AA Degree Technical Writing

Educate the Masses, Lessons from Islamic History

A deeper study of the history of the nations reveals that the most effective factor in the rise of a nation is education. The capability to acquire knowledge elevates status of human beings above all other creatures. The creator of the universe taught Adam (AA-Aali Assalaman: Peace Be Upon Him) the knowledge about his creation and advised the angles to prostrate him as token of their submission. This is the secret of superiority of human race. Every human being should realize that he is capable to harness universal powers and conquer the forces of nature if he educates himself.

The source of unlimited knowledge is Allah. There are channels of knowledge from Him. Direct knowledge through his messages which is termed as knowledge of the Book (Kitab). And the wisdom (Hikmah) which shows us how to gain knowledge from the universe.

The knowledge of the book is categorized as religious science while the knowledge gained through wisdom and research is the natural science. The religious science gives answers to the fundamental questions such as purpose of life,the beginning and the end of the universe and teaches us the best morals. Through the natural sciences we learn how the systems of the universe are working and how can we facilitate our life on earth.

The very first educators of human being were the prophets who taught the skills for a successful eternal life. The last of them, Prophet Muhammad (SA-Sallaho Alaihe Wassalam: Peace and Blessing of Allah Be Upon Him) started teaching the verses of Quran as were being revealed to him. The first school of Islam was established in the house of one of his companion, Arkam (RA- Radi Alah Ho Anho: May Allah be pleased with him) on the hill of Safa in Makkah at the early stages of the relevations.

The process of education continued till Muslim migrated to Madina and the first Islamic state was established there. Here the first residential school was established on a platform (Sufa) inside the Masjid-e-Nabvi.

The very first scholars of Islam were educated here. They were the pioneers in spreading of Islam. Once the Holy Prophet (SA) enters the Masjid and observes two groups. One is busy in praying and supplications while the other is engaged in scholarly discussions. He (SA) joins the second group. It is a clear and practical proof that Islam encourages seeking knowledge through discussions and arguments. The Holy Prophet (SA) deputed the non- Muslim prisoners of the battle of Badr to teach reading and writing skills to the Muslims. A prisoner was released when he successfully taught ten persons. Since the mission of the Prophet (SA) was to propagate the word of Allah, he used all available means to accomplish this mission. The skills of reading and writing is necessary to record, preserve and spread knowledge. He (SA) encouraged his companion to gain knowledge even if they have to travel to the place as far as China. These instructions encouraged Muslims to gather knowledge of natural sciences along with the religious science.

In another saying Holy Prophet (SA) declared that acquiring knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim man and woman. This commandment broke down the barriers which allowed access of knowledge to some privileged groups and denied access to less fortunate ones including woman. Because of such emphasis on seeking knowledge, the early Muslims did acquire all kind of knowledge religiously. It was a common faith and a common language which helped spread Islam to almost half of know world during the caliphate of Omar (RA). Under his instructions, a Maktib was established in the Masjid. Here reading and writing was taught along with the Islamic education. Maktab is an Arabic word used for the place of writing. It is also used for modern day office. Word Like (Kitab) Book and Maktaba (Library) have the same root.Sooner these institutions were established throughout Islamic world and brought an educational revolution. During the period of Khalifa Omar (RA), memorization of Sura Al-Baqra, Nisa, Al-Maid and Al-Hajj were encouraged and recited in prayers. In these chapters of Quran, the basis of Islamic laws are explained. The long recitations in the morning and evening prayers in a Masjid is nothing less than the heavenly lectures  of All- Knower delivered through Imam (Leader) and listened by the students with full attention. The Masjid and Maktab system is financed by the government a well as by the individuals. Every well to do Muslim tries to gain perpetual reward by building Masjid and Maktab. It was because of these institutions that the literacy rate in Muslim areas like Spain raised to hundred percent in short period of time at the time when the remaining Europe was in dark ages.

In accordance with Quranic principle,Muslims are allowed to eat whatsoever they like, do what they want to do and gain knowledge of every kind until and unless the limits set in Quran are not crossed. This concept opened their minds to accept knowledge about all creations of the Creator. This freedom inspired Muslims to travel to far off places and collected knowledge beneficial to humanity. This knowledge was inslamized and was taught in the Maktab schools inside Masjid. At initial stage there was no discrimination in religious sciences and natural sciences.Both were taught inside Masjid. Arithmetic was must for calculations of the zakat, inheritance and to conduct business. The knowledge of geography was required for determination of the direction of Makkah.

Children from both genders were admitted at an early age. Education was free for all. Various subjects were taught in the study circles called Halqas. The central Masjid of Cairo had one hundred study circles. The teacher used to sit on chair from where the term “Chairman” was developed which is being used till today. Research “Chair” in modern day universities has the same Muslim root.

The teachers were appointed either by the Caliph (Khalifa) or by a committee of Scholars. A student who had learned reading and writing skills could specialize in the subject of his interest. He could learn the science of Tafseer (Explanation of Quran), Science of Hadith (Sayings of Prophet (SA)), Islamic Law, Fiqah, Language, Astronomy, Mathematics or etc.

