The X Factor

[Officially Retired]

This is a very fascinating topic. Too much information with many variables and very few studies made on canines. It will be great if someone makes a study of how specific traits that matter to US in this sport are passed on and by Who.

Agreed.

At the end of the day, we are all looking for the best possible results and consistently repeat them.

Agreed.

My goal with this topic is to bring to peoples attention the females larger contribution to the end product. In order to a male be successful, he needs a good female.
Actually, I strongly believe that a female will make a male much better than the opposite.

You certainly achieved your goal, and I do agree with you on the importance of a foundational bitch.

Still, I can't help but add a fly to the ointment by thinking of some pretty mediocre bitches that were bred to Poncho, with world class results obtaining. In fact, one of these females was bred to Poncho's uncle and I got all garbage, but when bred to Poncho I got all B+ to A+ caliber dogs. So I do think some stud dogs are simply prepotent, and can produce regardless of the bitch that gets put under them. The proverbial, "Breed em to a fence post and get game splinters," kind of dogs.

And I also think more people are willing to breed a lousy bitch to a great stud, "hoping" to get something, than would ever take a great bitch and experiment with her on a lousy stud.

I hope that with this instead of people talking about the Sire and Grand Sire, they start paying more attention to the Dam, Grand Dam. I will get rid of all males I have in my yard with no regrets if need to, but the females I will really keep at all cost.

I agree with you. Certainly, your own story with the all-time-great producer Awesome Baby proves your theory. Boyles and Hollingsworth likewise proved the ability to erect monumental bloodlines all based around a key brood matron. Waccamaw, too, built their own line around Saber.

In fact, in my book I specifically state that the quickest way a person can go from beginning to winning is to first buy himself the very best bitch he can possibly afford (not "a pup," not a "prospect," but a truly excellent bitch, from a truly excellent bloodline), and then through selective breeding build a monument around her.

Although I am personally building my yard around Silverback right now, his origination all started when I bought the key brood matron Miss Trinx, and bred her to Ch Hammer to get his mama Missy, who was one of the best bitches I have ever bred in my life. In going forward with her outstanding son Silverback, I am doing so with him being bred to quality bitches, and there are plenty of great programs built around key stud dogs too (Yellow, Bolio, Redboy, ect.), where the linebreeding program was built around the great stud dog, but this has to be implemented around the framework of quality bitches.

IMHO, The longevity of this breed rest in the breeding of high quality females.

Certainly, when I was heavily-active as a breeder, the pups I kept were always the ones that were out of my best bitches ... and these pups also commanded the highest prices. And, while I absolutely agree with you that going down to just "one" quality bitch would be better than going down to just "one" quality male, in the end I believe that a truly quality program relies on the maintenance of quality in both.

I think the revelation brought here in this discussion, that I certainly was never aware of, namely that the mtDNA of an animal (its cell fitness, etc.) is entirely dependent upon the matriarchal (bitch) influence is absolutely vital to keep a sense of direction in a breeding program. And I sincerely thank you for sharing this GEM of information with me and with the community here.

The way I am personally going to interpret this information you've shared here is to continue with my plans as-is, which was to make sure that I breed the longest-winded, most naturally-athletic bitches I can to Silverback. IMHO, I believe staying power to be a basic health & fitness phenomenon, where animals that truly do have World Class Staying Power are simply superior to animals to those who do not, even if the other animals initially have "more ability" out of the gate, because (if they can't sustain it) then it all amounts to nothing in the end. Anyway, I digress

Sincerely appreciate the discussion!

Cheers,

Jack