Training goes along with intelligence; refer to the list below for intelligence rating. When combining two breeds the intelligence rating will be somewhere between the two breeds; thus the Goldendoodle would be third.
Breed Intelligence Raking by AKC (You just wish all these dogs were all hypo-allergenic, non-shedding, calm, and good with children.)
1. Border Collie
2. Standard Poodle
3. German Shepherd
4. Golden Retriever
5. Doberman Pinscher
6. Shetland Sheepdog
7. Labrador Retriever
8. Papillon
9. Rottweiler
10. Australian Cattle Dog
Goldendoodle + Goldendoodle = F2 - the coat would be like the F1's
The Multi Generation term is used for breeding F2's or higher.
Example: A second generation backcross pup (F2B) is the result of a Goldendoodle (F1) bred to a Goldendoodle backcross (F1B). Although three generations in the making, F2Bs are technically second generation dogs.
Lots more information on generation breeding is available at
Are F1's healthier?
As first generation hybrids, these dogs have the added health benefits associated to Hybrid Vigour. This is a phenomenon in animal breeding referring to the fact that the first cross between two unrelated purebred lines is healthier and grows better than either parent line. The next crossing is F1B, although there is less vigor in future crossing than in the original hybrid, the first generation backcross still is close enough in the breeding tree to benefit from hybrid vigor. With each successive generation vigor is lost. Keeping the breed healthy is important, thus genetic testing should start at the first mating of Golden Retriever to the Poodle. Start with only the best, breed future generations only from healthiest parents, and so on will produce long healthy bloodlines. Experienced breeders are breeding multi-generation Doodles using unrelated pairs. This type of breeding may reduce the hybrid vigor but will guarantee more standardization on the Goldendoodle characteristics. Once the breed is standardized AKC can consider the multi-generation a pure breed. Hybrid vigor resulting from cross-breeding and ensuring that the parents are OFA tested and eye certified will go a long way to minimizing the possibility of genetic diseases in future Goldendoodles. So is the F1 healthier; possibly but not guaranteed. Research reputable breeders with experience and health tested dogs. Future generations must be breed from healthy first generations. Not just someone looking for a quick buck that will just go out an acquire two Goldendoodles and breed them or stud their Goldendoodle out. I am sure I may upset some people with that, but health testing is expensive and a true breeding practice takes many years to build.
Do you spay or neuter at 7 weeks old?
Early spay/neuter is an option I offer as a free service to my customers; only if you have emailed me as proof that you want the puppy spayed or neutered or if I have written it on your contract when you were visiting us. The option is totally up to you. My Veterinarian does believe in early spay and neutering based on the families needs; but then again the Vet's main goal is to control the pet population as they see many abandoned pets and puppies. You will be required to sign a spay/neuter contract, unless we have determined that you are a responsible breeder. Many studies indicate that early spays benefit the animal, the owner, and animal population. The animal benefits because the anesthesia is fast and uneventful; surgical procedure is well tolerated and animals recover faster. The new owner benefits by decreasing the number of veterinary office visits necessary upon acquiring a new pet. The veterinarian benefits because spays and neuters at 7 weeks of age are easier and faster than at 6 months or older. More information on early spay/neuter available at http://vetmed.illinois.edu/ope/ivb/spay-neu.htm
I prefer not having the early spay/neuter performed on Mini Godlendoodles. Since I have been having the early spays and neuters done for some time now the concern I see is the puppy takes a step backward in weight gain for a week and then they have to gain their weight back. Thus the customer thinks they are getting an underweight puppy, as if I wasn't feeding it enough, which doesn't happen. At seven weeks old the mini puppies are between 3 and 4 pounds and they just do not have enough body weight to sustain not eating for several days; the standard puppies at seven weeks old are between 7 and 9 pounds and do much better with the surgery. It takes a few weeks for the puppy to gain weight back to where it looks like a chubby puppy again and poodles tend to be lean anyway. I have read some research and heard from someone that has a Yorkie that the legs grew longer, because of the missing hormones and possibly bones will not be as strong as well. Basically not enough research is out there to promote the spay/neuter as neither a pro or a con. You have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages to make sure the decision is one you are comfortable with. I prefer the six to seven month guideline as stated on my health guarantee. With a male if he is not neutered he could start to lift his leg to potty around seven months old; or he may run off from home because male dogs can smell a female dog in heat from miles away. If your male or female goes out looking for a mate there is a good chance it could get run over. I strongly recommend a male dog be neutered around 6 months old regardless. With a female the negatives include the heat cycle possibly starting around seven months old and you would not want the blood droppings in your house. The other fact is an unaltered female pup will be very unruly about a month before she goes in heat and during the heat cycle. You start wondering what is wrong with your dog, she doesn't obey, ignores you, doesn't come when called, etc. Her hormones have kicked in and she doesn't even understand what is going on (The teenager stage.); could start a early as seven months. At that point there are people that think they are never going to be able to train their crazy dog and they give it away or it ends up in a shelter; shame on them. Here is a link to Cesar's option on early spay/neuter. http://www.cesarsway.com/askthevet/basicadvice/best-age-to-neuter-or-spay. So weigh your options and get with me if for your situation is better suited for the early procedure or I will assume you are not interested in it, because I advocate the six month rule since a dog reaches his full height around seven months old and then they bulk up and put on a few pounds and start to fill out.
