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Re: Doggie DNA test reveals mutts’ canine heritage
Scarberry2003, sorry I missed your post until now.
I breed Labradoodles. There are so many genetic problems being let slide by careless breeders of purebred dogs that it makes me ill to think about it. Labs have their issues... Poodle have theirs... but since most genetic defects take both parents carrying the gene to pass it on, I feel safer going with the hybrids. While the 2 breeds do share some of the genetic problems, the ones they don't share are eliminated from the list of concerns when you hybridize them. As you most likely know, even dogs that don't have HD or JRD can be carriers of them and pass them on. So while the tests help, they're not the end all.
For this reason I am working on getting my own dogs tested, then keeping female pups from them to use for future breeding so I will KNOW that I'm not breeding more problems down the road. It's costly and time consuming and of course I end up spending a lot to raise pups long enough that they're ready to breed... but for me it's worth it to know I'm doing the best that I can to ensure the health and well being of the pups I sell. I guarantee my pups and I still sell them for considerably less than most of the Labradoodle breeders I network with. I'm not looking to make a living off my dogs... they're my hobby and my furkids now that my human kids are grown. I retired early so have the luxury of spending my days playing with puppies which is about as ideal an existence as I can imagine. In return it's up to me to make sure they're well cared for and well bred.
Last edited by Tinkdedoodle : 03-28-2008 at 02:15 AM.
Reason: to clarify a point better.
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