Risks & Consequences of Breeding Father to Daughter Dogs
Although inbreeding can be beneficial, the risks outweigh them. The Kennel Club has banned this inbreeding, acknowledging the likelihood of the subsequent offspring inheriting negative consequences.
These risks include:
Breeding father and daughter dogs have seen a rise in infertility. This is because these inbred dogs lack gene variation, which is the difference in the DNA sequence in the genomes.
Since the mother and father share the same genes, reports indicate that male inbred puppies have lower fertility rates than purebreds.
How about the females? It turns out that they have a higher probability of experiencing absorbed litter. Puppy absorption is when the fetuses die and disintegrate in the pregnant female’s womb. The remains undergo enzymatic breakdown.
The females also suffer from dystocia, a condition where they undergo difficult or abnormal labor. Dystocia, in inbred females, takes place when the litter has congenital disabilities or is larger than regular-sized utero puppies. This condition complicates dog pregnancy, and these females often deliver via C-section.
In addition, female inbred dogs may deliver unhealthy puppies with a high mortality rate.
A Gene pool is a genetic diversity found in a population at a given time. Animals with a large gene pool have extensive genetic diversity. They can withstand challenges and stresses posed by their environmental conditions. The large gene pool creates room for growth and variety throughout the generational lines.
Inbred dogs, however, do not enjoy this. On the contrary, they have a small gene pool that makes the species prone to extinction when faced with environmental stresses. Close inbreeding damages the potential of the gene pool expanding and makes the generational lines more susceptible to genetic disorders.
Did you know that inbreeding a dog for more than six generations reduces the genetic variation by over 90%? This puts the inbred dog at risk in case of environmental changes or diseases. They are less likely to survive these changes.
Congenital disabilities are functional or structural anomalies that develop during intrauterine life. Breeding a father dog to a daughter may pass on undesirous and abnormal genes to the litter. How?
With inbreeding, it is more likely that the recessive genes will be more prevalent in the offspring. This is because both the father and mother share a similar set of alleles in their genes.
For this reason, it is not uncommon to see inbred puppies with eye disorders, abnormal bodies and faces, cancer, system disorders, and skeletal deformities.
These defects impact the puppies’ quality of life and their average lifespan. Owners also face the challenge of raising money for treatments or the decision to euthanize the pet.
Unfortunately, some congenital disabilities are visible after birth. Some owners report raising a healthy dog until it becomes severely sick later, only to realize they had an existing congenital disability.
To better understand how inbreeding causes health problems, take the Cavalier King Charles as an example. This breed is prone to heart problems. In fact, most Cavalier King Charles dogs die from heart Mitral Valve Disease (MVD).
So, assume you inbreed this type of dog. Both the father and the mother are susceptible to MVD, and this condition will be heightened in their offspring. The results? A sickly litter with a high mortality rate.
In addition, inbred dogs tend to display abnormal behavioral issues. For instance, they lack affection, are more anxious, impulsive and have higher aggression and irritation levels. They may also be fearful compared to purebred dogs and are less intelligent.
Could It Be Good?
Inbreeding or sometimes referred to as line-breeding is a method that aims to hone in on a dog’s good points (but let’s face it, they’re all good!).
For example, your dog might have a particular shape of nose or a unique color and even a special ability!
A common reason for this method being undertaken is working in a particular field such as dog shows, hunters or as a breeder.
It may also be a tactic to prevent bad traits in the next of kin such as being prone to an illness.
Seemingly, these points are the only ones of benefit. The negative aspects far outweigh any potential benefit.
It is crucial to understand though, there is a correct way to line-breed and it is vastly different to the incorrect way. For example, it is obvious that dogs long ago were a product of inbreeding.
We also know that cocker spaniels and field spaniels are of the same ancestry.
Historically, dogs were bred by us and developed by our influence. After we met with their very early relatives, the friendship grew.
Dogs would alert their owners of threats such as strangers or animals nearby on the homestead.
Fast forward to the 1800s – records were kept of certain litters and blood lines, to try and breed dogs to do certain tasks (such as hunting, herding sheep and tracking.)
This was the early stages of what we now recognize as selective breeding.
Breeding dogs for these tasks has questionable ethics in of itself, but without it – we would not have certain breeds of dogs that we know and love today!
But of course, as time has progressed – so too has the gene pool.
The expansion has meant the limitation of potential close-relative inbreeding, along with the potential of the genetic illnesses and abnormalities that result from it.
The supposed correct way of inbreeding dogs is to do a test known as a coefficient test. The resulting number will indicate how closely related these dogs are.
Anything over 25% is considered a close relative and inbreeding should be avoided due to the risks.
What happens if a male dog mates with his daughter?
Breeding a father to his daughter dog is a classic case of very close inbreeding. Studies have shown that breeding closely related dogs leads to a decrease of the pure breed’s genetic pool, which consequently increases the rate of inherited and medical conditions.
Can you breed a father dog to his daughter?
If youre looking after a male dog and his offspring, dont assume that the father wont be able to impregnate his daughters once they reach reproductive maturity. Since dogs dont have the same understanding or attitude toward family members as do many human beings, it isnt at all uncommon for male dogs to mate with their offspring.
Canines dont acknowledge family ties in ways that are typical to many people. They often view their family members as they do any other dogs, and they readily breed with their kin as a result. Male dogs, for example, have no hesitation in mating with their daughters. This doesnt apply only to father and daughter dogs. When boy dogs reach sexual maturity, they frequently mate with their siblings. They also may do the same with their mothers.
The thought of a male dog mating with his offspring might be cringe-inducing and weird to you, but the problems go deeper than that. Inbreeding in dogs can often lead to puppies with medical problems such as birth defects. Reduce the possibility of this happening by simply not allowing male dogs to live alongside their sexually mature daughters. You can also do this by spaying and neutering your animals; this can prevent inbreeding and therefore minimize the chances of puppies with birth defects. The surgeries can also help control the canine population.
Talk with your veterinarian to determine the appropriate time frame for spaying or neutering your dogs. Generally, they should be at least 8 weeks old before theyre considered old enough for surgery and anesthesia, according to the ASPCA. Its usually beneficial to fix dogs before they get to the age of about 6 months, at which point young dogs are often capable of becoming pregnant.