First, I really want to emphasize that when considering prospective outcross candidates there are way more right answers than wrong ones and that managing healthy populations necessitates people pursue different paths.  Consequently, in lieu of presenting a specific breed or breeds for outcrossing, this project sought to develop criteria for selecting outcross dogs.  Also keep in mind the limited present scope of this project – demonstrating Flatcoat type can be achieved with a healthier COI.  The breeders involved have plans for carrying forward beyond that, but return to type is an important data point for policy change should anyone wish to engage those processes.  Finally, remember that genetic rescue is not a one-and-done event and that long term management of a healthy population requires a porous gene pool and some variability across selection criteria.

Criteria 1 – Healthy genetic profile.  English Shepherds and Old Time Scotch Collies (OTSC) have active conservation breeding communities and open stud books, providing enhanced likelihood of finding low COI candidate dogs who also offer a good deal of heterozygosity to Flatcoats.  Both outcross litters have eCOIs ~1%.

Criteria 2 – Healthy dog and pedigree.  The population management employed by the ES and OTSC communities requires breeder candor and information-sharing, lending some degree of pedigree “knowability.”  The breeds’ long focus on functionality favors selection for sound and long-lived dogs.  The individual dogs selected bring pedigrees rich in longevity, and soundness into old age, and are clear of knowable genetic mutations by pedigree and testing.  Keep in mind that basic genetics principles allow breeders to predict and mitigate the introduction and perpetuation of harmful genetics.

Criteria 3 – Phenotypic similarity.  While this is the criteria everyone seems most fixated on, I do want to stress that population genetics instructs us to focus on genetic health and trust “return to type.”  This article helps demonstrate that process.  Consequently, we were more interested in capturing the less obvious / more amorphous traits that may prove challenging to reliably select for – while things like a soft mouth and flat-lying coat are easy to identify and carry forward, traits like intuitiveness and sense of humor may be less so.

Jess and I are nerds, so we turned to the history books to guide us.  Flatcoats are one of the St. Johns Water Dog (SJWD) descendants, with spaniel, setter and collie used for further refinement.  The founder of The Kennel Club – Sewallis Shirley – was extraordinarily influential in the further development of the breed.  Shirley’s kennel included collies in addition to Flatcoats, and there is good reason to believe he was crossing the two with some regularity – pictures from around this time, for example, show very collie-esque looking Flatcoats (or Flatcoat-esque looking Collies, depending on where you stand).  This interbreeding also makes good logical sense given that versatility, a trait shared with the collies of this era, is what set Flatcoats apart from the more specialized SJWD descendants.

English Shepherds and Old Time Scotch Collies (OTSC), in turn, are two landrace collie breeds that have retained the adaptability of the all-purpose farm collies of Shirley’s time – jack-of-all-trade dogs prized for versatile working abilities and companionable qualities as well.  So, these breeds share not only an interwoven history, but also a suite of subtle traits underlying their versatility.  This versatility is also something we feel to be especially integral to the essence of a Flatcoat so it was clear to us that the historical intersection of these breeds was worth revisiting.

The Flatcoat Conservation Project operates independent of any breed or kennel clubs.  After many years of membership with the FCRSA, we concluded that the project could only achieve its goals if unhindered by the cultural hurdles arising from closed stud books and commitments to “purity” that are both arbitrary and damaging. Within the scientific community, the fundamental unsustainability of closed gene pools and the health consequences of rampant inbreeding are not matters of debate; consensus was achieved long ago.  The remaining debate is primarily cultural, and the responsibility we feel toward the dogs we breed and their owners demands that we step out from that cultural debate and follow the science.  It is overdue.  

This independent structure also presents an opportunity for those who are interested in or curious about outcrossing, many of whom we consider friends, to observe the process from the sidelines without having to first choose sides or step into unnecessary controversy.  Providing tangible outcomes for those who need to see what is possible is a significant goal of this project, and down the road, should the club or its members wish to formalize an outcrossing program or seek registration of backcrossed dogs, we are happy to share our experiences and data, but this project prioritizes genetic health over breed club blessings or registrability.

Cross-breeding Flatcoats is not new and there are several historical examples, often identified only in hindsight because the breedings were conducted behind closed doors.  We elected to pursue this project openly because we love the breed and seek greater transparency, believing that the breed will benefit from open conversations about genetic health and population management.  If you are skeptical of outcrossing, you can  observe our decision-making in real-time, learn about the variables we consider and the tools we use, and ask questions to help you decide whether it is something you might incorporate into your own breedings.  If you are vehemently opposed to outcrossing, you can continue breeding 30% COI litters and easily avoid any offspring from this project.  This project poses no threat to existing breeding practices nor closed gene pools precisely because it is out in the open.  

Finally, while we may no longer be club members and may disagree with club priorities, please trust that we are motivated by our love for our dogs and this breed.  We hope this shared passion can unite us all in working towards a genetically healthy Flatcoat population and improved health outcomes.

We use genetic COIs.  Pedigree COIs aren’t accurate in Flatcoats because they fail to account for the relatedness caused by historic bottlenecks.

If you want an accurate COI, test your dog with Embark, or any other high resolution, SNP testing tool. If you want to determine the expected genetic COI of a litter (eCOI), test both parents then use Embark’s “Pair Predictor” tool. 

If you want to figure out a Flatcoat’s approximate COI using a pedigree, add 30% to the pedigree COI to get in the general ballpark of actual COI.

If you want to learn more, read this blog post discussing pedigree vs. genetic COIs in Flatcoats.