Genetic lines - GIANNI VULLO official website

Genetic lines
Introduction.
In any project of genetic amelioration one of the firm objectives of every breeder must be not losing
variability. Virtually the only means available to the selector who wants to control what he has done
or what he can do with the available subjects is the knowledge of the phenotype, not only dogs
contemporary with his subjects, but also a knowledge of the extinct ancestors. If the breeder doesn't
want to risk incuring close joinings which, because unknown, could be dangerously hazardous, he
must develop the pedigrees of the reproducers for better appraisal of the degree of consanguinity of
their union. In fact if we know the whole pedigree of a reproducer which we want to use we can also
find ways of manipulating it. In other words, a joining that seems to be an outcross1 because we know
four generations, becomes linebreeding when we know a great number of generations, and it becomes
an intense problem because distant progenitors will remain dominant in the transmission of the
characters.
The Italian pedigrees go up to the fourth generation (30 ascendancies) then they require up to
seventh or eighth generation (510 ascendancies) and also over this. This is to give a realistic picture
of the characteristics from which the phenotype of the examined subject is derived. This is one of the
motives I have thought useful in describing the most important joinings done by the breeders of past
times. It is a listing of names and joinings that can also be monotonous, but I hope that it is not entirely
useless.
“del Calaf”.
The holder of the kennel del Calaf was the engineer Ruggero Serrano. His big passion for Puccini
brought him to assign the names of the opera characters of the Italian musician to the dogs of his
kennel.
Undoubtedly Ruggero Serrano is considered one of the pioneers of the breed because he started to
breed in the period of the first official recordings, which is when the Italian Maremma Sheepdog
started to have notoriety out of the pastoral environment.
The kennel del Calaf was born officially in 1953. But before that year Serrano had bred other litters
without a prefix.
In Italy to have a kennel prefix, it is necessary to produce at least two litters and the dogs of these
two litters must achieve good results in dog-shows. Therefore the first litters of a breeder are without
a prefix always.
At the end of the 1940's from the joining of Dick and Lea ch. Miska was born. Dick and Lea were
two dogs of unknown origin.
From the joining of Miska with Liù (daughter of unknown dogs) on 28 February 1950 the stallion
which is in all the pedigrees of today's Italian Maremma Sheepdogs was born: its name is ch. Calaf.
Those who knew Calaf say that it immediately impressed for its big quantity of hair and its breeder
was justly proud of this.
1
The inbreeding and the linebreeding are two ways that implicate the joining of subjects more or less tightly allied among themselves, with a quantitative
difference only and not a qualitative one. In practice the two expressions are the same thing, they differ only about quantity because they represent a
percentage called the Coefficient of Wright which proportionally increases with the presence of an ancestor common in both the genealogies of the
parents. When instead we unite in marriage a stallion and a bitch which have not any bonds of relatives among them we are in the presence of the
outcross even if one of the two or both derive from inbreeding.
Two years after, Ruggero Serrano joined Liù with ch. Roll and ch. Suzel was born. Ch. Roll was a
stallion owned by Clementina Bazzini Piella and it was a son of Momi and Citti (both of unknown
origin).
After an abortion Liù was joined to its child ch. Calaf and it gave birth to its third litter where was
ch. Miska del Calaf.
From the joining between ch. Miska del Calaf and its half sister ch. Suzel, ch. Cosetta del Calaf was
born. Ch. Cosetta del Calaf was covered by its grandfather ch. Calaf and it gave birth to ch. Paperina
del Calaf.
This last joining was repeated two years afterwards (1960) and ch. Liù del Calaf was born. From
ch. Liù del Calaf with ch. Poldo di Villa Gioiosa (ch. Falk x ch. Mara) ch. Rhani del Calaf was born.
The last litter worthy of note bred by Ruggero Serrano was born on 16 July 1967 from ch. Calaf 2
and ch. Rhani del Calaf. Ch. Calaf 2 was son of two siblings Evo and Era and it was bred by Anna
Corsini. It must not be confused with ch. Calaf 1 that was thirteen years older. In this last litter there
were ch. Miska del Calaf and ch. Cosetta del Calaf. Also they must not be confused with their
namesakes quoted first.
“di Villa Gioiosa”.
The surname di Villa Gioiosa was given to Clementina Bazzini Piella in 1955 when she had already
bred some important dogs as ch. Roll (Momi x Citti children of two unknown subjects), ch. Mara and
ch. Falk (both children of ch. Roll and of Urania). Urania (Caccione x Derna) was a bitch which the
consorts Bazzini Piella had acquired from Anna Corsini.
