1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: Hey, everyone, Welcome to the Foundation's podcast. I'm your host 2 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all about understanding genetics 3 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:10,559 Speaker 1: and why that matters to our relationship with our dogs. 4 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:17,479 Speaker 1: It's so many different and unexpected ways. You know, some 5 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: topics in the dog world, and I guess I should 6 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: say in the world in general, are often talked about, 7 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: but you know, kind of rarely fully understood or even 8 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: partially understood. Honestly, there are a lot of memes out 9 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 1: there about, you know, how people become sudden experts at 10 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 1: whatever hot topic their political parties interested in or their 11 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: political rivals are focused on. And it's sort of true. 12 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: We love to pretend we know what's going on because 13 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: it's more fun than being like, well, I don't have 14 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: a freaking clue and where am I going with this? Genetics? 15 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 1: Dog genetics specifically, this topic is wide reaching, often kind 16 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: of not well understood, but plays a huge role in 17 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: our relationship with our dogs. It's something I'm going to 18 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: dive into right now. A lot of you find listeners 19 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,320 Speaker 1: might not know this, but yours truly is a space geek. 20 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: Now by that, I don't mean I wear a spock 21 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: Star trek suit. And go to conventions to nerd out, 22 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: but really just space in general astronomy, understanding the universe 23 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:24,839 Speaker 1: and trying to understand how people way weigh way smarter 24 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: than me actually figure things out when you're working with 25 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: distances of millions and trillions and billions of miles lots 26 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: of miles anyway light years. I love that stuff, and 27 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 1: I pay attention to the various companies as well as 28 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: NASA that are working hard to make space exploration cheaper 29 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: and more accessible to the masses. My wife, on the 30 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: other hand, does not know shit about space, and so 31 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: it was with immense pleasure that I recently got to 32 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: listen to her try to explain to somebody how we 33 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: as a species are trying to make it to Mars. 34 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 1: It would kind of be like if I try to 35 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: explain to you guys how internal combustion engines REA work. 36 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: You know, I could be like, well, fuel gets injected 37 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: into a chamber and then a spark plug blows the 38 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: whole thing up and it moves a piston, and you know, 39 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 1: then the car goes forward and we all get blizzards 40 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: at the Dairy Queen drive through. Now, while I might 41 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: technically kind of be correct. That's pretty surface level stuff. 42 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: I could go off on topics like this forever, but 43 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:21,639 Speaker 1: I won't. I'll get to the meat in the old 44 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: Potwatoas of this whole podcast, which is genetics, we understand 45 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: that a dog's genetics are somewhat of a predictor of 46 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: a lot of things, but also kind of a mystery 47 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: sort of. So let's start with the basics and head 48 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: back to fourth grade science class. For any of you 49 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: maple syrup slurping neighbors to the north, that's grade four 50 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: if you're confused. Now, if you took a look inside 51 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: most cells with a powerful enough microscope, you'd see DNA 52 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: deoxyribonucleic acid. This is a chain like molecule that contains 53 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: four bases adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. These pair up 54 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: always adding to I mean in site is eniguani. A 55 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: gene is just a section of DNA that is considered 56 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: one basic unit of inheritance, and it's also coded for 57 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: a specific trait or characteristic. In dogs, that might mean 58 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 1: they have a gene for a short coat or for 59 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: yellow fur, but most genes are coded for proteins that 60 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: do specific jobs In the dog's body. Dogs get genes 61 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:28,959 Speaker 1: from their parents in certain patterns called modes of inheritance. Literally, 62 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: the parents pass down a whole bunch of programming that 63 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: makes them what they are, which is why you want 64 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: to know what kind of dogs are being used to 65 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: create the litter from which you'll snag your necks pupster. 66 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: DNA is not perfect, though, and creating newer versions of 67 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: ourselves isn't a perfect process. There are mutations that happen 68 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: all the time, mostly because there are billions and billions 69 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: of opportunities for that to happen. Now, these are generally 70 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: viewed as a negative, but mostly they're just a neutral. 