 30% or higher, you're asking for trouble.
The American Bully is a new breed compared to other popular breeds, but for being so new there is more inbreeding than outcrossing. Now let's get to the facts, its no secret that these dog's are mixed. There are F1's in this breed and they produce the desired American Bully phenotype, heavy bone, blocky head and a lot of substance. An F1 is a hybrid, a hybrid is when a breed is bred to a whole other breed. Well how can an F1 produce so well when bred to a American Bully? What you're seeing is the result of an F1b, when the F1 is bred back into the American Bully it incorporates those Bulldog gene's back into the front of the gene pull. The F1b is also able to produce those desired trait's, F1b bred to another American Bully will produce an F2. Now you're on your 3rd generation and the dog's are losing substance and bone, why is that? Its because the further you breed away from the F1, the more you lose those traits. The more you breed into the terrier blood, the less they look like Bullies and the more they look like Pit Bulls. The terrier blood is very strong! So what does this have to do with inbreeding??? Glad you asked!
If an F1 can produce the desired American Bully phenotype, why resort to an inbreed? Outcrossing is a slept on breeding method, you will never better your program if you don't outcross. When you outcross you introduce new traits to the gene pool, this helps you create your own look, a dog that nobody else has. It also helps you clean up any flaws in the structure or health issues. Now I'm not saying outcrossing two dogs with health issues will produce healthy pups, but yes outcrossing is proven to produce healthier dog's. Look at the Goldendoodle breed for an example, like the American Bully, the Goldendoodle is also a hybrid. The Goldendoodle is a mix between a Poodle and a Golden Retriever, breeders pull traits from both breeds and produced smart and healthy dogs. By doing this they produced a new phenotype, the Goldendoodle is said to not shed just like the Poodle. Both Poodle and Golden Retriever are very smart dog's, that was also passed down to it's offspring. Do some research on Goldendoodles and their breeding method's, you'll be surprised what an outcross can do when done properly.
People inbreed because they want to lock in traits, they want a whole consistent litter. But what I say is that people need to have patience. Yes when inbreeding you can lock in certain traits, yes an in**ed dog can be valuable in a program, but you also bring up any health issues that may have been dormant. Next thing you know your dog's have reproduction issues, your studs are sterile & your bi***es catch pyometra. I've also seen a lot of bad uteruses, where only one horn produces egg's. That was an eye opener, whats the use of inbreeding on a great ped if you wont be able to utilize it? The tighter you breed, the more the structure will fall apart too. Your dogs will begin to have easty westy feet, bad toplines and rears too.
Outcross then bring that offspring back into your desired line, then line breed for two generations and outcross again. Learn how to properly use all four breeding methods, don't be scared to outcross. When you outcross breed to a dog that is very tightly bred, don't outcross to an out crossed dog. Understand that its OK to just have 2 or 3 nice pups in the litter, not every pup will be a super pup in the beginning.That's why there's only 1 pick of the litter, focus on producing that super pup so you can continue to build a great program. Before you know it, you'll have a great line of dogs and they'll produce great dog's too. The consistency will come, just breed quality dog's and do your homework. Inbreeding and line breeding in**ed dogs over and over again will ruin your program, the goal is to better your dogs. How can you better your dog's if they can't reproduce?
Breed responsibly, don't think about what your dogs will look like in ten year's, think about what your bloodline will be in a hundred year's. — with DangerousDesires Michael.
