~ He’s distracted by cats chasing his mouse.

~ SIT and STAY were hard enough; CUT and PASTE are out of the question.

~ Three words: carpal paw syndrome.

~ Involuntary tail wagging is a dead give-away that he’s browsing www.alpo.com instead of working.

~ The fire hydrant icon is simply too frustrating.

~ He can’t help attacking the screen when he hears “You’ve Got Mail.”

~ It’s too messy to “mark” every Website he visits.

~ He can’t stick his head out of Windows 7.

[author unknown]

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This morning I was driving along a busy street, in a fog, sipping strong tea when I saw the geese. I have come to think of geese as very large rats with wings. The outlying Chicagoland area is so infested with these birds that you have to be careful where you step. The best thing I can normally say about them is that it’s fun for the dogs to run them off, and I frequently use the cantankerous fowl as distractions. When you can call a six month old pet Lab off a flock of geese, I figure you have a recall.

Now I never said geese were stupid. That has never been my opinion. They seem to know it is more likely they will be harassed by dogs on my property than on my neighbor’s. Therefore, they avoid my grass. Or perhaps they just have an aversion to dog urine. Either way, we’ve reached an understanding.

Frankly, with the vast numbers of them around, I never understood why we weren’t eating them. Then I saw the pair of geese along the road.

One was lying dead on the median. The second was crossing two lanes of busy traffic. Cars were whizzing past the live goose, back drafts unbalancing it. But it waddled on, unaware or unconcerned of the hazard. That goose appeared to have one single minded purpose…reach its unmoving mate.

Before I continue, let me emphasize that I am not a scientist, geneticist, nor a zoologist. I am a dog trainer. I am well read, and most of what I believe comes from what I have read combined with what I observe. Can one even be a good dog trainer without keen powers of observation, reading and interpreting what one sees?

Geese, as most people know, mate for life. Their bond is undoubtedly instinctual, a product of natural selection in which strongly bonded pairs must have a greater likelihood of successfully raising young, thereby propagating the species. If the gene succeeds, the gene continues.

Sounds simple doesn’t it?

But it got me to thinking about the nature of bonding. And of course, that got me to thinking about dogs, and the nature of their bond to humans. While it has been proven that a duck will “imprint” on and follow a human if it is the first thing it sees after hatching, I think of “imprinting” and “bonding” as two different things.

Imprinting is a simple instinct stamped into the brain that dictates the duckling will follow its mother. She is likely to lead that duckling to sources of food and shelter. This increases the offspring’s chances of surviving infancy, reaching sexual maturity, mating, and propagating the species. Again, the gene succeeds, the gene continues.

But what is bonding?

I think of it as something more complex. Something more bound to social order. Instinctual? Probably. Still related to survival? Definitely. But still complex.

Dogs in the wild, since their earliest descendants, understand social order and collaborative hunting. A well ordered pack of wolves can successfully hunt, shelter, raise offspring, and pass on their genes. A pack suffering from social strife will not have clear leadership or collaboration, and will eventually die.

Dogs understand this on a genetic level. It is why a properly socialized dog understands how to communicate with other dogs using their species’ unique and understandable body language. It is why we, as dog trainers, are sometimes described as being able to “read” dogs. We’re simply recognizing attitude and thoughts, and yes, even emotions, by interpreting body language. And that is precisely what allows us to shape dog behavior by using our own body language to clearly show a dog what we want from them.

But why do dogs CARE about what we want from them? That is the question that has both mystified and thrilled me ever since I got my first dog at the age of 11. Why is a dog willing to be trained? Why do they thrive on it in fact? Why is a dog remotely interested in what we want from them?

A cow doesn’t much care. So we eat them. Most horses I have known and ridden will yield to humans, but they seem to me to prefer their own company to mine when given a choice. But because they yield to us, and helped us form our nation, as a culture, we’re horrified at the idea of eating them.

Wolves, I am told, are canids whose behavior can be somewhat modified by men. But they will generally return to behaviors for which they are genetically programmed, regardless of what training they have had.

So what is it about dogs? Why do they care about what we want? Why did my first dog remember and perform his utility signals exercise into his dotage, way after deafness, strokes and until shortly before he died at seventeen and a half?

His name was Gus. He was a Sheltie born April 29, 1969. He came to me in a dream several years ago and he spoke to me in words that did not come out of his mouth, but which I heard in my head. These are the exact words of the interchange.

“Where are you?” he asked, intense in his sadness.

“I’ll come to you one day,” I told him.

“But I have been waiting so long,” he said.

“Because it’s not my time yet,” I told him. “But I will come.”

He paused, but only briefly.

“I’ll wait for you,” he said.

“Find Bobbi and Frannie,” I said. “They are Greyhounds They are mine too, and they will know you. They will wait with you.”

“I will,” he said, and he left me slowly, reluctantly, at my bidding. I woke up crying, as I cry now recounting the experience.

I have always known that dogs care about us on the deepest possible levels but only recently did I put together my own concept of why. I think it was that dream of Gus. I told you he spoke to me in words. The words did not come from his mouth. They came from his mind into mine. But they had a voice. And that voice was my own.

My waiting dog spoke to me in my own voice. We love our dogs. But they adore us on a level beyond love. They are what we ask them to be, becoming part of us if we ask them to. I think Gus came to me that night, or perhaps my unconscious summoned him, because I was finally ready to understand the answer to my long held question.

Dogs care about what we want from them because, when led properly by man, they consider us to be more than their pack mates. We provide more than food, shelter and more than comfort. We provide dogs what the concept of God provides to us, a sense of meaning, comfort, a sense of purpose, a sense that we are not alone.