71 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: They don't cause anything good or bad to happen. They 72 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: are just small, inconsequential mistakes. They happen all the time. 73 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: Some aren't, though, and they can bring on some serious 74 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: health risks or traits that you just don't want in 75 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: your duck. Mutations and genes are the driving force behind 76 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: evolution as well, which is often misunderstood. Evolution isn't a 77 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 1: conscious process to produce better organisms. It's a result of 78 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 1: genetic mutations occasionally resulting in something beneficial that provides a 79 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: reproductive advantage when mixed with a specific environment of that organism. 80 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: A simple way to look at this would be to 81 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: consider giraffes. They are tall, but some aren't as tall 82 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: as others. Now, if you had a region where the 83 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:42,840 Speaker 1: trees were the most nutritious leaves on them were only 84 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:46,919 Speaker 1: available to the tallest of giraffes, the taller ones would 85 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: probably make more baby giraffes because they'd be healthier. They'd 86 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 1: be able to fight for territory and mates more effectively 87 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 1: than a short ass giraffe who can only reach the 88 00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:01,600 Speaker 1: less nutritious leaves. It's not intentional, it's just how go now. 89 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:07,599 Speaker 1: Alleles are variations of DNA sequences, and chromosomes are long 90 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:10,559 Speaker 1: strands of DNA that live inside the nucleus of a cell. 91 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 1: While humans have twenty three pairs of chromosomes, dogs have 92 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:19,279 Speaker 1: thirty nine. The genome is a complete set of DNA 93 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 1: in an organism, and it is mind blowing that we've 94 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: mapped the entire genome in a whole bunch of different critters. 95 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: Now you have dominant and recessive alleles, which is where 96 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: we start bumping up against things that actually matter to 97 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: people who are buying dogs. Recessive alleles will only be 98 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: expressed if a dog has two copies of them, Otherwise 99 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:42,919 Speaker 1: there will be a recessive and a dominant one. And 100 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:47,359 Speaker 1: guess who wins out there. To understand this, consider the 101 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: lovable Labrador retriever. While there are quite a few designer 102 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: coat colors out there now, the lab is generally considered 103 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 1: to have three options, black, yellow, and chocolate. And I know, 104 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: I know there's reds, and there's all kinds of stuff 105 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: out there, and their silvers and everything else, and I'm 106 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 1: not going to get into it because I don't care 107 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,160 Speaker 1: right now. Black, yellow, and chocolate are what we're talking about. 108 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: So for potential puppy buyers looking for a black or 109 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: a chocolate lab, consider this. Black is a dominant allele. 110 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: It's going to win out every time unless each parent 111 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: contributes the recessive alleles associated with chocolate coats. Now, for 112 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 1: one or both parents contributes to black dominant allele, you 113 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:29,159 Speaker 1: get a black pup. This is one of the reasons 114 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:30,840 Speaker 1: why an awful lot of the best labs to ever 115 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:32,919 Speaker 1: hit the scene over the years have been black, because 116 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:35,840 Speaker 1: they aren't generally bred for their color. Black is just 117 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: a default setting. It shows up a lot chocolates, on 118 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:42,359 Speaker 1: the other hand, are often bred for color because you 119 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:44,479 Speaker 1: have to try a lot harder to match up two 120 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 1: parents who will specifically contribute that coat color and make 121 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:51,919 Speaker 1: a litter of little brown pupsters happen. The gene that 122 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:54,720 Speaker 1: determines yellow coats and labs is different from the one 123 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: that makes the decision on black or brown. Yellow pups 124 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: come from both parents contributing a different specif and if 125 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: they don't, you get a black or a chocolate Also, 126 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:07,599 Speaker 1: in a crazy twist, when you get a yellow coated dog, 127 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 1: the genes still express themselves as black or chocolate pigment 128 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 1: in the dog's skin, just not the hair. All of 129 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: this is kind of surface level stuff For a reason, 130 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 1: it's a hell of a lot easier to understand genetics 131 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: when you're dealing with the aesthetics of a dog. Because 132 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: coat coloring and general size and shape are easily visible 133 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: to us, they're easy to understand. We can see dogs 134 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: with short snouts and understand that their parents had short snouts, 135 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: and it all kind of makes sense. What about personality traits, though, 136 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: This is where it gets a little harder to understand, 137 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 1: But there is important stuff here. Think about something like 138 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: natural hold and carry. A lot of good trainers will 139 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: tell you that natural hold and carry gives them a 140 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:47,679 Speaker 1: lot to work with right out of the gate, because 141 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 1: a puppy that wants to do that can be rewarded 142 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 1: for doing something we generally want them to do, which 143 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 1: is pick up and hold something. So if you have 144 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: two parents that can't not have something in their mouths 145 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: at all times and they make a litter, will you 146 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: have ten adorable pupps just fighting to pick up sticks 147 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 1: and toys and whatever else right out of the gate. 148 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 1: Not for sure, but it's a hell of a good start. 