Basically, the closer the relationship, the greater # of genes the dogs share. And the greater the chance a recessive gene will not pair up with a dominant one. That means that , in the absence of a dominant gene the recessive trait will show. If there are no bad genes (most recessives are bad,& virtually all bad genes are recessive), there is no problem. But ALL us animals have bad genes lurking somewhere in our personal genome, humans included. So the closer the breeding relationship, the higher the Odds of a bad trait expressing itself.
Of course, that doesnt mean, any specific breeding is bad. What I generally tell folks is that , in a Aunt/nephew or uncle/niece type cross, you will get a couple of GREAT pups, a couple of obviously CRAPPY pups (or stillborn) and a handful of genetic questionmarks(krater calls them Genetic Timebombs---I think I'll steal that, its an appropriate saying). I wouldnt buy from any group except the Great group because the odds are I will be eaten up with vet bills and heartache as my pup grows up. Of course, the show breeders keep the Great pups and sell the rest to us. I speak not only from training (BS in Biology/Human Genetics) but from experience. My first male was a inbred dog and we had genetic problems.First female was linebred and we had less problems, but we still had problems. My current two are a total genetic outcross (and it took 2 months and over 12 breeders to find one who had a nonlinebred litter!!!) and we are happily genetic-problem free at 5.5 years.
======================UPDATE=================
Female died at 10 yrs of nongenetic problem.
Male is arthritic, but no other indications of a genetic problem at 12 yrs)
=============================================
Remember that my perspective is that of a consumer of pups, not as a breeder. Linebreeding is a great tool of the breeder, but a bane of the unknowledgable Akita buyer.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying linebreeding is evil or anything. This is how you develop Great Dogs. And advance the future of the breed. But it does come at a cost that we must be willing to pay up front.
Posted on Jan 02 1999, 1:56 PM
Answer to xxxxx re:inbreeding (from way down the page)
I think you need to reread my thoughts on genetic/inbreeding.
Short version: in linebreeding, you get
a)a couple of great pups +
b)a couple of sick or stillborn pups +
c)genetic timebombs which make up the majority of the litter.
This is not in dispute,. It is simple recombinant genetics. And IF(!) you get pick puppy, and sell off the question marks, it works GREAT. That is what OBJ, Goshen and Addington do (like all other great breeders). I never said it is evil.
I have met Myra (my 2 dogs are bro-sis from one of her litters), and talked a lot with Barbara and Julie in the late 80's-early 90's and , yes, they know a lot about Akita genetics. They understand what they are doing AND what I have said here, namely, the closer the breeding, the higher the chances of a larger # of recessive genes expressing themselves in the litter. And most recessives are bad.
Why did I buy from Myra (and why didnt I buy from OBJ or Goshen). Because Myra had a litter of TOTAL OUTCROSS pups and no one else did. I also knew the genetics of the father's line quite well (the Coal Miner you noted) and liked what she showed me (and what I could check) of the mothers's line (sheishedo (sp?)).
I do my homework too and can pick the top genetic pups out of a litter with the best of them.
But most Akita buyers cant, so its easier to tell them to look for an outcross instead of the salesman.
Sorry if I have offended you or any other breeder, but it is the uninformed that end up with the less than perfect pups that inbreeding/linebreeding produce.
This message has been edited by krater on Jan 13, 2005 11:36 AM