Do you ever have older dogs for sale?
From time to time we do have older dogs for sale. Please contact me to see what I have available or to be added to a waiting list. We re-home our adult dogs at 5 years old or we may have a potential breeder that did not meet our high standards of breeding. Both will make excellent house pets, as our routine here is similar to being in a house. We even had a Lab that grew up here and went to home at five years old and never had an accident in the house and even sleep with her new family from day one. It is wonderful if you can adopt a dog from a shelter; although I realize it is hard to find these excellent quality, allergy friendly, non-shedding dogs in a shelter. Do keep in mind the following facts:
#1 - Do not assume just because a dog is four plus months old that it is going to walk right into your house and be completely trained the way you expect. Everyone has a different routine and different expectations.
#2 - Training for the first two weeks should be somewhat similar to bringing in a new puppy. Most important: Do not take the dog out of your yard, always take them out on a leash, and take them outside frequently to learn the potty routine.
#3 - The older the dog the slower on the trust factor; you are totally changing their world and some need time to adjust and figure out what is going. Those types will become the forever right by your side type dog. Some will be glad to jump in bed with you the first night.
How long does it take to house break a puppy?
First I prefer puppies go to their new homes after 8 weeks of age, so they can hold their bladder longer and stool is solid. I believe in crate training in the beginning until you are completely satisfied that when the puppy is left alone it will not get into trouble. As the puppy ages you can puppy proof an area of your home and confine the puppy to that area when left alone.
It is very important that the first day you have your puppy in its new home you take it outside to its designated potty area every half hour, the second day every hour, then if no accidents, you can adjust to every hour and half the third day, and two hours by the fourth day. Two hours would be the max not to go out during the day if the young puppy is running about and playing. If the puppy is alone in a crate it will mostly sleep, since it doesn't have water or food he can hold his bladder longer. When you are not able to watch the puppy for signs of needing to go outside you should crate the puppy, as when you are cooking, eating dinner, showering, sleeping at night, and so on. The crate is not and should not be treated as a punishment area. The puppy will regard the crate as a safe zone such as a wild animal would have a den and they will want to keep their den clean and will not potty in it. Take food away after 6:00 PM and water 7:00 PM so the puppy doesn't have to potty during the night. In the morning take the puppy outside as soon as you take him out of the crate, since he has been holding his bladder all night. This was hard to teach my kids, they want to get the puppy out of the crate in the morning to play and of course they leave the taking the puppy outside chore to the Me. They learned the hard way that they were responsible for cleaning up puppy mess for not taking the puppy outside.
This may sound like a large investment of time, but a commitment of a few days will definitely save you much stress by decreasing the house training process time. I have heard from many of my customers that their puppy never soiled in the home or took one or two days to train. I've heard several times that their puppy only soiled in the house once or twice and the new owner blamed it on themselves for not noticing the signs of the puppy needing to go outside. If your puppy learns to go to the door and wait for you to let him outside, but you don't always notice the puppy is sitting at the door you can tie a large bell or two to the door knob with decorative ribbon, low enough for the puppy to reach with his nose, and teach him to ring the bell each time before you let him outside. This works great in a large home or very active homes where you are not always aware of the poor puppy patiently waiting by the door pacing. (This would be my house.)
