(Neapolitan Mastiff) the importance of a pedigree

ped·i·gree

[ˈpedəˌɡrē]

NOUN

1. the record of descent of an animal, showing it to be purebred.

2. the recorded ancestry, especially upper-class ancestry, of a person or family.

synonyms: ancestry · descent · lineage · line (of descent) · genealogy · family tree ·

[more]

The pedigree of a dog is the family tree, a record of the names of their parents and ancestors as well as the relationship to one another and to them. The breeder of the dogs name, the birth date, the dog registry's number, the parents, color, sex, other information and data are often included in the dog pedigree as well.

If your dog is a pet then the pedigree may be of little importance but if you are looking to use your dog in a breeding program, it can have a profound impact on your success. The record of your dogs ancestry can be very useful in predicting the type of dogs they are likely to produce. If a breeder is building a bloodline in the effort of breeding better dogs, these pedigrees help in the selection of using superior lines from ancestors carrying superior genes. The outline of lines and the ancestry with an understanding of the attributes and faults in each dog and in each line can be essential. The strength of certain lines from health, construction, temperament, size can all be indicators of what results can be assumed.

The ability to read, understand and see the value in a pedigree is a rare and wonderful gift of a breeder. To most, the meaning of a pedigree is like the meaning of hieroglyphics but to those who truly understand, it can be a gold mine.

Pedigrees show what past pairings were done by different breeders as well as the results. They show which dogs were used and in many cases if studied properly, you can see why each dog was used and the desired results.

It’s important to seek superior sires and dams from superior lines to ensure a superior result. This has been proven to give consistently good results. In most cases breeders choose their selections based on the popular dog, least expensive dogs or winner of the day and ignore the more important genetic makeup of the dogs.

A pedigree is worth a tremendous amount to a breeder working on improvement and producing superior specimens. It is well documented and experience shows that a great number of breedings won’t produce superior dogs to the chosen pair. In some cases were the pairs are filled with faults or the dogs in their lineage are filled with faults, the pairing could be catastrophic.

In conclusion

1. Learn about pedigrees and how to read them

2. Select dogs with a pedigree of consistency and superior lines

3.Don't breed to the popular dog, for least expensive or for the latest winner unless it meets your standards and the breed standards

4. Always check, read and understand the pedigree’s before breeding

5. Always breed for improvement using a pedigree

I hope this was helpful and I look forward to seeing you in the ring one day.

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