What remains of the foundation stock in present day pedigrees?
The amount of individuals that constitutes the foundation stock was 39. Foundation stock consists of representatives of the landrace, that were accepted in the breeding program initiated by Karl-Gustav Zettersten. The individuals of the foundations stock were not registered, and their lineages were unknown. Three individuals of the foundation stock are not named in the breed records; thus they have been named after their registered descendants: “Tessan’s sire”, “Tjappo’s sire” and Vivan III’s sire”.
Pedigree of the first litter born outside Sweden.
There are no or little records why so many individuals of the foundations stock disappeared from the pedigrees. One can only speculate. Did they pass on some undesirable trait, such as colour not allowed in the breed standard? Were their offspring what was considered untypical in their anatomy? Did the breeders have difficulties selling the puppies? Did the breeders sell puppies as unregistered? Only around 200 puppies were registered in the 1940s, and around 650 in the 1950s. It was not until 1960s, registrations began to rise, climbing into approximately 200-300 puppies per year. It became mandatory in the Swedish Kennel Club to register whole litters only around 30 years ago: One can only guess the amount of puppies sold as unregistered up until late 1970s and beginning of 1980s. The first litter born outside Sweden was in Finland in the late 1960s.
For pedigree researchers, it becomes disheartening as foundation stock disappears from the pedigrees: more has been lost than preserved. As each individual of the foundation stock phase out, the breed loses genetic diversity. Today, out of 39 members of the foundation stock, only 16 still appears in the pedigrees.
List of foundation stock
Lost from the pedigrees
Remaining in the pedigrees
Anne e Ruffe
Bella
Bella I
Bellis
Daggan II
Dolly
Jack I
Jänta
Keth
Kickan
Klövagårdens Kula
Lalla
Lappo
Lassie
Lessi
Masse
Max
Moppan
Moppe
Mopsen
Nicke
Pola
Putte
Ruff
Sessan
Sickan 13060/67
Skott
Sussi
Sire of Tessan
Tessy
Sire of Tjappo
Topsy
Tusse
Tussi
Vivan
Vivan II
Sire of Vivan III
Vivi
Zenta
The genetic diversity of the breed today is constructed of the genes of the foundation stock. It is possible to calculate how big percentage of genes is contributed by each member of the foundation stock which still appears in the pedigrees. It would be ideal, if each member of the foundation stock would contribute to the gene pool in equally. Unfortunately, this is never the case in the real world:
The percentage of contribution to today’s pedigrees
Mopsen ~ 24%
Lessi ~ 14%
Tessan’s sire ~ 10%
Vivi ~ 10%
Nicke ~ 9 %
Moppe ~ 6 %
Tussi ~ 6 %
Vivan III’s sire ~ 5%
Topsy ~ 4 %
Vivan II ~ 4 %
Moppan ~ 2 %
Tjappo’s sire ~ 1 %
Jack I ~ less than 1%
Pola ~ less than 1%
Sessan ~ less than 1%
Tessy ~ less than 1%
What this means?
In practical terms, it means that all Vallhunds alive today have inherited 60% of their genes from four individuals: Mopsen, Lessi, Tessan’s sire and Vivi. The other 40% of the genes descend from 12 individuals, but it is to be noted that five of these 12 individuals contribute only 1% or less to the gene pool.
Contribution to the gene pool of each member of the foundation stock.
Unfortunately, the diversity of the breed consists only of genetic material of 16 individuals. This has direct impact on the average total inbreeding COI of the breed. Even though the breeders advertise their litters having inbreeding COI of 0%, it is not the reality. Breeders and breed clubs tend to report the inbreeding COI calculated with only 5 generations. In the reality, each litter have around 10 to 20 generation behind them, reaching all the way to the foundations stock, which now consists of 16 dogs.
The actual inbreeding COI is calculated by taking all the generations into calculation. Calculating the total inbreeding COI will be the topic of the next post.
Related posts:
History of the Swedish Vallhund, part 1
History of the Swedish Vallhund, part 2
History of the Swedish Vallhund, part 3
