Longevity question

[jimmy creek]

I know traits like size,nose power,line control, etc are all inherited. My question is, is longevity( life span ) also inherited? I have had 3 dogs from the same bloodline all die within a couple months either side of their 6th birthday. First was a female that was bred twice before she died at 6 yrs. Both litters were by the same male that was pretty closely related to the female. He was sold by his owner and I later learned he also died at about the same age. I kept one pup from each litter and they both died within a month of turning 6. In every case, dogs were fine one day ( In fact were ran that day ) and dead the next.

[pilotknob]

Yes,what you speek of is a classic side effect of what can happen when you line breed.Example:I line breed Indian Hills dogs,there is a certain outstanding individual that if I breed up too tight on him I can just about guarantee I will have problems with sugar,a number of the offspring will have problems with seizures,and alot of tham will die young from kidney failure.Chances are good that they will be really good dogs.If you like the line of dogs you have talk to others who and have bred them and isolate the individual(s) from the line if you want to go on.It only gets worse if you don't.Just as the good qualities are passed on,the undesierable ones will also just as easilly.I don't know for sure but what you describe sounds like anurisums,heridetary for sure if this is the case.

[Lone Pine Beagles]

The Black Creek line is about as short lived as I've seen.
Several pass at 5-8 yrs.

Linebred....yes.
I don't blame the linebreeding but I would blame the breeders.
Dogs were bred that had health problems resulting in short life spans.

Its a great line if you can get around the sugar fits, kidney disease, seizures, etc.


LPB

[bucks better beagles]

LPB, what you said about...I don't blame the linebreeding but I would blame the breeders. Dogs were bred that had health problems resulting in short life spans."

Good point and one I have trouble understanding. If a cross displays these kind of negative traits, why keep doing it?

What is even worse is that you get a pup from a man who know that the cross has negatives but he doesn't tell you about it. People selling pups always are saying that it will be fast, chop mouth, cold nose, etc. You never hear them say that that there is at least a 50/50 chance that it will be a fighter, have an overbite, kidney problems, seizures, short life, etc. Seizures are very common in beagles and I often wonder why people breed to a dog prone to seizures? I have raised pups that would have a seizure early on and the breeder would say, "Its normal. His daddy did it too."

[jimmy creek]

pilotknob, You hit the nail on the head, these dogs are line bred Indian Hill. They never showed any signs of kidney failure or anything to give any warning. They did all die outside of dog house, leading me to think they may have been in some distress before death.

[pilotknob]

If you've ever had one die from kidney failure it's hard to mistake from anything else.They will go from a healthy animal to a skelliton with hair on it in 1 to 2 wks.What you are discribing sounds like strokes.