Dogs do not love us. They worship us. But not from afar. They live with their gods. They worship us from the foot of our beds, they adore us as they look at us, and they long for us even as we touch them.

Trained dogs submit and yield to this worship readily. It satisfies them on a level which humans with our questioning mentalities may not fully comprehend. The faith of a dog, particularly a trained dog, is absolute. He never questions or has a crisis of faith. He doesn’t believe. He knows.

Have you ever noticed that after putting a dog through even a basic course of obedience, other behaviors change for which you have not trained? If you do your work artfully, the dog gives up undesirable behaviors without even being commanded.

This occurs because the dog always knew his owner didn’t like the behaviors. After all, they grumped and yelled when he did it. He simply didn’t care. He felt no particular compulsion to give up a treasured behavior such as jumping on guests.

But when a dog is trained, he learns to look at his humans in a whole new way. He learns that the bond has more meaning that he ever knew before. He learns that he no longer has to make every decision for his life. It’s not satisfying to a dog to pull on the leash and be out of control. Yet, if that behavior is all he knows, he’ll do it over and over. I now see that behavior as a cry for help, the way the dog shows his profound need for leadership.

But once the dog has learned to yield his decision making to a human, a bond between dog and handler is formed that knows no limits of depth. So why do dogs care about what we want? Why are they willing to do what we ask of them if we can only show them clearly what we want? Why will they yield their willpower to ours?

They do it for the love of man. They do it because they love us more than they love themselves.

Is it genetic? The gene succeeds so the gene continues? Probably. But I think it’s more than that. I think the dog has a void that only we humans can fill. Even those of us who succeed the most with dogs don’t quite have the same love for dogs that they have for us. We can’t. We don’t have that gene. But we can understand and honor the dog’s need for leadership.

We can bring a dog to a place where his need for us is absolute yet doesn’t destabilize the independent nature of his being. Lest you take from my words the idea that I am a tree hugging dog spiritualist, I will tell you flat out that I am not. I am a dog trainer. I both correct and reward my dogs. That’s pretty much the way life treats me.

The ultimate reward for us both is a bond during the dog’s lifetime that exceeds any other comfort he can ever know. And after the dog’s death, he brings a form of comfort that some, like me, have not known before.

Someone is waiting. Someone who loves me more than he loves himself.

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There are many different ways you can groom your Goldendoodle. As a puppy, most do not need but a slicker brush ran through the coat once a day. Maybe a bath, once a month, unless your puppy has gotten him or herself into a messy situation. Young puppies only need to be trimmed around the anal area, the front and back paws and in front of the eyes. Clipping the coat in front of the eyes prevents the growing hairs from turning inward and causing a corneal abrasion on the eye itself. Unlike the Poodle, a Goldendoodle should never be shaved down completely to the skin. The reason for this is because the Goldendoodle has very fine hairs that appear to be thick and its coat actually protects him or her in the heat as well as in the cold. If you are going to have your Goldendoodle shaved down, we recommend leaving at least 1 1/2″ – 2″ of the coat out from the skin.

Unless your Goldendoodle has extensive Poodle within its DNA genetic make-up, the doodle coat is never as thick as a purebred Poodle. As your Goldendoodle becomes a teenager, you will have noticed he or she has gone through many coat changes and phases. This is why only scissoring to even up the hair and remove any straggly hairs may be the only necessary “grooming” at this age. The Goldendoodle’s coat will thicken and become shaggier as your doodle nears its first birthday. We recommend using a slicker brush during the Goldendoodle’s coat phases and changes because the slicker brush has different lengths of bristles inside of the brush and the bristles will remove any dead hairs or lingering “baby” hairs. It will also help your Goldendoodle’s coat from matting. Leaving an upside down “V” shape about the face is the most popular trim for a Goldendoodle.

While there are many fine canine shampoos on the market, I never recommend using them because many canine shampoo products have harsh chemicals that can cause dry skin with the Goldendoodle. I always use either baby shampoo or Pantene that has a conditioner inside of the shampoo. Non-tearing shampoos work out fine for your Goldendoodle dog as well. Lets discuss the matter of bathing and then we will discuss trimming. When bathing your Goldendoodle, using either a large utility type tub or your own tub is recommended. This is dependent upon the size of your Goldendoodle. If he or she is too large to lift, you can even use your shower. With my own dogs, I will sometimes put them in the tub with myself or the shower and I never have to worry about getting wet! Any time you bath your Goldendoodle, you want to make sure that you do not use any soap or shampoo on the face or near the eyes. I am sure that you know what it is like to have soap or shampoo in your eyes and its the same feeling for your lovely dog!

I always use a wet washcloth to clean the face, that is just wet with water. To clean the ears, I recommend a “spritzer” bottle that is one part white vinegar and one part hydrogen peroxide. This helps clean your Goldendoodle’s ears and also helps them smell better. Never use Q-tips! A Q-tip can cause damage to the ear canal. You can use cotton balls or a thin washcloth and use your finger or pinky to clean inside the ear as far as you can reach. Depending upon whether or not your Goldendoodle has hairs growing inside of the ear, you may feel more comfortable having your vet clean its ears.

Grooming is one of the biggest expenses in owning a Poodle hybrid. If you can afford it and don’t have the time or knowledge on grooming your Goldendoodle or don’t want dog hair in your bathtub or shower, have them groomed by a professional groomer. It’s very important to Pick your groomer as carefully as you would pick your own hairdresser. There are many lazy groomers who use anesthesia or other sedatives on dogs when they groom and this is highly inappropriate as well as dangerous! If a groomer has a problem with you watching them work on your dog or waiting while they work on your dog, I’d find another groomer. Unfortunately, many canine deaths have been linked to lazy groomers or those who are not experienced. Grooming your Goldendoodle is not as hard as one might think. It usually takes the coat approx. 2 hours to completely dry, depending upon the thickness of the actual coat. Even using a blow-dryer, your Goldendoodle’s coat will take two full hours of drying time.

