Many people are looking for or are proud to have a pedigree dog, but do they really know what it means? What is the purpose of this document? And how do you get it?
In this article on our site we will explain what is the pedigree in dogs and other aspects related to this attribute that will surely interest you know. Keep reading to know everything about the pedigree in dogs:
What does it mean for a dog to have a pedigree?
We will start by knowing the definition of pedigree provided by the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy), according to the term pedigree, in Spanish:
- The genealogy of an animal.
- The document containing the pedigree.
A pedigree dog is one that belongs to a certain breed and also has a minimum of three generations of ancestors that also belong to the breed, meeting a certain standard. It is therefore the biological ancestry of the dog.
If we talk about the document, the pedigree is a certificate that certifies that the dog belongs to the breed and that certain aspects that They ensure that the animal has "blood purity". This document is important for people who want to submit their dog to a canine beauty or morphology contest.
Is the pedigree the same as an ideal dog?
The meaning of the word pedigree, beyond the ancestry of the dog or the certificate issued, is usually related to the purity of the animal or the ideal of the breed, however, we must be aware that this ideal has been changing over time.
The evolution of dog breeds and their morphology has been distorted over time, mainly due to the exaggeration of desirable physical attributes (such as the wrinkles of the English bulldog or the snout of the English bull terrier).
The ideal morphological characteristics are set by the different canine federations, such as the Kennel Club UK, the FCI or the American Kennel Club among others and may vary from one federation to another.
Process a dog's pedigree
The pedigree that a dog has is registered in the genealogical books To have access to them, you must go to the association or society where your data resides, but if you don't have this information you can go with a DNA sample of your dog for analysis.
Once verified, you will obtain a certificate issued by the association that will certify that your dog has a pedigree. The price of this procedure is usually around €40 / $40.
Is a dog's pedigree important?
Advantages of having a dog with a pedigree
As we have mentioned, the pedigree is important if we want our dog to participate in a beauty contest or canine morphology, since It is an essential requirement to be able to register. Making sure that our dog belongs to a specific breed can guide us when it comes to determining its care, but apart from attributing specific physical characteristics to the individual, the pedigree does not It is important.
Disadvantages of the pedigree in dogs
Nevertheless, the pedigree itself can lead to certain disadvantages, as described in the documentary "Pedigree Dogs Revealed". Not all breeders carry out good practices and it is that, to achieve the desirable characteristics, the well-being of the dog is not always taken into account, an example of this is basset hounds, which can suffer from spinal problems, or pugs, which are unable to breathe normally.
Depending also on the type of breed, it is common for breeders to cross dogs that belong to the same family, generally grandparents with granddaughters, to preserve the ideal morphology of the breed. Let us remember that consanguinity supposes an increased probability of the appearance of genetic mutations and is a practice widely rejected in humanity, although it continues to be allowed in dogs.
Finally we also find irresponsible breeders who go further, crossing sibling dogs, father and daughter dogs and even dogs suffering he alth problems, as is the case with syringomyelia in the Cavalier King Charles spaniel.
