Outcross Breeding labrador retrievers is the practice of mating two labradors with no common ancestors for 4 generations of pedigree. The genes including recessive genes affecting the progeny are concentrated in the first four generations.
Outcrossing brings into the specific labrador pedigree, characteristics that are not obviously present in the line. Outcrossing builds strength into the pedigree and it reduces the concentration of faults promoted by homozygous recessive genes. Outcrossing promotes vigor, disease resistance, skeletal strength, promotes fertility. Outbreeding reduces the effect of inbreeding depression (apathy), eye / retinal disease, skin, intestinal, vital organ and skeletal issues.
Outcross breeding produces puppies which are genetically dominant and meet high labrador breed standards.
A breeder who mates distantly related dogs or dogs with no common ancestry in their breeding program, will get a desirable diversity in the progeny and particularly in the 2nd and 3rd litters from the labrador bitch.
A successful outcross will progressively reduce the imperfections in a bloodline that have resulted from inbreeding. As suggested above, in breeding, as an historic practice has promoted many faults like skin, vital organ and skeletal structure failures in the labrador breed and indeed, many other breeds.
In my opinion, the chocolate labrador is the strongest example of the labrador type, in terms of general health and physicality. I have never seen or heard of a chocolate labrador with any kind of skeletal or vital organ. I conclude that these problems are aleviated by studious outcross breeding.
Outcross breeding progressively eliminates the recessive factors that produce faults.
Superior breeding results are obtained in 3 litters of an outcross breeding from a bitch and sire. At Pawlinglabs we rehome our bitches and continue the line with the progeny.
The progeny of first-generation, outcross breedings are usually quite uniform in appearance.
As breeders, we must be concerned about recessive faults rather than meticulous adherence to physical conformity to a ‘theoretical labrador type’.
When outcross breeding, a desired characteristic, not present in the line, could be obtained by servicing a bitch with a stud dog with the characteristic, and related at the 4th or 5th generation of the pedigree.
Outbreeding produces very high quality puppies, particularly with a prepotent stud dog, with a history of siring outstanding progeny. Semen testing a stud dog is an absolutely essential step in determining potency as preparation for successful breeding. Prepotent stud dogs pass on dominant genes.
Successful labrador outbreeders understand the history of their stud dog through the 2nd, 3rd 4th & 5th generations in the pedigree line.
A successful outbreeder understands the strengths and weeknesses of their stud dogs through to the generations of the pedigree. The breeder must know where good and bad traits came from if they expect to retain the good and eliminate poor traits.
Labrador Breeders who practice random & casual breedings, will not consistently produce the desired quality of the labrador breed.
A Pawlinglabs (Pawling Labrador Breeders) we meticulously select good breeding stock. Pedigree analysis is essential if we are going to continue to produce the best labrador puppies.