When bathing your Goldendoodle, it’s important to work up a good lather from the back of the head on down. I always use a fine comb to go through the coat while I have the Goldendoodle all lathered up. This helps remove anything small debris that might be in the coat or little tangles that can occur while lathering. You have to remember that shampooing your Goldendoodle is a great time to bond with him or her. I always gently massage their legs, back, belly and neck as I lather the coat. This not only feels good to your Goldendoodle, but it helps him or her know that this is a pleasant experience and not one to be afraid of. Some Goldendoodles may not like being groomed at first, but over time, they do learn to accept it and like it. After working up a good lather, using a shower nozzle or sprayer will make it easier to rinse the coat. You’ll want to rinse your Goldendoodle’s coat several times to make sure you have removed all of the shampoo. Never rinse the shampoo towards your Goldendoodle’s face. Always towards the back.

When drying your Goldendoodle, you have to remember that the loud noise from the dryer may scare him or her. While holding your Goldendoodle, you may want to start with the slow speed and then increase the speed once your doodle gets use to the sound. I personally use a commercial dryer for my dogs but they can be very costly ($400 and up). For family pets a good hand dryer will work just as well. If the weather is warm you can partly air dry them and just use the hand dryer to fluff and brush the coat out but NEVER, partly dry your Goldendoodle in the winter and then allow him or her to go ouside until your Goldendoodle’s coat is COMPLETELY dry! If you do use a commercial cage dryer make sure that your Goldendoodle does not get to hot especially if they are a senior dog. Some can can get heat prostration even from a dryer. When using dips, I always recommend partly drying the doodle’s coat and then allowing the coat to “air” dry. This prevents the dip from being blown off of the coat.

If you decide to groom your Goldendoodle in the winter, make sure that you pre-heat the room that your Goldendoodle is going to be bathed in as well as dry in. We all know how cold we feel AFTER getting out of the tub or shower. You don’t want your Goldendoodle to catch cold or shiver after his or her bath is complete. Assuming that you are using a blow dryer after your Goldendoodle’s bath, if you use the slicker brush while blow-drying, you will help remove any dead hairs inside of your Goldendoodle’s coat. The slicker brush will also help prevent your doodle’s coat from tangling. Never allow your Goldendoodle to go outside until he or she is completely dry, especially in the winter.

Bathing your Goldendoodle can either be a nightmare or a pleasant experience. I have a raised bathtub (it’s easier on my back) with a non-slip mat inside of the tub. This prevents my puppies from slipping and becoming injured during the process. It is necessary to have a long shower hose with good water pressure if at all possible. The biggest mistake most home groomers make is not getting out all the shampoo in the coat. This is why I recommend rinsing your Goldendoodle several times after a good lathering. Leaving soap in the hair will dry out and irritate your Goldendoodle’s skin; perhaps you have seen your Goldendoodle scratching even after you checked his or her coat for fleas. Speaking of fleas, regular shampoo will not kill fleas or their eggs. You must use a shampoo specifically for ticks and fleas or you can use “Equate”. This is a human “lice” shampoo that has pyrithins that will help kill fleas, ticks and lice that may get into your Goldendoodle’s coat. Make sure to Read the label on any flea and tick shampoo or preventative. Some canine flea and tick preventatives will kill only the fleas on the dog and some will kill the eggs and adult fleas as well as the ones that may jump on later. While you can certainly use a light cream rinse on your Goldendoodle’s coat, make sure to use it sparingly. Creme rinses can cause your Goldendoodle’s coat to lay “flat”. If you decide to towel dry your Goldendoodle, don’t rub the coat against the grain or this will encourage knots and tangles. Also do NOT towel dry your Goldendoodle if you use flea and tick dips. This will remove the dip and be a huge waste of money. Just squeeze the coat out with your hands if you have dipped him or her or if you have not used any dips, squeezing the coat with good absorbent towels will help, should you want to “airdry” your Goldendoodle. I do recommend NOT bathing your Goldendoodle but once a month unless he or she really requires a bath. Bathing more than this can cause your Goldendoodle to have dry skin.

Cleaning the ears of your Goldendoodle is very important, each and every time he or she is groomed. Some Goldendoodles tend to have ear problems for a number of reasons. Many tend to have very long, heave ears and the long hair that drapes over the ear prevents air flow to help prevent moisture build up. This causes the ears to become a perfect environment for breeding bacteria. It seems that once you have ear problems with your Goldendoodle, they are very hard to clear up and they seem to re-occur. While Goldendoodles generally do not have the issue of the hair growing inside of the ear, some will if they have more Poodle DNA. Goldendoodles who have more Poodle DNA and have hair growing in their ears prevents their ears from “breathing”. Cleaning the ears and keeping the hairs plucked or pulled out of the ear canal is a must each and every time you groom or have your Goldendoodle groomed. Checking the ears frequently, if you only groom your Goldendoodle once a month, is important. I remove unwanted ear hairs by “plucking” any hair I can reach in the ear canal with my fingers. Hairs that can not be reached with my fingers, I personally use small canine forceps that clamp so that I can clamp onto the hairs and in a twisting motion, gently pull them out of the ear. While this is not a pleasant experience for your Goldendoodle, it will help him or her from getting an ear infection later down the road. I then wipe the ears out with one part white distilled vinegar and one part hydrogen peroxide. It’s important to make sure the ears are dry when you are done. If you think they are damp inside (after bathing this could happen) use a hand dryer to dry them out. (Wet ears grow bacteria easier then dry ears). As I mentioned before, never use Q-tips to clean the ears. Q-tips can rupture the ear canine as well as drive ear wax, if any, further into the ear canal. If your Goldendoodle dog does have an ear infection or issue, talk to your vet about the best way to treat it. Excessive shaking of the head can cause the ear canal to rupture and ear infections, as we may well know, are very painful.

