Responsible Breeding?

This is one of those topics that may stimulate a great deal of controversy. Obviously there are some people who believe that any intentional breeding of animals in a world where millions are euthanized annually is wrong and thus "Responsible Breeding" would be to them an oxymoron. While we have and continue to work a great deal with wonderful rescue groups, humane societies, and animal shelters through our veterinary careers, and have a great compassion for the lost and neglected/abused animals in our societies, we do not believe that the answer is to simply abandon the genetic refinement and progress of purebred dogs. Abandoned pets are not an animal problem, but a people problem, and those of us who care for our animals are not going to stop the ignorant or abusive from being the way they are by restricting ourselves in our pursuits. If anything, properly matching people with animals that fit their unique desires, hopes, personalities, and lifestyles will help through reducing these same people from going through a cycle of acquiring and disposing of dogs that were not suitable.

So I suppose the first factor in "Responsible Breeding" has nothing to do with the actual breeding of dogs, but rather with a commitment to dogs and the people who love them. This is precisely what Tara and I have devoted our lives to. Now it does not take a team of veterinarians to love animals and have a passion for sharing that love with others, but it does take special people. People who stand by their animals through their entire lives. People who send confidence in the quality of the breeding and a genuine concern for the happiness of the pet and the family home with every new puppy. People who will not disappear, and will provide advice in times of trouble or confusion. People who will offer support during illness and take responsibility if there should be a genetic problem that causes a health issue. People who will provide or give a second opinions for all medical issues. These are the type of people who are not just producing and selling puppies but rather are trying to help fix what is wrong with the pet owning world by advocating good pet ownership, and actively participating and sharing what knowledge and experience they have to make sure that a family member, not just a dog, is sent to a new home.

How do you know when you've found such a breeder??? In a world where technology lets anyone look like an expert on the internet, I think it comes down to following your own heart, doing some research, and developing a relationship with a breeder. If you want a quick fix, then you'll go to a pet store, or buy from someone who will sell to anyone with the right amount of cash. And you may luck out and get an absolutely great pet. Or you may become a statistic, and worse yet, the dog will become a statistic. Please don't misunderstand, one doesn't have to have a website or a degree to make a good breeder. You will find people in the newspaper who care and have done their homework and produce loving healthy animals. I have clients who I gladly recommend to others who never even advertise, but are found completely through word of mouth. But while I might buy a tool from someone I don't know anything about... I would not trust them to produce for me a family member.

Once you've done your homework on the breed you're seeking, you can start questioning a breeder. How do they test their animals to minimize the chance of producing pups with heritable defects? (We test all breeding animals for Hip Dysplasia through OFA, VonWillebrands through VetGen, Sebaceous Adenitis through annual skin biopsies, and ocular problems through Annual CERF certifications. We also promise that our animals spend time loving with us inside and exercising and playing outside. Our personal careers are in animal health, surgery, and welfare, and we are meticulous in caring for our personal pets, and this may be important. Vet care can be expensive, yet is essential. There is no doubt that some people are forced to make choices based on finances and time restraints. These are not a factor for us, and so they get the very best of care) What temperaments do they have and can you meet the dam and sire? (our answers are sweet and Yes! We have an open kennel and would be pleased if you had the chance to visit, as long as you can ignore the mess... not from the dogs, but rather the children!) Do the animals work or succeed in competitive events? (Our Poodles have shown wonderful hunting drive and are amazingly obedient and cheerful. We compete in obedience and are hunt training them. We hope to do agility as they mature. They ride everywhere with us, go to our athletic events, etc...) Are their champions in their backgrounds? (Yes) How would they support you if there was a problem, either health or temperament? (We love our animals and for whatever reason would take a dog back if it's not working out. We do not want our dogs in shelters, euthanized, etc... compensation for problems is discussed in more detail in our contract) Is that written in the contract? (Yes) The answers to these questions as well as the subjective assessment of the breeder's temperament and knowledge of their animals will give you the insight you need to start making a decision.

Another thought that seems to be a popular discussion amongst breeders (and which may mean little to most pet owners) is the degree of inbreeding or outcrossing in a certain line. Obviously most breeders will assure you there has never been a problem in their lines, etc... And no intelligent breeder would tell you their animal is inbred. So if you're interested, here's some thoughts on how genetics are applied to breeding decisions in dogs and used by responsible breeders to maintain/improve their breed.

Is Poodles Inbred???

