>>. To me, breeding is generally a crapshoot. I would say there is always "an element of crapshoot" to breeding, but if there weren't a few certainties, we'd never had ended up with collies that 99.99% of the time look like collies, and never look like Dachshunds. If we pay attention to the good traits we're breeding for, I think it's safe to say that the odds of getting really unexpected results is at least seriously minimized. For example, in the Weimaraner breed of dogs, the coat should be short, smooth, and slightly silky as compared to a Lab's for example. But, even though the breed has been breed with that coat for generations, there is still an occasional wire-haired or long-haired individual that crops up. It's rare, but it happens - or it did 25 years ago, which is about the last time I paid much attention to the genetics of the breed.
Icelandic's virtually always look like Icelandic's - sure, some have more mane than others, and some are stockier than others, but if we can have as much consistency in the appearance of the breed as we do, I think it's reasonable to expect more consistency in the breed's gaits. In other words, I don't think it unreasonable to expect the breed to have fewer pacey individuals, and fewer three-gaited ones too - if gaitedness is truly a breed goal. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