Now that your Goldendoodle is dry, lets discuss how to trim him or her. If you can’t afford expensive sheers, you can check the sewing section of any department store and purchase a good pair of scissors. You can generally find a very good pair for under $20. Canine grooming scissors are very expensive and can run into the hundreds of dollars. Be very careful with a new pair of scissors as the blades are sharp and you can severely cut your Goldendoodle’s skin if you are not careful! Trust me! I’ve had a few pups get nicked because they would not sit still and one quick turn will cause YOU or your doodle to get cut. Your Goldendoodle should have a fuzzy face or an upside down “V” shape to the front of its face, from the forehead down to the nose. Above its eyes you can create bangs or just trim the hair so that the hairs are not sticking towards the eyes. I usually trim the hairs close underneath the eyes and in an upward motion so that I can keep the “V” shape between the eyes down to the nose. Some Goldendoodles tend to have dirty mouths because of all the hair around the face, so you can even trim the hair around the mouth if you like. Trimming is really not only to keep your Goldendoodle comfortable, but to help him or her keep as clean as possible. It’s also a personal preference of whether you trim or leave your doodle shaggy. Every Goldendoodle should sport a full facial beard by the time he or she is a year old. This facial beard is generally in the shape of an upside down “V”. Looking at the eyes in a frontal position, and then glancing at the nose, you can visualize the upside down “V” and this helps you maintain the appearance of your Goldendoodle, if you decide to trim him or her on your own. Sometimes the coat will mat underneath the armpits, so you may want to check there as well as behind the ears. Little tangles that can’t be brushed or combed out can be trimmed off. Your Goldendoodle should also have paws shaped like the Golden Retriever. I personally trim the coat around the paws closely and I also trim the hairs in-between the pads but care is the be taken so that you don’t accidentally cut the pawpads of your Goldendoodle. While trimming the coat, you can also clip your Goldendoodle’s nails. I use the guillotine type of nail clipper but they all seem to work well and if you want, you can even use a sharp pair of scissors if you are trimming a Goldendoodle under the age of one. Young puppies can have their nails trimmed with simple nail clippers. The most important thing to remember when trimming the nails is to not get them to short. Remember, cutting your own nails too short is painful! Take off a little once a week because this will help the quick stay short. If you do plan on grooming your own doodle regularly have some “quick stop” on hand in case you nick your Goldendoodles “quick”. You can purchase this at most pet stores or feed stores. The “quick” is a small blood vessel running through the nail, similar to our own nails. The pink portion on our nails is where we feel the pain if we cut our own nails too short. Clipping the nail too short and hitting the quick is not life threatening to your Goldendoodle, but it will make it harder to do his or her nails the next time. Trust is an issue here! It is painful for your Goldendoodle if you cut into the quick and should definitely be avoided.

Your Goldendoodle is more than likely a very shaggy dog. All dogs that have a thick coat or a shaggy coat will have an issue of fecal matter becoming inbedded into the coat, if this area is not kept trimmed. Special attention underneath the tail is a must with any Goldendoodle! He or she will also thank you because fecal matter that builds up around the anal area can cause your Goldendoodle to have constipation issues or rectum issues. This should definitely be avoided. While there is no wrong or right way to actually trim your Goldenododle dog, I do find that the Goldendoodle’s skin is sensitive to the sun if he or she is light in color. You must remember that your Goldendoodle can be harmed by the sun’s rays just like we can.

Keeping your Goldendoodle’s coat trimmed no less than 1 1/2″- 2″ out from the skin will also help protect his or her skin from insect bites as well. During the wintry months, you may want to allow your Goldendoodle’s coat to stay shaggy. Remember that unless he or she wears a sweater when going outdoors, that shaggy coat is all they have to weather the elements. Having grooming equipment will help with coat maintenence if you plan to groom your Goldendoodle yourself. Good clippers are costly and should be very well cared for. They will last longer this way and your clipper blades will stay sharper. A good set of Oster clippers costs about $175 and blades can be anywhere from $2 to $40 or more. Never use clippers on a very dirty dog or you will have to sharpen the blades quicker. Clippers must be oiled and greased inside regularly. They will break if you drop them and it always seems that they get kicked off the table by your doodle, so never leave them on the table. It is convenient to have a number of blades for your clippers. I generally have about 10 blades on hand with some still in the package in case I forget to send them out to be sharpened. They can be changed in the midst of clipping if they get too hot but I do recommend using a blade wash as this helps prevent the blades from getting too hot. Whatever size blade you choose to use is always ready if you have several sizes. I personally use a 10 medium on my Groom Master clippers by Oster. The blades should be changed rather often, since a dull blade pulls the hair and tends to leave the coat ragged. Not only this, but a dull blade will eventually stop cutting and only pull the hair. The small carbon brushes and springs wear out quickly in an old clipper, making the machine rattle when it runs; They are easily replaced by unscrewing the small knobs on the side of the machine and its important to always have these extra parts around in case you suddenly find yourself in need. As I said, grooming equipment isn’t cheap, but paying a Groomer over time can become more expensive.

