standard or miniature doodle

[Tammy Flores]

Hi everyone,

I want to breed labradoodles when my chocolate lab is old enough. I will not be over breeding her. I am thinking 1 time every 2 years. I don't plan on having a big breeding kennel or anything like that but I am curious about doodle size preferences. I don't know if I want to breed to a standard poodle or a mini. What size is more preferred? I will be keeping one of the puppies to possibly breed in the future so I don't know what size to go for. Any input would be appreciated.

[Linda and Bailey]

I have just been reading through all the comments and have wondered if you ever thought about becoming a foster. I am always looking through the site and it seems that foster parents for dogs are always in need. Being someone who loves dogs so much and seems to have experience with them it seems like it would be something you might enjoy.

[Tammy Flores]

Yes , I have actually fostered and rehabilitated many dogs. I love helping animals. And it is still an option for me. My dog is still young and I have time to decide exactly what I want to do. I don't know if im going to feel the same about breeding her in a year to a year and half. I just want information. And if I decide not to breed then I still have a wonderful dog that im very happy with.

 

[Kary, Sparty & Stella]

Recently, I have heard a new term that I liked instead of using backyard breeder..."hobby breeder."

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

"Hobby breeder" has a whole other meaning, at least in purebred circles. A hobby breeder is someone who is breeding on a very small scale to produce dogs of exceptional quality, i.e. champions, for the purpose of improving the breed, and not to sell puppies.They are called "hobby" breeders because selling is not their goal and breeding is not the way they make a living, they are usually professionals in some other field. It is extremely difficult to purchase a puppy from a true hobby breeder of purebreds, because they produce so few dogs of such exceptional quality...which is pretty much the opposite of a BYB, lol. 

[Jay, Lola and Colonel Esau]

There are legitimate reasons for creating new breeds.  An example that comes to mind is the Sulimov, that helps prevent terrorist attacks by detecting explosives that no existing machine or other breed can detect:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2572499.stm

Of course that isn't what we are talking about here - but just thought I would mention.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Here you go.  This is the Best, most responsible way to be a breeder as far as health testing goes.  If you can follow these guidelines, I certainly would purchase a dog from you. We all  support breeders who start here.  Best wishes to you and your venture in becoming a breeder.

HIPS

(retrievers & poodles & progeny)

Hip Dysplasia is one of the most frequently occurring problems in large breed dogs.  HIP TESTING is paramount as the incidence of HD is much higher than other genetic problems.  The incidence of eye, cardiac, vWD, etc. has been comparatively rare in Doods.

Find out why a breeder should be testing hips on their breeding dogs  -  

•  HD Primer for the Puppy Buyer

INCIDENCE OF HD (percentage of breed dysplastic according to the OFA) :

Golden Retriever - 20.2%

Poodle - 12.6%

Labrador Retriever - 12.3%

When asking a breeder about

• Hip certification

      Look for one of the of the following certifications:

    • OFA certificate or prelim

    • PennHIP certificate

    • OVC certificate

    • BVA (British Veterinary Association) certificate

EYES

(retrievers & poodles & progeny)

Eye screening by a certified Canine Opthamologist is recommended before breeding Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers and Poodles.  Find out more about annual CERF eye testing  -

•  CERF Eye testing

When asking a breeder about

• Eye certification

      Look for one of the following certifications:

   • CERF certificate

   • clearance by a Canine Opthamologist

    prcdPRA testing - Progressive Retinal Atrophy - Optigen now provides an easy DNA test which will definitively show if a dog is affected or a carrier.  (not available for Standard Poodles or Goldendoodles)

     (for information about PRA - click here)

ELBOWS

(retrievers & progeny)

Elbow dysplasia is an inherited disease, and it is recommended to screen the elbows of both Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever breeding dogs.  For more information, visit the OFA site -

•   (for information about Elbow testing - click here)

When asking a breeder about

• Elbow certfication

        Look for one of the following certifications:

    • OFA certificate

    • OVC certificate

    • BVA (British Veterinary Association) certificate

CARDIAC

(australian labradoodles, golden retrievers & progeny)

Australian Labradoodles and Golden Retrievers can inherit congential heart defects and breeding dogs should be examined annually by a Canine Cardiologist, or a Vet with access to Dopler echocardiography.  A dog with cardiac clearance either has no murmur, or an 'innocent' murmur.  Although these two hybrids are more prone to cardiac problems, some breeders test other breeding dogs as well.

