Buying my wife a goldendoodle: good or bad idea? - Page 3

Crossbreds are rarely studied or catalogued so there is very little hard info out there. I have talked to numerous vets who say that they see as many deep genetic health issues in mutts as they do in purebreds. The larger point is that it is good breeding (frankness and openness) that furthers a breed along the road to genetic health and crossbred breeders rarely, if at all, are honest or aware of the health of the animals they are throwing together. 

 

It seems that the GDs are not quite immune from inherited disease: http://goldendoodles.com/health_hereditary/index.htm

 

lefty

Not to state the obvious, but asking vets what problems they see is a clear form of sampling bias (vets treat sick dogs, not healthy ones other than routine checkups; without looking at the sample of dogs they don't see this is useless data). And of course humans (even doctors) are terrible at statistical inference - it's why we created statistical sampling, double blind testing, etc. in the first place.

The bottom line for me is this: if "responsible" inbreeding for dogs is so great, why don't we allow humans to "responsibly" mate with their offspring too?

I see what you did there.

Ok, I must admit I clicked on this thread thinking to myself that a goldendoodle must be some kind of sex toy.

I am hoping that there is a slight possibility that it still may be true...

You're not following what I'm saying. In short, crossbreeding is not a panacea for genetic health in canines. I would put a well-bred tightly bred purebred over a scattershot cross when it comes to accomplishing what I need. The only reason to add in a complete outcross is if you've bred yourself into a corner and need a genetic trait. That said, I would kill 90% of the purebreds tomorrow if I could and start again. We've created enormous problems due to shitty breeding practices, and a lack of hard testing and culling.

 

Vet conversations were with working dog vets and while hardly definitive did start me looking at the issue a little when I was training bandogs as they kept blowing up on me. A vet was the first one to say to me the HV was a myth.

 

Dogs are not people - I don't want to have that conversation.

 

lefty

 

 

Aren't there similar angry discussions about mudbloods and muggles in the Harry Potter books?

Lefty, I will definitely agree with you that crossbreeding is not a panacea or magic bullet - mutts can certainly have congenital defects, and some purebreds are perfectly healthy. As for the overall state of the dog genetic stock in the US, maybe we need to import some of what my wife and I jokingly call the "universal dog" from the urban streets of India, Africa, etc., to start over. Seriously, besides being generally healthy-looking with no "extreme" features bred in, the "wild" dogs in India are ridiculously well-mannered, never poop on the sidewalk (in fact I have no idea where they go to do their business...) and they know how to cross the street better than most humans!

I will also agree that dogs are not people... That was just a shameless bit of sophistry on my part.

Pariah dogs are interesting but they tend to make lousy pets and are not terribly tractable. Can be very hand and people shy.

 

lefty