This message is from: "ruth bushnell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Very glad to see an article on genetic health published here. Many will recall (hee hee) that I'm strong on the side of NOT crossbreeding (in a common wily nily practice of mixing breeds), but I can appreciate this level and quality of crossbreeding in the article you posted--- used as a last ditch effort to regain a breed's genetic health (hybrid vigor) which has been lost through directional selection (the singling out of specific lines for mating).
Where would we go if the Fjord displayed degeneration, to the Haflinger? I've always felt there was a vague similarity there, physically at least, tho I far prefer the Fjord's temperament. Let it be noted that any kind of crossbreeding would be done in a monitored and controlled process over a goodly measure of time.. crossing, then carefully breeding back to type, under the auspices of the registry. (a far cry from what undesirable crossbreeding is today) It is most important that we have open dialogue about the necessity for NOT narrowing our breeding choices through processes which specify our priorities! (like the evaluation system ribbons for example) I once suggested to a professor on a university's scientific Domestic Breed's Dept that the dog world is a microcosm for the horse world; dog's longevity and gestation periods rapidly cycling, as compared to the horse ...he readily agreed! Studying the genetical orbiting of rarebreed dogs, and their rapidly evolving genetic drift-- due human orchestration, could enable us to safeguard the Fjord breed against eventual gene meltdown. thanks Steve. Here's another similar article by C.A.Sharp.. http://www.ashgi.org/articles/breeding_price_popularity.htm Ruthie, nw mt US