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1. On average all dogs carry at least 4-5 defective genes.

2. Over 500 genetic diseases have been identified in dogs.   

3. Hip Dysplasia (HD) (an inherited orthopedic disease that may result in the dog becoming lame) commonly occurs in 60 dog breeds and occurs less frequently in another 110 breeds; thus this disease is seen in over 170 breeds of dog.

4. 119 dog breeds are commonly afflicted with progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), a disease that quite often leads to blindness in the affected animal.

5. Of all the dog breeds the Poodle suffers from the most number of genetic diseases…145! The reason why the Poodle is predisposed to so many genetic diseases is because not only are there 3 distinct sizes of Poodle in this breed, the large count of disease is a reflection of the popularity of this dog breed. By and large a good rule of thumb is, the more popular a dog breed the greater the number of genetic diseases inherent in that breed.

6. Several popular dog breeds are linked to over 100 genetic diseases.

7. These days dog breeders spend well over $500,000,000 annually in an effort to address this disturbing trend of genetic disease in man’s best friend.

As it is all the various dog breeds that exist today were artificially created; in other words each and every dog breed was selectively bred for a particular trait, be it coat color, coat length, sniffing ability, shortness of stature (miniatures), facial appearance and so forth…the list is virtually endless. The means by which those desired traits were obtained was to selectively breed that population of dogs that most strongly exhibited the desired trait; a breeding strategy that is otherwise known as inbreeding!

Gene Pool And Population Factors

A population may be described as a breeding group that possesses gene continuity from one generation to the next. Currently a growing body of dog experts believe that the dog evolved as a new species from the wolf to occupy a developing niche about 15,000 years ago. That developing niche revolved around human waste dumps; opportunistic wolves began inhabiting those waste dumps for easily available food supplies.

All told, 15,000 years on the evolutionary scale is an extremely brief period for a new species to evolve from another, suggesting that there must have been a considerable amount of inbreeding amongst those opportunistic waste-dump-frequenting wolves to propagate the tameness trait in so short a time span! Compounding this issue of limited genetic pool, a growing number of dog researchers now believe that the original genetic ancestry of the dog evolved from only three female wolves that inhabited China several thousand years ago (the so called eves of dog evolution).

The important point to note here is that even before mankind began his intensive trait-specific breeding program of the dog, and due to its unorthodox super-accelerated evolution, the dog gene pool right from the get go was rather limited!

Development Of A Dog Breed

By its very nature the development of a new dog breed involves a considerable amount of inbreeding to magnify and evolve the desired trait(s) characteristic of that new breed. However this process results in a considerable number of undesired results. If we consider the Dalmatian, a breed of dog characterized by its distinctive pattern of spots, somewhere along the line during that process of selecting for the spotted pattern trait, Dalmatian dog breeders unknowingly and unintentionally also bred this dog for an abnormal uric acid gene!

By the time people realized that there was a very serious problem in the Dalmatian, this dog breed was homozygous for the abnormal uric acid gene! (Homozygous refers to identical pairs of genes that manifest as an observable trait as opposed to non-identical gene pairs known as heterozygous that confer no observable trait; i.e., recessives). This unwanted side effect means that Dalmatians are perhaps the only breed of dog that is predisposed to urine stones (from excessive levels of uric acid), a debilitating urinary tract condition. In an effort to rectify this problem the Dalmatian line was subsequently crossbred with various Pointer breeds to eliminate the inherent homozygotic uric acid gene whilst still maintaining the spotted pattern that defines the Dalmatian dog.

Gene Linkage

The abnormal elevated levels of uric acid in the Dalmatian associated with the spotting-pattern gene, is a classic case of gene linkage. Linkage is said to occur when genes expressing different properties are located on the same chromosome and are inherited as a unit. In fact the occurrence of gene linkage probably explains how the dog morphologically (shape wise) differentiated from the wolf so dramatically and so quickly; the gene that expressed the tameness trait was linked to genes that expressed other properties such as floppy ears, change in coat color, barking or simply put properties characteristic of today’s domesticated dog.

The bottom line here is that selective breeding for a particular trait (as happens whenever a new dog breed is being developed) carries the inherent risk of magnifying the expression of unwanted defective genes that would otherwise rarely occur under natural circumstances.

Genetic Diversity

During the process of natural selection genetic diversity is maintained, but contrastingly in selective breeding the opposite holds true; genetic diversity is reduced! Recent studies have revealed that genetic variation occurs frequently in normal populations of any species and that even those genes that are deleterious and defective are preserved in the gene pool as so-called recessive genes (recessive gene traits are not visibly apparent unlike dominant genes). It is now believed that such genetic variability confers adaptive properties to a population in the event of extreme environmental change.

Thus mutative genes that confer minimal benefit today could play a significant future role in the survival of the species in which it occurs. This could explain why defective or mutative genes are preserved as recessive genes in a population’s gene pool. A good example illustrating the beneficial role recessive genes can confer to a population is the case of the English Peppered moth.

Like a large number of insects the Peppered moth relies on its color to camouflage it from predators. The dominantly prevalent grayish color of the Peppered moth allows it to blend in with its environment which so happen to be tree trunks and lichen of like color. Although lighter and darker shades of the moth exist, few of such individuals survive for the simple reason their camouflaging abilities are less effective.

However with the advent of the industrial revolution in the late 19th century the resultant pollution darkened the tree trunks such that the minority recessive trait which conferred a darker shade of gray to the moths became dominant because such moths were then better able to avoid predation. As pollution levels subsequently decreased the tree trunks gradually reverted to their normal color and so also did the color of the Peppered moth revert back to its pre-industrialization gray. Thus once again the recessive dark-gray color in the moth reverted to its usual minority role!

