GENETIC DIVERSITY

"We Promise To Breed Healthy Borzoi By Keeping Low COI% To Maintain Genetic Diversity

And Avoid The Negative Health Impacts Of Inbreeding Depression."

As stewards of this magnificent breed, we take our role in producing healthy Borzoi and maintaining genetic diversity very seriously.  That is why we recommend that you learn about the Coefficient of Inbreeding or COI %.  

 

You should ask about COI % with any breeder that you contact for a Borzoi puppy. An educated breeder will know the COI % of every litter they have bred. This key measurement is critical in knowing that you are getting a puppy that has not been so tightly linebred that it may have future genetic health problems.  To learn more, read this article:  FAQ's About COI % 

 

Whether you get a Borzoi puppy from Sedona Borzoi or another breeder, we want you to make an informed choice.  Below is a link to a great pedigree site that has the COI % for dogs from most US Borzoi kennels.  It is alphabetical and you can just click on the letter of the Borzoi kennel you are researching at the top of the page. Next, scoll down the left column to find dogs from the kennel you are interested in.  Then, simply click the Bio page link on a Borzoi from the desired kennel and you will find a page that will have the COI% for that dog.  This is an excellent tool to research Borzoi breeders during your search for a puppy!

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Pedigree Website - Inbreeding Coefficients by Pedigree.

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You can search for any sire or dam on this site.  Once you land on the pedigree page,

scroll down to the Pedigree Analysis and choose 10 generation pedigree

for the most accurate Coefficient of Inbreeding or COI%.  The default

generation calculation on this website is 7 but 10 will give you

the most accurate result.

 

Below is an example of a COI % from tightly bred litter combinations,

although anything above 10% can be concerning.

 

29.7%
Mother/Son – Father/Daughter 
Brother/Sister Breedings

 

While health testing is important, the 4 tests recommended by OFA are only a small part of a dog's overall genetic health makeup.  Breeders may share on their websites that their Borzoi are OFA clear with these 4 tests.  What you won't know is how closely linebred they may be which equals inbreeding. If this is so, their puppies may exhibit genetic health issues as explained by Carol Beuchat PhD, from The Institute Of Canine Biology in her article FAQ's About COI %.

 

At Sedona Borzoi, we breed to preserve health and proper structure.  We choose Borzoi with complimentary phenotypes.  We have chosen this philosophy in support of our committment to producing healthy Borzoi and to avoid inbreeding depression.  We take pride in searching for the absolute best match throughout the world to improve upon our quality foundation.

This is called an Assortative Mating scheme which involves phenotypic breeding practices.  We continually assess the health, conformation and temperament of the Borzoi we produce and are working to move our lines forward through innovation and collaboration.

While ongoing and extensive linebreeding can solidify positive attributes, it can also lock in negative physical traits, health issues and may create smaller specimens over time as well as perpetuating infertility.  Geneticists have proven that tight inbreeding produces dogs with underlying health, longevity and fertility challenges that do not show up with testing offered by OFA.  "Recent studies have demonstrated that for every 10% increase in COI, there is a 7% decrease in litter size and median life span" Koharik Arman, The Canadian Veterinary Journal.
 

If you would like to learn more about "Inbreeding Depression" that occurs within lines that are closely linebred or inbred, please visit this link:  Breeding Schemes. 

 

Be sure to ask any breeder you are considering purchasing a puppy from what the COI% is for the puppy's parents as well as the puppy's litter.  This number is called the "Inbreeding Coefficient".  The Inbreeding Coefficient will let you know how tightly the puppy's parents have been bred and whether you need to be concerned about the problems associated with Inbreeding Depression. 

 

"It is a proven fact that longevity, reproductive success, and the immune system are all negatively affected by even "moderate" degrees of inbreeding."  Quote from J. Jeffrey Bragg's article: 

Canine Population Genetics in Practice: Principles for the Breeder. 
 

Sedona Borzoi litters over the years have been planned with Inbreeding Coefficients that do not reach above 15% to insure the health and fertility of our precious Borzoi babies.  We have maintained excellent fertility rates, averaging 10 puppies per litter.  Our breeding program is built upon quality, well matched phenotypic combinations to maintain Genetic Diversity.  

Our future plans at Sedona Borzoi will be to continue blending complimentary Borzoi types which will maintain our quality attributes and help us to improve where needed while still preserving our diverse gene pool.  We are committed to maintaining strong health, excellent temperaments, correct structure and exquisite movement. 

By breeding within the strategy described above, we have eliminated the negative effects of Inbreeding Depression from our breeding program, insuring the health, quality  and fertility of Sedona Borzoi for years to come.