How Professional Breeders Track Pedigrees
Pedigrees tell the story of your breeding program. They inform decisions, prove lineage, and help predict outcomes. This page explains how serious breeders manage pedigree information beyond printouts and isolated databases.
Why pedigree tracking matters
Poor pedigree management creates problems:
- • You can't answer basic questions about lineage
- • Inbreeding happens accidentally because you didn't check common ancestors
- • Buyers ask about pedigrees and you're scrambling to find papers
- • Breeding decisions lack context about ancestral traits
- • You can't trace where health issues originated
- • Registration paperwork is incomplete because you don't have complete lineage information
Pedigrees aren't decoration. They're decision-making tools. If you can't access and analyze them quickly, you're breeding blind.
Common pedigree management approaches
Paper pedigrees in files
Registration papers with three or five generation pedigrees. Filed with each animal. Finding common ancestors means pulling out papers and comparing by eye.
Generic pedigree databases
Online databases where you search for registered animals. Good for research. But the data lives separately from your animals, health testing, and breeding plans.
Pedigree software (standalone)
Dedicated pedigree programs that draw fancy charts. The pedigree data is isolated from everything else you track about your animals.
Handwritten charts
Draw the pedigree by hand when planning a breeding. Works once. Redrawing it for the next breeding is tedious.
Memory and familiarity
"I know the lines." This works until you need specifics. Or until you're considering a breeding with unfamiliar lineage.
Why pedigree tracking fails
Pedigrees are disconnected from records
You have a pedigree database. You have animal records. They don't talk to each other. When evaluating a breeding, you're switching between systems trying to connect the dots.
Inbreeding calculations are manual
Calculating coefficient of inbreeding by hand is complex. Most breeders skip it. Without it, you don't know how closely related a planned breeding actually is.
Common ancestors are invisible
Looking at two five-generation pedigrees side by side, trying to find who appears in both. This is error-prone and tedious. Software should do this instantly.
Ancestral health data is lost
You know the great-grandfather had hip dysplasia. But that knowledge is in your head, not connected to his entry in the pedigree. When someone else looks at the pedigree, they don't see it.
Sharing pedigrees is manual
Buyer wants a pedigree. You're scanning papers or using a separate pedigree program to generate a printable chart. It's not integrated with the rest of their puppy information.
Hypothetical breedings require recreation
You want to see what a potential breeding's pedigree would look like. You're drawing it by hand or entering data into software temporarily. It's a lot of work for a "what if."
What proper pedigree management requires
Pedigrees integrated with animal records
- • Each animal has a pedigree attached to their record
- • Sire and dam relationships tracked automatically
- • Multi-generation pedigrees generated on demand
- • No duplicate data entry
Automatic inbreeding calculations
- • Coefficient of inbreeding calculated for planned breedings
- • Common ancestors identified and highlighted
- • Multiple generations analyzed
- • No manual math required
Ancestral data preserved
- • Health testing visible on ancestral animals
- • Titles and accomplishments displayed
- • Notes about traits and characteristics preserved
- • Historical data informs breeding decisions
Visual pedigree charts
- • Clean, professional pedigree layouts
- • Multiple generation views
- • Printable and shareable formats
- • Customizable display options
Hypothetical breeding preview
- • See pedigree of potential offspring before breeding
- • Evaluate multiple stud options side by side
- • Inbreeding coefficient shown for each pairing
- • Plan before committing
BreederHQ integrates pedigrees properly
Pedigrees connected to animal records, not isolated in a separate database. Automatic inbreeding calculations when planning breedings. Common ancestor detection. Ancestral health testing and accomplishments preserved. Professional pedigree charts shareable with buyers. Hypothetical breeding preview so you can evaluate pairings before committing.
Pedigree management that actually informs breeding decisions.
This workflow matters for breeders who:
- • Make breeding decisions based on lineage
- • Track multiple generations of breeding animals
- • Need to calculate inbreeding coefficients
- • Preserve ancestral health and accomplishment data
- • Share pedigrees professionally with buyers
- • Evaluate multiple breeding options before committing
This might be overkill if:
- • You breed unregistered animals without pedigree tracking
- • Pedigrees aren't relevant to your breeding decisions
- • You have simple lineage that's easy to remember
- • Paper pedigrees genuinely meet your needs
If lineage doesn't drive your breeding decisions, detailed pedigree tracking may not add value. But most serious programs rely on pedigree analysis.
Frequently asked questions
Does it calculate coefficient of inbreeding?
Yes. When planning a breeding, the system calculates COI based on pedigree data.
Can I import pedigrees from other databases?
You'll need to enter pedigree data. Some breeders enter as they go, others batch-enter lineage for their foundation animals.
How many generations can I track?
As many as you enter. The system doesn't limit generation depth.
Can buyers see pedigrees?
Yes. Pedigrees can be shared through the buyer portal or exported as professional charts.
Does it show common ancestors in a planned breeding?
Yes. The system identifies and highlights common ancestors when evaluating a potential pairing.