149 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: The behavior of finding something and picking it up is 150 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 1: pretty much standard across dog babies and well, human babies. 151 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: They take in the world that way, at least partially. 152 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: But to have one a puppy, not an infant human, 153 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: that likes to carry something around for quite a while 154 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 1: is a different thing, a more complex behavior that is 155 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: far more difficult to accurately predict. Now, as you can imagine, 156 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 1: since we all love dogs so damn much, some of 157 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: this stuff is pretty well researched and studied. Most of 158 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: this heavy lifting science about dogs, you know, comes from 159 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:45,840 Speaker 1: standardized tests. You know, the kind that you know, controlled 160 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:49,680 Speaker 1: environments where they tease out as many confounding variables as possible. 161 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: These have been used to test for heritability in dogs 162 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 1: for crazy things like gun shyness and labrador retrievers. Now 163 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: you might think that's bonkers, and you're probably not totally wrong, 164 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: because you can make any dog gun shy if you 165 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: really want to, but please don't. You also probably wouldn't 166 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: want to start with a dog that has inherited the 167 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 1: traits that might make it more likely to develop gunshiness 168 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: from stimuli that maybe wouldn't get it to stick in 169 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 1: other dogs. If genetics has a fighting chance of predicting 170 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 1: some level of gunshiness potential, you can bet your ass 171 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: that it's going to allow you to count on some 172 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: behaviors and potential pups think about barking, prey drive, general intelligence, 173 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 1: problem solving skills. These traits are heritable, and while they 174 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 1: aren't one hundred percent predictable, you can certainly hedge a 175 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 1: hell of a lot of your bets on what you'll 176 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:55,560 Speaker 1: get in a puppy, and that's important. When you talk 177 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: to a good trainer, they'll talk about potential. A lot 178 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 1: dog has a ceiling for what it can be taught 179 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:04,559 Speaker 1: to do. But you want that ceiling to be as 180 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:07,559 Speaker 1: high as possible when you start. If you take two 181 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:10,200 Speaker 1: low prey drive dogs, you get them together, and you 182 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 1: make a litter of puppies with them, you're probably gonna 183 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:17,680 Speaker 1: have low prey drive in those newborn pups and it's 184 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:19,839 Speaker 1: going to be pretty easy to find the ceiling on there. 185 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:21,960 Speaker 1: And that ceiling is going to be lower than you want. 186 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: But you might think that's all fine and dandy because 187 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 1: the dog will be a couch potato at home, probably, 188 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 1: but it'll also be underwhelming during training and during hunting. 189 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 1: You can work with whatever you've got, but if there 190 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:36,800 Speaker 1: isn't much there to begin with, there isn't much there 191 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:39,439 Speaker 1: to work with. You can't win a NASCAR race in 192 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:41,719 Speaker 1: a two thousand and three four tourist, no matter how 193 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 1: good of a driver you are. Genetics are responsible for 194 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: the best traits we really want in our dogs. They 195 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:50,640 Speaker 1: are also responsible for the worst, and this is where 196 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 1: we often get into trouble. This is no more evidence 197 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 1: than by the purebred label. What does that mean to 198 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: you to have a purebred dog? Hopefully not as much 199 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: as it used to twenty or thirty years ago. Now, 200 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 1: I'm not saying you don't want a purebred wire hair 201 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:09,680 Speaker 1: or GSP or English cocker or whatever, because you probably do. 202 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 1: But purebread alone can mean many things. It's a qualifier, 203 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 1: but it's also a broad statement and can hide some 204 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 1: stuff you definitely don't want any your dog. Stuff like inbreeding. Now, 205 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 1: we make a lot of jokes about inbreeding because inherently 206 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:24,600 Speaker 1: we know what it can lead to. In fact, I 207 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 1: made a joke to a woman not that long ago 208 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 1: while I was the designated pitcher in a big game 209 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 1: of whiffle ball, where she swung the bat like someone 210 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 1: who had never even heard of the concept of baseball. 