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Simple Genetics to assist in Breeding Bull Terriers

I am sure that most breeders have heard of Dominant and Recessive Traits. The Monk Mendle found that when he crossed purple poppies (PP) with white poppies (ww) that all of the resultant flowers were purple (Pw), in other words the purple poppy was dominant and the white poppy recessive, hence (Pw).

These flowers were in fact hybrid showing purple but carrying white as a recessive trait (Pw).

When (Pw) poppy was fertilized with a (Pw) poppy, the results were 25% recessive white (ww), 50% hybrid purple (Pw), 25% dominant purple (PP).

PW

PW

25% ww

25% Pw

25% Pw

25% PP

The wild dog that nature has produced has dominant traits; they are usually well constructed, and have to be able to run all day to catch its prey.

Conversely we breeders are trying to produce animals to a standard that very often conflicts with nature. Tom Horner said that a well made Bull Terrier should look like a cleverly made stallion, which would mean that they would be dominant (DD) in make and shape. I am sure that the curved filled head of the Bull Terrier is a recessive trait, which means that we are trying to put a recessive head on a dominant body.

In Raymond Oppenheimers 20 basic breeding principles, he wrote

“look after the heads or they will vanish like a dream”

I am sure that he realized that the heads were recessive.

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