Breeding Program

An AKC dog show is an evaluation of potential breeding stock. While the system is not perfect, an AKC Championship title is a credential that says it is not just your personal opinion, but that of several trained judges that your dog is an acceptable example of your breed’s standard. A dog that is worthy of breeding is worthy of acquiring his championship.

The question is, what makes a good dog good. The answer is, breeding of course. Joe has said and written many times, ‘Good produces good and sometimes great produces great’. In the area on this website entitled Breeding Program, you will find two articles both reprinted in their entirety with the permission of their authors, Dr. Jerold Bell and Joe Gentzel. I encourage you to read them. In his article, Dr. Bell uses the term ‘back ground inbreeding’ which he defines as “the homozygosity due to inheritance from common ancestors deep in the pedigree that is not appreciated when only viewing a 4 to 5 generation pedigree.” People like Marjorie Butcher and Edith Smith must have had a ‘third eye’ to be able to assimilate pedigree information and make the breeding decisions they made. Thankfully for us, now there are wonderful pedigree analysis programs available and if you know what you are looking for, you can go back in the pedigree and find one likely source of such quality. In background inbreeding you consider 25 to 30 generations if possible and look for the magic number one as it pertains to the homozygous percentage of genes most likely to be inherited from each ancestor. One percent or more is considered significant.

The names to look for are Lorvaso de la Colina and Ibos du Val d’Aure. Ibos du Val d’Aure was the product of a brother-sister mating and consequently ‘doubled up’ the famous dog Estat d'Argeles. Mary Crane imported both Ibos and Estat into this country. Mary Crane of Basquaerie is the person who is responsible for establishing the breed in this country. She was instrumental in achieving AKC recognition for this breed in 1933. Lorvaso de la Colina is four generations removed from Ibos du Val d’Aure.

Pneuma has a homozygous percentage on Lorvaso of 1.32% and Ibos of 1.3%. Colette is even stronger with a 3.19% on Lorvaso and 1.55% on Ibos. Pneuma and Colette’s get have homozygous percentage values on Lorvaso of 2.09% and 1.42% on Ibos.

Obviously, the use of the homozygous percentages is not the only factor on which to base a decision to breed but it is certainly information that should be taken into consideration in making that decision. Please read Joe’s article. I cannot think of a more concise explanation of what ought to go into the decision to breed.

You will often hear breeders talk about their duty to improve the breed. I think this is a commendable goal. And I respect them for it. I came to this breed too late in life to take on such a task. This breed is fortunate in that some extremely talented people have come before and even now continue to dedicate their time, talent and resources for the betterment of the breed. The welfare of the breed in America has passed through the hands of many capable people: Marjorie Butcher of Cote de Neige, Edith and Seaver Smith of Quibbletown and even now Judy Cooper of Tip n Chip, to name just a few. I would like to live the rest of my life in the company of a dog of comparable quality as to the one who lies now guarding the entrance to my office. To be honest, I don’t want to think of myself as a breeder as much as a preservationist of the Great Pyrenees. My goal is to help preserve the efforts of the many that have gone before.

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