When you build a house, you need a solid foundation, strong walls, and a leakproof roof before you worry about the color of the paint and the fancy curtains.

I am, of course, talking about breeding for conformation, temperament and health before worrying about coat and color when making breeding decisions… Paint (color) and curtains (coat) are easy to change with a single generation or two of breeding. Conformation, temperament and health (foundation, walls and roof) have to be kept in the front of the mind every generation because these are harder to rebuild in subsequent generations if a breeder looses sight of one or more of these.