Mentally Sound Collie
Project overview
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Short summary
The aim of this project is to create a tool that will facilitate breeding for dogs with a good mentality. It will also make it easier for puppy byers to find puppies that will develop into adult dogs with a desired mentality.
The mentality of working dogs in Sweden is recorded in the so called Dog Mentality Assessment (DMA). A dogs behaviour at the DMA also describes how it can be expected to behave in everyday life. The DMA was developed partly as a breeding tool and we know that the traits measured are heritable. The DMA will therefore be an important part of the new breeding tool. A goal with the project has been to develop a routine estimation of BLUP breeding values for traits measured at the DMA for Collies. This has until now not been done for any breed. Breeding values for mentality are now published at the Swedish Collie Club web page since 2012. The project will continue with further studies of genetic relationships between traits recorded at the DMA and the dogs behaviour in everyday life
The project Mentally Sound Collie is a cooperation between the Swedish Collie Club, the Swedish Working Dog Association, the Swedish Kennel Club and SLU.