Selective Breeding in Dogs – Opportunities, Risks, and Responsibilities

All modern dog breeds are the result of selective breeding. For generations, breeders have carefully chosen parents to enhance certain traits: body shape, coat color, working ability, or temperament.

The result is a huge variety of breeds – from the tiny Chihuahua to the towering Great Dane. Within a breed, dogs look strikingly similar, yet they differ sharply from other breeds.

But selective breeding is not only about positive traits. When the breeding pool becomes too narrow, it can reduce genetic diversity – and that directly affects health and welfare.

What is selective breeding?

Selective breeding means that humans decide which dogs get to reproduce, based on specific traits.
• Goal: Uniform appearance, desired skills (e.g. herding, hunting, family temperament).
• Risk: Loss of genetic diversity, accumulation of hereditary diseases.

👉 Without selective breeding, there would be no breeds. But if done too narrowly, it can harm long-term health.

Genetic Diversity – The Foundation of Fitness

In natural selection, populations with greater genetic diversity are more adaptable and resilient. They have more genetic “tools” to fight disease, handle stress, and adapt to change.
• High diversity = high genetic fitness
• stronger immune system
• fewer inherited diseases
• greater adaptability
• Low diversity = reduced fitness
• more hereditary problems
• lower fertility
• weaker resilience

👉 In dog breeding as in nature: genetic diversity is the key to long-term health and vitality.

Linked Genes – Hidden Connections

Genes are arranged in sequence on chromosomes. Genes that are close together are often inherited together (“linkage”).

That means:
• Selecting for one trait (e.g. coat color),
• … may unintentionally spread another (e.g. disease susceptibility).

Responsible breeders must therefore look beyond single genes and consider genomic connections.

Carriers – Exclude or Integrate?

A dog can be a carrier of a genetic disease without ever becoming sick. If paired with a genetically clear partner, the offspring can be healthy.
• Excluding all carriers:
• drastically reduces diversity
• may create new problems
• Better strategy:
• Pair carriers only with clear dogs
• Manage risk while maintaining diversity

Balancing Health and Breed Standards

Many breeds were selected for extreme traits: short skulls, long backs, specific coat colors.
These traits can come with health costs such as breathing problems, spinal disease, or deafness.

👉 Responsible breeding means finding a balance: keeping dogs true to their breed type, but without compromising health.

Conclusion

Selective breeding shaped every breed we know today.
But too narrow a focus creates risks for health and diversity.

✅ Breeders have a responsibility: to preserve diversity, protect health, and maintain breed-typical traits.

Sources & Further Reading

- Bannasch, D., Famula, T., Donner, J., Anderson, H., Honkanen, L., Batcher, K., Safra, N., Thomasy, S., & Rebhun, R. (2021). The effect of inbreeding, body size and morphology on health in dog breeds. Canine Medicine and Genetics, 8(1), Article 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40575-021-00111-4
- Dreger, D. L., & Schmutz, S. M. (2011). A SINE insertion causes the black-and-tan and saddle tan phenotypes in domestic dogs. Journal of Heredity, 102(3), 324–330. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esr042
- Leroy, G. (2011). Genetic diversity, inbreeding and breeding practices in dogs: Results from pedigree analyses. The Veterinary Journal, 189(2), 177–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2011.06.016
- UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. (n.d.). Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. University of California, Davis. https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/
- Verband für das Deutsche Hundewesen (VDH). (n.d.). Zuchtordnungen & Empfehlungen. https://www.vdh.de/welpen