Malcom Willis & The German Shepherd Dog

With the news last week of the passing of Malcolm Willis, I thought I might highlight one of his books: The German Shepherd Dog: Its History, Development and Genetics. This book is without question one of the most informative book you will find and read about German Shepherds. I have simply listed below the documentation of the book, the publisher’s description or blurb, about the author, and a selected quote from the book.

Enjoy!

M.B. Willis.  The German Shepherd Dog:  Its History, Development and Genetics.  New York:  Arco Publishing Company, Inc., 1977.

Pubisher’s Description (blurb):  “It is regrettable but none-the-less a fact that most dog breeders/exhibitors will not see in their lifetime a highly specialized book devoted to an exhaustive study of bloodlines and breeding principles of their chosen breed.

This book is a break with tradition in that it is not directed at the would be or novice owner and contains no general care chapters.  Most established breeders are already well versed in these matters and their needs are for a more detailed work which gives them greater insight into the genetics of the breed.  A clearer picture of this genetical aspect is fundamental to any breeding programme for it highlights both virtues and faults within the breed so that with careful utilization and incorporation of the knowledge gleaned from hindsight it is possible to plan with more assurance the future improvement of one’s stock.

The great problem within most breeds however is that such knowledge needs a trained geneticist to gather and interpret the data available.  Further, such a person would also need to be deeply involved with the breed if such a worthwhile study was to be made.  The simple fact is that there are very few geneticists who are deeply interested in dogs and even less who are totally dedicated to a single breed.

To complicate matters still more having found such a geneticist and assuming he has researched for many years on the breed there remains the one final question—is he or she capable of writing a book!  If one considers the number of breeds that can be seen then German Shepherd breeders are indeed fortunate and the cliché ‘once in a lifetime book’ takes on a very true meaning.

This work is a tribute not only to the breed which above all others commands from its owners total dedication but also to the patience of the author for the diligent way in which he has sought and succeeded in compiling a book of monumental importance to German Shepherd breeders for decades to come.”

About the Author: “Malcolm Willis was born in Dewsbury, Yorkshire in 1935.  He attended the Johnston Grammar School and then took an Honours BSc in Agricuture at Kings College, Durham University in 1956.  Subsequently he obtained his PhD in Animal Genetics at the Institute of Animal Genetics at Edinburgh University where his superior was Prof. Alan Robertson FRS.  After post-doctoral year at Cambridge studying biometrics Dr. Willis was geneticist with the Milk Marketing Board of England and Wales (1961-65).

From 1965-72 he was Head of Animal Science Division at the Instituto de Ciencia Animal at the University of Havana.  Since 1972 he has been at Newcastle University where he lectures in animal breeding and genetics and is engaged in research in a variety of species.  Dr. Willis has published over 60 scientific papers, mainly in the fields of cattle production and breeding on which subjects he has an international reputation and he is the co-author of two books on beef cattle, one of which is held to be a classic text on the subject, and he has presented papers at international congresses in many areas.

In the canine field Dr. Willis has had Shepherds since 1953.  He joined the Alsatian League in 1954 and, although the nature of his work has prevented breeding activities on other than a small and irregular scale, Dr. Wills has been able to devote his genetical training to a very detailed study of the breed.  He has built up a unique collection of records on the breed and has been a frequent contributor to Dog World and to various specialist magazines on the breed.  He has contributed chapters to the breed books by Nem Elliott and Dr. L. C. Smith.  Since 1959 Dr. Willis has undertaken a number of judging appointments of the breed and in 1972 he was elected to membership of the Kennel Club.                                                                         

A Favorite Quote from the Book:  Miscellaneous Aspects of Breeding—“A mating not only produces stock of a certain quality but it also brings with it information about the parents.  Because males are used on several females information about males is not difficult to obtain, especially if breeders pool data.  Females, however, have few litters and since it is the female which the breeder controls it is essential that he get as much information about her as possible.  Continuously mating her to the same male may produce a series of good animals and certainly more information will result from two litters than one, even to the same dog, but it cannot be as informative as a series of matings to different dogs (page 384).”

