Purebred breeders are

dog breeders Dog breeding is the practice of Canine reproduction, mating selected dogs with the intention of maintaining or producing specific qualities and characteristics. When dogs reproduce without such human intervention, their offspring's characteristi ...

that intentionally breed

purebred dog A dog breed is a particular type of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing upward of 360 global ...

s specifically to continue the lineage of certain

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

characteristics in dogs by

mating In biology, mating is the pairing of either opposite-sex or hermaphroditic organisms for the purposes of sexual reproduction. ''Fertilization'' is the fusion of two gametes. '' Copulation'' is the union of the sex organs of two sexually repr ...

selected canines. A

has the characteristics of the breed to which it belongs, is an offspring of two purebred parents and should be eligible for registry in the purebred association of that breed should it not have any disqualifications such as undesirable color markings. The motto of a responsible breeder of purebred dogs is to "Breed to Improve", to produce a better dog and quality pet.

History

Animal breeding as an ancient human occupation, can be traced back to domestication and dates back to at least 14 thousand yrs ago. The modern processes of purebred breeding evolved between the late 18th century and the late 20th century, influenced significantly by advancements and increased understanding of

genetics Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinians, Augustinian ...

and

eugenics Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human phenotypes by inhibiting the fer ...

. The dogs were isolated from the larger gene pool of their species and inbreed to maintain certain characteristics. This led to smaller adult sizes compared to their wild counterparts, less acute sight and hearing, and crowding of the teeth. Smaller brains and shorter heads are also a result of

neoteny Neoteny (), also called juvenilization,Montagu, A. (1989). Growing Young. Bergin & Garvey: CT. is the delaying or slowing of the Physiology, physiological, or Somatic (biology), somatic, development of an organism, typically an animal. Neoteny i ...

as they carry juvenile characteristics into adulthood. Purebred dogs also tend to mature earlier and have greater fertility. This artificial selection for breeding led to the passing of specific physical characteristics, the creation of distinctive types of dog breeds and the purebred breeders profession.

Purpose

Purebred breeders match parent dogs based on the characteristics they possess and can be improved upon, if the dam has a quality that can be improved on then breeders find a sire that would balance that out. Some of these traits can include cosmetic qualities like size, coat, colors, marks, or other qualities like trainability, temperament, exercise needs and strength. Every characteristic of a dog has been passed down for hundreds or possibly thousands of generations. Appearance, character and temperament are all traits that are consistent with purebred dogs. Due to the amalgamate ancestry of a mixed-breed dog, traits can be inconsistent from generation to generation, it makes the reliability and predictability of breed characteristics nearly impossible. Purebred breeds are specialized for different purposes, such as herding, hunting, companionship and service ability. The dogs are often bred to carry specific traits that will allow them to complete the functions they are bred for. A study in 2004 was able to classify 99% of the dogs under human reproductive control into breed categories based on their DNA sequences. Dogs are grouped into the following eight breed categories of herding,

hound A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey. Description Hounds can be contrasted with gun dogs that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. ...

, nonsporting, sporting,

terrier Terrier () is a Dog type, type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many Dog breed, breeds or landraces of the terrier Dog type, type, which are typically small, wiry, Gameness, game, and fearless. There are fi ...

toy A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and p ...

, working and miscellaneous. As some health problems are hereditary, knowing the common health problems that are related to the type of dog you are trying to breed can be used to improve its successors by mating the dam with a sire who has a pedigree that lacks these health issues. By studying a dog's pedigree, you can avoid breeding dogs known to carry a dominant or recessive genetic mutation as they could pass this onto their offspring.

Breeding

Most mating done by

purebred Purebreds are cultivars of an animal species achieved through the process of selective breeding. When the lineage of a purebred animal is recorded, that animal is said to be pedigreed. Purebreds breed true-to-type, which means the progeny of l ...

breeders is

linebreeding Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders an ...

which is the mating of animals of different families within the same breed to bring in desirable traits that are not present in the original animals. Unlike commercial producers, purebred breeders cannot use crossbreeding as it would dilute the breed's purity, resulting in a mixed breed dog. Health checks and genetic screenings are done prior to mating as well. The age at which dogs fully mature varies by breed, however there are stringent guidelines that the parents should not be bred until they are mature enough. For example, the AKC does not allow the registration of a litter from a dam whom at the time of mating was less than 8 months of age or more than 12 years, or of a sire that was less than 7 months or more than 12 years of age.

References

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History

Purpose

Breeding

References

See also