It would guess it is based on the ratio of bitches to dogs in the ESS Champs in recent years, although from memory there is not such are marked difference in the cocker field.DesO'Neile wrote:What research is this observation based on?Most dog owners/handlers for some reason prefer bitches to dogs.
About the genetics i just got limited experience but surely the bitch affect the pups a bit by raising them too? What if the bitch is too weak to tell the pups off properly when it's time to wean them and foster them and the breeder remove her from the litter early to spare her? How will the pups then learn to take corrections in a good way? Seen such pups (brrr) and yes you can bring in other dogs to do that job of course. I still think the bitch and the upbringing got a saying too, not just genetics even if that's most important.Joanne wrote:S I cant see how the bitch can have a greater influence on the offspring apart from characteristics that are sex-linked in which case the X and Y chromosomes have different possible combinations.
Absolutely but in terms of genetics its 50/50. Upbringing is just as crucial and I have no doubts that a good mother will give pups the best start. I'm a firm believer that the first 16 weeks is the most important time in a dogs life.Hepe wrote:About the genetics i just got limited experience but surely the bitch affect the pups a bit by raising them too? What if the bitch is too weak to tell the pups off properly when it's time to wean them and foster them and the breeder remove her from the litter early to spare her? How will the pups then learn to take corrections in a good way? Seen such pups (brrr) and yes you can bring in other dogs to do that job of course. I still think the bitch and the upbringing got a saying too, not just genetics even if that's most important.Joanne wrote:S I cant see how the bitch can have a greater influence on the offspring apart from characteristics that are sex-linked in which case the X and Y chromosomes have different possible combinations.
Helene
Ah yes, so we agree there. But is it truly 50/50 in reality? Isn't that devilish statistics? I had an accident litter many years ago out of my field bred Labrador and my show bred springer. Labrador keen, quiet and biddable, springer keen, noisy and not overly biddable. Pups came and as a total out cross i could rather soonish see what parent each pup got it's stamp from. Some of the pups were noisy, never slept, chased the cats, the chickens etc etc, others were a copy of their sire, easy as a pie, fed, slept and in between watched you admiringly, retrieving stuff to hand at 5 weeks of age. Then there were those being a mix of both, having moms lively temperament but dads keen softness. It was not 50/50 or evenly spread. On paper it's 50/50 in reality not so.Joanne wrote:
Absolutely but in terms of genetics its 50/50. Upbringing is just as crucial and I have no doubts that a good mother will give pups the best start. I'm a firm believer that the first 16 weeks is the most important time in a dogs life.