Brackett's Breeding Principles: Conclusion



Where are we now?  Are these ten foundational principles passé or still of value to us today?  What are the principles upon which you are building your kennel?  How do your principles meld together with Brackett’s principles?

From time to time, I have heard criticism of Brackett’s system of planned breeding.  As I have read and reread Brackett’s writing, I am impressed of his very deliberate openness to his system.  He has shared indiscriminately about his successes (he seemed to be unhesitant to tell forth about his achievements) and about his failures.  I have been amazed that he was so transparent about the shortcoming of his system.  Today so many breeders hide the problems that become evident through their breedings.  Brackett wrote about them, shared them with others and refined his system as he observed, gathered data, and allowed his mistakes to inform his future practices.

I find it rather interesting as I research the pedigrees of all the Grand Victors and Grand Victrixes from the past eight years (2003 – 2010), they ALL have a common characteristic—there is a Longworth dog in their pedigree.  Brackett himself bred the 1950 Grand Victrix CH. Yola of Longworth and the 1951 Grand Victor Ch. Jory of Edgetowne was sired by Brackett’s Ch. Vol of Longworth.  The Dual (1966 & 1968) Grand Victor Ch. Yocalla’s Mike was linebred 5-4 on the 1951 Grand Victor Ch. Jory of Edgetowne.  I would encourage readers to do a thorough research of the pedigrees of your own German Shepherds.  You may have to go back 10 or more generations; however, there is a strong likelihood that you will find a Longworth German Shepherd in your pedigrees.

As this article moves toward its ending, it only appears appropriate to include comments from several other writers concerning the contributions of Mr. Brackett to the development of the German Shepherd Dog specifically and, of course, to the breeding of canines in general.

Gordon Garret wrote:

 “A sorting through years of German Shepherd Dog Reviews leaves little doubt as to the tremendous impact this one man made on the German Shepherds in North America. He is one person, who should be given recognition for keeping the breed going through the rough times. There were others, but Lloyd Brackett was really the one to point the way.  It was in the '30's that he found the golden ring. From all indications, it would appear that he was a perpetual student, always studying how others had been successful. He learned to be flexible but with very definite principles as to the right way to breed dogs. He had it all figured out. He spelled it out in his articles, and later generations found a lot of truth in what he had said. He philosophically endured the unbelievers that scorned him. Then he added more fuel by bragging of his successes. ”[i]

Fred Lanting wrote:

“Another famous program of the 1940s was the Long-Worth line of Lloyd Brackett. . .  Lloyd emphasized linebreeding, while Grant Mann’s Liebestraum kennel was based more on a type-to-type philosophy which maintained genetic diversity, better yet, was just as successful in turning out great numbers of great dogs.

“Long-Worth dogs did a lot of winning and producing in the late 1940s and 1950s, and their genealogical branches intertwined with those of Browvale, Edgetowne, Dorwald, and Rock Reach.  Many of the LongWorth dogs were richly pigmented with much of their coloration coming down through Pfeffer. . .  By the 1950s and early 1960s, many experienced dog watchers could guess at the LongWorth background by simply looking at a dog’s markings and build.”[ii]

Carmen Battaglia wrote:

“Brackett understood the value of using quality dogs that were related to each other. This approach allowed him to concentrate the genes needed to produce desired traits. His techniques for reducing error and improving quality focused on the careful selection of breeding partners. . .  Brackett became famous for breeding quality dogs with consistent type. His strategy relied on a series of breedings using relatives. Often times he was quoted as saying, ‘never outcross when things seem to be going well, do it only as an experiment or when some fault or faults cannot be eliminated.’  He was careful to study each stud dog and their offspring, eliminating those who did not measure up and those who produced faults. . .  Brackett's success helped to make line breeding popular. He demonstrated how to make improvements by retaining a common pool of genes through the use of related dogs.”[iii]

