The goal of any breeding program is to maximize satisfaction in animal performance. In livestock, this usually correlates with breeding cattle or sheep that will improve ranch profitability. With hunting dogs, satisfaction is maximized when dogs locate and retrieve game with proficiency, thereby adding to enjoyment of the hunt. This report summarizes a preliminary study into providing genetic evaluation services for verien Deutsch Drahthaar Breeders Group North America. The aim of this study is to help Deutsch drahthaar breeders identify and select dogs that are geteically superior for hunting traits.
Genetic evaluation is a more accurate method to rank dogs for selection.
EPD represent the expected difference between the mean performance of an individual s progeny and the mean performance of all progeny. Expected Progeny Differences are a more accurate method of ranking dogs as parents to breed the next generation than other measures and are valuable when making breeding decisions. A dog that has not been tested in the VJP or HZP may still have an EPD calculated for these traits if relatives of this dog have been included in the test. EPD separate genetic from environmental aspects influencing a dogs performance. When making breeding decisions only the genetic aspects are of importance since only genetic merit of parents are transmitted to offspring.