The answer is a resounding YES. Don't be too shocked. While we feel Standard Poodles are truly Divine, they are not the original dog Type or ancestor. Instead, they and all of our "purebred" dogs are the result of a long history of genetic manipulation through breeding "like" dogs. To improve a given trait in a dog, it is best to breed animals who both are strong in that trait. i.e. if you want long coated dogs, you wouldn't get as good results breeding two short coated dogs hoping for the odd long coated pup to arrive. Even then, your pup might carry short coat genes as well as the fortunate redistribution of long genes from it's short coated parents, and thus will not breed "true." Animals get genes from both dam and sire. Some genes fit a dominant/recessive pattern where an animal with either two Dominant (Homozygous) or a Dominant and a Recessive (Heterozygous) will show the Dominant trait. Homozygous genes will breed true, whereas a heterozygous parent may throw either the Dominant or Recessive to it's offspring and thus the offspring may have a variety of different gene expressions. Making things more complicated, many Phenotypes (the physical expression of the genes, such as the color of hair or length of legs) are not simple dominant recessive, but rather reflect the interactions of multiple genes affecting different parts of a final visual trait, some of which may have dominant/recessive aspects while others show the combined gene output. Out of all these collections of genes, each parent will randomly donate one from each gene pair, thus making the final genotype (actual genetic material for a given trait which then will combine to produce the visual trait or phenotype) very complicated. Now Standard Poodles breed true as a breed. You don't breed two Standards and expect a Collie to come out. But within the breed, which is somewhat varied in many characteristics, you have all of these complicated genetics governing the output. To have gotten to this point to begin with, people had to breed like dogs, and often related dogs, to simplify the genetic combinations so that the Standard would breed true. So inbreeding was a necessary part of the creation of each purebred dog, and the further the dog is from it's wolf/dingo ancestor, the more inbreeding must have been required to create a unique final product.

So Why Not Inbreed Now???

The road to producing a pure breed is not without it's road bumps and potholes. Breeding "like" dogs, does magnify the traits desired. But it also increases the likelihood that these "like" dogs may share unwanted genetics as well. Mutations or simply undesirable traits will be more likely found in close relatives. This becomes a disaster in traits that don't manifest early in life (PRA, VonWillebrands, Sebaceous Adenitis) or that may not have a simple genotype (Hip Dysplasia). These factors allow a new generation of affected animals to be born before the parents are identified as having a problem, if they ever are. It's surprising how many people don't test their animals for the genetic diseases before breeding, or worse ignore indications of problems, hoping to simply "breed it out of their lines." The result is affected animals who may suffer in various ways through their lives and sad families who are also victimized by seeing their loved one pay the price of poor breeding practices. The result is that "Responsible Breeders" are trying to decrease the inbreeding coefficient and thus diversify the genetics to avoid bringing dangerous gene pairs back together through inbreeding. This along with genetic testing, identification, and spaying/neutering animals that are not of benefit to the breed will help to strengthen the dogs we love. It is important to note that it shouldn't just be lethal or major faults that are eliminated. Poor leg conformation, poor coat quality, poor attitude or behavior, and many other non "health" issues may reflect genes that when perpetuated may eventually add up to produce an unhealthy offspring. Selective breeding is not hard. But it does require a desire to learn about the breed and to make an investment in quality animals to start with. Then, one should not be satisfied, but rather hope to improve and diversify from that excellent foundation. Buying two dogs out of the paper and breeding them may not produce sickly puppies, but it sure does nothing to improve the breed, and in the case of animals with recessive or complicated genetic problems, it may perpetuate true disease that costs families in time, money, and emotional losses.

So How Diverse Do We Go?

Won't We Lose the Poodle?

Ahhhh, now there's the rub. One would think that if we get too random, we'll begin to get less stable genotypes and soon get more variation from the parents so that we can't predict the outcome. We'd never get a collie from our poodles, but we may get a wider variety of sizes, coat quality, body types, head types, etc... But with a little effort, this is not truly a big concern. There are enough quality breeders available that one should be able to diversify while still finding dogs that fit the goals of the breeding. If one likes large dogs, they don't have to breed Father to Daughter to perpetuate that trait. There are other enthusiasts who have large dogs, or fine boned, instinctive, perky, subdued, or whatever poodle you want, so that you can expand your genetics without losing the traits you find appealing. Many will also try to match parents to improve certain traits while minimizing what they might find as a "fault." There are lots of people doing their homework and working to keep and improve the diversity of the poodle while still producing dogs that breed "true." Thus most of the time, when a replacement breeding animal or a new input of genetics is desired "Out crossing" is used to try and get "like" without without the genetic proximity of breeding to a relative. That way if the new mate does have a recessive or negative gene to donate, it hopefully will be different than any negative or recessive genes that you may have in your breeding animal and thus not cumulate. Both might have a chance to transfer to the puppy, but they would stay recessive or unsupported and thus will be no more damaging than in the original parents.

So what is "Line Breeding?"

Line Breeding is really polite inbreeding. Technically, some clubs or breeders will define "Line Breeding" as having some degree of family distance that separates it from the dreaded "inbreeding." Thus two animals that share a grandparent may be called "Line Breeding" whereas no one would call Brother/Sister, Mother/Son, Father/Daughter anything but "Inbreeding." And there is no doubt, that the further the family relationship, the less likely a shared recessive will be shared, but we must be honest that this is still "related" to inbreeding (pun completely intended). There are probably times where a dog who shares common ancestry that is visible within the pedigree has accomplished things and has such a wonderful look/behavior/health record that one feels it is the perfect match for their dog. But it is the responsible thing to admit that this carries a risk, which increases with proximity of family relationship, and thus must be done only if the common ancestor, and as many of the intervening generations and progeny as possible have shown excellent health and hopefully have been tested for genetic problems. "Line Breeding" is done, and probably responsibly at times, but it also can be the socially acceptable or politcally correct way to short cut the research and effort of finding an animal of equal quality and characteristics who doesn't share the immediate ancestry. Be especially careful when you hear people mention "Line Breeding" that they have a definition that makes sense and is resonable.