by: jimmycox
Total views: 4
Word Count: 689

The history of dog breeding is a large subject, and to deal with each separate breed would entail a volume in itself. Here I shall give only a brief outline of the history of research in genetics. To begin with, the dog goes far back into antiquity. Just where or when he first originated it would be impossible to say, but we do know that he is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures. To go farther back, somewhere around the year 1500 B.C., we find that the dog was not held in very great esteem. At the time in which Deuteronomy was written, the "price of a dog" was considered an unworthy offering to be brought to the altar. In 1865, the Augustinian abbot, Gregor Johann Mendel, discovered certain laws for the inheritance of characteristics from one generation to another through the cultivation of the common variety of garden pea. He studied the relation of true-breeding types within a species, giving his attention particularly to the way in which sharply contrasted pairs of characteristics are inherited. He kept accurate pedigree records, and in each case found the results to be the same. The first cross or breeding showed only one of the two characteristics which had marked the parents. Mendel called the characteristic which came out most strongly the dominant member of the two, and the other, the recessive. These plants were then allowed to become self-fertilized; the seeds were kept and sown separately. This second generation consisted of plants having the dominant characteristic, and also others having the recessive. In every four, on the average, three showed the dominant and one the recessive. When the same experiment was carried out with the plants of this second generation, it was found that every one which had shown the recessive characteristic bred true, while of those which had exhibited the dominant, only one out of three bred true. In other words, the characteristics inherited by the second generation come from a chance combination and can only be predicted on paper. Let us apply this to dog breeding for a moment and see what we get. Suppose a spaniel bitch that you own is well up on the leg, short in the body, with a good back line and tail set, but a little weak in head development. Obviously, if you can procure puppies which combine a strong head with the good points of the bitch, you will have made a noteworthy advance. Your next problem is to find a stud whose dominant feature is a strong head, and whose body characteristics and blood lines approximate those of the prospective dam as nearly as possible. Then, provided a good body is a dominant characteristic of the bitch, and a strong head of the stud, the resulting puppies should combine these features. However, should these characteristics of the sire and dam be second-generation characteristics, the likelihood of the puppies inheriting them will be a chance combination. Mendel spent ten years on his experiments, but when he had given his results to the world they were promptly forgotten, while students of heredity wrangled over the theories of Weismann and Lamarck. However, in 1900 three men simultaneously brought it all to light again. At the start of their investigations the exceptions to Mendel's laws received more attention than they should have, and many conservative investigators decided that Mendel was wrong. Nevertheless, it is now realized that Mendel's work was valuable and provided the basis for all future important work on genetics. Mendel's experiments with the garden peas showed the way in which the laws of inheritance work, and brought out the truth of the conclusion that the chance of breeding good dogs increases in direct ratio with the quality not only of the parents, but of every dog in all the generations behind them. Understanding the basics of genetics is an essential for all dog breeders. Only then can you make an informed selection of bitch and stud. The above information will give you a good start on this fascinating subject.

About the Author

Long Lost Manuscript Resurfaces With Everything You Need To Know About Dog Breeding! Click here for FREE online Ebook http://www.dogbreedingsecrets.net/

---

View PDF | Print View

---

Rating: Not yet rated

--Choose-- 0 1 2 3 4 5

Comments

No comments posted.

Add Comment

You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.
Next Article - Puppy Training Is Easy If You Follow The Basics
Previous Article - The Two Minute Guide To Owning A Bird

More Related Articles In This Category

1: How to Deal with Dog Parvo
2: Finding a Proper Collar for Your Small Dog
3: How to Give Your Dog a Bath without the Drench
4: 3 Easy Dog Training Tips
5: Dog Care Products For The Long Haired Dog
6: Caring For Your Horse And Companion
7: Pet Obesity: Guidelines on Weight Loss and Achieving Your Pet's Ideal Body Weight
8: The Facts About Chick Sexing!
9: How to Find a Unique Collar for Your Dog
10: Types Of Small Aquarium Sharks - Two Of The Most Popular
11: Tips On Buying A Used Cat!
12: The Top Ten Count Down of the Smartest Dogs In The World!
13: A Dog Well Trained Brings Joy!
14: Understanding The Breeding Of Puggles
15: Tips for Choosing a Dog Shampoo
16: Protect Your Pets By Preventing Flea And Tick Infestation
17: Train Your Puggle To Be The Best Behaved Dog
18: Animal Rescue Organizations Save Puggles' Lifes
19: Take Care of Your Puggle The Right Way
20: The Warm Fuzzy Feeling Puggle's Offer Us
21: Preventing And Controlling Avian Flu In Poultry!
22: Dream Of Having Your Own Horse
23: Know More About Abandoned Horses
24: Learn About Dog Kennel Cough
25: Need To Know Dog Training Tips