211 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:35,560 Speaker 1: So I asked her if her parents were cousins, And 212 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 1: it turns out they were like third cousins, but still 213 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 1: it was pretty awkward. No one wants an inbred dog, 214 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: but you know what, inmbred dogs are all over the place, 215 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 1: and you know what inbreeding does. You know why it's bad? 216 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:55,080 Speaker 1: It reduces genetic diversity. The system of inheritance that relies 217 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 1: on dominant genes to show up and take charge is 218 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 1: also subject to those recessive genes meeting genes in them 219 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,520 Speaker 1: taking charge Like that chocolate lab coat color, for example. 220 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: But if you have related mates, those are sessive genes 221 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:09,839 Speaker 1: that couldn't get a chance to get called up to 222 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: the big leagues before now have a better chance of 223 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: doing just that because both parents are most likely to 224 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 1: have them because they're related. This is where the puppy 225 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,599 Speaker 1: mill thing gets really bad. Well on top of the 226 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 1: whole host of other reasons why they are bad, like 227 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 1: the general condition of the dogs and on and on. 228 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 1: But a breeder who is solely intent on producing more 229 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: litters of pups to sell because you know, cute Golden 230 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,320 Speaker 1: Retriever puppies bring in a certain amount of money, is 231 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,320 Speaker 1: bound to be careless with the bloodlines. They're not there 232 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 1: at the end of the dog's life, just at the 233 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:42,400 Speaker 1: beginning where they want to make money. There's base level 234 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 1: capitalism at play there, and it doesn't bode well for 235 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:48,200 Speaker 1: those puppies in their quality of life or their average lifespan, 236 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: or the owners who have to deal with them. Take 237 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: your pick of ill effects here. You can get metabolic issues, 238 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:59,120 Speaker 1: blood disorders, orthopedic problems, fertility issues, I cite problems, certain 239 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:02,319 Speaker 1: kinds of cancer, and on and on down the line. 240 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 1: Genetics matter a lot, and this is where the danger 241 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,560 Speaker 1: lies in thinking about dog breeds all as one kind 242 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: of thing like uh, German short hairs are high drive, 243 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,440 Speaker 1: lovable goofballs that will get the zoomies one minute and 244 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:17,840 Speaker 1: then being your lap the next. While that certainly describes 245 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 1: plenty of gsps, it's mostly like which specific GSP which 246 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 1: dog will be this thing or do that thing, or 247 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 1: have this trait, but not that one. Now, no one 248 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 1: who knows anything about business or dogs wouldever advertise their 249 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:34,959 Speaker 1: dogs as inbred. But you do also have line breeding, 250 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 1: which is kind of a weasel word way to say 251 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 1: the same thing. Line breeding is inbreeding with extra steps 252 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 1: where the dogs share some kind of distant ancestor. Now, 253 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: this isn't as dangerous as putting a couple of littermates 254 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:48,439 Speaker 1: together to produce the next round of puppies, But it's 255 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 1: not so simple. Now. A lot of breeders will argue 256 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 1: that line breeding can produce clear bloodlines, because they can. 257 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 1: They certainly can. But genetics is a game of potential outcomes. 258 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 1: Some are certainties and some are just higher or lower 259 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: in their likelihood. Knowingly, breeding dogs with the same ancestors 260 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: is a game that hinges heavily on how many ancestors 261 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 1: are involved and how far back they are in the breeding. Again, 262 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 1: it's just genetic diversity. It matters a lot here. This 263 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:18,800 Speaker 1: is one of the reasons why you hear so much 264 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 1: about mutts being healthier than purebred dogs. In general, the 265 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:26,200 Speaker 1: likelihood of a pair of recessive genes that call for 266 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: some heritable disease is just very, very low when a 267 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 1: Schnauzer gets busy with a Great Dane or a monster 268 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 1: Lander spends Valentine's Day with a Springer Spaniel. So what 269 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: does all this mean to you? Probably not much until 270 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 1: it's time to get a new puppy, or your dog 271 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: starts to develop some kind of issue and you realize 272 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 1: their health isn't great, or your bird dog falls into 273 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: your footsteps ten minutes after you step into the field 274 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:52,560 Speaker 1: and try to scrounge up a limited roosters. Genetics matter 275 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 1: a lot, but they aren't easy for the average person 276 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 1: to understand when it comes to what they mean to 277 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: specific dogs. A great way to sort of work around 278 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: well this is to fine breeders who seem to understand 279 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: genetics well, ones who work hard to not only source 280 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 1: the best dogs they can, but to keep things nice 281 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 1: and diversified in their