Evaluation of the effectiveness of introducing new alleles into the gene pool of a rare dog breed: Polish Hound as the example

The objective of the analysis was to check the possibility of enriching a gene pool of a rare dog breed by breeding use of dogs of unknown origin that are phenotypically similar to a given breed. The evaluation was performed using pedigree and mtDNA analyses applied to Polish Hounds. The results indicated the very limited breeding success of such dogs in relation to their contributions to the gene pool and to the number of their descendants used in breeding. Dogs of unknown origin accounted for 80.9% of the total number of breed founders while the proportions of their descendants used in breeding were equal to just 14.3 and 4.7% of the total number of dams and sires, respectively. Breeders are unwilling to use such dogs and kennel judges are critical of their quality and appearance which are inconsistent with the breed standard. This may be connected with their distinct breed affiliation detected by the mtDNA analysis which showed the presence of three mtDNA haplotypes in Polish Hounds differing by a large number of substitutions. The study leads to the pessimistic conclusions that chances of enriching gene pools through breeding use of dogs of unknown origin are rather slim. The case of the Polish Hounds shows that the success of programmes for improving the genetic condition of endangered dog breeds can only be achieved in coordination between breeders and kennel authorities, and with financing from the state.