And keep in consideration for those people looking for an older dog just because they could already be house trained, you still need to to follow the above instructions for the first few days to teach the dog the routine at your house. Also, to make sure the dog was properly house trained. Everyone trains in different ways and you want your new companion to be off to a good start.
What supplies do I need to shop for before the puppy arrives?
Examples: Squeaky toys, ropes, nylabone, rubber toys, tennis balls constructed for dogs are more durable than people tennis balls.
If you are crate training basically no matter what you do the puppy will most likely cry the first night, because the puppy has learned that if he whines he gets attention. To make the puppy more comfortable you can
fill an empty two-liter soft drink bottle with hot to warm water and
wrap it in a towel and place in the crate so the puppy feels like he is
sleeping next to a litter mate. Other than the water bottle, I prefer not to put anything in the crate with the puppy so the puppy will lay down and go to sleep and not play. If your puppy is playing then he will need to go outside and potty. It is important that you do not give in to the whining, so he learns he will have to stay in the crate. Do not under any circumstances get him out of the crate when he is whining. In most cases the whining lasts one maybe two nights for up to 5 minutes and it is over. You will not be a bad puppy owner if you close the puppy in a bathroom or laundry room away from your bedrooms the first few nights, even a garage if the temperature is comfortable. Or some people prefer to keep the puppy in their bedroom and the puppy will learns to lay down and sleep when you do. This approach works well also. I have often heard back that their puppy never whipped in the crate at night also, this means he is sleeping well and does not need to be checked on. If the first few nights the puppy sleeps for a few hours and then whimpers he most likely is telling you he needs to potty. Take him outside to potty and straight back to his crate, so he does not think it is social time.
Warning - One time I heard from a customer that every time they put the puppy in the crate it whined, so they would take it back out to comfort him. They were asking what they should do. I instructed them to start over with the crate training and suffer through the loud whimpering at that point and don’t give in to the puppy's demands. Of course this approach took a week to break the puppy of whining, because he had already learned at some point someone would let him out (remember the Doodles are intelligent).
What comes with my puppy?
All puppies are sent to their new homes up-to-date on vaccinations, dewormings, and dew claws removed. Spay or neuter is available when puppies are seven weeks old. Early spay and neuter is not manditory so please notify Hilltop Pups of your preference. Early spay and neuter benefits by a two day healing process and puppy is still ready to go home completely healed at 8 weeks of age, verses the old methods of spaying and neutering at six months of age that takes 10 days to two weeks to heal and during that time risking injury. Your puppy has entered the world with a good head start using Early Neurological Stimulation methods developed by the military to create intelligent healthy dogs. See article below for more information. Early stimulation involves the first 3 to 16 days of life, followed by daily stimulation and socialization with noises, other animals, children, and people. All puppies are held daily as you will find out they like to be held like babies and cuddled.
Free ebook available via email to customers:
"Your Doodle Puppy's First Year Made Easy!"
Also included:
Written 26 Month Health Guarantee and
seven month spay/neuter contract as of 10/11/12
A toy with the our scent
Blanket with litter scent
Collar/Leash Combo
Sample of NuVet Vitamins
Micro Chipped with Avid Friendchip or Home Again
Puppy Kit information packet
Copies of Parent Dog Health Testing Results
All puppy pictures available via email
Life Time Support from Hilltop Pups
Starter bag of Purina Pro Plan Puppy Food
Flavors: Chicken and Rice or
Chicken and Rices Shredded
(Please do not switch food the first few weeks
from taking puppy home.) Any foo changes hould be done over several weeks.
