> Yes, a dog who can stamp its progeny has the genes to do it, and if the dog is lucky, his phenotype reflects the good genes that he can pass on...others, like the dog Leann described, look one way and pass on different genes.
Yes, often his phenotype IS much his/her genotype. But some dogs have a genotype that is worse than their phenotype for a trait, and others have a genotype that is better than their phenotype. >>>Obviously he has the genes for the way he looks, too, otherwise he couldn't look that way. Isn't it interesting that he can't pass it on with any consistency? Sounds like a dog who couldn't be depended on to pass on anything in particular. This isn't a slam, but a statement. He's big, but doesn't sire big...but can he be depended on to sire small? And what else does he pass on with consistency...anything? Now, Peggy, please reread the above statement again. You didn't really mean to say this--did you? After all I'm sure you understand that every single trait takes a different gene or combination of genes to create and can be inherited in any combination--right? Just because a dog is different phenotypically for size as compared to it's genotype has absolutely no bearing on what other traits that dog inherited phenotypically or genotypically. Each and every single dog shows traits (a phenotype) that have only some bearing on their genotype and traits that are much indicative of their genotype and traits that are in between. It is just as possible that Finley's phenotype for most traits is indicative of his genotype for those traits as it is possible that Finley's phenotype for most traits has little bearing on his genotype for those traits. They are not at all dependent on one another (in most cases). So it matters not that Finley's phenotype for size does not match his genotype for size as it bears absolutely no relationship to the rest of his traits and what he inherited genotypically or shows phenotypically. Genotype is the only thing that matters in breeding--we just hope the phenotype is somewhat indicative of genotype. We can use that dog's phenotype to try to guess what it's genotype is, or--much better--we can look at siblings, parents and offspring to get a good idea of what it's genotype is for different traits. NO DOG, no matter what, passes something on 100%. If he passes it on the majority of the time--that is fairly consistent. If he passes it on 80% of the time--that is quite consistent. I'm sure you realize that. As for what Finley does consistently produce, I'm sure you will eventually find out. I'm praying that--along with lots of other things--he will also consistently pass on late onset MVD! <G> > If you are breeding for a certain look or appearance, you are breeding for phenotype....and of course it is the dog's genes that give it...but would you breed to the dog if he didn't exhibit the trait in the first place? You may breed to that dog because he is exceptional in some other way. If a few others do it too, that dog's possible good genotype for a different trait could come to light. And some dogs do consistently produce a very good trait that they don't strongly show. Just as some dogs almost never produce a trait they strongly show. I don't think it takes an Einstein to get a good idea. I think if you took any stud dog in the country and bred it to 5 bitches--some related and some not--who delivered 5 normal sized litters, and looked at ALL the resulting puppies in a year or so, you would have a decent idea of what that dog is *strong* in, is *not strong* in and is *so-so* in. The problem is too many people only look at what is in the show ring (what a few dog's phenotypes are) so they don't see the overall results (more indicative of the true genotype). Laura Trunk Roycroft Cavaliers ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 1999 by its original author.
