Labrador COI's

[THEOLDMAN]

I'm planning on having a litter from my bitch when next in season and have a potential stud dog in mind. This potential mating would produce pups with a COI of 14.0% when the breed average is 6.5% according to MYKC.
Would you consider this to be to high?

[Mike A]

This is only my personal feelings .
I have been reading a lot about COI recently , and have come to the conclusion I would only breed to a mate that would reduce the percentage . In your case with a Lab you have a lot of choice , why ask for trouble .

Mike

[THEOLDMAN]

This is only my personal feelings .
I have been reading a lot about COI recently , and have come to the conclusion I would only breed to a mate that would reduce the percentage . In your case with a Lab you have a lot of choice , why ask for trouble .

Mike

But is it really asking for trouble?
By breeding only to a mate that reduces this percentage would this not be "outcrossing" and "potentially" carry more risk of inheriting unwanted traits?
I don't really know enough about the subject but as I understand it "In-breeding" should be avoided unless the breeder is very experienced but "Line breeding" has the best chance of passing on the preferable traits?

[Strathcraig]

Short answer, no.

As I understand it the higher COI ought to produce a litter which is very similar and pups which ought to produce like themselves. Provided both dogs are free from hereditary disease and are strong for the characteristics of the common dog it can only be good. There can be skeletons in the cupboard which pop out, but the benefits outweigh the risk.

Aside from that, the KC will openly admit that the pedigree data is incomplete and so the 6.5 figure is possibly higher.

Have you asked her breeders advice? I understand he's bred plenty of good dogs.

[Judy]

If that is true then maybe the 14% could possibly be higher too? It probably depends on how healthy the lines are and also where you plan on going if you breed from the offspring, its no good just looking at one generation at a time.

[Matt]

I wouldn't touch a 14% COI Lab with a barge pole. "Line-breeding" is just another word for inbreeding in an attempt to make it sound less irresponsible.

[Plainsman]

I wouldn't touch a 14% COI Lab with a barge pole. "Line-breeding" is just another word for inbreeding in an attempt to make it sound less irresponsible.

There is a black, open field trial winning cocker being advertised at stud with a COI of 26.9%. Is a lab of 14% really so bad?

[THEOLDMAN]

Short answer, no.

As I understand it the higher COI ought to produce a litter which is very similar and pups which ought to produce like themselves. Provided both dogs are free from hereditary disease and are strong for the characteristics of the common dog it can only be good. There can be skeletons in the cupboard which pop out, but the benefits outweigh the risk.

Aside from that, the KC will openly admit that the pedigree data is incomplete and so the 6.5 figure is possibly higher.

Have you asked her breeders advice? I understand he's bred plenty of good dogs.

I'm in contact with them yes.

[THEOLDMAN]

Seems to be some fairly strong opinions on this subject!
Good to hear all sides of the argument, particularly from the more experienced breeders.

[Judy]

Hopefully the experienced breeders have PM'd you...

AS I understand it a lower CoI is healthier in that there are fewer genes duplicated, the higher the CoI creeps the smaller the litters are and the less likely they are to be healthy, a simplistic and generalised view perhaps, there is no doubt, however, that the wider the gene pool the healthier the breed.

As for Cockers, they are getting so inbred there's going to be trouble in the future its a scary thought. Mind you, there maybe enough illicit Springer blood in there to stave off the inevitable for a while...