Combating Dog Genetic Disease

Because almost every single dog possesses at least 4 defective genes (no matter whether it’s a purebred or mixed breed) unless strong active measures are taken the problem of dog genetic disease can only get worse. Such strong effective measures by necessity require the participation of everyday dog owners and not just dog breeders or dog researchers!

Dog Genome Project Wants Your Dog’s Blood!

The Canine Genome Sequencing Project (Dog Genome Project based at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT in Boston) has sequenced the dog genome in its entirety. One of their priority goals now is to identify the genes responsible for causing dog genetic diseases, defective genes, carrier states of hereditary disease and much more. Through using the powerful resource of the sequenced dog genome, the good folks at the Dog Genome Project hope to reverse the widespread prevalence of genetic disease in dogs worldwide.

However to achieve that noble goal they need your help! How?

Well the only means by which recessive genes and carrier states can be identified is at the genetic level (genotype) and not by visual observation of recognizable morphological traits (phenotype). To do this the Dog Genome Project staff need a large number of dog samples to analyze and that is where you, as a dog owner, can play a significant role by sending them a blood sample of your dog.

More about the dog

For more information about how to help alleviate dog genetic disease go to:

http://www.broad.mit.edu/mammals/dog

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However, Poodle hybrids DO shed entirely less than any other hybrid or purebred dog. It is easy to find websites over the internet claiming “hypo-allergenic”, “non-shedding” doodles…but it is not true. It doesn’t matter if the breeder has a smidget of Golden Retriever with mostly Poodle in the doodle……..the puppy will shed and will continue to shed as an adult; All hybrids shed very little, but they shed all the same. We have had customers write to us claiming their doodles do not shed…but I believe they just don’t see the shedding because it is so light. This works out great for those with allergies or who do not want a dog’s hair all over their home, clothing or vehicle. There isn’t a breeder on this planet who can provide a 100% allergy FREE dog! Not happening people!
Most allergy sufferers do well with a Poodle hybrid….but we can not guarantee all will be compatible. Allergy sufferers “suffer” differently and there may be some people who just can not own a dog of any type. We do, however, find that most people who have mild allergies do quite well with a Poodle hybrid.

In Goldendoodles, many websites claim that sizes will vary according to the sizes of the parents. This is a complete fallacy. Since 1999, we have witnessed a variety of sizes in any given litter regardless of the sizes of the parents.
Our experience over the years has taught us this: The less a puppy weighs at 8 weeks of age, the smaller the puppy will be as an adult and vice versa. Those who consider their Goldendoodles to be a Miniature size dog when their doodle weighs over 25 pounds need to do more research and studying. I personally do not consider a 30-50 pound dog to be a “Miniature” sized anything. I do consider this size dog to be a “mid-size” dog…but not a Miniature. When you consider a Miniature sized dog, you should consider the size of a Miniature Schnauzer………a Miniature Poodle, etc; Since 1999, we have witnessed both parents weighing 48-65 pounds produce 26 pound puppies…but not all puppies in the litter will be small. One or two will be small. One or two will be medium and one or two will be large. In 2004, We produced a doodle who weighed 32 pounds at the age of 9 months. It is possible we had produced small doodles before this, but without customer feed-back, it is impossible to know for sure. This 32 pound doodle at the age of 9 months, most likely turned out to be 40-45 pounds (genetically) at the age of 1 year. In early 2005, we produced 2 litters of small doodles; By June 2005, some weighed 16 lbs. by age 5 months and by November of 2005, some were weighing 25 and 26 pounds. In 2005 we bred one of our Golden Retriever dams with one of our Toy Poodle sires who produced 9-18 lbs. goldendoodles …but again….we saw the usual occur even in this kind of pairing.

The largest male who was born last, was stillborn so we’ll never know what his size could have been. The order in which a puppy is born has nothing to do with the determination of its size. We know this to be a fact. The Goldendoodle is a first hybrid crossing between a Golden Retriever and a Standard Poodle. This hybrid was first created in Australia. The Goldendoodle hybrid has only been in the United States since 1997. The entire reason for this creation was to provide those who were physically challenged, a service dog that had extremely low shedding. Such a canine was needed for those who needed an assistant dog but had allergies that prevented them from being able to own one. Although there is some debate as to whether the Labradoodle or the Goldendoodle was created first, it really doesn’t matter.
With some extensive searching over the internet, there are some nice websites based in Australia regarding both hybrids. Naysayers can be enraged and fuss all they want about hybrids…… the fact is…THE GOLDENDOODLE AND THE LABRADOODLE and any other Poodle hybrid, IS HERE TO STAY!!! As of Aug. 2006…there are some who are writing books with regards to the Goldendoodle. Remember you read the facts here first! We are actually one of the original Goldendoodle creators in the United States. There will be many who argue that hybrids are “NOTHING BUT MUTTS” who fill up animal shelters annually. The facts are, EVERY PUREBRED DOG OF TODAY started out as a MIXED BREED DOG and there are just as many purebred dogs in shelters as there are mixed or hybrid dogs. Other than the Maltese, every dog in existence began as a mixed breed dog with plenty of inbreeding, back-breeding and line-breeding. After many, many years of refinement by breeders, over time…. kennel clubs were formed by groups of people who favored a selected breed of dog….advertised and sold the particular breed to the point that eventually caught the attention of the American Kennel Club. The American Kennel Club is all about money and is NOT the first Kennel Club to have ever began. They are more highly recognized because they have millions of dollars to advertise themselves. Every show that is placed on television and every show breeder who wins, has been paid for by YOU…..the dog owner who just had to have an AKC registered dog because you bought into the notion that AKC produces quality dogs. NOT SO! They don’t produce anything. The breeders produce the dogs.