The successful students from the Maktab schools entered the Madrassa which was normally attached to the Masjid. Word Madrassa is derived from the Arabic word “Dars” meaning lecture. Hence lectures on specialized subjects were delivered by the renowned professors in the madrassas. These madrassas are equivalent to the collages of modern age. As these are attached to the Masjid, these are supported by the same system of Islamic Trust (Waqf). The Arabic language played a vital role in transferring knowledge to the artisans. Muslims classified knowledge and defined pure and applied sciences. As the knowledge of engineering is based on mathematical science, it is called “Hindsa”. The medical knowledge is more associated with wisdom and hence is called “Hikma”. The basic technical knowledge and skills were taught by the professionals of the relevant fields. The degree was awarded by the professors.

In 1066 AD, Nizam-ul-Mulk, a minister of the caliphate founded Nizamia system of educational institutions which soon became popular throughout the Muslim world and survived for a millennium. Great imam Ghazzali was a professor at one of those institutions.

In 1231 AD, the first medical college was established in Damascus.In 15th century AD, huge complexes consisting of a Masjid with Maktab, a Madrassa, a hospital, a public kitchen and a dining hall became a common sight in the Muslim world. Such a complex was called Kulliya (College). These institutions revolutionized the higher education. As recorded by the great Muslim traveller, Ibn Batuta, not only education was free but food and medical facilities were also provided by the institutions. The talented youth from all walks of life had equal chance of education. The Fatieh college of Istanbul is an example of such an institution. It had 16 schools for teaching science and technology.

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Along with traditional institutions, Muslims pioneered innovative concept of learning. The Bait-ul-Hikma (House of Wisdom) was one of these concepts. Caliph Haroon Rasheed invited renowned scholars from the Muslim world and facilitated them to perform their research work in an intellectual environment. The Muslim scholars translated contemporary knowledge from Greece, China, Persia, India and Egypt into Arabic. Al Kindi, Yuana Ibn Al Batrique Al Tarjaman and Hunain Ibn Ishaq were among the great translators at that time. In fact they Islamized the knowledge into Arabic which started the new era of scientific discoveries in the Muslim world. Bait Al Hikma was the greatest scientific institution of that time. A huge library was established there. Caliph Al Mansoor asked Cesar of Rome for the scientific works of the Greek scientists which were stored in the Roman Empire as these were banned in the Christian world.

Khalifa Haroon Al Rasheed wrote a letter to the King of Sicily demanding all available books in his kingdom. The king honoured the Khalifa with copies of books. Khalifa Al Mansoor brought 100 camels loaded with books from Iran. The Muslim scholars and translators even went to the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire to translate rare books under his custody. Beside Bait Al Hikma, Khalifa Mansoor constructed a great observatory. This was the most modern scientific research centre of that age. Of course, during the golden age of Islam, Muslims were a thousand years ahead of time compared to the rest of the world. Khalifa Al Mamun established 332 institutes of scientific studies in the Khilafa. These institutes produced the greatest scientists like Al Khawarzimi: the father of Algebra, Banu Musa brothers: the renowned mechanical engineers, Al Kindi: the inventor and Saeed Ibn Haroon Al Katib: the writer. These scientists paved the way of modern scientific revolution.

In Daily Guardian, Brian Y. Taker writes “Dar-ul-Hikma (the expanded Bait Al Hikmah) was a unique institution of science and other knowledge. Mathematics, Astronomy, Medicines, Chemistry, Zoology and Geography were among the subjects taught there. It had the largest collection of scientific works of Greece, Persia an India which was further developed by Muslim scientists.”

Khalifa Al Hakim established Dar Al Hikma in Egypt in 1003 AD. At the time of Khalifa Makhdoon, only Cordoba in Muslim Spain had 1800 institutions of higher learning . Granada University had 120 professors teaching various branches of knowledge. The city had 1200 schools and 17 colleges.

The most important institute of higher learning in the Muslim world was Jamia (University) Al Azhar of Egypt. It was established in 971 AD during the holy month of Ramadan. Today it is the greatest institution of higher learning in Islamic education and literature. It is the second oldest degree awarding university of the world. Like a Maktab and Madrassa, Jamia Al Azhar was also attached to the great Al Azhar Masjid and hence was supported by Islamic trust. The university has the second largest library of Egypt. Today under “Al Azhar Online” project, over seven million books are being preserved on its website including rare Islamic manuscripts. Engineering and Medical education is also given alongside religions education. It used to be the centre of excellence of Islamic law. Abual Hasan Ibn Nauman Al Khairanvi, the son of Imam Abu Hanifa was the first to conduct here an open seminar on Islamic law. He was the chief justice at that time. Such open seminars gave rise to the freedom of expression. The offices of the judges were established inside the university. Great historical personalities like Ibn Khaldoon, the historian, and Ibn Haythem, the father of optics, were associated with this great institute.

The honour of oldest degree awarding university of the world goes to Jamia Al Al-Qarawiyyin (Morocco) as per the Guinness Book of World Records.In 841 AD, a pious lady Fatima Al Nehri founded Masjid Al-Qarawiyyin in the city of Fez. It was later on developed into a university. The laboratories of the university were equipped with the scientific instruments such as astrolabes and water clocks.

Khalifa Mustensar Billah established Mustansaria University in 1233AD in Baghdad. In 1327AD, Sarkore University was founded by Kankan Musa in Mali.

