Inheritance Page 15

Breeders Corner

Kafka said, "All knowledge, the totality of all questions and answers, is contained in the dog."

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The Bluebonnet Norfolk Terrier Club does not recommend, guarantee, endorse, nor rate these recommendations or contributors, their kennel or their stock. The purpose of this section is to share the knowledge and experience of breeders who have vast experience in whelping and raising puppies. The tips and tricks below are intended to augment qualified veterinarian care, not as a substitute for qualified veterinarian care of the dam and puppies.

Breeding would be simpler if genes consistently played by the rules. Genes, however, are not always predictable. Several phenomena that can affect the action of genes include: Incomplete Dominance, where a gene does not totally mask a recessive version (usually relates to temperament, intelligence, body height and length of leg). Incomplete Penetrance, generally occurring in a heterozygous gene pair such as Aa, where the dominant gene A does not always show itself in a dog's outward appearance. Modifying Genes which combine with other genes, accentuating the effect of a trait or changing it altogether (control polygenetic traits such as sholders, stifles and sternum). Lethal Genes, which rsult in death of the embryo when they are passed on by both parents Mutations, which are destroyed at birth but those such as the short legs of the Basset Hound and Dachshund were viewed as favorable and deliberately selected for

Chromosomes & Genes are hereditary components in every cell that determine how a dog will look and act. Chromosomes are made up of genes, which carry hereditary information. Chromosomes and genes are inherited by a puppy in related pairs, one member of each pair coming from the sire, the other from the dam. Each parent passes on a random, chance assortment of chromosomes and genes inherited from his or her ancestors.

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