Early Neurological Stimulation
By Dr. Carmen L. Battaglia
The U.S. Military in their canine program developed a method that still serves as a guide. In an effort to improve the performance of dogs used for military purposes, a program called "Bio Sensor" was developed. Later, it became known to the public as the "Super Dog" Program. Based on years of research, the military learned that early neurological stimulation exercises could have important and lasting effects. Their studies confirmed that there are specific time periods early in life when neurological stimulation has optimum results. The first period involves a window of time that begins at the third day of life and lasts until the sixteenth day. It is believed that because this interval of time is a period of rapid neurological growth and development, and therefore is of great importance to the individual.
The "Bio Sensor" program was also concerned with early neurological stimulation in order to give the dog a superior advantage. Its development utilized six exercises which were designed to stimulate the neurological system. Each workout involved handling puppies once each day. The workouts required handling them one at a time while performing a series of five exercises. Listed in order of preference, the handler starts with one pup and stimulates it using each of the five exercises. The handler completes the series from beginning to end before starting with the next pup.
The handling of each pup once per day involves the following exercises:
- Tactical stimulation (between toes): Holding the pup in one hand, the handler gently stimulates (tickles) the pup between the toes on any one foot using a Q-tip. It is not necessary to see that the pup is feeling the tickle. Time of stimulation 3 - 5 seconds.
- Head held erect: Using both hands, the pup is held perpendicular to the ground, (straight up), so that its head is directly above its tail. This is an upwards position. Time of stimulation 3 - 5 seconds.
- Head pointed down: Holding the pup firmly with both hands the head is reversed and is pointed downward so that it is pointing towards the ground. Time of stimulation 3 - 5 seconds.
- Supine position: Hold the pup so that its back is resting in the palm of both hands with its muzzle facing the ceiling. The pup while on its back is allowed to sleep. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.
- Thermal stimulation: Use a damp towel that has been cooled in a refrigerator for at least five minutes. Place the pup on the towel, feet down. Do not restrain it from moving. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.
These five exercises will produce neurological stimulations, none of which naturally occur during this early period of life.
Benefits of Stimulation
Five benefits have been observed in canines that were exposed to the Bio Sensor stimulation exercises.
- Improved cardio vascular performance (heart rate)
- Stronger heart beats
- Stronger adrenal glands
- More tolerance to stress
- Greater resistance to disease.
For the full article and more information please visit Breeding Better Dogs:
http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com/articles/early_neurological_stimulation_en.php
What is the size range for Doodles?
GANA's recognized standard adult measurement are listed below. Height measurements are taken at the wither (front shoulder). Sizes can vary by amount of exercise and food intake. The best indication of size is somewhere between the size of the Sire & Dam.
Medium range: Height: 17 to 20 (not over 21) inches (43cm to 52cm) at wither, typically 36-50 lbs.
Standard range: Height: 21 to 24 (not over 25) inches (53cm to 63cm) at wither, typically 51-75 lbs.
How much is a deposit?
Deposits are $300 and they are non-refundable.
Is my deposit refundable or transferable if I change my mind?
We do not refund deposits, because we have been holding a puppy back that we could have placed in another home; thus we would have additional advertising costs. However we do understand that emergency situations do occur and at that point you may transfer your deposit to another litter or post pone for a later litter. When reserving new born puppies or puppies prior to being born you are required to pick out the puppy of your choice by the time they are 4 weeks old. This gives adequate time to find homes for the remaining puppies and informs the people that have a deposit after you on which puppies they can choose from. After the puppies turn four weeks old if you decide for any reason not to take a puppy from the litter you previously stated you will forfeit your deposit. Breeder reserves the right to make the choice after four weeks old to allow you to change litters, sex, and/or color, because the agreement initially made may not fit breeding program. Such as someone wanting breeding rights from one litter may not be able to obtain them from another litter with limited breeding rights.
Where do I send my deposit?
Hilltop Pups
1059 E Jasper Dubois Rd
Jasper, IN 47546.
We do take personal checks on deposits, because the check will have time to clear the bank. When you pick up your puppy we prefer cash. Pay Pal is also an option; add 1.5% to the PayPal payment for service fees. I do accept lay-a-way plans. I have had people send $50 to $100 dollars weekly until the puppy was paid in full. Of course, puppy must be paid in full at time of pick up; but this plan works great for those people reserving their puppy for in advance, or as a surprise gift.