The great scientific institution, Dar Al-Fanoon was established in Istanbul, Turkey in 1453 AD which was upgraded to university in 1933. In Tehran, Iran, Dar AL-Fanoon University was founded in 1851 AD. In 1780 AD the famous Madrassa College was established in Calcutta, India.

In medical education, the first Bimaristan Medical University started awarding degree in the 9th century AD. Bimaristan was the word used for the hospitals at that time in the Muslim world.

It is interesting to note that the modern educational term “Baccalaureate” is the Latinized version of the Arabic word “Bahaqalrawayat” which Muslims used to write on the degrees. It means that the degree holder has the right to teach and propagate knowledge. Inspired by the educational system of the Muslim world, Pope Gregory adopted this kind of educational system in the University of Paris in 1231AD. In English language Baccalaureate became Bachelors with the same root and meaning. The highest degree called “Risali” was awarded to those students whose research work was published. It was the basis of the modern day Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD).

If we think deeply on the cause of Renaissance of Europe, it becomes clear that the scientific approach and enlightenment originated from early European universities. In fact Muslims translated the available knowledge into Arabic and brought it to the door steps of Europe in Spain. Inspired by the development of the Muslim world, the wise men of Europe started collecting knowledge from Muslims. The books were translated from Arabic to Latin language. The biggest centre of translation movement was Toledo, Spain.

Like the Maktab schools in the Muslim world, Cathedral schools were established in Europe. In France. Thierry of Chartres based his enlightenment drive on Islamic literature found in his library. He established “Chartres” schools based on his philosophy. These institutions gave rise to the European universities. In 11th Century AD the oldest university in Europe was founded in Salerno, Italy on the basis of the Islamic books brought by Constantine from the Masjid of Al Kairouan. Montpellier, a French city, became the centre of educational excellence because of its proximity to Muslim Spain. Muslim professors used to teach here. The renowned British scholar, Robert, got educated from here. In 1270AD he wrote on Astrolabe and geographical coordinates on the basis of knowledge gained from Muslim scholars and literature.

The Islamic books travelled from Toledo to England where Oxford University was established on the basis of this knowledge. The historians note that the basic layout of Oxford was a replica of the Islamic University of Cordoba. The first curriculum of Oxford University was prepared in Arabic Language as the medium of instruction was Arabic the beginning.

Compared with the historic achievements by Muslims in the field of education, the situation today is not very encouraging .According to the Muslim Scholars, Ibn Khaldoon and Dr. Omer Chapra, the decline of Muslim civilization has a direct relationship with knowledge. The decline started when science was kicked out of Masjid. This happened when useless philosophical theories started penetration into Islamic literature. Our religious Scholars, with a sincere intention opposed this penetration. With this honest effort, the Islamic literature was saved and preserved in its original and pure form and was not polluted with un-Islamic ideas. However this action gave rise to rejection of all natural sciences by religious institutions. Muslim students were not encouraged to gain beneficial knowledge which is even necessary for understanding of religions text. Knowledge of natural sciences became least important in Muslim Societies. Even in religions institutions, a kind of hatred was planted into minds of young Muslims by narrow minded religious teachers. The Masjid which was the centre of all kind of scientific knowledge is now limited to only pure religious education. It is interesting to note the Masjid used to be the hub of the scientific activities like calculations of time and mapping of the Islamic territories. The office of the Muhtasib (Quality Controller) used to operate from the Masjid where the Standards of Measurements were kept. The quality of industrial products from bricks to boats was controlled from this office.

The nations who realized importance of knowledge and excelled in the natural sciences are now the developed nations. These nations including Europeans, Americans, Russians, Japanese, Koreans, Chinese and even Indians put all their energies in learning of natural silences. Since the religions prevailing in the non-Muslim Societies are not compatible with modern science, these societies cannot follow both. Though it is never declared, Science and Technology is the religion being practiced today in whole world except the Muslim countries. Due to a number of benefits of scientific discoveries and inventions, human being has now a stronger faith in science than in religion. Hence the non-Muslim societies are becoming more secular day by day. Since we cannot live and progress without science and technology, most of the Muslim countries tried to follow the secular science model but failed. Turkey and Japan started almost at the same time. After a century, Japan became the wealthiest nation while Turkey is not even considered a developed nation though it is inside the developed Europe and possesses much more human and material resources than Japan. The same is true for Pakistan and India. With all efforts Pakistan is unable to achieve the technological goals which Indians are achieving easily. Yes! There are external factors like support to the secular societies from the West but there is a definite internal built-in cause. And it is non other than the educational system of the Islamic World. From the early stage a Muslim child is told by his parents and religious teachers that Islam is a true religion and we cannot  lead a successful life without following Islam. When the child grows he learns secular science in such institutions which do not have any Islamic connection. The Muslim youth realizes that the secular societies are the most developed while Islamic societies are the least developed. Muslim youth is now confused. He does not want to deny Islam but his faith gets weaker and weaker as he learns secular science.

The need of the hour is to Islamize science and bring it back to Masjid. All natural sciences should be taught to the child along with religious sciences in the Maktab. Student must be taught about the compatibility of science with Islam. The scientific discoveries by Muslim scientists are to be highlighted. This will plant a love for the natural sciences in young minds along with the religious sciences.

