Last Updated on Tuesday, 22 February 2011 02:02

Funny picture, isn't it? However, the subject is very serious. We are against inbreeding and linebreeding. There are reasons why inbredding is bad, one of them - it is wrong in humans, and it is wrong in dogs as well. I guess I may change my mind if the breeder is a genetic engineer and knows exactly what he's doing. Other cases are just the hunt for the money, in my personal opinion. Even if you will buy a puppy from someone else, please, see the pedigrees of the parents BEFORE buying a pup of any breed. Any dog owner will want to take the best possible care of his or her companion. For Golden Retrievers, that can be a challenge. Because of their popularity they've had a long history that has involved a good amount of inbreeding.

As the matter of fact, Goldens are the most inbred dogs due to it's popularity. You should be especially careful when you see both parents on site (when Dam and Sire have the same owner).

Mating a bitch with a stud that is too closely related increases the odds of emphasizing certain genes. The chances of those genes combining is increased the more the pair share similar ones. That enhances the odds for both desirable and bad characteristics. For example, mating a male and female who both have dominant genes for a certain color or type of coat will substantially increase the odds of the pups sharing that.

But the odds are increased for both good and bad, unfortunately. A pair who are both prone to hip dysplasia, for example, a common problem with Goldens, are much more likely to produce one or more pups with that condition. The result over the past 120 years that Golden Retrievers have been a distinct breed is a large number with various weaknesses. Hip dysplasia and certain kinds of cancers are among the two most common. But each breed will have its weak and strong points. Golden Retrievers are no more prone in general to health problems than any other breed.