A pedigree is a most valuable working tool. It is a record of the genetic pool behind a dog, and shows, statistically, the likelihood of a dog producing desired, or undesired, traits. It can be used to build up on desired genetic patterns, or to minimize and eliminate undesirables. This can be done by placing (by breeding) certain dogs in certain areas within a pedigree.

There is a theory, little known as such or recognized, though much used, that was promoted by Chaplain Clinton A. Neyman shortly before his death. He called it the male tail/female family influence. Catherine Coleman goes into these lines extensively in her book, and is the historical background of our current generations.

For those that are unfamiliar with the late Chaplain Neyman, it can be said that he was the unofficial historian of U.S. Shelties. The currently used Sheltie scoreboard system was a development of his, now carried on by Bob Miller, along with Clinton’s keeping an expansive and complete library in his home, and a hand written card record-keeping system of each U.S. Sheltie ever shown or used for breeding. Even though he was not a breeder himself, his love and knowledge helped us all. I feel very privileged to have known him, and was encouraged that he thought well of my then young Pow.

He was particularly interested in descent lineage, and noticed distinct patterns occurring as he studied them. This is where he arrived at his theory: the most predominant (phenotypic and genotypic) influences in a pedigree came from the tail lines. In other words, the outer edges of a pedigree: the sire of the sire of the sire, etc., and the dam of the dam of the dam, etc.

Having heard of his theory, and being interested in genetics, I was curious about it. At that time I was new to Shelties, so rather filed it away for future reference. It is only in recent years that I have become aware of the importance it has in long term results.

His theory made sense, genetically, in that many of the major allelic patterns are sex-linked, and that basically, when a cross is made, one is combining half of the sire and half of the dam for the outcome. So, if particular dominant patterns are being passed down from sire to sire, and from dam to dam, then this is the actual cross you are making with current individuals, no matter how far back the patterns go. This is one reason why some of the crosses have always clicked to produce outstanding and prepotent individuals over the years, such as the well-known Page’s Hill/Pocono cross.

In observing and investigating, other tendencies have come to light. While the male tails and female families tend to be the most highly influential lines, type-wise, within a pedigree, I have found that this generally combines with the inner core tails (the dam of the dam of the sire and the sire of the sire of the dam) of the pedigree to tend to produce the somatotype (body type). It can have a direct prepotency influence, whether it be progressive or throwback depending on the way it is built up. The areas between the core tails and the outer tails tend to be middle “burying ground” areas. These influences generally recede or disappear causing decreased prepotency in the current generation, unless line or inbred upon.

Illustrated, a pedigree would break down as follows, in order of influence:

High -- Male Tail Line (sire of the sire of the sire etc.)

Low -- Middle background of sire

Medium -- Inner Core Tail (inner female family - dam of dam of dam etc.)

Medium -- Inner Core Tail (inner male tail - sire of sire of sire etc.)

Low -- Middle background of dam

High -- Female Family Line (dam of the dam of the dam etc.)

This is the reason why it is so extremely difficult to start a breeding program with a pet bitch from several generations of obscure and “mish-mosh” background, and try to breed up from this to obtain competitive show stock with desirable genetic prepotency. A breeding of a prepotent stud to a poor bitch like this will improve phenotype drastically, but will not genetically eliminate the female family tail influence. It can potentially “dog” a program for many generations. It is far, far easier to start with a mediocre bitch out of a top producing bitch of good pedigree buildup. Then, at least, a tail and pool of good influence is there from which to pull and build upon.

Look at your own pedigrees. See where your type has come from, breed-wise and body-wise. You’ve probably bred to top line sires, but what of the dam? And, of course, learn all you can about the “other”, obscure individuals in your pedigrees. Even just an old photo from a magazine really helps. Or by asking older breeders to describe the dogs they saw and what they have produced.

All this has not been said to promote using a pedigree exclusively because that negates selection, which is primary. The pedigree IS a tool. Use it as a road map, genetically, to guide you to where you want to go: to get the “look” you wish to see consistently produced and the soundness to back it up.

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