Lloyd C. Brackett himself wrote the following in Popular Dogs (December 1952) and it was also printed in the German Shepherd Dog Club of America, Inc. 1973 National Futurity and Maturity Section, Tabulation of Stud Dogs and Brood Bitches (Redbook):

“While it is undeniable and often observed, that good dogs do come by accident at times, the consistent production of outstanding specimens and the obtaining of multi-champion litters can be had only through knowledge, and a familiarity with various traits possessed by the animals in the pedigrees of the mating pairs.  The breeder must also have in his mind’s eye a picture of what he wants to produce; the idealized dog as described by the standard of his breed.  Through this knowledge of what constitutes both desirable and undesirable physical traits in his dogs, he can do compensator breeding.  This mating of dogs with certain shortcomings to dogs which themselves as well as their ancestors are strong in the characteristics desired, is even of more importance than dependence upon pedigrees alone.  Physical compensation is the foundation rock upon which all enduring worth must be built.”[iv]

German Shepherd fanciers and breeders owe more to Lloyd Bracket than we realize. I might suggest that there may not be a single individual, at least in this country, to whom we owe more.  Lloyd Brackett. Well-deserving of the affectionate title, “Mr. German Shepherd.”

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[i] Gordon Garret. History of the German Shepherd Dog. Accessed from:  http://www.grunfeldshepherds.com/articles/garrett/Gordon%20Garrett%20History%20of%20the%20German%20Shepherd%20Dog-CHAPTER%2012%20BRACKETT%20AND%20MANN.pdf on July 12, 2008.

[ii] Lanting, Fred. The Total German Shepherd Dog.  Wheat Ridge, CO:  Hoflin Publishing, 1999, pages 26 – 27.

[iii]  Carmen L. Battaglia, Brackett’s Formula.  Accessed from : http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com/bracket.html , on July 21, 2008.

[iv] Lloyd Bracket, Breeding, An Art.  GSDCA Redbook, 1973, page 130.

Brackett's Principle #10: Breed Back to Your "Toppers"!!

1950 Grand VictrixCh Yola of Longworth

“I try to point out a procedure by which a beginner breeder might, most quickly and surely, improve the ‘mean’ or average quality of his production—and indeed within a few years bring forth, and quite consistently, some ‘toppers.’”[i]

“Given a foundation bitch who herself if of superior quality as compared to the average of her breed, and who has a pedigree in which some top-quality dogs appear one or more times, the procedure recommended herein, of course, would have been different.  Advice would have been given to breed back on one or more of those ‘toppers.’”[ii]

Brackett utilized the terminology of “toppers.”  In Planned Breeding, he does not define in any detail the usage of “toppers.”  However, one can determine from the context of the above-mentioned paragraphs the intended meaning of this Brackett terminology.  It should also be noted that the use of the term “toppers” seems to have become non-existent today. 

Brackett seemed to be stating that one’s “toppers” are superior specimens in the breed possessing all the attributes of a show specimen with great genetic background.  A “topper” would be not only a great specimen, but also one who produces great specimens.   A “topper” will be one who has a family of good specimens behind it. 

Of course, “Mr. German Shepherd” advocated the breeding back on one or more of one’s own “toppers.”  He stated that “…we must remember that inbreeding and linebreeding serve to accentuate not only the GOOD but the BAD points and, again, that when such breeding is used, STRICT SELECTION must be made.”[iii]  In addition, he vehemently warned against breeding the best to the best without regard to bloodlines.  Furthermore, he seemed to reluctantly agree to outcrossing, emphatically stating that outcrossing should be used only for definite purposes.

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[i] Ibid., page 28.

[ii] Ibid., page 31.

[iii] Ibid., page 31.

Brackett's Principle #9: Always Select the Best Bitch Puppies!

Ch. Orpha of Edgetowne

“As soon as the litter is sufficiently grown so enough can be told about them to make a fairly safe selection (and this varies amongst different breeds), we try to pick the best bitch puppy.  Let us presume that we find one resembling her sire more than the dam, as we have planned and hoped for.”[i]

Hopefully that bitch puppy resembles her outstanding sire more than the dam.  If she resembles the bitch that has weaknesses; when she has puppies, she may pass on those similar weaknesses to her offspring.

