What's the Deal with Sick Doodles?

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

It seems like we are reading an awful lot about doodles being sick lately.  I want your opinion.  Do you think that is because doodles have more health issues than pure bred dogs?  OR is it because we are on a doodle web site, so that is why I am only hearing about doodles being sick and if I went to a pure bred web site, there would be just as much sickness with them too?  OR is it because doodles, since they are a mixed breed, are bred using not the best quality dogs to begin with?

 

I'm just curious.  I feel tricked in a way.  When I did A LOT of research about which dog to get, I read all this (what seems like bogus to me now) information about "hybrid vigor" blah blah blah.  Is that true OR are breeders just trying to trick you to sell you doodles? 

 

I LOVE Bexter and wouldn't give him up for the world, but I am getting nervous that I might be looking into a very painful and expensive future with him if he turns out to be sick like it seems so many other doodles are.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Oh dear using it like that would just be, well, hokum.

[Bonnie and Kona]

YUP! Thank you, F!

[F, Calla & Luca]

And the purebred websites are not like DK. I haven't seen another site like it where we know individual dogs and hear a great deal about them. So every really sick dog is a big event on DK and we all get involved and have discussions. I just haven't seen this elsewhere. Are there any sites like this? Anyway, I think this somewhat skews the results . Also people with sick dogs post more to get support and ask advice.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Exactly Karen - it's like the news... no one thinks to say "all is well, we're doing just fine, move along!".  Most people only think to talk about it if something "out of the ordinary" happens - an illness, something funny etc.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Traci, I could post every day.  "Ned and Clancy are healthy and fine."  But who does that? Ned does have the itchies but other than that, he has NEVER had a health problem.  Clancy, our rescue, is probably from poor 'breeders' but he is healthy also.  He has had one ear infection each spring and one skin infection since we got him.  Our purebred (BYB though) has had many more health problems than the doodles.

What happens is that when we have problems or need support, we post. So it seems like lots of doodles are sick all of the time. Newer dog owners look to the website members for support.

My personal opinion is that lots of our doodles are from puppy mills and those doods' parents were not paired with any thought to creating healthy puppies, so perhaps doodles have health  deficits from those careless breeders.

I also truly believe that doodle owners and dk members are a 'cut above' many other dog breed owners.  For the most part, we are unbelievably concerned with the health and welfare of our pets. Our furbabies are full fledged members of our families who deserve the best that we can give them.

[Adina P]

I don't believe in hybrid vigor except when dogs are left to their own devices and are free to mate randomly or a lot of care is taken to breed dogs with no possible diseases in common (when those diseases need two recessive genes to express themselves).  But I digress.  I think the main reason u are reading about illness in doodles is because you are on a doodle site, people don't come on and say "My dog is totally healthy and has never been sick!", and dogs are living creatures so stuff sometimes happens.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I think you are right.

[Christine & Camus]

It would be great to hear from everyone that has a healthy doodle, given the number of members I am sure it would be a never-ending post! Personally, I post when I am having issues that I cannot get a grasp on, need help and ask for advice.  And, DK is a great community that supports members, for which I am thankful. 

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

 

Part of the reason could be that there is a high percentage of dogs that are "rehomes, rescues or shelter", almost 1,000 out of the 8,000.  There are also another 200 or so pet store dogs. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I had no idea rehomes were such a large part of our doodle population.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I suspect that some of those people who say their dog is a "rescue" actually "rescued' the puppy from a pet store or BYB situation.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I think if we had a statistician amongst us we would discover that the percentage of ill dogs is about average. 

So far Riley is healthy but I'm sure that at some time we will end up in the vets for a non-routine event and then sure as eggs are eggs I will be on here like a flash!  Hokum?  I think not!!!! LOL