I am currently waiting for my first pedigree dog (as companion to me and my Battersea Special). Never having delved into this world before, I'm wondering if there is a way of looking into the background of a particular pedigree to learn all about my future pup's genealogy. I have the names already,going back five generations, I just want to know if there's anywhere to go from here?

What breed are you looking at? A number of people here are specialists in particular breeds and may just be able to point you in the right direction.

John

Thanks,John.
It's a border collie. I've met the mother-hopefully-to-be and one of her daughters from a previous mating with the same sire. They are beautiful with lovely temeraments. I know I could ask the breeder but I would like to do some research myself if possible.

When I researched my own first bitches pedigree, I joined the breed club, and purchased the year books over the last 10 or so years, where i could find adverts and pictures of the ancestors. I was lucky, as in my breed usually only the dogs that are being shown are normally bred from, so i could find a lot of them. I also wrote to the Stud owner for pictures and info, being careful to point out I was a keen newcomer wanting to learn about my bitches ancestors so that they were not just names. there may be a current UK book on the breed, which will have lots on influential dogs an Kennels. I even wrote to the owners of the Granparents and had nice letters and photos, with little stories about their dogs. I hope you enjoy the exploration

Thanks, I'll try that. I've always had rescues before so parentage never came up for discussion, apart from what breeds they may have been! I'm quite excited about knowing something about this pup's history:)

It often seems harder to find the first few in a line but gradually the dogs start to fall into place. I always want to know what's behind my dogs and if at any time you decide you want to breed that information would be invaluable. In my own breed, Labradors it's amazing the amount of information I find in magazines like Shooting Times when they run articles on early Field Trials. I can now take "The Flower" back in some lines to the mid to late 1800's

Regards, John

Hi LynnT

Warning: Pedigree collecting can become addictive.

It is very easy to get carried away with research - when I first started, pre-internet - I was doing 10 generation (circular) pedigrees on my girls and it took me two and a half years to get the last names - I can now trace some lines back to the beginning of the breed, and try to collect any data on any Dobe from around the world.

Have fun!

Christine

christine is right.....you end up with realms of paper in stacks of boxes. Over the years I have done 10 gens on my hounds, and I started buying old KC stud books. As well as making a very nice collection on the bookshelf, they also hold all the names I needed. Good luck.

Your not wrong there Christine !

It took me two years to do a 10 generation pedigree for one of my shorthairs.Once I had started it I could not leave it alone until I had finished it ! That was pre~internet days too. Mind you, it taught me how to research and log information properly ..lol. I gave up on the circular pedigree (to small) and logged it in a book format in the end.

I found that the Kennel Club's record keeping left a lot to be desired! It had so many mistakes it was ridiculous. Infact I spent a year and a half trying to wade through the first 6 generations and all of their mistakes :rolleyes: Once I got back to the German Stud books it was a piece of cake :-)

Leigh

I know Polly has a pedigree of one of her Flatcoats, neatly printed on large sheets of paper which she has to hang on her living room wall to study! IT IS COMPULSIVE!!!

John

Hi Lynn If you want to e-mail me with some names you already got I could maybe point you in the right direction satincollie@aol.com.I dont know if this years year book is still available but Margret and Doug Collier are the editors and Margeret writes the breed notes in Our Dogs so should be able to contact them from there.Gillian

Thanks everyone!
It sounds like I'll be starting a new hobby! At least I know where the experts are if I need help:)