Big dogs

[Officially Retired]

I for the longest believed in petcentages, and inbreeding coeficients, but now that we have DNA, I don't see why you would use anything else. If you have the blueprint of what you want, why not try and replicate it?

I agree, except for the caveat that we don't know exactly which DNA relates to what. In other words, we can't (yet) identify a gameness gene, an ability gene, etc.

In the end, a person has to go with his eyes ... and his own personal knowledge of "what he wants" ... and which dogs in his pedigrees carry these traits ... if he is going to successfully make breedings that pass-on the torch he's trying to perpetuate.

Although I have no love for Pat Patrick, I do think his quote to me (back in 1993) was the best I have ever heard ... when I told him of the CompuPed Pedigree program Wildside Kennels started using ... Pat said, "I don't need some fuckin' computer program to tell me that Bolio out-produced every other stud dog I had; all I had to do was start rolling his pups to see that."

Jack

[evolutionkennels]

I agree, except for the caveat that we don't know exactly which DNA relates to what. In other words, we can't (yet) identify a gameness gene, an ability gene, etc.

In the end, a person has to go with his eyes ... and his own personal knowledge of "what he wants" ... and which dogs in his pedigrees carry these traits ... if he is going to successfully make breedings that pass-on the torch he's trying to perpetuate.

Although I have no love for Pat Patrick, I do think his quote to me (back in 1993) was the best I have ever heard ... when I told him of the CompuPed Pedigree program Wildside Kennels started using ... Pat said, "I don't need some fuckin' computer program to tell me that Bolio out-produced every other stud dog I had; all I had to do was start rolling his pups to see that."

Jack

I agree 100%, but I am DNA ing everything I have for the next 10 years, and after enough sampling, I'll be able to take a few stabs at it. It's just that nobody yet has gone through the expense of it. I wouldn't say using DNA blind, that's obsurd, but if I see one has the traits that've want and compared it to the one that doesn't, I'll have an idea. You mark my words, in 10 years, I'll isolate the gameness, ability and smarts, and if I am unlucky, the cur gene... Lmao, maybe I'll get a Nobel Dogman prize.

[Ez Country]

Do you believe genetics are malleable? Meaning can environment and other outside factors have an altering effect on the genes?

[Officially Retired]

Do you believe genetics are malleable? Meaning can environment and other outside factors have an altering effect on the genes?

Of course genetics are malleable.

Take strength, for example: a dog (or person) has a certain amount of strength "genetically" in its natural, healthy state.

If, however, you take that that dog (or person), and you underfeed it, and then if you subject it to disease and a poor environment, and basically keep it in a general state of malaise/ill health ... then whatever strength that individual had "genetically" will be diminished and whatever "genetic potential" it had will be unrealized.

Take that same dog (or person), and instead feed it optimally, make sure it is in a clean, disease-free environment, and then strength-train train that individual routinely ... then whatever strength that individual had "genetically" will be be enhanced and whatever "genetic potential" it had will be maximized.

Jack