•   (for information about Cardiac testing - click here)

When asking a breeder about

• Cardiac Clearance

 Look for one of the following certifications:

   • OFA certificate

   • heart clearance by Canine Cardiologist

THYROID

(golden retrievers, standard poodles & progeny)

Standard Poodles are prone to hypothyroidism and breeding dogs should be tested for thyroid malfunction.   Testing is done by sending in a blood sample for diagnosis.  Although Standard Poodles are more prone to thyroid problems, some breeders test other breeding dogs as well.

•   (for information about Thyroid testing - click here)

When asking a breeder about

• Thyroid Clearance

Look for one of the following certifications:

   • OFA certificate

   • Dr. Dodds thyroid testing

von Willebrand's Disease

(poodles & progeny)

Von Willebrand's is an inherited disorder that affects blood clotting.  All Poodle and Golden Retriever breeding dogs should be tested.  There is a DNA test available by VetGen which will identify some breeds as a Carrier, Affected or as Clear of the disease, although this method has not been independantly validated.  There is also blood test available through Cornell University.

•   (for information about vWD  - click here)

When asking a breeder about

• Von Willebrand's Disease (vWD)

Look for either :

   • dog tested by VetGen and cleared

   • dog tested by Cornell University and cleared

   • dog cleared by parentage (both parents were tested and cleared)

PATELLAR LUXATION

(mini poodles & progeny)

Small and miniature breed dogs are prone to patellar luxation (slipping of the kneecap).

•   (for information about Patellar Luxation  - click here)

When asking a breeder about

• Patellar Luxation

Look for the following certification:

    • OFA certificate

PRA DNA test

(mini poodles & progeny)

Progressive Retinal Atrophy are diseases which affect the retina of the eye.  It is an inherited group of diseases found in Toy & Miniature Poodles causing degrated eyesight and possible blindness.  A DNA test offered by OptiGen will determine Normal,  Probable Carriers, and Probably Affected dogs.

•       (for information about PRA - click here)

When asking a breeder about

• Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) DNA test

Look for one of the following tests:

   • testing by HealthGene  (Goldendoodles.com breeders receive a 5% discount)

   • testing by OptiGen

   • testing by Genetic Science Services

................................

The information contained on this site is in no way intended to replace that of proper veterinary advice, diagnosis or treatment.

It is meant to provide resource, so that we can better understand canine health related issues.

[Tammy Flores]

Thank you!

 

[Kary, Sparty & Stella]

Joanne, this is great information. Oh Karen, I guess that makes more sense. :) hobby breeder vs BYB. An ah ha moment.

[Jay, Lola and Colonel Esau]

I think part of why this topic is so difficult is because our collective behavior is pretty ugly when it comes to deciding what or whom to adopt.  For example, the chances of a human child in foster care to be adopted increase or decrease significantly based on that child's ethnicity.  Similarly, people continue to pay top dollar for purebred dogs, even those with significant health problems - while healthy mixed-breed dogs sit in shelters and are put to sleep.  At least part of the problem with this proposition is that we know that when you mix a labrador and a poodle there's a lot of chance as to which traits the offspring will inherit from which parent.  You might end up with some cuddly little non-shedding, fleecy, hypoallergenic teddy bear pups with the right proportions and good temperaments - and most likely people will want to buy these.  But you will also produce some that are ... let's just say, not so desirable.  Do a google image search for "F1 labradoodles" and you will see a lot of the kind of dogs I mean.  What will happen to them?  If you are Wally Condon or someone and you have specific vision you want to achieve and a justifiable reason for doing so, maybe you accept that as a cost of innovation.  But I don't see how simply "loving dogs" is a reason for bringing into the world dogs that you know up front will be difficult to find homes for.  If anything, I would think it would be a reason not to do it.