As most of us know, breeding dogs (or any animal for that matter) is considered to be a combination of art and science; if we were to ignore the art factor, we would be robbing ourselves of the enjoyment of creativity. If we were to ignore the science factor, we would be quite foolish. If we really want to be an accomplished and reputable dog breeder, and leave our chosen breed in better genetic shape than when we began breeding, then we need to pay attention to advances in scientific knowledge.
One of the most facinating and important recent advances in the science of breeding is the understanding that inheritance is much more about epigenetics, than genetics. Epigenetics by the way, refers to those variables that are over or “on top of” genetics (epi is from the Greek, for “over, outside of, on top of”).
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