Poodle health

Standard poodles were once a medium-sized, water spaniel-type sporting landrace used to hunt in swampy areas. Today, they have been shaped into the quintessential "elite" show dog. In addition to achieving show titles, responsible standard poodle breeders demonstrate their commitment to overall quality by performing health disorder screening tests recommended by the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC). This should be done before a dog is bred, so breeders can use the information to guide their decision whether to breed an individual dog and how to best pair the dog with a mate who will complement them.

After a standard poodle completes all recommended pre-breeding screening tests, they earn a CHIC number to demonstrate they have been evaluated for evidence of:

Hip dysplasia
Eye clearance by the Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER)
One of the following tests:
- OFA thyroid evaluation from an approved laboratory
- OFA evaluation for sebaceous adenitis (SA) from an approved dermapathologist
- Cardiac exam (congenital/basic or advanced/echo)

A CHIC number proves the tests were administered but does not show if the dog achieve satisfactory results. However today, thanks to the CHIC program, it’s relatively easy to find a well-bred standard poodle that comes from generations of dogs with robust health testing that provides insight into the pedigree's overall health history.

Better breeders publish their dogs' results publicly through the Canine Health Information Center database. Breeders who care about promoting health also make an effort to the family health history behind and surrounding their breeding dogs.

The genetic "bottleneck" in standard poodles

Unfortunately, the process of transforming standard poodles into elite show dogs was fueled by generations of intensive inbreeding. As breeders everywhere began breeding to the same winning lines, the standard variety lost many of its lines and very soon, the vast majority of its once-robust gene pool had all but disappeared.

As a direct result of intensive selection pressure that prioritized aesthetics over genetic sustainability, today’s standard poodles have a higher-than-average risk for developing autoimmune diseases such as Addison's disease, sebaceous adenitis (SA) and immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA). Autoimmune diseases can be challenging to diagnose, expensive to monitor, difficult to get under control, and stressful to navigate.

Standards are also quite predisposed to bloat (formally called gastric dilatation-volvulus or GDV), a life-threatening emergency where the stomach fills with gas and/or fluid and twists, cutting off blood supply.

Strengthening autoimmune health in standard poodles

Autoimmune diseases and bloat – unlike hip dysplasia, eye diseases and cardiac diseases – cannot be reliably predicted or avoided by using pre-breeding health disorder screening tests. To reduce risk for autoimmune diseases (IMHA, Addison's disease, sebaceous adenitis etc), breeders need to breed away from the lines that are prone to them.

The fastest and most effective way to breed away from the standard poodle genetic "bottleneck" is to outcross standard lines to smaller poodles. Published research from the University of California Davis Pedersen lab shows that dogs with intervariety pedigrees are at lower risk for Addison’s disease and sebaceous adenitis – the autoimmune diseases most prevalent in standard poodles.

Using a science-based platform called Betterbred, which harnesses the research from the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, breeders with poodles (and a wide range of other breeds), can evaluate our dogs through the lens of genetic diversity, gaining insight into their dogs' relatedness to each other and to other dogs throughout the breed. Betterbred helps us plan safe breeding matches that will improve the odds of excellent health in our puppies, while also retaining as much genetic diversity as possible to benefit the breed's future generations.

An intervariety breeding approach can make it more difficult to succeed in the show ring. Even when an intervariety dog aligns with the written breed standard, they are often smaller than the standard poodles seen in modern dog show rings. Regardless, intervariety breeding is permitted by the poodle breed clubs in Canada and the US (which state that all poodle varieties are part of the same single breed). Furthermore, the poodle breed standard places no preference on sizing, specifying only that standard poodles are taller than the maximum height of miniature poodles (which is 15" in North America). To maintain a healthy dose of protective smaller poodle genetics, I aim to use dogs with at least 30% miniature poodle genetics.

Navigating health nuances in standard and small poodles

While miniature poodles are generally longer-lived and healthier than standards, this variety has its own distinct health concerns. Responsible breeders using miniature lines should at minimum complete all recommended health disorder testing for miniature poodles to inform them in their breeding decisions.

To obtain a Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) number, miniature poodles must have completed testing and be registered with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) in the following areas:

prcd Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) DNA testing from an approved laboratory
Eye clearance by the Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER)
Hip dysplasia evaluation from an approved agency
Patellar luxation OFA evaluation

Ideally, miniature poodles (like standards) should also have cardiac screening to detect early signs of heart murmurs and mitral valve disease. Furthermore, like many small breeds, most miniature poodles have a genetic trait called CDDY. Discovered in 2016, this common gene variant is both historically embedded and widespread across many breeds. CDDY reduces leg length without causing “dwarf” proportions (which is one reason it's so common in smaller breeds). It tends to increase bone density and substance, making the body sturdier – which may serve some protective purpose in smaller breeds by decreasing fracture risk. However, it also increases the collagen content in intervertebral discs, linking it with accelerated disc degeneration and an increased risk for intervertebral disc herniation.

Most small poodles have one or two copies of CDDY, so it's not possible or beneficial to eliminate CDDY in small or medium poodles Fortunately, despite the prevalence of this gene variant, few miniature poodles actually experience back issues. This gene variant is 100% fixed and homozygous in all beagles, cocker spaniels, dachshunds, corgis and French bulldogs (note that dachshunds and corgis also carry another gene called CDPA, which causes dwarfism and results in their unusual proportions). CDDY is also found in varying degrees in Havanese, coton du tulear, shih tzus, lhasa apsos, certain small terriers, Portuguese water dogs, Nova Scotia duck tolling retrievers and all spaniel type dogs (papillons, springers, boykins, Sussex, Irish water spaniels, etc).

When selecting a breeder, ensure they test all their dogs thoroughly before they breed. Pre-breeding screening helps breeders gain a clear, high-level view of their dogs' strengths and weaknesses. With insight into their dogs and a broad perspective of the poodle health landscape. breeders are empowered to make choices that tilt the odds in favour of excellent health and longevity, while also prioritizing functional structure, temperaments and breed type.

Navigating the landscape of poodle health

When it comes to breeding or buying puppies, there are no perfect dogs, no risk-free matings and no guarantees. Fortunately, knowledge is power. Poodle breeders can optimize our outcomes and protect our puppies and their families by:

Using breeding dogs with robust health disorder screening.
Making breeding decisions that strongly consider each breeding dog's strengths and weaknesses, including health and also considering structure, temperament and type.
Sustaining a balance of proven, healthy miniature poodle genetics alongside standard lines to powerfully reduce the risk of autoimmune diseases and bloat.
Managing the prevalence of CDDY in small and intervariety poodles by preferentially breeding dogs with zero or one copy, and avoiding breeding dogs with identified spinal calcifications.
Following the published research and tracking the health of our breeding dogs, puppies and their relatives.
Educating buyers about the early signs of disease, and guiding them about how to promote lifelong health and function through appropriate diet and exercise.

By selecting sound breeding dogs with (a) demonstrated function in their real lives; (b) satisfactory pre-breeding disorder screening results; and (c) a solid family history of good health and longevity, we can protect our puppies' health and provide well-deserved peace of mind to their people for years to come.