Brackett Principle #2: Build a Strain!!

1937 & 1938 GV Ch. Pfeffer v Bern


Brackett readily admits to learning by his own mistakes.  He, too, had previously practiced what he estimated that 98% of the average dog fanciers had done—mated the best bitches to the best available males, regardless of bloodlines.  He further indicated that he employed compensatory matings by “using studs strong in characteristics in which bitches needed improvement.”[i]

The strategy in which Brackett would implement to improve his breeding program would center upon building a distinct strain.  This would be accomplished within the breed by using three (3) great males.  Brackett elaborated that this plan produced more that the average number of good specimens.  However, this still did not give him the multiple champion litters, nor establish a definite TYPE which he desired.  His reassessment at that point moved his plan to the necessity of utilizing the power of inbreeding and line-breeding.

Building a strain was achieved through the repeated use of three (3) foundation males:

1.      US CH. Pfeffer v. Bern

2.      US CH. Odin v. Busecker-Schloss

3.      US CH. Arras a.d. Stadt-Berbert

Of interest is the factor that all three of these dogs were “stemmed closely and strongly” from German Sieger Utz von Haus-Schutting.  Pfeffer v. Bern and Odin v. Busecker-Schloss were half-brother by the same sire; while Arras’ dam (Stella) was the offspring of a half-brother-sister mating in which Utz was the sire of the sire and the dam.

Brackett would, in fact, build his strain within the breed by using three males as his foundation stones!  These three males were all closely related!

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[i] Ibid., page 10.