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We see many dogs of various breeds who are black, being picked over for the lighter colors. Those who do this miss out on the beauty of owning a very gentle, loving, family-oriented, shaggy low shedding dog who would do just about anything you ever asked of it…just to please its owner! Many fantastic dogs are over-looked based on color or gender and I think this is a down-right shame.

Since creating the Goldendoodle in 1999, we have seen a huge variety of colors! The following are the colors we have personally observed, to date:

*Apricot (light and dark)

*Cream

*Red

*Black

*White

*Chocolate

*Silver

*Silver Frost

*Silver phantom

*Parti colors

*Tri-colors

*Apricot with black tips

*Black and tan

*Black with white markings

*Red phantom

*Silver phantom with gold hues

Goldendoodles can also have varied colored eyes! We have personally observed Goldendoodles with blue eyes, brown eyes, green eyes, amber eyes and multi-colored eyes such as having one blue eye/one green eye or one blue eye/one brown eye. Goldendoodles can have markings anywhere on their coat. This is very common. Be wary of any breeder who claims they have “rare” colored or “rare” marked Goldendoodles. This means they are very inexperienced and are not familiar with their Poodles pedigree and lineage.

So what is a Goldendoodle, you ask?
A Goldendoodle is a hybrid who has one parent a Poodle and one parent a Golden Retriever. The size of the Poodle sire can be a Toy, Miniature or Standard and of course, the Golden Retriever can be of any size.
This Poodle hybrid has been steadily growing in popularity because of the less shedding coat and while many fanatic purebred breeders are appalled at the idea of a Goldendoodle, families seeking a family pet who has very little shedding but has the Golden Retriever temperament are jumping for joy!

So much erroneous information about the Goldendoodle can be located everywhere over the internet because many people jumped on the “Doodle bangwagon” when they saw the popularity of the Goldendoodle rise and thought there were bucks to be made. As predicted by us back when we first started in 1999, there is a Goldendoodle breeder on nearly every street corner now and unfortunately, we are watching the Goldendoodle fall into the same pattern as that of the purebred dog. New and inexperienced breeders creating them improperly….backbreeding, inbreeding and also advertising false information such as “rare colors” or “never shedding” or even the worst….saying the inbred or backbred Goldendoodle is much better than the first generation doodle.

We have been a Goldendoodle breeder since 1999 and before we even were aware there was an actual name to the hybrid (which came about from the Australians), we called our pups “Curly Goldens”. Only after creating our first litter were we aware that Australian breeders called them “Goldendoodles” and had begun creating this Poodle hybrid as an assistance dog for those who had allergies to dogs with shedding hairs. The Goldendoodle is highly intelligent and very easy to train. Their trainability is extremely high and they work out very well for those who have allergy issues. Many people assume that Goldendoodles are just one color but they aren’t.
They come in all colors; all sizes; with various markings to include eyes that can be blue, brown, amber, green or multi colored.

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Dog Cancer Survival Guide & Video.

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Do you have time to spend with a Goldendoodle? Do you have time to devote to training your Goldendoodle? A Goldendoodle is a very family oriented, loving, affectionate and shaggy dog. They require YOUR time, patience, love, attention and your pocketbook. As a young puppy, the Goldendoodle does not require much coat maintenence, but as an adult, their coat will need to be groomed. One must take into consideration who is going to be the care taker of your new Goldendoodle, once it arrives at your home.

A young Goldendoodle puppy always seems to eating, sleeping, peeing and pooping. Will you have the time to dedicate to his or her well being ? Do you have the time to ensure he or she will have a routine so that he or she can become potty trained? Sure, the ideal dog is to purchase one that is already housebroken…already trained and knows commands…has an on and off switch….but that’s not reality, that’s a dream. A Goldendoodle can become lonely if left for long periods of time. One must take into consideration their demanding work schedule. Do you live close enough to home where you can drop by during lunch to check in on your Goldendoodle puppy ? Do you have time in the afternoons to take him or her for a walk?

Many people see a cute, cuddly dog and want one without taking into consideration many factors that will either make or break your ability to enjoy your new Goldendoodle. This lovely hybrid comes in a variety of sizes and their sizes are not dependent upon the sizes of their parents. This hybrid does not fall into size categories regardless of how many breeders will lie to you and tell you that they do. We’ve created the Goldendoodle since 1999 and are fully aware of the fact that regardless of the size of the Goldendoodle’s parents, every sibling inside of a given litter will be a different size. When a Poodle is bred to a Golden Retriever, regardless of their size, a breeder has to take their entire lineage into consideration. Unfortunately for the breeder, unless they own the entire lineage, their dogs’ pedigree is NOT going to tell you what size all of ancestors were as an adult. Thus, a breeder must rely on their own personal experience and feedback from their past customers.

