I'm a natural "odd" (opposition defiance disorder) fellow.

I agree with going with what you see. All in on that. If I do not see it I will not assume it's there. I'm a traits based breeder who believes in breeding to high percentage litters. So regardless of how tight a linebred individual may be, do you breed to what was or could be based on individuals emphasized in the tight linebred dog or do you go with dogs of the same family that prove (can be seen) to possess the desired traits?

Our program breeds similar to how you describe but with performance in mind only. Preservation os important to a degree, but not at the expense of desired abilities.

Can a performance animal be a brood dog? And why do so many consider non-performance dogs brood? Is this a justification, excuse or is this legit? If it's a brood dog, but not a dog who can hunt, why breed it?

Lots to consider