Please include the following information when you send your deposit:
Your name, address, phone, and email address for updated pictures.
Name of litter parents and birthday. Description of your puppy: sex, color, and puppy number from picture. We want to make sure the correct puppy gets reserved for you.
If reserving before puppies are born you need to list your puppy preference by: Litter-Sex-Color-Coat type. Using the puppy preference description I will reserve a puppy with the closest match. Then when you have a chance to visit after the puppies are born or by viewing pictures you can agree with the puppy I reserved for you or pick another available puppy. You can visit anytime to pick out your puppy, even in advance to see the parents. At two weeks the puppies open their eyes and their coats are thick and fluffy; this is a good time to visit. 98% of the time people take the puppy I choose for them. One time I had a gentleman reserve a cream female; he visited twice to see the puppy grow and the day he came to take his cream color female home he changed his puppy to a curly red male.
With an advance puppy purchase list the following:
Color: Cream - Gold - Red - Brown - Black
Coat type: Curly - wavy to curly - wavy shag- straight short
Coat type selection made easy for first generation pups = F1
Curly - no shedding, best for severe allergies.
Wavy to curly or Wave to Curl - may shed a hair here and there. Good for moderate allergies.
Wavy shag - may shed slightly, very little though, nothing like a Retriever or German Shepherd breed. Good for mild allergies.
Straight short coat - sheds somewhat, but less than the Retriever or GS breed. Good for those people that want the original looks of a Retriever or GS, with less shedding.
My experience with the F1B's, F2B's F3B's etc., any breeding combination where a parent dog is already an F1B, they all have non-shedding coats, even in the wavy category. The Multi Generation coats are thick, soft, and non-shedding. Great for anyone with allergies or if you are just looking for non-shedding. I prefer F2B and further generations coats the best, because they are soft and full and my experience is they mat less, most likely because there is no shedding. I am able to groom my F2B adults less than the F1's. My F2B's are groomed only once a year, so you can keep that gorgeous long coat longer.
Male vs. Female decision made easy:
Why do people prefer a female? Females average adult weight is on average 10 pounds or so less than a male.
Why do people prefer a male? Males tend to be calmer more obedient than females. Just a little though, the Standard Doodle mixes are very calm and intelligent regardless. So if you are concerned with size, go with the female.
If you are concerned about a male hiking his leg you need to neuter him between 5 and 7 months of age. At 7 months a male puppy will begin to lift his leg to urinate and later start marking his territory. If you neuter him before he learns these traits he will continue to squat to urinate. At your first Vet visit you should discuss the puppies vaccination schedule and neutering appointment.
At what age do you allow the puppy to go to its new home?
8 weeks is the general rule, so the puppies first puppy vaccination has taken effect, the puppy can hold its bladder longer. If the 8 week birthday falls on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and you would have more time the previous weekend to spend with the puppy I will allow the puppy to go home a few days early, as long as the puppy vaccination was given 7 days prior.
What if we can not pick up our puppy when it turns 8 weeks old, such as we will be out of town?
No problem. We prefer you pick up your puppy when you have two days to concentrate on house breaking and bonding with your puppy. We will take care of your puppy at no charge for three additional weeks. After three weeks kenneling fees will be charged.
What is the best way to transport the puppy on the drive home?
I suggest crating the puppy on the way home or layering old towels about three of four deep on the car seat or your lap so you have bonding time. I don’t suggest you buy a small crate just to transport the puppy home, since the puppy will out grow a small crate in a short time. The towels work just fine. For the most part the car is a new environment and the puppy will lay down and go to sleep. If the puppy wakes up and wants to move around it is a sign that the puppy needs to potty. I send a leash home with each puppy so you can stop during your drive. Some puppies will get car sick, so I suggest taking a trash bag, paper towels for the trip, and wet wipes. If you puppy gets sick on a towel you can put the soiled towel in a plastic bag so the vehicle doesn't smell. If you use a crate layer some newspaper on the bottom of the crate, plus I can give you plenty of shredded paper for the crate to keep the puppy clean if he gets sick.
Can a Doodle be registered?
