The Line, Part One of a Two Part Series By Patricia Doescher I find the word “line” to be one of the common misunderstood words used by dog breeders today. It has become a rather easy word to toss around in conversation without thought to its true meaning and I hear it misused by novices and professionals alike. There is a distinct definition to the term “line” when used in regards to dog breeding and I will attempt to define the term and show the strategy used to develop a strong line. Line: A path or direction of movement in the deliberate mating of related individuals in order to retain the select characteristics of a common ancestor. While talking about a dog, a person might refer to it as being from a certain line, when in actuality the dog is not from a line at all, but from a particular kennel. You may argue that any dog from a certain kennel is from that kennel’s line simply because it is bred by the owner of the kennel and carries the kennel’s name. It may even be line-bred, having dogs related on both sides of its pedigree. It would be a mistake however to assume this represents a line, without careful examination of the pedigree. To figure out if a dog is from a “ line” you will need to study the pedigree - -a generational list of ancestors. The most accurate source would be to purchase this from the American Kennel Club, but there are on-line resources as well that offer pedigrees or the breeder of the dog might be able to supply you with one. If possible, it is best to have a pedigree trace back five, or more generations in order to get a good grasp on the breeding that took place behind the dog. The farther back you can search the better your understanding will be about how the dog has been bred. After researching the pedigree you will be able to tell if the dog comes from a specific line. The pedigree of a dog from a “line” will show a selected path of breeding, always with one particular dog used as the foundation. Through consecutive generations of breeding “back” to this foundation dog or close relatives to it, the breeder is strategically attempting to bring forth the genetic strengths sought from this dog’s background. There may be deliberate outcrosses with quite distant or non-related dogs to attain specific improvements, but always, the result of a mating such as this, is bred back to the original foundation dog or a close family member to continue the line. As the generations roll forward the characteristics behind the line are apparent in the majority of the offspring. Because it takes many generations and a certain amount of the trail & error, most Shiba breeders in the United States have not established a true line. There is also the problem of limited access to select individual Shibas and this has not helped the situation. Some breeders do not want to line-breed; thinking it is a detriment to the breed, but without line breeding a “line” cannot be obtained.