200 KEISFNEL SECRETS. 



But the knowing breeder does not pursue this course, 

 tor he goes back of the individuals and is influenced by 

 the characters of their families ; and while he prefers a 

 dog that is not only good himself but came of stock that 

 was invariably good, he values family excellence above 

 that of the individual. In other words, if his bitch has 

 too long a muzzle, his choice is a dog that comes from a 

 family that were good in muzzle, rather than a dog which 

 exhibits this quality but is of a family that were poor in 

 muzzle. 



He also appreciates that he may intensify a defect by 

 breeding to a dog that is good where his bitch is bad. 

 For instance, if she is snipy in muzzle and of a family 

 none too good in this point, and he finds a dog that is 

 short and square in muzzle, and in fact very good in all 

 points before the eyes, he does not jump at the conclusion 

 that this is the dog for him to breed to. No. He goes 

 carefully into his history, and if he learns that he comes 

 from a bitch that was bad in muzzle and her family also 

 had the same fault, while his sire was only fair in muzzle 

 and of a family that were not noted for good muzzles, then 

 he regards that dog as an "accident," and considers that 

 were he to breed his bitch to him the existing defects 

 would likely be intensified. Therefore, he seeks a dog 

 that is known to transmit to or mark his puppies with 

 good muzzles, and from parents or a family that were 

 noted for the same excellent quality. 



Assuming another case, and this time of a bitch with 

 yellow eyes. Now the average breeder would select a 

 dog that had eyes of good color, without considering for 

 a moment that that dog may be an "accident," — or, in 

 other words, from a yellow-eyed family, — but he who has 

 had experience and profited by it would satisfy himself 

 on this point, and if the dog came from such a family he 

 would choose one from a family good in eye. 