Yes. Ours are registered with Continental Kennel Club "CKC" and/or GANA. There are many organizations that register the Doodles, but these CKC and GANA are my preferences. GANA does a great job of verifying pedigrees to make sure the Doodle can be traced back to the AKC original breeds. CKC offers shows and/or events just like AKC, along with the pedigree history tracking just as AKC. Doodles can not be registered with AKC. However, CKC will register Doodles under Miscellaneous; example of breed category: Misc/Goldendoodle. The purpose of the CKC registration is to start a pedigree tracking history for those people wishing to breed in the future, as well as participate in CKC sponsored events. CKC will register an AKC dog by sending CKC a copy of the dogs AKC papers, along with a registration form and fees of course. Therefore, my dogs are registered both AKC and CKC. When you run a pedigree trace on an AKC dog you will gain information such as health testing, color, names of ancestors (the family tree). My dogs are mostly first or second generation CKC. So, if you run a pedigree check on the parents under CKC their will not be much history, but as people continue to register their puppies in the future the pedigree tracking history will continue to grow strong and someday the Doodles will become registered breeds as they have in other countries. So, continue to register your puppies.
Will the runt always stay smaller than the other puppies in the litter?
Sometimes, maybe 70/30 of the time. The following are my experiences and opinion. I had a runt here a little over a year ago and she now weighs 70 pounds, of course her owners still love her and say the size doesn't matter since she is so calm and gentle. Dogs have two gestation tubes and conceive more than once, dogs conceive during a 10 day cycle. Thus they can conceive a week or so apart and then all the puppies are born at the same time; thus the smaller puppies are younger than their litter mates. I had a golden retriever hook up to a male two times 10 days apart. She, Ruby, had 8 puppies, 4 puppies were small and 4 puppies large it was amazing to see the clear break in size and maturity. I weaned the larger puppies a week earlier than the smaller puppies and have started that routine with all my litters, so the smaller puppies get to stay with mom longer and get more of her milk since they may just be younger. Sometimes a puppy is just a runt and stays small. So, keep in mind when choosing that little runt because you want a small dog or your building code requires dogs under a certain size requirement that your puppy could grow larger than expected and than what will you do with your dog.
Is Winter a good time to bring home a puppy?
Why do breeders raise more F1B or Multi Generation?
The F1 50/50 mix litter puppies have coat types from wavy that shed, wavy to curly that could shed just a tiny bit, and then one or two curly puppies. Most people looking for the Doodles are interested for the non-shedding hypo-allergenic factor which the F1B or higher produce. The F1B litters have mostly curly puppies and just a few wave to curly and if you want the wavy to curly the people that get their deposits in early are going grab them first. In the F1 litter the early deposit first picks are usually the curly puppies. Over the past 8 years I have found the benefits of Multi Generation Labradoodles out weigh the first generation and no longer raise F1 Labradoodles. The biggest factor was improving the calmness of the puppy/dog. I love the personality of the multi-generation Labradoodles and how calm they are over the first generation; losing the hyper Labrador personality and no longer having the two year puppy stage to go through. Coat type was the second factor. In the first generation there were many puppies that looked somewhat awkward and had straight coats that shed almost as much as a Lab. The F1B generally don't shed.
Why is health testing necessary?
Health test results are used by breeders in determining which dogs are
best for their breeding program. Knowing the status of the dog and the status
of the dogs lineage, breeders can decide which matings are most appropriate for
reducing the healthiest offspring. Testing adult does not guarantee the puppies
will be free of any disease, but decreases the chance of a puppy developing a
disease. Buying from an experienced long
time breeder will further increase the chance of buying a healthy puppy. Here at
Hilltop we have been breeding for 8 years.
Over the years if we had a dog with a negative health health test
we were able to place the parent dog in a loving forever home. Keeping only the healthiest bloodlines going. We have been evolving our adults based on the history of the lineage.
Keeping back our puppies that we have generations of history on to prove the
health of our puppies.
