Posted on 05/03/2010 7:32:40 AM PDT by JoeProBono
THE man who bred the first labradoodle - and in the process made the mutt a desirable accessory - says it's the great regret of his life. The coveted accessory has pushed out other breeds in terms of desirability.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
It states several reasons for sticking to a purebred from a good breeder.
That said, I have nothing against the Labradoodle. I think Standard poodles are great dogs, and the combination of the two breeds was bound to produce, as it has, intelligent, healthy, active dogs.
The intention is not to prove that a purebred is genetically better.
The intention is to disprove the “hybrid vigor” myth.
With every purebred, you get a -known- genetic tendency profile of that dog and by examining it’s pedigree and identifying which/how many ancestors manifested the genetic issue, you can estimate the odds of *your* dog carrying inheriting/manifesting that peculiar set of genetic tendencies towards any given health issue, thereby allowing you to monitor your dog for those -known- issues.
With a mutt, you have infinite unknown variables coming together, potentially in disastrous and heartbreaking ways and you have *no* idea to test/watch out for/expect heritable illness it until it’s too late because you have *no* idea who/what the parents were nor what their genetic disease carrier status is.
You say you have Greyhounds.
You should understand this, then, given their inherited health issues.
The labradoodle puppies are EXTREMELY active as puppies. People should meet a young one if they are considering adoption, and realize that they'll be dealing with that for up to 3 years before the dog 'calms down'. They are good dogs, but you are also doubling down on the energy-quotient.
I see. What you’ve said makes more sense than the article.
Our greyhound is a retired racer and is spayed, so we haven’t looked into inherited health issues. Our vet is familiar with treating the breed, however.
I appreciate your information. Your points make a lot of sense.
What our friend Salamander is saying is that, with purebreds, you get ‘predictability’ for good or ill. Mixed breeds are not studied systematically because there really isn’t anything a geneticist can use as a basis for comparison.
“a purebred from a good breeder”
That can *not* be stressed enough.
There are some bad “pure breeders” out there too and an AKC registration paper is no guarantee of health or temperament.
They are known as “backyard breeders” or “Greeders” amongst honorable breeders and it is they who damage the pure breeds.
They offer minimal care to their litters, do not health test and do not research bloodlines in order to benefit the future and health of their breed.
Every year, like clockwork, a sign appears at a local crossroads advertising “Purebred AKC Golden Retrievers”.
[They are Mennonites and these “Purebred AKC whatever” signs are *very* commonly seen on their farm lanes here]
Prior to the Goldens, they were hawking “Purebred Siamese Kittens” but I reckon there’s more cash in the dogs, now.
What bothers me most is how *long* that sign stays up.
It used to be about a week before the pups were all sold but now the sign stays up almost all summer.
They must have gotten more bitches.
That’s quite reasonable.
FWIW - I greatly prefer a Flyball mix dog than a Border Collie bred for Flyball. Border Collies should be bred to herd - that is what makes the breed.
Better to mix breeds for a specific purpose than to take an existing breed developed for one and twist it into another.
Greyhounds are susceptible to several scary health issues, the worst of which affects their heart.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is the scary one and is responsible for those “my sight hound was running and playing and fell over dead!” horror stories that show up in sight hound forums all too frequently.
[Borzoi and Deerhounds are usually the victim in the story]
Hypothyroidism is rampant in sight hounds *but* even the most expensive tests will come back with “normal” results.
For some reason, sight hounds are much more sensitive to thyroidal fluctuation than other breeds.
[and if you tell your vet that, he/she will probably say I’m wrong *but* I’ve had Ibizan Hounds for 20+ years and know whereof I speak..so giving your gal a Kelp tablet every day and watching for unexplainable weight gain/hair loss are good ideas]...:)
You probably already know the rule about “NO barbiturates should be given to sight hounds, ever”.
Be glad your vet is sight hound capable.
Years ago, a vet nearly killed my Ibizan, Jack by hitting him with a “dose per weight” versus a “dose per body area” of barbs prior to neutering him.
Jack slept for -3- days and it was another 2 before he could get up and walk.
[yes, we have *another* vet, now]....:)
Thank you.
I wish I could have condensed it that succinctly in the first place!....:)
Breeders or puppy mills? There are puppy mills out here in the valley with no other income who cut corners. In my county if you have more than 5 dogs of any type, you need a special license and can get inspected at any time. I'm not sure how strict they are or if there is any way to appeal, but at least it is local control.
I've since met oodles of doodles, and pretty much without exception they are great dogs -- gentle, wonderful dispositions, and healthy. And they don't shed. What's to be sorry about?
I, too, have herding dogs (Belgian Sheepogs) who run flyball, and they love it. My boy is so competitive- he runs better when he's aware of the other dog.
But the Border Staffys are great little dogs! We have one run start on our team and she is fast! The fastest Border Staffy I've seen completed the run in 3.5 seconds. Amazing.
This is all very informative, thank you very much! Our vet mentioned the potential heart problems and that use of drugs for greyhounds is different than for most other dogs.
Jack Russell Terrier?
Not all poodle mixes do not shed. The poodle does not shed at all. It’s a sin to mix breeds. I will have nothing but a poodle, and after having a tri-color(the original German “pudel”) I will have nothing else.
The best dog I ever had was a labrador/golden mix. He was almost human.
Plenty of dogs at the pound no one wants. I am not a big fan of pure bred breeders and obviously mix in matches especailly if it has anything to do with pit bulls.
Millions of good pups dying for a good home at the pound.
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