In Pakistan there are four educational systems all running in parallel for separate goals. In Masjid and Madrassa there is pure religious education of Quran and Sunnah. Hence those educated from these institutions become Muazzan, Imam and Khateeb only. Since they do not possess contemporary knowledge, the speeches of Khateebs are not very effective and educated youth do not take much interest in these. Highly religious parents or those who cannot afford other schooling  send their children to these Madrassas. Then there are Urdu medium schools in public and private sector. Islamic studies are taught as a subject in these schools. Majority of the middle class of Pakistanis are educated in these institutions. There are English medium schools which teach the same curriculum but in English. The elite class however gets their children educated in the British system developed by the Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Hence the society is divided into four classes depending on their educational background. Because of this unnatural classification, the ruling elites cannot understand the problems of the masses. A country like Pakistan with limited resources cannot build and operate four different types of institutions. In recent past, quality of education in the public sector in Pakistan is further deteriorated. The private sector institutions delivering quality education and charging high fees are on rise. There is a considerable expansion of Madrassas in Pakistan in past twenty years. This is because of political motives, people’s trends towards religious education and free education and facilities in these institutions. It is the time to establish a comprehensive educational system in these institutions. Every Muslim community does have a Masjid in the center place. A Maktab is to be established in every Masjid where basic skills of reading and writing are to be taught in Urdu, Arabic and English. The basics of religious and natural science are also to be taught here. After every prayer, study circles may be arranged to teach reading and writing to adults. In this way we don’t have to invest much on primary education and still can achieve 100% literacy rate in next 5 to 10 years. Pakistan may become a model for other Muslim countries to follow. Both genders may be enrolled in these institutions at the age of 4. Till the age of 9, their primary schooling is completed and they move to the separate Madrassas for boys and girls which are quivalent to the high schools of modern age. The students will get education in all branches of religious and natural sciences. The natural sciences are to be Islamized and a balanced curriculum is to be implemented. These institutions are to be managed by a committee of Masjids of the area and may be supported by the public or private sector. These multi-dimensional modern day educational institutions may revolutionize the concept of education in the Muslim World. Professionals of all fields of religion, science and humanities are to be produced with sound Islamic base. They will have solid personalities with clear vision instead of the divided personalities of Muslim youth who are stretched apart by religion and secular science. A person with a clear head, open mind and strong faith will deploy all his energies religiously to excel in his field. If he becomes an engineer or a doctor, he will love and respect his profession as it becomes an act of worship (Ibada) for him. He will become the best scientist ,if from the core of his heart, he believes that his professional knowledge and skills will make him successful in this world and the world to come. With this unified educational system, Islamic world produced polymaths like Ibn Sina and Al Khwarizmi.

In fact the education of science and technology is the heritage of Muslim youth and he neads to pursue it religiously. It was the educational system of Islam which helped Muslims spread Islam to half of the known world within a period of less than half a century. The Muslim world expanded from Spain in Europe to Sind in India during the very first century. This educational system paved the way of the modern scientific age. It made the Ottoman Caliphate, the greatest naval power on earth. With this organized educational networks of Maktab and Madrassa, Muslims developed India to be the richest country on globe possessing 25% of the wealth of the world. Hence we need to develop the same educational system which will not only ensure education of the masses but will also pave the way of scientific development in the Muslim World.

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Advise on what major I should go for?

Question by Josh J: Advise on what major I should go for?
I’m gonna go talk to an advisor tomorrow about what major to take to get my BA(bachelors) degree. I definitely know I want to do either film or theater, but I’m not sure which one to decide. I’ve learned quite a few things already from theater and have already had a couple theater classes to get the AA degree and I know I want to be an actor, but it wouldn’t hurt to learn a lot about the film making aspects just in case if I fail as an actor I could probably use film making as a backup, doing something in the technicals(I would love to also director or screen-write and one of the classes offered to get a film major is screen writing) plus I could also learn about the technical mumbo jumbo terms film sets would probably use and I’m already taking film acting classes which is really where my interest lies the most even though I try to get out and audition for theater when I can.

Should I try and go for film or theater? maybe I should wait for the meet with the advisor to see what they say about everything?

Best answer:

Answer by Arrie T
Well as a theatre major I am kinda partial toward that. But I think you should also consider a BFA in acting. A Bachelor of Fine Arts would get you more experience and look better on an acting resume.

Give your answer to this question below!

What is a First Generation Goldendoodle

What does “F1″ mean? What does “F1B” mean? Why is there so much confusion about the term “First generation Goldendoodle” ?

It seems to me that many people are having problems understanding what constitutes a Goldendoodle as being a “First generation” hybrid. It’s quite easy to understand if you have some knowledge with basic genetics. It may seem complicated to those who do not understand the basics of genetics. Simply put, a First generation Goldendoodle is any Goldendoodle dog that comes from two parents who are not closely related, regardless of whether or not both Goldendoodles are Goldendoodles or if one parent is a Poodle and the other parent is a Golden Retriever or whether one parent is a Poodle and one parent is a Goldendoodle. The offspring are STILL considered Goldendoodles and they are STILL considered first generation when neither parent shares the exact same parents themselves. That’s it in a nutshell. Nothing complicated about it, but so many people…including breeders…..just can’t seem to grasp the concept.