Joining Fait (a bitch of unknown origin) with ch. Falk Clementina Bazzini Piella bred Arko di Villa
Gioiosa which did not become champion but it was a good stallion. From Arko di Villa Gioiosa and
Ombretta di Villa Gioiosa ch. Orsetto di Villa Gioiosa was born. Another two important daughters of
Arko were Oriana di Villa Gioiosa and Orietta di Villa Gioiosa. The mother of them was Maremma
Maiella (ch. Maremma Arno x ch. Maremma Sava).
Clementina Bazzini Piella used also Rolly, from Ben and Eva, which was a stallion of Mrs. Lea
Erich. From Rolly and Oriana di Villa Gioiosa was born Astor di Villa Gioiosa which Franca
Simondetti used many times for the first litters “delle Grandes Murailles”.
Ch. Argo di Villa Gioiosa was born in the same year as Astor. The father was the same but the
mother of Argo was Orietta di Villa Gioiosa.
Joining ch. Argo di Villa Gioiosa with ch. Mara (ch. Falk x Neva), Clementina Bazzini Piella bred
ch. Ambretta di Villa Gioiosa.
The kennel di Villa Gioiosa died together with its owners toward the end of the Sixties.
“dei Cani Bianchi”.
The owner of this kennel was Mirella Fera Cao.
The first two important dogs bred by her were ch. Ares dei Cani Bianchi and ch. Dike dei Cani
Bianchi born from ch. Tombolo di Ansedonia (Rojo x Vampa) and from ch. Maremma Vinca
(Maremma Allalì x ch. Maremma Iela).
The following year this joining was repeated and ch. Sirlaurence dei Cani Bianchi was born.
Mrs. Fera Cao then joined ch. Ares dei Cani Bianchi with its mother ch. Maremma Vinca; from this
joining ch. Aligi dei Cani Bianchi, ch. Clizia dei Cani Bianchi and ch. Mila dei Cani Bianchi were
born.
By ch. Leone , son of unknown parents, and ch. Dike dei Cani Bianchi was born ch. Iris dei Cani
Bianchi.
Still effecting a joining in high consanguinity on ch. Maremma Vinca, Mirella Fera Cao joined ch.
Iris dei Cani Bianchi to Batù dei Cani Bianchi (ch. Tombolo di Ansedonia x ch. Maremma Vinca) so
the three brothers ch. Lapo, ch. Lot and ch. Lissa (all dei Cani Bianchi) were born.
“Maremma”.
The selection of the Italian Maremma Sheepdog from Mrs. Franca Terruzzi began in the years 1940
to 50.
Franca Terruzzi was the first breeder to use ch. Calaf of Ruggero Serrano. She bred him twice to
Peg, a bitch of unknown origin and deriving from the Latial country. From the first litter ch. Maremma
Iela was born, also ch. Maremma Arno and ch. Maremma Alga were born from the second litter of
Peg.
Joining ch. Maremma Arno with another bitch of unknown origins, Arbia, Mrs. Terrazzi bred ch.
Maremma Sava and ch. Maremma Furia.
From the union of the two siblings Maremma Allalì and ch. Maremma Iela ch. Maremma Vinca was
born. This female was acquired from Mirella Fera Cao.
Using Brio (a stallion of unknown origins) with ch. Maremma Sava, Franca Terruzzi bred ch.
Maremma Napoleone.
Marcella was another bitch of unknown origins that entered into the kennel. It was covered by ch.
Maremma Arno two times. The first time it gave birth to ch. Maremma Mesa, and in the second time
Maremma Dianella.
From the joining of ch. Maremma Arno with its daughter ch. Maremma Sava ch. Maremma Ursa
was born. Then Franca Terruzzi crossed ch. Maremma Napoleone with Arbia and ch. Maremma
Duska was bred. This bitch covered by Palù di Villa Gioiosa (ch. Falk x ch. Mara) gave birth to
Maremma Faro which is the father of a stallion (Mec) used many times from Anna Corsini.
Ch. Maremma Gualda was born from Maremma Dianella and Numa, which was a stallion of
unknown origins.
In the beginning of the 1970's Franca Terruzzi took a bitch of unknown origins (ch. Samanta) and its
daughter ch. Sedalia.
Ch. Sedalia was covered by ch. Maestrale della Tesorella and it gave birth ch. Maremma Cariddi.
Maestrale was a stallion very used from the kennel Maremma. It was son of ch. Miska del Calaf (ch.
Calaf x ch. Rhani del Calaf) and of Ketty (Aras x Mila del Calaf). Crossing Maestrale with Mirka di
Villa Gioiosa (Astor di Villa Gioiosa x Tania) ch. Maremma Cedro was bred.
