What is Pure Breeding?
Purebreds are "cultivated varieties" of an animal species achieved through selective breeding. When the lineage of a purebred animal is recorded, that animal is said to be "pedigreed". Purebreds breed true-to-type, meaning the progeny of like purebred parents will carry the same phenotype, or observable characteristics. A group of purebreds is called a pure-breeding line or strain.
An example of true breeding is a tall, purple plant with genotype PPTT. Offspring from crossing this plant to itself or others of the same genotype match the parents. All offspring are purple and tall.
True-breeding plant features include:
- Homozygosity for a trait, with identical alleles
- Offspring have the same traits as parents
Breeding Practices
In contrast to pure breeding, which mates animals of the same breed, crossbreeding mates different breeds, and random breeding involves mating unregistered cats of mixed or unknown ancestry, resulting in domestic long-haired and short-haired cats.
Responsible breeding strives to balance refined breed standards and animal health.
Origin of Purebreds
Purebreds originate from a process of selective breeding. Because pure-breeding creates a limited gene pool, purebred animals are susceptible to a wide range of congenital health problems. This is especially prevalent in competitive dog breeding and dog show circles where aesthetics are often emphasized over health.
Dogs, for instance, evolved from wolves and can be categorized as sight hounds or scent hounds. Genetic testing reveals that all dogs descend from wolves, originating from a single species of wolf.
Purebred Associations
Purebred associations offer services to their members to enhance the breed. The main difference between purebred and non-purebred animals is in the recording of genealogy for purebreds.
To introduce breeds into the registry, a three-generation pedigree is required. This also applies in cases where an "unknown" dog appears in a pedigree due to a failed DNA test.