Instead, some people believe that a first generation Goldendoodle only comes from a 50/50 mix…meaning, coming from one parent who is a Poodle and one parent who is a Golden Retriever or some people believe that Goldendoodles are “f1B” if a Goldendoodle is bred to a Poodle or Golden Retriever or to another Goldendoodle. I’m sorry to burst the genetic bubble, but that belief is not accurate at all. If you really want to get technical, lets first ask “First generation of what???”. What is the Goldendoodle a first generation of, exactly ? Are they the “first generation” upon their family tree? Are they the first generation to both of their parents? Technically and accurately speaking, if neither parent are directly related, the answer is YES. All offspring, in reality, that are born to two parents who are not directly related and who DO NOT share the same parents themselves, are FIRST GENERATION DOGS.

What exactly does the term “first generation” imply anyway?

When speaking of “generations” it is generally implied to mean parent/child. The parents have children and thus, their children are “first generation”. When those children have their own children, they then become “second generation”. When we speak of the Goldendoodle being a “first generation” it is implied to mean that the offspring come from two parents who are not closely related or who are not related at all….whether the same breed or different breed, the offspring are always “first generation” when neither parent are directly related to each other. I’ve had so many people try to convince me that a Goldendoodle isn’t a first generation Goldendoodle unless if comes from a Poodle/Golden Retriever parent. Again, I hate to burst your genetic bubble, but that’s not correct. With purebred dogs, both parents are the same breed and their offspring are first generation providing neither parent shares the same parents themselves or direct relatives within their first three generations of pedigree. If you bred two parents who were related, together, then their offspring would be “second generation” . When we speak of Goldendoodles being an “F1B”, the “B” means “backbred”. A very nice term for implying the dogs are inbred….backbred to a close relative. Just because a Goldendoodle is bred to a Poodle, does NOT imply the offspring are “F1B”. If a Goldendoodle is bred to a Poodle and the Poodle within the Goldendoodle’s genetic structure is NOT related or closely related to the other Poodle used for breeding, their offspring are “first generation”. If a Goldendoodle is bred to a Golden Retriever and the Goldendoodle used for breeding is NOT closely related or related at all to the Golden Retriever within the Goldendoodles’ genetic structure, their offspring is still a first generation.

Genetic diversity is very important when it comes to hybrid dogs, period. Due to the fact many purebred fanciers inbreed their dogs, the entire reason hybrid dogs have fewer health issues is due to the fact their genetic structure is wide and varying. A genetic “bottle neck” is created when two dogs are bred together and share the same lineage. It’s one thing to have similar ancestors or share similar ancestors down through the pedigree, its quite another to have the same exact ancestors down through the pedigree. We have created the Goldendoodle since 1999. We have been purebred dog breeders since 1996. We know for a fact that dogs are healthier and have entirely fewer genetic issues when they have a wider variance in their genetic structure. Goldendoodles who come from two related parents will have genetic issues much more often than Goldendoodles who come from two unrelated parents. When a breeder says they create “multi-generation” Goldendoodles….that means you’d better be careful of buying one of their dogs. Multi generation Goldendoodles are highly inbred dogs and are at a much greater risk for genetic issues. I definitely do not believe in multi-generation doodles or even purebred dogs. I’ve never agreed that even purebred dogs who are bred back to a direct relative is a good thing. Such dogs can be at a higher risk for behavioral issues; health issues and genetic issues. Many undesirable traits come from dogs who are born from parents who are too closely related.

When Gregor Mendel began his hybridization experiments with pea plants in 1856, knowledge of how heredity works was limited. Experimenting with hybrids has been going on for many, many years. Many things had been guessed at or not exactly known as to how genetics + hybrids really worked. Some characteristics, called discrete traits, did not produce a state of being between two parents. The children of a brown-eyed father and blue-eyed mother do not end up with an intermediate eye color; rather, the children inherited the eye color of a single parent. This occurs with people. With dogs, it is quite different. The offspring CAN inherit an intermediate eye color and we’ve witnessed this with the Goldendoodle dog. In 2006, we bred two Goldendoodles together that were not closely related. They had a different Golden Retriever parent and a different Poodle parent. The only traits the Goldendoodle dogs had in common was that they had the same eye color (Blue); The same coat type (curly) and both were the same color (apricot). We intentionally bred both Goldendoodles together so that we could increase our chances of having blue eyed Goldendoodles. We were not sure what coat type would occur since both doodles had a curly coat. We were quite surprised to learn the following:

1. This pairing only produced 2 blue eyed doodle offspring.

2. Out of four offspring, 1 puppy had brown eyes. 1 puppy had green eyes. Two of the puppies had blue eyes.

3. Out of four offspring, 3 puppies had a smooth coat and 1 puppy had a shaggy coat. Not a single curly coat was born to parents who had a curly coat themselves.