Ch. Maestrale della Tesorella covered also ch. Bibbiena delle Vergherie (Turbine delle Vergherie x
ch. Gaby) and they gave ch. Maremma Colco.
Perhaps the last important litter bred from Franca Terruzzi can be thought the litter born by ch.
Maremma Colco with ch. Sedalia. Here ch. Maremma Forese and ch. Maremma Farsalia were born.
A big worth that I think must be attributed to Franca Terruzzi is to done recourse continually new
blood.
“delle Vergherie”.
Nobody can deny that the Italian Maremma Sheepdog owes very much to the Corsini family. The
surname delle Vergherie goes up at 1968 but always this family has bred our breed. Prince Tommaso
Corsini was accustomed to reminisce that the first Italian Maremma Sheepdog entered at his home in
1912.
The owners of the kennel are Anna Corsini and her cousin Francesco Giuntini.
The first champion born into the Corsini house was Marmo (1961) which was a son of the two
brothers Evo e Era (Zorro x Bufera). Ch. Calaf of Ruggero Serrano and ch. Ombrone were born by
the same joining repeated two years afterwards.
By Batù dei Cani Bianchi (ch. Tombolo di Ansedonia x ch. Maremma Vinca) and by Nebbia (sister
of ch. Marmo) Anna Corsini bred Saetta which was the first bitch of the kennel “delle Grandes
Murailles”.
Ch. Arno was born from Titu x Norma which were two dogs of unknown origins. The Corsinis used
ch. Arno with Circe del Querceto (Batù dei Cani Bianchi x Bora del Querceto) and ch. Tiburzia was
born.
Two important reproducers were Paride and Rufina. The first was son of two siblings Fuco and
Fiera; the second was daughter of ch. Arno and Circe del Querceto.
From the union of Paride with Rufina Anna Corsini bred ch. Alvise, Turbine delle Vergherie and
ch. Tirreno delle Vergherie.
The 1970's were golden years for this kennel. They bred champions and many important dogs not
titled.
Ch. Adige delle Vergherie was born from Aquilano (of unknown origins) and from ch. Gaby (ch.
Ben x Eva).
Ch. Aura delle Vergherie, ch. Ambra delle Vergherie and Aquila delle Vergherie were born from
Mec (Maremma Faro x Chira del Querceto) and Uccellina delle Vergherie (Paride x Rufina).
Ch. Balzo delle Vergherie, ch. Bandiera delle Vergherie, ch. Bibbiena delle Vergherie and Bufera
delle Vergherie were born from Turbine delle Vergherie and ch. Gaby.
Son of Vincitore delle Vergherie (Turbine delle Vergherie x ch. Gaby) and of Aquila delle Vergherie
was ch. Ciclone delle Vergherie.
Ch. Dingo delle Vergherie and ch. Dora delle Vergherie were born from ch. Bernardo and ch.
Ambra delle Vergherie.
“della Città Giardino”.
Titular of this kennel was Mrs. Lea Erich.
The first important litter bred by her was born from ch. Ben (Poldo di Villa Gioiosa x Maremma
Ninfea) and Eva (ch. Leone x Anya). There were ch. Gaby and ch. Midge.
Ch. Mirko della Città Giardino and Madge della Città Giardino were born by Tirli delle Vergherie
(Paride x Rufina) and ch. Midge. These two brother were crossed and they gave birth to ch. Ivonne
della Città Giardino and ch. Nuska della Città Giardino.
Others children of Tirli delle Vergherie and ch. Midge were ch. Kira della Città Giardino and ch.
Beauty della Città Giardino.
Lea Erich lived alone for all her life, only comforted by the love of her dogs. At her death they
ended up confined in a public kennel for stray dogs.
“delle Grandes Murailles”.
Franca Simondetti was already an affirmed breeder of Cocker Spaniels when she began to breed
casually the Italian Maremma Sheepdog also. She took Saetta (Batù dei Cani Bianchi x Nebbia) from
Anna Corsini. Saetta became the founder of all the dogs delle Grandes Murailles.
In 1969 Saetta was covered by ch. Miska 2 del Calaf (ch. Calaf x ch. Rhani del Calaf) and gave birth
to ch. Maremmano delle Grandes Murailles. The following year Saetta was crossed with Astor di
Villa Gioiosa (Rolly x Oriana di Villa Gioiosa) and gave birth to ch. Montiano delle Grandes
Murailles which with Stella della Fiorenzuola (ch. Pong x Dolly) gave birth to ch. Gerfalco delle
Grandes Murailles.
Franca Simondetti bred basing exclusively on the descendants of these two joinings.