Limit one’s interest in keeping male puppies!  They take up space, time and resources.  You can always breed to the outstanding studs outside your kennel.  Mediocre males are just as expensive to keep and maintain as outstanding males.  In fact, one could argue that they are more expense since the mediocre male will generate little or no income to the kennel through stud fees.

It should further be mentioned, the Brackett encouraged “culling relentlessly” the average, ordinary bitches in one’s kennel as more correctly structured ones are bred into one’s own program.  Culling simply means to remove the average, ordinary bitch from one’s kennel by selling her or placing her into a good, nurturing pet/companion environment.

It is best to keep two bitch puppies (if they are close in structure, temperament and movement) until the breeder can be certain that the pick bitch puppy has matured properly with good ears, full dentition, etc.

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[i] Ibid., page 30.

Brackett's Principle #8: Use Only Outstanding Studs!!

1937 & 1938 Grand VictorCh. Pfeffer v Bern



“We should also select a stud who is preferably inbred, or at least quite strongly linebred, so that the strength such breeding gives to his prepotency will most likely insure his dominance in the mating pair.”[i]

This is stated by Brackett knowing that an inbred or strongly linebred male’s virtues and fault will be overt—clearly seen in the dog and his progeny.  Remember that perhaps the greatest advantage of family breeding is simply to get predictable results—if the selection has been good, the “pulls” are all in the same direction.  As stated in the foundational principle #4 (Linebred/Inbred Wisely), a breeder ought to be able to move from hoping for a good result to having the power of the hereditary influence pull these factors into a favorable direction.   Therefore, using an inbred or strongly linebred stud dog should insure some degree of prepotency.  Of course, you as the breeder must know the dominant virtues of the stud you select. 

“…in selecting a mate for a faulty bitch whose wide-open pedigree offers no individual in it free of her faults, and dominant in correcting them, one must select as her mate a dog not only himself CORRECT where she is failing, but through some intensity of corrective blood is dominant.”[ii]

Decisions must be based upon information carefully collected.  Obviously, this data must be objective, measurable (and not given to hearsay and rumor), and factual.  Selection of studs must be based upon the excellence of both the phenotype and genotype and the proper match and compensation with the bitch.

What is an outstanding stud?

1.  Dogs without phenotype faults. These are faults which can be seen with the eye—obvious faults.
2. Dogs without genotype faults.  These are faults which cannot be seen with the eye.  However, these faults are nonetheless possessed by the dog and can be passed on genetically to the dog’s progeny.  Discovering genotype faults can only be accomplished by knowing the virtues and faults of the ancestors back through at least three generations and preferably more.
3. Dogs that have a proven track record for producing very good (fault free) progeny.
4. Dogs that possess proper temperament.  An outstanding stud will be dominant in producing proper temperament for several generations.  Brackett stated that “any dog which is not mentally sound should not be used as a breeder.”[iii]
5. Dogs that possess compensating factors when you consider and measure the bitch against the stud.

When Brackett selected his foundation stock, he chose three males as foundation stones that had overall type, noble appearance, iron backs, properly angulated fore-assemblies, excellent rear angulation and good pigmentation.

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[i] Ibid., page 29.

[ii] Ibid., page 30.

[iii] Ibid., page 6.

Brackett's Principle #7: Know Faults for Correction through Physical Compensation!

BIF CH Lyloak's Fresca

“…we must center our attention on several faults in type or structure possessed by this bitch, so we can go about breeding her for correction and over-all improvement.”[i]

“Paper breeding”, as Brackett called it, alone can be very dangerous.  Start with the pedigree as you consider linebreeding, but avoid if both the bitch and the prospective stud dog carry a common fault.  Or if a weakness or fault is observed in the bitch.  Then be sure that the stud dog and his ancestors do not carry that same fault.  Carmen Battaglia stresses that “it is safe in study of pedigrees to assume that the recurrence of certain traits for more than four generations is genetically stable and not likely to be easily lost.”[ii]

“We must also try to find one who not only possesses these correct attributes himself but comes from dogs who had them.”[iii]

If possible, the sire should further be prepotent in the attributes in which the bitch is weakest.