breedings so their dogs don't all 282 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 1: of a sudden start to develop hip displays at six 283 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: years old. This is also something we should pay attention 284 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:19,640 Speaker 1: to in our dogs as much as we love them. 285 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 1: In fact, that's the topic I'm going to get into 286 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 1: in two weeks, which basically means I'm going to break 287 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:27,640 Speaker 1: down how easy it is to overlook flaws in our dogs. 288 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:30,240 Speaker 1: But we shouldn't do that because it can lead to 289 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 1: a whole lot of negative outcomes. Instead, at least right now, 290 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 1: think about what you like about your dog and what 291 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 1: you don't. Most of those issues, aside from general training problems, 292 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:44,800 Speaker 1: I guess, will involve some genetic component. We aren't at 293 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 1: the point yet where you can just order up a 294 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: dog with very specific traits that has been created in 295 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 1: a lab via crisper, But that shit's coming. Until then, 296 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: it's a good idea to just take stock in your dog. 297 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 1: Are you sick to death of it barking at every 298 00:15:57,520 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 1: person who walks past your house? Maybe you're a next 299 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 1: puppy will come from a litter, you know, where they're 300 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: not known to be loud, They're known to be very quiet. 301 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 1: In general, the parents are quiet. You won't guarantee yourself 302 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:10,960 Speaker 1: a non barker this way, but you will have a 303 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 1: better shot at getting just that if the parents aren't 304 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: particularly vocal. Maybe you're sick of you're eighty five pound 305 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: lab eating two bags of dog food a week and 306 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: knocking most of your stuff off your end tables with 307 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 1: its giant tail and big dumb head. Perhaps there's a 308 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: litter of fifty to sixty pounders that might be more 309 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 1: of your style. Maybe you just struggle to train your 310 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 1: current dog to do some of the basics or some 311 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: of the higher up advanced stuff, and you want a 312 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 1: dog with some more horsepower between its ears. Intelligence and 313 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 1: problem solving aren't all that easy to read in a pedigree, 314 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 1: But then again, if you see a whole bunch of 315 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: field trial and hunt test champions in the mix, it's 316 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:50,160 Speaker 1: pretty likely that the intelligence is there, because otherwise the 317 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 1: parents and grandparents wouldn't have been able to get titled. 318 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: If this sounds like a bridge too far and you 319 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 1: kind of like the mystery of getting a dog without 320 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 1: having to have a PhD in genetics, think about how 321 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 1: we often consider this on a lower level, almost everyone 322 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:06,840 Speaker 1: focuses on the look of dogs, at least partially in 323 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:10,600 Speaker 1: their choice, and that hinges entirely on genetics, size two 324 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:15,560 Speaker 1: and health. Of course, we are already there on a 325 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 1: basic level with our artificial selection of dog breeding. So 326 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 1: why not dig a little deeper and try to find 327 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: a dog that will really be what you're looking for. 328 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:26,159 Speaker 1: You know you're gonna love it anyway no matter what, 329 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:28,960 Speaker 1: but maybe it'll be that really special rockstar dog that 330 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 1: changes the course of your life or at least helps 331 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 1: you fill your freezer with green heads in late October. 332 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 1: Think about that, think about coming back in two weeks 333 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:40,639 Speaker 1: because I'm going to talk about how we all have 334 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 1: blinders on with our dogs. I'm going to tell you 335 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: a couple of stories. They're going to piss you right off, 336 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:48,880 Speaker 1: and I'm going to just go into this super important 337 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,199 Speaker 1: category that I think we should all be aware of 338 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: so we can do better with our dogs. That's it. 339 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 1: I'm Tony Peterson. This has been The Houndation's podcast. As 340 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: I always, I want to thank you so much for 341 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:02,840 Speaker 1: listening for all your support. You know, it was about 342 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 1: a month ago when we had dog Week here at 343 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 1: Meat Eater, and you guys showed up for the photo contest. 344 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: It was great. You consumed a bunch of the content. 345 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: We dropped a ton of articles, I dropped extra podcasts. 346 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:16,159 Speaker 1: It was a big deal. Was awesome. You're still here, 347 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:19,239 Speaker 1: You're still supporting us, and we truly appreciate that. If 348 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 1: you want more content, the mediator dot com has you covered. 349 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 1: We dropped new podcasts, new films, new articles, new recipes, 350 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:30,120 Speaker 1: new all kinds of stuff. Literally every day there's new 351 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:32,960 Speaker 1: content going up the mediator dot com. Go check it out.