INBREEDING AND ANCESTOR LOSS IN THE POPULATION OF TATRA SHEPHERD DOGS BASED ON THE SEX AND BREEDING SYSTEM

The aim of the study was to analyse the structure of the population and inbreeding trend taking into account the sex, breeding system. The highest number of kennels, that was, 40 were registered in the Lesser Poland voivodeship, in the region of Podhale, which corresponded to 33.06 % . For a 4-generation population, the inbreeding rate was 6.52 % for male dogs and 6.79 % for female dogs. The highest inbreeding rate was found in a nCH and PL groups consisting of both male and female dogs. The inbreeding rate was significantly higher in 2005–2014, amounting to 6.94 % for male dogs and 8.22 % for female dogs in comparison to the period 1994–2004 when it was 5.87 % and 4.88 % , respectively. An increasing ancestor loss coefficient (AVK) was found, which may result in an increased number of inbred animals. In particular, it referred to female dogs in the nCH, PL, and Z group, whereas a significant increase of AVK was observed in the group of male dogs from foreign kennels. Studies had shown that there was no risk of inbred depression yet; however, the gene pool of the Tatra Shepherd dog breed had become noticeably restricted.