4. Out of the four offspring, 2 puppies were cream. 2 puppies were apricot.

If we assume that each parent contributes a single chromosome to his/her offspring for a given trait, how is it that we had 3 smooth coat Goldendoodles born out of this pairing and neither parent had a smooth coat? How is it that we’ve seen a variance in size regarding the offspring, regardless of the sizes of either parent and how is it that we’ve seen a variance in eye color for the Goldendoodle offspring, regardless of the eye color of either parent? We personally have come to know that Goldendoodle dogs can inherit their traits, appearance, sizes, temperaments and coat or eye coloring from their entire lineage of ancestors. We have come to know that Goldendoodle offspring do not inherit traits exclusively from their parents. We know that their entire lineage plays a part of what and whom they become. Gregor Mendel proposed that some genes are dominant while others are recessive. Since 1999, we have come to realize that our Golden Retrievers Do carry the dominant genes. They dominate personality, color and at times, they dominant coat traits in our Goldendoodles. On occasion, we do see Poodle traits dominate in a select few offspring. For an experienced breeder, it is quite easy to spot the dominating gene. The inexperienced breeder will only be able to rely on information they obtain via the Internet and not all of the information is clear, precise or accurate. Hence, why there is so much inaccurate Goldendoodle information over the Internet. Much of it drives me crazy. Especially because I’ve dedicated an extensive amount of time documenting the coat changes; The many coat phases; the personality types; The coat types; The coloring and markings; I’ve lived, breathed and basically dreamt day in and day out, the Goldendoodle dog. It is very frustrating to try and explain the facts with regards to the Goldendoodle dog to inexperienced people who want to challenge what it is I’ve come to know through personal experience and my countless hours of research. There are some days, I just don’t even try. Some people don’t want to know the facts, they only want you to tell them what they want to hear and not what the facts are and I don’t like to try and teach someone about the Goldendoodle dog if they are not interested in actually learning and knowing facts vs. rumors or what they’ve “read” over the Internet. I LOVE writing about the Goldendoodle dog and what I’ve come to know. It’s quite obvious that the Goldendoodle dog is a passion of mine, given the fact my website is so extensive and comprehensive where the Goldendoodle is concerned.

I love talking about the Goldendoodle to anyone who wants to know…..and I might even get into some heated arguments with people about the Goldendoodle dog because I’m very passionate about what it is I’ve come to know to be facts and I am NOT one for believing rumors. The Goldendoodle dog is a very stimulating, entirely new field of study for me. I’ve created the Goldendoodle dog in nearly every imaginable way and my research has helped literally thousands of people over the years. Some people you just can’t convince and it is those people that really need to become breeders themselves or otherwise just shut up. That sounds harsh, but I’m very direct and honest. I don’t need to argue with an inexperienced doodle person who doesn’t know what they are talking about. They don’t know what they are talking about because they haven’t done the research on a personal level. They haven’t spent the time that I’ve spent, nor have they indulged themselves in documenting facts and taking thousands of photos as a part of their documentation.

Darwin’s problem explaining “blending” and the preservation of variation was essentially solved. However, while Mendelian genetics provided a way to refute arguments concerning the lack of a mechanism for the preservation of variation through inheritance, Mendel’s results went largely unnoticed until 1900, when the laws were independently “rediscovered” by several geneticists — Hugo de Vries, Carl Correns, and Erich von Tschermak — some 34 years after Mendel’s original publication of his findings in 1866! Speaking of genetics, Let’s talk about genetics for a little bit.

Evolution can be described in many ways; one way to look at evolutionary change as a change in genotype frequencies over time. If organisms are considered evolutionarily successful if they have more offspring, and offspring are created from genes, then changes in gene frequencies (or more specifically, genotype frequencies) will reflect successful evolutionary phenotypes. Researchers in the field of population genetics examine populations in terms of differing proportions of particular genotypes in order to determine what, if any, evolutionary forces are active in that population. Genotype frequency and gene frequency are closely related variables, and both are easy to measure. The simplest case is one genetic locus with two alleles (A and a) and three genotypes (AA, Aa, and aa). Each individual has a genotype made up of two genes at the locus and a population can be symbolized like this:

Aa AA aa aa AA Aa AA Aa

This is an imaginary population with only eight individuals. To find the genotype frequencies we simply count the numbers of individual with each genotype. Thus:

frequency of AA = 3/8 = 0.375
frequency of Aa = 3/8 = 0.375
frequency of aa = 2/8 = 0.25

The extent of variation in natural populations is such that every individual must be genetically unique. Evolution from the origin, to the modern diversity, of life must have required more variation than existed in the original population.

Where did the extra variation come from?

Several processes can generate new variation in a population:

• Recombination between existing chromosomes produces new chromosomes with their own unique sequences and many new genetic variants of a character like body size were probably generated by recombination.

• Migration is an important source of new genetic variation: when individuals arrive from distant parts they will often have different genotypes from the local population; they thus provide new genetic variation.

Both recombination and migration work with existing allelic variation; they put existing variation into new genetic, or geographic, combinations. Important though this is, if there were no pre-existing allelic variation, recombination and migration would not generate new genetic variants. Recombination between identical chromosomes produces the same identical chromosomes over again.

• Mutation is the original source of genetic variation. Even in a population in which all copies of a chromosome were identical, new genetic variants would arise by mutation.

Random events in population genetics – What is random sampling?

Gene frequencies may change by chance

Even when natural selection is not operating, the gene frequencies may change a little from the previous generation just by chance. This can happen because the genes that form a new generation are a random sample from the parental generation.

Random sampling

Random sampling occurs whenever a smaller number of successful individuals (or gametes) are sampled from a larger pool of potential survivors and the fitness of the genotypes are the same. Random sampling works at every stage as a new generation grows up but it starts at conception.

