What Happens if a Dog Gets Pregnant by Her Brother? (Explained!)
Inbreeding in dogs is unlike inbreeding in humans, which is considered totally unacceptable. In fact, a certain measure of inbreeding is required to keep the breed going.
If a canine gets pregnant by her brother, there is a severe risk that she will not produce healthy puppies. The puppies may also be susceptible to genetic conditions compromising their health. There may also be some aggression or behavioral problems in inbred dogs.
There are way more reasons not to inbreed than to allow your dog and her brother to mate. If you want to know more regarding what happens when a dog gets pregnant by her brother, check out this article.
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Understanding the Concept of Inbreeding in Dogs
Inbreeding occurs when two dogs from the same family mate and have offspring. It is generally commonplace in brothers and sisters. The process is intended to enhance the physical and behavioral attributes of the breed. The fundamental objective of the breeder is to increase the breed’s genetic pool. In some cases, inbreeding is required to introduce a new breed or to continue the line of a nearly extinct breed.
For example, a brother and sister dog will need to mate repeatedly for the breed to grow. The more sophisticated the bloodline, the more successful inbreeding will be. It is the desire to develop dogs with favorable physical traits that precipitates the inclination to want to inbreed. Inbreeding is frowned upon for distinct reasons. For the most part, inbreeding has negative health consequences.
Can Sibling Dogs Mate?
Brother and sister canines can mate and have puppies. Inbreeding is a common practice for breeders to produce offspring with the desirable physical traits that are considered the breed standard. However, it is a practice that is often discouraged due to health problems that can arise in future generations.
Dogs do not have a similar moral code that human beings. They do not understand the concept of siblings, as they are driven more by the instinct to increase their lineage. It is not uncommon for a breeder to have their brother and sister pups mate. In addition to having the right physical traits, breeders want to replicate the same disposition down the line.
What Happens When a Dog Gets Pregnant By Her Brother?
Two dogs who share the same parents do not always produce the perfect offspring free from defects or diseases. Sometimes when a dog has some negative traits, it is not something you can see clearly or outwardly. They may carry recessive alleles, which can cause negative characteristics in the puppies. Frequently, brother and sister dogs who mate produce offspring with negative traits.
They will often pass health issues onto their puppies, such as hip dysplasia and heart or liver conditions. When you breed brother and sister dogs, it decreases the size of the gene pool, as it is not uncommon for breed-specific diseases and health conditions to arise. The gene pool becomes limited, which makes the breed more susceptible to having these problems. For example, pugs are known to have brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, which is a condition seen in breeds with short noses. It can cause significant breathing problems for the breed and other breeds with this trait.
Brother and sister dogs who mate will frequently display these types of breed-specific abnormalities in their offspring. If a breed becomes too inbred, it can cause inbreeding depression. The dog’s capability to impact the sustainability of the breed becomes insufficient. Anyone who thinks they may want to breed two siblings together needs to seriously consider the pros and cons of doing this.
Pros and Cons of Inbreeding in Dogs
There are more cons than pros when it comes to having a brother and sister dog mate and having babies. This is the explanation of why the topic is so controversial. The consequences of breeding siblings can be very damaging. The subsequent consists of the pros and cons of inbreeding:
Pros
Brother and sister dogs who mate often have puppies with predictable physical and behavioral traits specific to the breed. The purpose of breeding siblings is usually to produce offspring with the same health and temperament as the mother and father. Breeding brother and sister dogs together often result in the positive traits being passed onto the puppies.
This process also results in achieving the breed standard, considered “show dogs,” who represent the breed perfectly. For example, a sheltie dog looks like a sheltie due to the breed standard. It may also be more convenient to breed a brother and sister pup already familiar with each other’s scent.
Cons
Inbred canines often have health complications passed along to the following generation. It may also cause serious fertility issues. Inbreeding enhances the homozygosity of recessive alleles. It can result in pups that cannot have babies themselves, which is unfavorable for the continuation of the breed. There is also a higher risk that when siblings mate, it will result in a miscarriage.
Sometimes hormonal issues can even be fatal in the female dog. You will also reduce the breed’s gene pool because some breeds will be more prone to certain diseases or abnormalities. As stated earlier, pugs tend to have breathing complications due to their short noses. Inbreeding is the cause of many health conditions in dogs.
The puppies that are born due to incest may have weakened immune systems. Puppies are already weak when they first arrive and require special care. However, inbred puppies are even more prone to having weakened immunity, which can lead to something as benign as a cough and cold becoming a life-threatening illness.
Many inbred dogs will also be born with defects. A lot of pups have one harmful mutation in their genetic code. For inbred dogs, the chances are greater that they will inherit a severe physical defect. When dogs inbreed, the recessive genes become more dominant. When you mate a brother and sister together, these genes only get more robust, and they may take over the gene pool. The issues continue down the line, causing inbreeding depression, which is the decreased survival rate and success of a particular breed.
Inbreeding may also cause aggression, and inbred dogs may be less intelligent than average. Sometimes it can be traced back to inbreeding depression or the incidence of behavior disorders triggered by genetics. The inbred pup may also have higher anxiety and other issues.
Also Read: Do Male Dogs Mate With Their Mother? (The Answer May Surprise You)
How to Stop Sibling Dogs from Mating
You can try diapers for the female dog to prevent licking due to her heat cycle. It blocks contact between the two dogs. You can purchase dog diapers online, or you can even make them yourself. You can put a half-body wrap on the male dog, which allows him to mount the female without making contact. If both dogs wear this protection when they are around each other, they cannot mate.
You can also separate them when they are in the house together. Put them in different rooms. When outside, keep them on a leash at all times, and do not let them sniff around each other too much. You can also take each dog outside one at a time. Constant supervision is the key to keeping the dogs apart. You may also want to have them sleep in separate areas of the house.
You can make use of a baby gate to keep them split up. As a last resort, try boarding the male or female when the female is in heat. This separation is necessary because if the male dog smells the female dog’s scent, it will entice him.
Can You Breed Father And Daughter Dogs?
Breeding father and daughter dogs are usually done as a way to produce a litter that is identical to the father. It increases the chance that the dog will inherit desirable traits. Breeding father and daughter together has the same risks as breeding brother and sister. Inbred dogs have a higher mortality rate. It can also cause fertility issues, a limited gene pool, behavioral issues, and congenital defects.
It is considered morally reprehensible to breed a father and daughter dog or a brother and sister. Inbreeding poses many health risks; no responsible breeder should take that risk. It should only be a last resort for the breeder.
Also Read: Can A Male Puppy Get A Female Dog Pregnant? (With Signs of Puberty)
How is Inbreeding Different from Linebreeding?
Inbreeding is the mating of close family members and reduces the gene pool. It increases the chance that the favorable traits of the dog continue into the following line. It helps to build the breed standard. However, it often causes devastating consequences. Linebreeding is a type of inbreeding. Close inbreeding can be much more dangerous.
Linebreeding is when breeders mate with parents who have a common family member but are not as close as when inbreeding, as it is just in the same family line. However, linebreeding can still pose the same risks as inbreeding.
Final Thoughts
Inbreeding is a way to produce puppies that are the breed standard. However, it can result in health, behavioral, and other issues. It may even lead to fatal consequences. Consider the risks first if you are thinking of mating a brother and sister dog or father and daughter.
Sources:
https://www.cuteness.com/article/happens-dogs-same-litter-mate
https://dogtemperament.com/can-brother-and-sister-dogs-have-puppies/
https://pethelpful.com/dogs/How-to-Prevent-Your-Intact-Dogs-From-Mating
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