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.