In every species, each individual produces many more gametes than will ever fertilize, or be fertilized, to form new organisms. Using the female trout as an example, it has many thousands of gametes of which a tiny fraction will ever become zygotes.

The successful gametes which do form offspring are a sample from the many gametes that the parents produce. Provided the parent is a heterozygote, such as Aa , it will then produce a large number of gametes, of which approximately one half will be A and the other half a . If that parent produces 10 offspring, it is most likely that five will inherit an A gene and five a . But because the gametes that formed the offspring were sampled from a much larger pool of gametes, it is possible that the proportions would be something else. Perhaps six inherited A and only four a , or three A and seven a.

Random sampling can have important evolutionary effects such as genetic drift and the founder effect.

What is the Founder effect??

Using Polydactyly as an example……extra fingers or sometimes toes ….. is one symptom of Ellis-van Creveld syndrome. The syndrome is commonly found among the Old Order Amish of Pennsylvania, a population that experiences the “founder effect.” Genetically inherited diseases like Ellis-van Creveld are more concentrated among the Amish because they marry within their own community, which prevents new genetic variation from entering the population. Children are therefore more likely to inherit two copies of the particular recessive genes that lead to genetic disease. Because of their closed population stemming from a small number of German immigrants — about 200 individuals — the Amish carry unusual concentrations of gene mutations that cause a number of otherwise rare inherited disorders, including forms of dwarfism. Eastern Pennsylvania is home to beautiful farmlands and countryside, but it’s also a gold mine of information for geneticists, who have studied the region’s Amish culture for decades.

The founder effect can occur in dogs when a breeder inbreeds their dogs and does NOT use a wider variation of genes to create their dogs’ offspring. Maybe not perhaps by having extra fingers or toes, but by other undesirable traits such as personality disorders, behavioral disorders or physical issues as well as internal issues. When dogs are too highly inbred, some do not even survive their first birthday. The female dog can miscarry the entire litter or one or two of the puppies can suffer from what is called the “fading syndrome”. Because defects can vary wide and greatly, it is of great importance that the Goldendoodle breeder become experienced in their selection of breeding methods. Some people can challenge me all they want with regards to the Goldendoodle dog, but we are up for the challenges and will argue with whomever wants to debate the issue regarding first generation Goldendoodles vs. F1B Goldendoodles. There isn’t a single advantage in creating a second generation Goldendoodle…much less an “F1B”. Breeders can argue amongst themselves or with others as to what the term “F1B” means, but we personally will never change our view that “F1B” means the Goldendoodle is an inbred dog. A breeder who creates the “F1B” Goldendoodle will create the Goldendoodle from a 50/50 mixture; meaning, the Goldendoodle comes from a Poodle/Golden Retriever mixture. They will then select one of the offspring and when that offspring becomes old enough to breed, they then breed that Goldendoodle BACK to its brother, sister, mother or father or close relative. Perhaps they even breed it to another Goldendoodle who shares its same ancestry. This is the true meaning of the “F1B” Goldendoodle. We have never created a Goldendoodle in this manner, nor would we want to. We have not ever created a purebred dog in this manner, but many show breeders have. Hence why so many purebred dogs have so many issues, today.

If individual dogs share the same parents or very close ancestry, there’s a greater likelihood that the recessive genes of the “founder” genes will come together in the cells that produce offspring. Thus diseases of recessive genes, which require two copies of the gene to cause the disease, will show up more frequently than they would if the two breeding dogs were not closely related. Further studies have been completed regarding inbreeding.

HIDDEN VARIATIONS

The fact there are hidden variations at the genetic level is yet another reason why inbreeding (creating F1B Goldendoodles) carries with it an increased likelihood of the expression of a deleterious or lethal allele. It is very likely that all individuals carry some deleterious alleles which are left unexpressed from generation to generation, primarily because the frequencies of these alleles in the whole population is very low. While outbreeding (creating offspring from two unrelated parents) (or exogamy) will significantly reduce the probability of a chance encounter between two individuals carrying the same deleterious alleles, inbreeding will significantly increase this probability on the basis of degree of relatedness. Again, this is why the Goldendoodle hybrid, when created properly by experienced breeders, is a much hardier, healthier dog than their purebred counterparts.

All dogs, as well as all living animals and plants, including humans are made up of living cells. Each microscopic cell is a building block of life that contains a specific set of “biochemical blueprints” called chromosomes. The complex molecules instruct the cell and make it possible for the cell to repair and reproduce themselves. As an example, whether a cell is supposed to be part of an organ such as a heart, or a part of your skin or whether or not its role is to grow hair upon your head, arms or legs. Breeders who study the basic concept of genetics, found out a long time ago that many traits, such as hair coloring of dogs, could be manipulated to produce new coat colors or even new eye colors by breeding two dogs that have one particular coat color or a particular eye color. Breeders found out they could also remove such coloring if they wanted to, in the offspring. A British mathematician/biologist named R.C. Punnett developed a straight forward, yet very powerful statistical tool called the PUNNETT SQUARE to predict the outcome/offspring of breeding individuals with known traits of various characteristics. Even though both parents may have a particular coat color…lets say “Black” (Bb), about 1/4 of the litter of puppies will have buff coat coloring. Why does this occur? Each parent’s pair of genes responsible for determining coat coloring has one recessive buff gene (b) that was passed along to the offspring by their parents and/or their grandparents and so on. This is how we explain eye coloring of the Goldendoodle dog. When a breeder has a puppy with an eye color that neither parent has, you can be sure the eye coloring came from a recessive gene that was a part of the parents’ lineage down through their heritage. This also explains the SMOOTH COAT Goldendoodle.

