Breeding Philosophy

Temperament is the number one determining factor in choosing the dogs we breed. In my experience, some “good” dog breeders have lost sight of this in their chase for health certifications and show titles. An unhealthy dog is heartbreaking, but a dog with a poor temperament is dangerous. While temperament is greatly affected by a host of factors, including environment, training, and socialization, genetics also play an important role. Genes influencing personality are complicated and are not deterministic; an aggressive dog can produce a sweet and gentle puppy and vice versa. However, studies have shown that personality is somewhat heritable, especially characteristics like fear and aggression. And a dog can't be trained or socialized into a dog that is fundamentally different than his genetics make him. Because of this, having a high standard for temperament is perhaps the most important part of dog breeding.

Like personality, many health issues are complicated and partially genetic. The more inbred a breed is the greater percentage of homozygous (same) genes there are in any given dog. Most common health problems are polygenetic (influenced by multiple genes) and recessive (it takes two copies of the same gene for the trait to manifest in outward phenotype). That means that as a general rule the higher the Coefficient of Inbreed (COI) is in a breed, the greater the homozygosity and the more health problems they will have. This is why mixed breed dogs are always significantly cheaper to insure with pet health insurance companies. Most diseases that cannot be identified by simple genetic tests are polygenetic, recessive, and partially environmental, so they can be very difficult to breed away from in a breed with a closed studbook.

This is one of the reasons we don’t breed AKC dogs. After much study, I have come to believe that the modern phenomenon of closed studbooks is detrimental to the pure breeds they are meant to protect. Over the last century, the COI in almost all dog breeds has skyrocketed, far beyond any other domestic animal species. There are a few reasons for this, such as popular sires, but closed stud-books make it impossible to introduce more genetic diversity. The CMDR has an open studbook for Colorado Mountain Dogs. That means they allow registering in new dogs that fit the standard, though the offspring of those dogs would not be considered “purebred” until five generations removed from the Foundation Dog generation that was registered. An open studbook, or some procedure that allows for introducing new bloodlines and genetics, is the only way modern breeds will be stopped from eventually imploding due to lack of genetic diversity.

This is already happening in wonderful breeds like Dobermans and Cavalier Kings Charles Spaniels where the health problems are so widespread there is no easy way to breed away from the issues because there isn't enough genetic diversity in the breed to find dogs that don’t carry the genes related to the diseases. Unfortunately, the same passion for purity that makes breeders and enthusiasts dedicated to their breed makes most breeders and clubs unwilling to bring in outside blood. This certainly doesn’t mean all purebred dogs are unhealthy or that it is wrong to breed purebred dogs. However, since genetic diversity is a priority for us, second only to temperament, we have chosen to breed lines of dogs that aren’t constrained by the rules of most modern purebred registering bodies.

We use Embark and UC Davis to test our dogs for the simpler, testable genetic conditions so as not to pair dogs together that could produce puppies with easily avoidable recessive health conditions. We x-ray our dog's hips and avoid any dysplastic hips, but there is mounting evidence that hip dysplasia is profoundly shaped by environment and on average only about 25% heritable, so we also make a concerted effort to limit the known environmental causes of hip dysplasia.

One of the best ways to do this is to provide adequate traction in the whelping area and to use a whelping area shaped like a bowl, similar to what their mom would dig outdoors if left to her own devices. Since I like to have my pups inside the first 2-3 weeks so I am able to keep a better eye on mom and pups and catch any issues early, we use a foldable dog pool with a layer of styrofoam cut to fit around the edge to shape the structure of the bowl slope. Straw is added on top for padding and to further form the bowl. This is all then covered with a fitted sheet to hold all the straw in, and on top of the sheet, we layer several bedspreads for the messy delivery. After delivery, we put down a fresh bedspread and non-slip matting (intended to go under rugs) on top. Pictures of the whelping setup are below.

When puppies have enough traction they are able to walk immediately after birth. This type of whelping surface supports proper joint development and allows them to walk properly, rather than pushing themselves along on a slippery, flat surface. When their legs are stretched out prone behind them for the first few weeks of their life, it leads to hip laxity, the greatest predictor of future hip dysplasia. As they get older, we also have them spend as much time exercising on natural (outdoor) surfaces as possible and do not let them go up or downstairs or spend much time on slippery surfaces like linoleum. As our dogs grow past puppyhood, we also are careful to keep on the slim side, since free-feeding is another well-documented indicator predicting the future onset and severity of hip dysplasia.

Our puppies are socialized with children, other dogs, and farm animals, but we also do Early Neurological Stimulation on the puppies for 10 days before their eyes open in order to help them develop strong immune systems and become accustomed to handling. Our puppies are dewormed at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks, and at 7-8 weeks they receive their first 5-way vaccination and a dose of Frontline. For the safety of our puppies, we do not allow visitors prior to puppies receiving their first vaccination. Puppies go home at 9-10 weeks old, as we feel the extra week or two with mom and siblings is important for their development.

If you are interested in getting a puppy from us, we will have you fill out a questionnaire about what you are looking for in your puppy, and then you can put a deposit down to save a puppy from the litter of your choice. When the puppies are 7-8 weeks old and their personalities are more obvious, we will help you choose the specific puppy that fits your home. At 7 weeks we perform the Volhard Personality Test, and this, combined with our observations of their interactions with us, their surroundings, and their littermates, gives us insight into what type of home they would be best suited for. We then send out profiles of each puppy that fits what you want (based on your puppy questionnaire/application). This is done in the order we receive deposits. We usually will suggest a couple of puppies that we think would be the best fit for you, and then let you choose between them.

Check out our Resources page for links about the misunderstood nature of Hip Dysplasia and the importance of non-slip whelping surfaces and nutrition in preventing it, inbreeding in modern breeds, the benefits of ENS, and many other topics, such as training videos.