Some parents want to purchase a Goldendoodle for their children but do not take into consideration that their child may not have been exposed to dogs, in general. The fact a young child has not been exposed to dogs will cause that very child to be timid around even a puppy, regardless of the breed. After all, everyone is fearful of something they may not have been exposed to. It’s human nature to be wary of things we are not sure of. Perhaps you may want to expose your child to dogs for awhile before considering commiting to one. Do you have a fenced in yard ? If not, who will supervise your Goldendoodle’s activities ? Perhaps your family is an active family who is always on the go. In this case, you will have to take into consideration of all the places you usally visit. Do they accept dogs ? Will this change or affect your routine ? A Goldendoodle should be a life long commitment. Not just a whim. If you have gone through all of the above considerations, perhaps the Goldendoodle dog is going to be right for you and your family. A Goldendoodle is a bright, intelligent, low shedding, happy canine who is demanding in attention, your affection and your love. A Goldendoodle is a dog who commands attention where ever they go, from those they meet along the way. They are their own celebrity in their own right. If you have considered a Goldendoodle for your next family pet, the next thing you’ll have to consider is your budget. While it may be true that you can locate a Goldendoodle for under $500, one must be wary of breeders who have their prices set very low. The average price for a Goldendoodle is approx. $500. The reason you should be wary of breeders who charge less than $500 is because many Goldendoodle breeders who charge under $500 for a Goldendoodle, are the breeders pet stores obtain their Goldendoodle puppies from. A pet store scouts the United States for Goldendoodle breeders who will sell the entire litter for a mere $500 so that they do not incur any expenses in caring for the puppies, yet the pet store will then turn around and sell each puppy for as much as $2000 or more. A pet store is completely the inappropriate place to purchase your Goldendoodle. It is more than likely Goldendoodle breeders who charge under $500 for a puppy has never researched their breeding dogs’ pedigree or spent much time or money on their created litters. Don’t blame the pet store, blame the breeders who allow their puppies to be placed into the hands of pet store owners. This type of breeder is a commercial breeder who provides the entire litter to a pet store as soon as they are weaned from their mother. Many pet stores do not even know the history of the Goldendoodles they have in their stores, nor will they have the ability to share such information with the buyer.

You will want to purchase your Goldendoodle from a breeder who registers their litters with a kennel club, who is affiliated with a kennel club and who is an experienced Goldendoodle breeder. We began creating our Goldendoodles in 1999 and we began as a purebred Golden Retriever breeder in 1996. We have owned dogs all of our lives. My personal mentors, when I began as a breeder, was a show breeder with over 25 years of canine experience as well as my personal vet who had been a vet for 40 years or more and who unfortunately, passed away in April of 2006. I may as well have worked with him as a Vet Tech, because he taught me just as much as I would have learned had I gone to school to become one. We are now with another vet, but we definitely miss our original one, dearly. My knowledge and experience goes far beyond all the years of being taught by the very best, prior to becoming a professional, private breeder. So I bring to the table, as a Goldendoodle breeder, much more than the average breeder.

You will want to purchase your puppy from a very experienced Goldendoodle breeder so that they can tell you everything you need to know about the new hybrid you are taking home with you. Before becoming a breeder, I was not aware that so many people have never owned a dog before. An experienced breeder will not mind sharing with you, what they know, to help you become a successful Goldendoodle owner. Many Goldendoodle breeders are new to this hybrid and place erroneous information upon their websites or in their advertisements and unfortunately for those on a doodle quest, many doodle breeders who are inexperienced, piggy back on the other breeders who post inaccurate information about this terrific hybrid. This makes it very difficult for those who are new to the Goldendoodle, at trying to figure out what is accurate and what is not.

Many use canine testing as their reasons for commanding very high prices, yet won’t provide their buyers a lifetime guarantee even though they will tell you that they sell “healthy, genetically defective free” Goldendoodle puppies. Many Goldendoodle breeders have average prices…don’t test…yet, are very experienced, good breeders. Because there are quite a few Goldendoodle breeders who are backbreeding, inbreeding and linebreeding their Goldendoodles, it is very important that you purchase only a first generation Goldendoodle. A first generation Goldendoodle means that they do not have closely related parents or they have parents who are not related at all. Any breeder that tells you a multi-generation Goldendoodle is a non-shedding, hypoallergenic dog and is a much healthier, better doodle than a first generation Goldendoodle is telling you a lie. A Goldendoodle will shed very little and have a coat that will still require some coat maintenence, regardless of whether they are first generation or multi generation. Every Goldendoodle, regardless of generation, will have a very soft shaggy coat (unless it has been backbred to a Golden Retriever); every Goldendoodle will work out for those with mild allergies (unless it has been backbred to a Golden Retriever); every Goldendoodle will go through various coat phases and changes and every Goldendoodle will at some point in time, require coat maintenence…as all dogs do. Many Goldendoodle breeders will lie to you and tell you that a “Miniature Goldendoodle” is a dog that will range from 35-50 pounds. By kennel size standards, a Miniature sized dog does NOT exceed 25 pounds in genetic body weight. There is nothing “Miniature” about a dog of any breed, that exceeds 25 pounds in genetic body weight. Goldendoodles can weigh from 9 pounds to 150 pounds! Experienced Goldendoodle breeders can determine the sizes of their Goldendoodles much easier than an inexperienced Goldendoodle breeder, by using their past experience as well as past customer feedback. If you have to have a Goldendoodle that will be a particular size as an adult and are a stickler for size, the Goldendoodle may not be right for you. Unless you are willing to purchase a Goldendoodle puppy who is 6 months or older, you will have to rely on the Goldendoodle breeder’s experience if you must have a Goldendoodle who is one size or another. Even then, it is only a “guesstimate” and not something a breeder can guarantee. Goldendoodles are hybrid dogs and can sometimes even fool the most experienced breeder, when it comes to size. So, if you are on a doodle quest, you have your work cut out for you. As far as the Goldendoodle dog is concerned, if you don’t own one, you haven’t ever owned the ultimate family dog! They are over all, fantastic dogs who are eager to please and always ready to be your friend.

2007-all rights reserved. Author/breeder- Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World

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