The Golden Retriever has a smooth coat. The Poodle has a curly coat. When we bred a blue eyed curly coat Goldendoodle to a smooth coat Golden Retriever, interestingly enough, all of the offspring had brown eyes and all of the offspring had a shaggy coat except for one smooth coat who looked like a carbon copy of her purebred Golden Retriever mother. The shaggy coat was a recessive gene carried by the Goldendoodle sire who had littermates himself, as well as ancestors with a shaggy coat. As with the Goldendoodle to Goldendoodle pairing who both had a curly coat and yet did not produce a single curly coat in their offspring, we know that the parents themselves both carried the recessive genes to create the blue, green and brown eyed doodles who had the shaggy coat and smooth coat.

The origin of the Goldendoodle

Goldendoodles originated from the crossing of a Poodle and a Golden Retriever. Some argue that the Aussies (Australians) created the Goldendoodle first and some argue that the Canadians created the Goldendoodle first. Who actually started the Goldendoodle doesn’t matter.
What matters is the fact that Goldendoodles have actually been around much longer than most people realize. Dogs have been mating outside of their own breed since the beginning of man. Every purebred dog in the world began as a mixed breed dog or came to be as a result of many mixtures of other breeds. Lets say that we give the Golden Retriever the letters (GR) to represent the gene pair for the Golden Retriever and the Poodle (PP) to represent the gene pair of the purebred Poodle. The offspring that comes from this pairing is quite accurately predicted by the Punnett’s Square:

GR+PP=GD (Goldendoodle)

Predicted Breed outcome of the litter= 100% Goldendoodle.

When a purebred Golden Retriever is bred to a purebred Poodle, the entire litter of puppies produced is composed of first generation Goldendoodles (GD). They become adult dogs whose physical appearance can be much different than either parent including a variance of physical traits that neither parent dog has, itself. For example, neither Golden Retriever or Poodle has a full facial beard trait that their children, the Goldendoodle, has itself. Neither the Golden Retriever or the Poodle has a shaggy coat that the Goldendoodle child has. But the Goldendoodle dog DOES carry some physical traits and attributes as that of their parental dogs. The Goldendoodle does have almond shaped eyes similar to its Golden Retriever parent. The Goldendoodle may have either a Poodle temperament or a Golden Retriever temperament, depending upon which gene was more dominant. One of two of the pups may have a curly coat that is similar to its Poodle parent. Some of the offspring may have very long, slender legs that is similar to its Poodle parent and some may have shorter legs that are more similar to its Golden Retriever parent. Sometimes the coat type or length of coat is determined by the Golden Retriever. Again, we have come to know by experience that it all depends upon the dominating gene.

Although most Goldendoodles exhibit a favorable combination of their traits and characteristics from both of their parental breeds, they will still retain those alleles (meaning variations) from their parents that were NOT expressed within their first generation. These hidden variations/recessive alleles are analogous to the “buff” coat color discussed up above regarding coat coloring. This is why you may see Goldendoodles that come out of the same litter, have different colored eyes or different coat colors or who have different characteristics amongst each other such as a variance in sizes. While some Goldendoodle breeders believe they can “purify” the Goldendoodle by creating multi-generations or by backbreeding and inbreeding, it doesn’t seem statistically possible to “purify” the outcome of further generational breeding beyond 50% Goldendoodle. Applying the three “unique” gene pairs (GR, PP, GD) created in the Punnett Square which predicted the second generations….it just doesn’t all add up when you go beyond that range. The Punnett Square can not take into account the selective breeding methods being used by Goldendoodle breeders who are involved in attempting to establish this hybrid as a “recognized purebred dog”. It could technically require up to 15 generations (or more) of very fine selective breeding of unrelated Goldendoodles to guarantee ALL subsequent generations of the puppies the same “statistical/genetic purity” as the first generation litter that come from a Golden Retriever/Poodle mixture.
Although the Goldendoodle dog IS recognized as a registered hybrid with many kennel clubs, we older breeders may never see this hybrid as an AKC recognized purebred dog, in our lifetime because it will require an extensive amount of breeding from a select few breeders who then create their own kennel club to create their own Goldendoodle standards just as the breeders did for the purebred dog back in the very early days of man.
I can’t think of too many breeders who desire to keep 15 generations or more, of Goldendoodles, just so they can attempt to “purify” this hybrid.

The Goldendoodle dog is quite a unique dog as it is now and I don’t see why we as breeders need to change this. Those who desire to argue what makes a first generation doodle, a first generation, can argue all they want. Genetics determines what a first generation is, whether plant, animal or human and this fact can not be removed, despite the arguments.

Resources:

Genetics

http://www.wwnorton.com/college/anthro/bioanth/ch2/chap2.htm

Special thanks to: Jim Gladden
Webmaster, www.MulberryFarm.com for giving us permission to use parts of his article at http://www.mulberryfarm.com/canine-genetics_explanation.htm#cockapoo-genetics