---

For WebMasters

Link This Article - HTML Code -

<a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/pets-and-animals/understanding-genetics-for-dog-breeders.html" target=_blank>Understanding Genetics For Dog Breeders</a>

Link This Article - BBcode -

[url=http://americanahost.com/articles/pets-and-animals/understanding-genetics-for-dog-breeders.html]Understanding Genetics For Dog Breeders[/url]

Copy This HTML Code To Put This Article In Your Web Site.

<h1>Understanding Genetics For Dog Breeders</h1><br><br> <br><br> The history of dog breeding is a large subject, and to deal with each separate breed would entail a volume in itself. Here I shall give only a brief outline of the history of research in genetics. To begin with, the dog goes far back into antiquity. Just where or when he first originated it would be impossible to say, but we do know that he is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures. To go farther back, somewhere around the year 1500 B.C., we find that the dog was not held in very great esteem. At the time in which Deuteronomy was written, the "price of a dog" was considered an unworthy offering to be brought to the altar. In 1865, the Augustinian abbot, Gregor Johann Mendel, discovered certain laws for the inheritance of characteristics from one generation to another through the cultivation of the common variety of garden pea. He studied the relation of true-breeding types within a species, giving his attention particularly to the way in which sharply contrasted pairs of characteristics are inherited. He kept accurate pedigree records, and in each case found the results to be the same. The first cross or breeding showed only one of the two characteristics which had marked the parents. Mendel called the characteristic which came out most strongly the dominant member of the two, and the other, the recessive. These plants were then allowed to become self-fertilized; the seeds were kept and sown separately. This second generation consisted of plants having the dominant characteristic, and also others having the recessive. In every four, on the average, three showed the dominant and one the recessive. When the same experiment was carried out with the plants of this second generation, it was found that every one which had shown the recessive characteristic bred true, while of those which had exhibited the dominant, only one out of three bred true. In other words, the characteristics inherited by the second generation come from a chance combination and can only be predicted on paper. Let us apply this to dog breeding for a moment and see what we get. Suppose a spaniel bitch that you own is well up on the leg, short in the body, with a good back line and tail set, but a little weak in head development. Obviously, if you can procure puppies which combine a strong head with the good points of the bitch, you will have made a noteworthy advance. Your next problem is to find a stud whose dominant feature is a strong head, and whose body characteristics and blood lines approximate those of the prospective dam as nearly as possible. Then, provided a good body is a dominant characteristic of the bitch, and a strong head of the stud, the resulting puppies should combine these features. However, should these characteristics of the sire and dam be second-generation characteristics, the likelihood of the puppies inheriting them will be a chance combination. Mendel spent ten years on his experiments, but when he had given his results to the world they were promptly forgotten, while students of heredity wrangled over the theories of Weismann and Lamarck. However, in 1900 three men simultaneously brought it all to light again. At the start of their investigations the exceptions to Mendel's laws received more attention than they should have, and many conservative investigators decided that Mendel was wrong. Nevertheless, it is now realized that Mendel's work was valuable and provided the basis for all future important work on genetics. Mendel's experiments with the garden peas showed the way in which the laws of inheritance work, and brought out the truth of the conclusion that the chance of breeding good dogs increases in direct ratio with the quality not only of the parents, but of every dog in all the generations behind them. Understanding the basics of genetics is an essential for all dog breeders. Only then can you make an informed selection of bitch and stud. The above information will give you a good start on this fascinating subject.<br><br> <h3>About The Author</h3> Long Lost Manuscript Resurfaces With Everything You Need To Know About Dog Breeding! Click here for FREE online Ebook http://www.dogbreedingsecrets.net/<br><br> Keywords: <b>dog breeding secrets, dog breeding, dogs, dog health</b> <br><br>Article Source : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles"><b>Articles Directory</b></a></br> Article URL : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/pets-and-animals/understanding-genetics-for-dog-breeders.html" target=_blank>Understanding Genetics For Dog Breeders</a></br> Article Category : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/pets-and-animals/">Pets and Animals</a></br> Article Author : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/profile/jimmycox-332.html">jimmycox</a>

---

Article URL : Understanding Genetics For Dog Breeders
Article Category : Pets and Animals
Article Author : jimmycox