10SIO Selective Breeding Research Task

Your Task:
To prepare you for your upcoming summative assessment task, read through the article in the link below and then answer the questions
that follow.
Part 1: Read the article.
• Although Purebred Dogs Can Be Best in Show, Are They Worst in Health?
Part 2: Questions
Complete the following questions based on your reading:

1. List the diseases that half of all Cavalier King Charles spaniels will develop by age five.
- Half of all Cavaliers will develop mitral valve disease, a serious heart condition that leaves the dogs susceptible to
premature death. 70% will suffer from canine syringomyelia, a debilitating neurological disorder in which the brain is
too large for the skull, causing severe pain in the neck and shoulders, along with damage to parts of the dog’s spinal
cord.
2. How long have people been selectively breeding dogs?
- For almost 4,000 years people have been breeding dogs for certain traits.
3. How long have modern breeds been selectively bred?
- The modern domesticated dog has been sculpted by artificial selection for at least 14,000 years.
4. What is ‘line breeding’?
- Line breeding is a type of inbreeding that mate’s direct relatives, such as grandmother and grandson.
5. What is ‘popular sire breeding?
- Popular sire breeding occurs when a stud or tom is used extensively for breeding, spreading his genes quickly
throughout the gene pool.
6. What do the two types of breeding in questions 4 and 5 result in?
- It results in purebred dogs not only having increased incidences of inherited diseases but also heightened health
issues due to their bodily frames and shapes, such as hip dysplasia in large breeds like the German shepherd and
the Saint Bernard, and patellar luxation or persistent dislocation f the kneecap in toy and miniature breeds.
7. List the problems experienced by bulldogs today.
- The bulldog had acquired squat, bandy legs and a large head with a flattened muzzle. This altered figure makes it
nearly impossible for them to reproduce without assistance. The facial changes cause severe breathing problems in
a third of all bulldogs.
8. According to Milan Hess, what are people looking for when they are choosing a dog?
- Milan Hess states, “A breed standard is the template providing information about the appearance and temperament
and reflects the original function and purpose of the breed,”.
9. How does ‘The Seeing Eye’ a guide dog school in Morristown, N.J try to monitor potential breeding issues?
- The Seeing Eye is a guide dog school and for example, this school uses genetic testing and keeps a database that
tracks all dogs’ potential problems.
10. Describe how the selective breeding of the Dalmatian – English Pointer backcross led to improvements in the Dalmatian breed.
- The Dalmatian breed over the years have shown good signs of endurance, athleticism, and intelligence. Many people
have put Dalmatians to work as hunting dogs, draft dogs, shepherds, and guard dogs, but the most notable was their
debut on stage and in the circus.
11. According to James Serpell, what needs to be done moving forward?
- Serpell emphasizes that the goal is not to get rid of them but rather to put the health of the animals first. He does not
not think anyone wants the breeds to disappear, and he used the bulldog breed as a example and states “I don’t
want the bulldog to disappear, I just want the bulldog to be transformed back into an animal that can function
properly and is reasonably healthy.”.

Part 3: Definitions
Write definitions in your own words for the following.
 Selective breeding – is a form of artificial selection, whereby humans intervene in the breeding of species to produce
desired traits in offspring.
 Controlled breeding – is developing specific predetermined strategies on when to begin and end a breeding season.
 Inherited disorder – a disorder caused by mutations (changes) in certain genes or chromosomes that are passed
down, from parent to child.
 Traits – a specific characteristic of an individuals, it can be determined by genes, environmental factors or by a
combination of both.
 Phenotype - the physical expression of the trait e.g., blue eyes, brown eyes.
 Artificial insemination - involves inserting the male partner’s (or donor) prepared semen through the neck of the womb
(cervix) and into the uterus, close to the time of ovulation.
 Dog breed - A group of dogs’ form known lineage of similar dogs, with an agreed set of physical and behavioral
attributes which (preferably) breed ‘true’ i.e., Reliably replicate these characteristics in their progeny.
 Breed Standard - is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament and appearance of a breed
and ensures that the breed is fit for function.