I bred Australian Shepherds for a while and had read in a book about breeding dogs and how to determine the sex at breeding.They say you breed first day of the heat when the dog is receptive to the male to get more females. the second and third day to get a mix of males and females and the last few days to get all males. I tried it once to get more females and it worked 3 females 1 male.But did it by luck?I bred to my vets aussie and she thought I was full of it,but was amazed it worked.

-- terri kim (twistoftexas@hotmail.com), February 11, 2002

Answers

Terri, This sounds like a great deal of fun. Trying out things genetically is fascinating. However, The American Kennel Club and The United Kennel Club make up most the the registrations in The United States. The Kennel Club of England registers most of the purebred dogs in Great Briton. All of them have conducted statistical poles with the people who breed purebred dogs and register them with these clubs. And done this with natural breeding and AI's too. Their statistics don't bear this out. However, that said, breeders from the major Coonhound, Fox Hound, Coursing Hound and Field Trial Retrievers were not part of this study. So, whos to know about them? Sometimes you can get an inaccurate statistical model from too few tests and maybe that's what's up here? Still, I wouldn't give up. Keep immaculate records and in twenty years or so It will be time to publish the results. It does take many generations with many different breeds and lines to get something that is noteworthy. I think this sounds like a fun and absorbing project and I bet you are going to have a good time with it. Are there other breeders in your sphere that would go in with you on record keeping? I envy you. What fun! LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), February 11, 2002.

Dosen't work. I usually let the girl with the boy at day 10,11 and 12 and no more. Last two years, almost all boys. Maybe has to do with moon phases or something. Two friends of mine with BC's had almost all boys last two years also. Before it has always been about half and half.

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), February 12, 2002.

My dear freind of mine said this about people also. That the boy chromosome sperms supposedly swim faster but not far, so, if it is late in the ladies cycle the egg will be lower and more likely for those speedy guys to get there, and if it is early in the ccle they poop out and slower but steadier girl chromosomes are likey to reach it.

I don't know, but it worked that way in her family and mine!

-- Novina in ND (homespun@stellarnet.com), February 12, 2002.