What to Do About Doodles
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By Wayne Cavanaugh
There is no better way to raise our collective hackles than to use the word “doodle” in a sentence. With fair warning, I’ll be doing exactly that. Sorry. Someone has to do it. Labradoodles and goldendoodles are everywhere with no end in sight. We can either curse them or learn something from them. Personally, I chose to do both.
You might be thinking what do “doodle mutts” have to do with our sport, our real breeds, and the AKC in general? You might be surprised. When we hear the D word, our immediate reaction is to express our profound unhappiness, get angry, preach to our own choir, and call it a day. How is that working out? Instead, we should stop and think about why doodles are so popular in the first place. We should try to see things through the eyes of a pet buyer. Most important, we should take a deep breath and ask where doodles are now, where they are headed, and how it could impact the sport of dog shows. Our sport? Yes, our sport.
We may think of Goldendoodles and Labradoodles as expensive mongrels and misleading moneymakers. It angers us that they are not as advertised and sell for high prices. We know that an F1 cross clearly does not guarantee the pups will be non-shedding and hypoallergenic as is widely and incorrectly believed. We also know that an F1 cross doesn’t magically erase the issues of a pup’s ill-bred sire and dam. And we know that doodles are not necessarily as healthy or healthier than purebred dogs. But, what if they were?
I have a well-rehearsed response for anyone asking about Goldendoodles or Labradoodles. Here it is: responsible Poodle, Labrador, and Golden breeders do conscientious health testing on all of their breeding stock. They go over and above to ensure that pups they sell aren’t used as doodle stock. Therefore, the poodles and retrievers used to create Goldendoodles and Labradoodles likely come from poorly-bred stock that has not even been health tested. Unhealthy dogs bred to unhealthy dogs equals unhealthy dogs no matter how you cut the cake. My complaint, therefore, is that doodles do not come from a long line of dogs that have been health tested. But what if they did?
There is no doubt that AKC breed clubs are leading the charge regarding canine health and research. National breed club members–and responsible show breeders in general–use health testing, common sense and experience to produce the healthiest dogs possible.
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Posted by AnthonyA
on Aug 9 2020. Filed under Current Articles, Featured.
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