What does COI mean?

The word COI is co efficiency. Co efficiency is a word to define how in bred a pedigree is. In bred means too close ancestors.

But their are a lot of breeders falsely using COI, and the buying public do not have a clue what it means. They look at numbers on a sheet and have no understanding what it means to the dog/pups. Its almost used as a sales pitch today from people who really do not understand the pedigree dog.

If you want a totally out crossed litter, then go and buy a cocker poo, or labradoodle, cavapoo etc. These are two seperate breeds put together, called F1. If you want a further out crossed puppy which is for example a cocker spaniel x poodle x terrier x Labrador, so 4 breeds put in which are totally vast genes put together. What do you get in looks ? A Heniz 57.

The pedigree dog comes from smaller gene pools, which creates type. In other words you know what colour, size, head shape, body shape will result from the mating. This is in fact what a pedigree dog is all about. Type. Same in cows, sheep, cats etc.

Ive tried my best to explain in the easiest way possible.

The Kennel club have done a coi calculator for the pedigree dog but their information is not accurate. I know myself I’ve got one dog on there which has a lower coi than what the kennel club have written down.

Firstly stop worrying about the coi, your buying a pedigree dog and will have similar ancestors with in a pedigree. Yes Ive got some which have low coi, but they will still have the same dogs appearing in the pedigree. What you do not want is what we call Inbreeding.

In breeding is where you see a father mated to a daughter. A mother mated to a son. Thats inbreeding. The genetics in such a close breeding could produce health problems, but I will say possibly. Because their still can be diverse genes in the animal and they have not come together and the puppies are still fit and healthy. Their is far more to genetics than we as dog breeders can even accept. My son in law was the one who actually told me dog breeders are mad after studying genetics.

We do not in breed, but we do line breed and we do out cross. By outcrossing it does not mean you will produce healthier puppies far from it. As those two separate pedigree’s could carry for generations serious health problems which have now come together and hey presto health problem.

When line breeding you will know what size dog you will get, colour, head shape, and possibly health problems which could arise if they have arose before. Its the good breeder which stops and thinks if something has bee produced, and then make notes on what happened, and how it can be avoided in the future.

The UK was a small island and had little diversity in genes in dogs years ago. With the pets passport scheme this did help breeders bring in new blood lines, but it is at great expense and not everyone could afford to do so. Then you have some that import every dog in but by doing so they can create more health problems. So it has a to be done wisely.