Ch. Pomona delle Grandes Murailles was born by Astor di Villa Gioiosa x Maremma delle Grandes
Murailles (sister of ch. Maremmano).
Ch. Ala delle Grandes Murailles and ch. Alberese delle Grandes Murailles were born by ch.
Montiano G.M. and Ala (Aras x Mila del Calaf). Repeating this joining ch. Ansedonia G.M. and ch.
Arbia G.M. were bred.
Ch. Arbia G.M. was covered by Rolly (Ben x Eva) and it gave birth to ch. Farasabina delle Grandes
Murailles and ch. Follonica delle Grandes Murailles.
Ch. Capri delle Grandes Murailles was born by ch. Gerfalco G.M. and Capraia G.M. (ch. Bernardo
x ch. Alberese G.M.
Ch. Bandita delle Grandes Murailles and ch. Baccanella delle Grandes Murailles were born by ch.
Capri G.M. and ch. Follonica G.M.
Two important dogs for Franca Simondetti were ch. Donatello delle Grandes Murailles and ch.
Domitilla delle Grandes Murailles which were born by ch. Maremmano G.M. and Diva delle
Vergherie (Vincitore delle Vergherie x Aquila delle Vergherie).
Certainly the most important child of ch. Domitilla G.M. (with ch. Gerfalco G.M.) was ch. Darfo
delle Grandes Murailles.
Ch. Bucaneve delle Grandes Murailles was born by ch. Darfo G.M. and ch. Baccanella G.M.
Ch. Sasso delle Grandes Murailles and ch. Selvapiana delle Grandes Murailles were born by ch.
Darfo G.M. and Selvatella G.M. (Isarco G.M. x Sala G.M.).
A good reproducer of the 1980's was ch. Zufolo delle Grandes Murailles which was born by ch.
Darfo G.M. and Zeta.
Many others champions have not been said, but the most important dogs of this kennel are the ones
mentioned. Franca Simondetti was the breeder who exported dogs abroad more than all the other
breeders and the quality of the foreign dogs, high or low is not of importance, and is due to her. The
English and Swedish and Australian breedings are all founded on dogs from Grandes Murailles.
“di San Miliano”.
The kennel di San Miliano began when Gen. Gianfranco Giannelli was dismissed from the Italian
army. Really the holder of the kennel was the wife Maria Benvenuti, but the two consorts collaborated
in the breeding.
Their first bitch was Lissa (ch. Maestrale della Tesorella x Blanche della Città Giardino) which with
ch. Tirreno delle Vergherie (Paride x Rufina) gave birth to Aglaia. This last bitch was covered by ch.
Bernardo of Pietro Chirici and gave birth to ch. Caronte di San Miliano and ch. Cassandra di San
Miliano. For the chronicle, ch. Cassandra di San Miliano was the first Italian Maremma Sheepdog to
win the Best In Show in a Italian international dog-show.
Ch. Dracone di San Miliano was born by ch. Bernardo and Lissa.
Pietro Chirici’s dogs.
The marriage between the Chirici family and the breed began with ch. Bernardo which was a dog
of unknown origines.
Paolo Chirici, Pietro's son, took this dog from the town kennels in Prato. It first got a pedigree and
then became champion. The career of ch. Bernardo was due to Pietro because his child Paolo died
young
When Anna Corsini used ch. Bernardo with her bitch Rufina (ch. Arno x Circe del Querceto) she
gave Bufera delle Vergherie to Pietro Chirici. When Anna Corsini used ch. Bernardo with ch. Ambra
delle Vergherie (Mec x Uccellina delle Vergherie) Pietro Chirici took ch. Dingo delle Vergherie and
ch. Dora delle Vergherie on an understanding of breeding.
On these dogs all brothers hinged the selection of what then became the Chirici line which is very
difficult to say because there is much consanguinity.
By ch. Bernardo and its daughter ch. Dora delle Vergherie Belle and ch. Bernardo 2° (nicknamed
little Bernardo) were born.
Ch. Ermes was born by ch. Caronte di San Miliano (ch. Bernardo x Aglaia) and Belle (ch. Bernardo
x ch. Dora delle Vergherie). Crossing ch. Ermes with its sister Era, ch. Azzurra was born.
Ch. Fido was born by the two siblings ch. Dingo delle Vergherie and Bufera delle Vergherie.
Ch. Indira was born by Febo (brother of ch. Fido) and Belle.
Considerations.
It is known that in every canine breed the champions make the breed.
We have tried to ascertain how much influence the titled reproducers has always had (and therefore
also their relatives) in the general evolution of all canine breeds.
Therefore, if we want to analyse the breed precisely I think that a more concrete statistic example
of the examination of the titled subjects (champions) of that period doesn't exist.
