Dream Acres Bullmastiff's

 

  Having been in the raised in a family that bred ,showed and Judged many

Breeds . I have been part of the dog world my entire life. My profession

Was that of a nurse for 20 plus years. Now that I  have retired I am now

Following my passion. Bullmastiff's! I have studied pedigrees for years.

When researching "new bloodlines" I have spent months even years

Researching just one lineage. Not just what we are limited to on paper

(pedigree's) I have been known to call breeders many generations back

Asking for pictures and updates on Ancestry. Information that some will

Give willingly and others have not been the most generous with,

I have had my fair share of hang ups, threatened with legalities and the likes.

Pedigree research I find is not for the faint of heart. After zeroing in on a bloodline that has the many components I am

Searching for Longevity, temperament, conformation I then begin to break it

Down even further. Researching progeny as well as immediate relatives . In

Each pedigree I assign a specific number for a trait I am looking for

Hence why pictures are so important. Using the very basic genetic table to

Map quantitative traits I find prominent in a blood line. IE: longevity

Correlates with AA ,conformation BB

Using the Punnett Square (One of the simplest ways to calculate the

Mathematical probability of inheriting a specific trait ). After

Collecting all of the data I then begin do add other consistent traits in

The lines shown through progeny this would then be marked as a dominant

Trait. By doing this with each Dog and Bitch then expanding the Punnett

Square to show projected progenies out come in each breeding. All in the

Hopes of taking the best of what we are looking for ..The UBER Bullmastiff.

 

This  is  a very basic Punnett Square. Keep in mind when I make these

Charts I usually have several traits. For simplicities sake I will only

Give trait one letter. This is how you would set up a Punnett using

International Champion Mia and INT/AM CH Simba VIII.

One letter goes in each box for the parents. It does not matter which

Parent is on the side or the top of the Punnett square.  For this example have only singled out 1 consistent trait in each parent.

 

 

       

Example Mia ... AA  - To represent the health and Longevity

Present in blood line

Simba... BB- To represent the conformation

And head type consistent in bloodline

 

 

Next copying the row and column-head letters across or down into the empty

Squares.  This gives us the predicted frequency of all of the potential

Genotypes among the offspring each time reproduction with these two

Parents occurs. The Progenies genotype is the result of the combination of

Genes  in the gametes (sex cells ) the Ova and sperm that came together in

Its conception.  One gamete (sex cell) came from each parent.  Gametes most

Often only have one copy of the gene for each trait (e.g., one copy of

The AA or BB form of the gene in the example above).  Each of the two

Punnett square boxes in which the parent genes for a trait are placed, actually

Represents one of the two possible genotypes for a parent sex

Cell. Which of the two parental copies of a gene is inherited depends on which

Gamete ( sex cell) is inherited.  By placing each of the two copies in its

Own box has the effect of giving it a 50% chance of being inherited. When

You are trying to isolate a dominate trait in perspective bloodlines it is

Imperative that you collect as much data as possible I.e. Pictures health

History on not only sires/Dams in the pedigree but all progeny produced.

Researching a line bred Pedigree is in comparison is much easier to follow

As there are  not as many variants. I have yet to utilize the line bred

Method as a basis for my breeding program. When science catches up to the

canine plight affording us the pros and cons of line breeding certain

gene pools, I certainly won’t rule out this process. Of course since at

this moment many of the genetic markers (traits) have yet to be identified

much of this is speculation. With the inevitable recessive genes that can

produce the exact opposite of what the goal is and not to mention the

sleeping dragons that can be hidden amidst the labyrinth I call DNA. These

 

 

 

 

 

 

studies will provide those willing to learn, that there is no perfect .

But by correlating DNA you should be able to prepare a genetic profile for

each individual and armed with the information receive genetic counseling

on the perspective progeny. Much like (in layman's terms) if a couple

(humans) had a genetic disease in their family say Cystic Fibrosis they

could have the genetic profile compared and before they even decide on

having a child .IE>what the likelihood of their progeny having the disease

would be.

 

 Here is a breeding that was genetically chosen for the correct bite, as well

as conformation and several other various traits that we are breeding for it dominancy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of several puppies from the pairing that will be followed to evaluate

dominant trait inheritability.

 

One very important factor that is considered and a rule of thumb I always maintain. Brindle is very important! It is my belief that brindle must be kept a very intrical  part of our breeding program. Genetically they are what the breed was intended to be, they are also the main barer of the masking gene. They also seem to be the carriers of  multi-recessives and for that reason I would never line breed back with a brindle. I have been working on the many facets of brindle and hope to figure how these recessive traits and genetic markers correlate in the general appearance and overall genetic makeup of the Bullmastiff. When you look at the overall genome it is also important to understand that several other genetic factors contribute to its construction.

If every Bullmastiff carried the exact gene profiles then we would not have such variations. The thought is to locate the dominant traits and aim for the best pairings that compliment these traits.

In doing so you would see a more “correct” Bully.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although I know there is no perfect in anything, I have been fortunate to

have now added geneticist  Kristopher J.L.Irizarry,PH.D. Assistant

Professor, Bioinformatics,Genetics and Genomics of the College of

Veterinary Medicine Western University of Health Sciences and Dr Katherine

Irizarry to my Bully family as well as collaborating to researching the

Bullmastiff  genetics. Dr Irizarry will be spearheading this study to

pinpoint the genetic traits we all are seeking as well as finding the

recessive genes that no one ever wants. With these studies all be it well

in the future the hope is to take what if's out by simply swabbing the

prospective parents mouths to collect DNA. The average cost of these

studies are between $2,000-$5,000 per dog. This does seem like a huge

amount but in reality when you look at how many precious Bullies we could

very realistically be able to breed with the exacting nature of genetics,

I am more than happy to contribute .On my website you will find the

genetic study proposal and it is with high hopes that everyone think of

the future of these Majestic creatures.

Mary Atchison

 

 

·         This  Document is not to be reproduced, and or shared in anyway . All Text and photo’s are currently copy written by Hoffman Publishing.

·         2008