Ask A Scientist© Veterinary Topics Archive

name denise
status educator
grade 9-12
location CA

Question - Can a brother and sister Yorkie (dog) mate
without genetic complications? How about a father and daughter, or
mother & son?
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Simple answer: absolutely not. It is not safe at all to breed two 
individuals in the same family, especially as close
as those you are specifically asking about. The reason pure breed animals 
have so many problems is just because
of these sorts of breeding practices. Basically, the same genetic problems 
that people have breeding with family
members hold true with these animals (hence the reason it is not legal for 
family members to marry, at least in the
US). If there are any recessive genes that are going to cause problems for 
the offspring, they will most certainly be
expressed through inbreeding.

Susie Sample
University of Wisconsin
Vet. Medicine
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