If for example we consider all the Italian Maremma Sheepdogs to which the ENCI has given the
title of champion and which have been born between 1990 and today, we can see that all the 81 dogs
have in their bloodlines three subject founders:
ch. Batù dei Cani Bianchi (bred by Mirella Fera Cao in 1959);
ch. Calaf (bred by Ruggero Serrano in 1950);
ch. Roll (bred by Clementina Bazzini Piella in 1948).
Besides, each of the 81 champions taken in examination comes down from three joinings which are
all three contained in the pedigree of every dog:
ch. Tombolo di Ansedonia x ch. Maremma Vinca;
Miska 1° x Liù;
Momi x Citti.
Not only each of the three founders is present in all the subjects taken in examination but in almost
the total of the cases it is present either in the mother line or in the father line of every champion.
Besides, in the generations nearest to the founders a consanguinity was effected.
In genetics the concept of family gathers a group of subjects which have a couple of common
ascendancies within the sixth generation.
Instead when we speak of genetic lines or of blood lines we mean the descent of a virile reproducer
up to seventh or eighth generation.
From this and stating the interdependence of all the champions (born from 1990 to today) from the
same male founders and from the same couples of ascendancies, and we consider only the champions
born in the last five years in Italy, these are the dogs which today are realistically available in
breeding. This is to analyse how much not tightly allied families exist in the breed today in Italy, if
they exist.
In the following chart I have listed all the 28 dogs which have received a title from ENCI and which
were born from 1995 to today in Italy. Nearby to every name I have pointed out the generations which
separate every subject from the three founder couples. The joinings taken into examination, only
because they are more diffusedly present in the today's subjects, are:
A: ch. Gil x ch. Mila;
B: ch. Gerfalco G. M. x ch. Domitilla G. M.
C. Ares x Felce J. d. T.
FAMILIES
NAME OF DOGS
A
B
C
Alibabà di Selvaspina
Apollo il Grande
Artù
Attrazione Fatale Loro Del Piana
Cenerentola
Eva della Fornarina
Ginevra
Iside
Jra di Lucus Angitiae
Lancillotto
Leone degli Elmi
Lucrezia del Melarancio
Luna di Miele Loro Del Piana
Marescialla del Mondonego
Nefertari della Rossera
Nereo Rocco del Mondonego
Noè della Rossera
Nutella del Mondonego
Orobianco del Melarancio
Risi e Bisi del Mondonego
Rufo
Savanna di Monte Misma
Scacco Matto Loro Del Piana
Scandalo al Sole Loro Del Piana
Scandalosa Gilda Loro Del Piana
Sogno Erotico Loro Del Piana
Tarantella di Selvaspina
Ursula degli Elmi
4
4
6
5
3
3
7
4
4
7
4
5
5
5
4
5
4
4
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
3
7
5
5
5
4
5
5
4
5
5
5
5
5
3
5
3
5
4
5
4
5
4
4
4
5
3
6
5
6
3
7
4
7
5
5
6
7
7
5
6
6
5
5
5
5
4
Also in the following chart, next to the same 28 subjects taken in examination in the preceding
scheme I have pointed out the generations which separate each of them from the three virile
reproducers taken in examination which are: ch. Bernardo; ch. Darfo G.M.; ch. Gil.
BLOOD LINES
NAME OF SUBJECT
Alibabà di Selvaspina
Apollo il Grande
Artù
Attrazione Fatale Loro Del Piana
Cenerentola
Eva della Fornarina
Ginevra
Iside
Jra di Lucus Angitiae
Lancillotto
Leone degli Elmi
Lucrezia del Melarancio
Luna di Miele Loro Del Piana
Marescialla del Mondonego
Nefertari della Rossera
Nereo Rocco del Mondonego
Noè della Rossera
Nutella del Mondonego
Orobianco del Melarancio
Risi e Bisi del Mondonego
Rufo
Savanna di Monte Misma
Scacco Matto Loro Del Piana
Scandalo al Sole Loro Del Piana
Scandalosa Gilda Loro Del Piana
Sogno Erotico Loro Del Piana
Tarantella di Selvaspina
Ursula degli Elmi
BERN.
DARFO
GIL
6
6
6
8
6
6
6
8
6
6
6
7
7
10
7
6
7
6
6
6
9
9
6
6
6
8
3
4
4
6
5
4
3
6
4
4
6
4
5
5
5
8
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
4
3
3
3
3
3
4
3
5
4
4
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
4
3
5
As we can see clearly, apart from some rare exceptions, all the three stallions of reference are
contained in the genealogy of every one of the examined subjects.