My poodles all live in a family context, either with my partner and me, or in foster families who are family or friends. Before being breeders, they are first and foremost our family dogs; they stay in the house with us, share our daily lives, sleep with us. They are our curly children, our 4-legged companions, our accomplices in good and bad days; with them we like to practice different dog sports, participate in various competitions or simply play ball on our large country field. Of course, they also love listening to movies snuggled up to us. My females have a maximum of 3 litters and I do not breed them before they are at least 2 ½ - 3 years old; this ensures them a certain maturity before becoming a mother for the first time. Before making the decision to breed, they must pass their breed-specific health tests and I make sure they have their CHIC OFA certificate. They are tested for hip dysplasia (assessed by PennHIP) and elbows. An annual eye exam by a veterinary ophthalmologist as well as a cardiac evaluation by a cardiologist are also done. Finally, a complete genetic panel with Paw Print Genetics laboratories is carried out and I have their genetic diversity tested with UC Davis. I carefully plan my matings so that the strengths of one compensate for the weaknesses of the other, whether in terms of conformation, health or temperament. Genetic diversity is also very important to me. I calculate
Why PennHip rather than OFA for hip testing? The Pennhip consists of 3 radiographic views compared to the OFA which only evaluates one. The OFA shot only shows the hips from one angle and does not measure laxity. The PennHip offers much more relevant information. It is a superior tool that assesses hip integrity and laxity. It is also interesting because it establishes a comparison within the same race. Here is an interesting link if you want to know more:
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The PennHIP method – a means of early detection of hip dysplasia in canines.
Why is genetic diversity important? As a breeder of standard poodles, one of my goals is to preserve this exceptional breed and improve it as much as possible. This applies to health, temperament, structure and longevity. Tested, genetic diversity is, in my opinion, essential to improve the health of my breed and avoid seeing other diseases appear due to inbreeding. In the 1950s, some breeders were very widely reproduced. Which resulted in a “genetic bottleneck”, the genetic pool of the breed was at this time considerably reduced. The lack of genetic diversity has led to a higher risk of autoimmune diseases. Fortunately, thanks to many committed breeders and science, we now have the knowledge and tools necessary to vary genetics through our matings and keep them healthy in the breed. So the VGL Genetic Diversity Tests for Poodles at UC Davi and BetteBred are the tools I use to help me choose healthy and diverse matings/matches. Here are some interesting links on inbreeding and its effects on the immune system.
My commitment to Standard Poodles is to breed them in genetic diversity while maintaining and increasing their qualities: temperament, intellect, health, proper structure and longevity.