Testing at Hilltop is ongoing as new DNA testing become
available. For more information pertinent to the particular breed you are
interested in please review the website www.offa.org The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals is a
trusted place for Orthopedic Testing and DNA testing along with PositiveID and ingen.org. If you have
the registration number for a dog you can find the test results that have been
performed through OFA. Although breeders may use several sources for testing;
the breeder should be able to produce results of the tests. Proof through Parentage - is the term used to describe off spring from tested parents, as proof that the future offspring would carry such disease genes because their parents did not.
Do not be intimidated by the disease information. Ever
breed has some type of disease pertinent to that breed. Such as the Von
Willebrand's or progressive retinal atrophy diseases are so very rare in Standard
Poodles and I have never heard of a poodle or doodle actually having either one.
I did have one golden retriever that showed the Thyroid condition at one year
old, for which she did not enter our breeding program. I have had several
Golden Retrievers with hip test results that were not adequate for our program. I consider American Golden Retrievers to be
in the highest risk group for hip concerns, because back when the golden retriever
was first introduced in the U.S. everyone wanted one. So anyone that had a
female and knew someone with a male would breed them together; the so called
Back Yard Breeders, puppy mill. Not that
those people are the total blame, the technology and information just was not
as available as today. Hopefully the
English Golden Retrievers will not follow in the American short falls, but I
have seen some English Retriever Breeders not care about testing and from where
they are importing their English Retrievers.
There are some very good International English Golden Retriever breeders
out there and we have taken our time choosing those breeders to start
on English program. Thus the reason the
English puppies cost more. At the cost
of the English Golden Retriever a breeder just can not afford to run out and by
ten of them, so I bought the best available female in the world, Tosya. She is the start of our program. She has had two litters, all puppies were
gorgeous, healthy, and consistent in their body build. We have to kept
females from Tosya's litters to extent our program; plus my daughter has
adopted a world champion male that is not related to Tosya. Very exciting,
but taking years, this is a good example of why people buy from trusted breeders
and not back yard breeders. We have done our homework. We have had past litters to guide us and alert
us of any health issues that could rise out of bloodlines. I think the healthiest breed is the standard poodle, thus making the Doodle - Hybrid Vigor the core belief of our breeding program. The smaller poodles have more health concerns and personality quirks due to downsizing the breed too quickly, people were racing to produce smaller and smaller puppies. Here at Hilltop we are taking our time to develop smaller lines. Crystal a smaller standard poodle is the founder of our smaller size doodles, due to the fact that she has had several litters of healthy doodles and they stay a smaller size. We have kept two of Crystal's past puppies back and they will be breeding our future Mini Doodles, along with a male Mini Goldendoodle that we acquired from a trusted breeder. Next up we will be going Double Doodle also known as North American Retriever. Double Doodle referring to a Labradoodle bred to a Goldendoodle. This is an obvious match to us with our love for both the Labradoodle and Goldendoodle. Great for those people that can not decide if they want a Goldendoodle or Labradoodle and bringing in again more Hybrid Vigor. I have seen way less health issues with Labrador Retrievers than Golden Retrievers. I have had many standard poodles over the years and have never seen a poodle with hereditary health concern.
DISEASE / BREED LIST
Most diseases ARE breed specific, below
is a list specific to our breeding program of diseases that affect specific
breeds.
Golden Retriever - MDR1 – Multidrug
Resistance in Cancer
- DM – Canine
Degenerative Myelopathy
- PRCD – Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration
Goldendoodle - PRCD – Progressive
Rod-Cone Degeneration
Standard Poodle - DM – Canine
Degenerative Myelopathy
- vWD – von Willebrand Disease
The above was referenced from http://ingen.bs/
vWD - Von Willebrand's Disease
Von Willebrand’s disease has been identified in a
wide range of canine breeds, and is the most common of the inherited bleeding
disorders. As with humans, there are three classifications of this disease,
Types I, II, and III. These are based on the concentration and nature of plasma
vWF. Type I vWD is characterized by abnormally low concentrations of
structurally normal vWF, and tends to be a milder and more variable form. Type
II vWD is characterized by structurally abnormal vWF, which impedes function
and results in severe bleeding in affected animals. Type III vWD is found in
animals that have essentially no plasma vWF. The disease has been reported in
many breeds of dog, and is generally diagnosed by an ELISA test for plasma vWF
following a bleeding event.
