SPECIALKLUBBEN RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK SVERIGE (SRRS)

In the revised Breeding Strategies (Rasspecifika Avelsstrategier - RAS), the Swedish Rhodesian Ridgeback Club, in collaboration with a vast majority of the Swedish breeders, has decided that one of the action plans is to support ridgeless dogs (with genotype r/r) being used in breeding under certain conditions, with the purpose to better maintain genetic diversity in the breed. This decision has gone viral in various Ridgeback Forums online and is being widely debated, which is why we share the reasoning behind the decision in English.

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One of the most important factors to ensure a long-term sustainable breed is to maintain a sound breeding structure in which as much genetic diversity as possible is preserved within the population. Genetic diversity is vital for the adaptability and survivability of the population. A decrease in genetic diversity increases the risks of hereditary diseases, immune deficiency and infertility. When there is a lack of genetic diversity in a population it is extremely difficult to come to terms with health issues as well as other undesirable traits that occur within the breed, as it is simply not possible to make appropriate breeding selections if all individuals carry the same gene variant for a certain characteristic.

In a closed population, which is the case in all pure-bred dogs, new gene variants (alleles) generally are not introduced. Most of the gene variants in our present dogs can theoretically be traced back to at least one of the individuals who founded the population when the studbooks were closed almost 100 years ago.

READ MORE ON THE WEBSITE OF THE SRRS: LINK