“If we DO know that either the sire or dam, or any others amongst her ancestors, did have one or more faults mentioned, then we most certainly do not want that dog or dogs in the pedigree of the mate we select for her—if we can possibly avoid it.  Should such be unavoidable, then that animal should be so far back in the pedigree as to make its influence negligible.”[iv]

It is critical to properly undertake an evaluation, particularly of the breeding pair and their sire and dam and their littermates, if at all possible.  Above all, know the genotype traits of both the bitch's and potential stud's back a minimal of three generations.

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[i] Ibid., page 29.

[ii] Battaglia, Carmelo L.  Breeding Better Dogs., Atlanta, GA:  Susan hunter Publishing Co., 1986, page 43.

[iii] Ibid., page 29.

[iv] Ibid., page 29.

Brackett Principle #6: Know What to Expect through Inheritance!

RFB Lyloak's Isn't She Lovely  (Love)

(Sel. Ex. CH Good to the Last Drop of Edan X Lyloak's Sugar Maple TC,PT)

“…ONLY those breeders knowledgeable in what constitutes a near-perfect specimen of the breed, as well as those having information on what to hope for, and look out for, through inheritance factors, should even THINK of doing closed-up breeding on them.”[i]

Mr.Brackett employed a three-step procedure for this component of visualizing what a proposed breeding might bring forth.  First, the breeder must know what constitutes a good GSD according to the breed standard.  Next, the breeder must be knowledgeable of the pedigrees of the potential mates.  This naturally leads into the third step of knowing the characteristics (attributes and faults) of as many of the dogs in the pedigree as possible.

It is imperative to be certain to select near faultless dogs as foundation stock!  It will be very difficult, if not impossible; to implement planned breeding using mediocre stock.  Brackett was adamant that if a beginner, or any breeder for that matter, discovers (obviously through gained knowledge and experience) that they possess mediocre stock; then there is only one course of action—“Cull relentlessly!”

Even when the proposed mating matches very good dogs, never mate two dogs with similar faults.  This action would only heighten the probability of reproducing that very fault.

This principle rests upon knowing both the “phenotype” and the “genotype” of the dogs being used in your breeding program.   Phenotype can be defined as the “outward, physical manifestation of the organism. These are the physical parts, . . .anything that is part of the observable structure, function or behavior of a living organism.”[ii]

Genotype can be defined as the "internally coded, inheritable information carried by all living organisms. This stored information is used as a ‘blueprint’ or set of instructions for building and maintaining a living creature. These instructions are found within almost all cells (the ‘internal’ part), they are written in a coded language (the genetic code), they are copied at the time of cell division or reproduction and are passed from one generation to the next ("inheritable").”[iii]

Brackett goes so far as to suggest that many beginners are “stuck” and have little hope of moving away from mediocrity.  He wrote that “few indeed are those who have more than one bitch and, more often than not, that one not such a specimen as a knowledgeable fancier of the breed would select as a foundation brood matron.”[iv]  They are “stuck” with the stock they have and therefore are determined to make use of what they have.  The reasons for breeding from such mediocre stock may be the result of affection for the bitch, insufficient financial ability to purchase something better, the lack of knowledge to be aware of what constitutes a good GSD and the inability to set a vision in regards to developing a breeding program or planned breeding.  Brackett advocated beginning with something much better than an ordinary, run-of-the-mill specimen.

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[i] Brackett, Lloyd C.  Planned Breeding.  Westchester, IL:  Dog World Magazine, 1961, page 20.

[ii] Blamire, Professor John.  Accessed from:  http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/ahp/BioInfo/GP/Definition.html     on July 16, 2008.

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] Brackett,  page 28.