Five mutations have been identified that cause vWD
in canines. Direct DNA tests have been developed for all five of these
mutations that allow unambiguous delineation of the genetic status of the
animal, which is not always possible with the ELISA test due to temporal
variations in the amount of circulating vWF. These five mutations are
responsible for the vast majority of vWD in at least the fifteen breeds
discussed in this poster, and probably others, which have yet to be tested. All
five may be classified as recessively inherited resulting in clear, carrier, or
affected status. While carriers do exhibit a reduction in the amount of plasma
vWF, it is not enough to make them symptomatic. It should be noted that
affected status in the case of these tests means the animal carries two copies
of the mutant allele, not necessarily that the disease is manifest. In the case
of the severe Type II and III diseases any “affected” animal will almost
certainly experience a severe bleeding incident. In the case of the milder and
more variable Type I disease, “affected” animals are obviously at risk, but may
or may not have a severe bleeding incident.
VetGen has now being offering DNA testing for vWD
for more than ten years, and has tested over 20,000 dogs.
PRA - Progressive Retinal Atrophy
PRA Disease - Testing required is the PRCD
The genetic disorder, prcd-PRA
, causes cells in the retina at the back of the eye to degenerate and die, even
though the cells seem to develop normally early in life. The “rod” cells
operate in low light levels and are the first to lose normal function. Night
blindness results. Then the “cone” cells gradually lose their normal function
in full light situations. Most affected dogs will eventually be blind.
Typically, the clinical disease is recognized first in early adolescence or
early adulthood. Since age at onset of disease varies among breeds, you should
read specific information for your dog. Diagnosis of retinal disease can be
difficult. Conditions that seem to be prcd-PRA might instead be another
disease and might not be inherited. OptiGen’s genetic test assists in making
the diagnosis. It’s important to remember that not all retinal disease is PRA
and not all PRA is the prcd form of PRA. Annual eye exams by a veterinary
ophthalmologist will build a history of eye health that will help to diagnose
disease.
Unfortunately, at this time there is
no treatment or cure for PRA.
Prcd-PRA is inherited as a recessive trait. This means a disease
gene must be inherited from each parent in order to cause disease in an
offspring.
It’s been proven that all breeds
being tested for prcd-PRA have the same disease caused by the same mutated
gene. This is so, even though the disease might develop at different ages or
with differing severity from one breed to another.
Although prcd-PRA is
inherited, it can be avoided in future generations by testing dogs before
breeding. Identification of dogs that do not carry disease genes is the key.
These "clear" dogs can be bred to any mate - even to a prcd-affected
dog which may be a desirable breeding prospect for other reasons. The chance of
producing affected pups from such breedings depends on the certainty of test
results.
Thyroid Information
Autoimmune thyroiditis is the most common cause of primary hypothyroidism in dogs. The disease has variable onset, but tends to clinically manifest itself at 2 to 5 years of age. Dogs may be clinically normal for years, only to become hypothyroid at a later date. The marker for autoimmune thyroiditis, thyroglobulin autoantibody formation, usually occurs prior to the occurrence of clinical signs. Therefore, periodic retesting is recommended.
The majority of dogs that develop autoantibodies have them by 3 to
4 years of age. Development of autoantibodies to any time in the dog’s life is
an indication that the dog, most likely, has the genetic form of the disease.
Using today's technology only a small fraction of false positive tests occur.
As a result of the variable onset of the presence of
autoantibodies, periodic testing will be necessary. Dogs that are negative at 1
year of age may become positive at 6 years of age. Dogs should be tested every
year or two in order to be certain they have not developed the condition. Since
the majority of affected dogs will have autoantibodies by 4 years of age,
annual testing for the first 4 years is recommended. After that, testing every
other year should suffice. Unfortunately, a negative at any one time will not
guarantee that the dog will not develop thyroiditis.
The registry data can be used by breeders in determining which
dogs are best for their breeding program. Knowing the status of the dog and the
status of the dogs lineage, breeders and genetic counselors can decide which
matings are most appropriate for reducing the incidence of autoimmune
thyroiditis in the offspring.
This page is a work in progress; please let me know what topics you would prefer I cover.
