Breast cancer in Goldendoodles

Author: Dee Gerrish

When we think about breast cancer, we usually think about women getting this disease. We seldom stop to think about men having breast cancer, much less a canine having breast cancer. Although the Goldendoodle hybrid is a relatively new hybrid, we must take into consideration that as this hybrid ages, the possibility of breast cancer is there.

The Goldendoodle hybrid became first known as a "labeled" breed in the United States around 1997. I am not sure who the first breeder in the USA began advertising this beautiful dog, but I do know when we began our Goldendoodle breeding program in 1999, we were the only breeder in the entire southern region...at that time...offering them. The dog is relatively young to know much about possible "genetic" issues that may come from the Poodle/Golden Retriever mixture.

Cancer unfortunately kills more dogs than any other disease known. Approx. forty seven percent, according to canine data. Heart disease and kidney disease round out the top three diseases that kill our dogs. Because the Goldendoodle hybrid is still relatively new, there is no existing data at this present writing (December 23, 2009) that can help us know what percentage this hybrid may rank...if at all. According to the Englewood, Colorado based Morris Animal Foundation, skin cancer in dogs accounts for most of the cancer cases.

According to sources, cancer occurs in dogs (or even a person for that matter) when body cells grow uncontrollably and without purpose. Certain types of cancer can spread through out the body via the blood stream which then carries the cancer cells to other parts of the body. Some cancers remain stationary but these types of cancers can grow rapidly and invade tissue in which they are growing. Tumors that are malignant are types of cancers that are stationary. Tumors that don't spread or invade tissue are called "benign" tumors.

Today, veterinarians who specialize in canine cancer are more advanced and detecting cancer in your Goldendoodle at an early stage is now possible. These doctors are called Veterinarian Oncologists. They have three methods that can help save your Goldendoodle, if cancer is detected early enough:

1. Surgery

2. Chemotherapy

3. Radiation

Now that veterinarians have become more advanced and know more about canine cancer, they now have the ability to extend the life of your Goldendoodle including giving him or her a quality of life that wasn't available ten years ago for any canine. Most dogs who were diagnosed with cancer, faced certain death. Now, there is hope.

When your veterinarian suspects your Goldendoodle may have cancer, your hybrid baby will have to undergo a surgical procedure called a "biopsy". This means your veterinarian will remove some tissue from your Goldendoodle that can be examined carefully. A pathologist will examine the tissue or collected cells to determine if it is benign (negative) or malignant (positive) for cancer. If your Goldendoodle has a solid tumor, your vet may insert a needle and take a few samples. This type of procedure is entirely less invasive. If the collected cells suggest they are malignant (positive), your Goldendoodle will then undergo a surgical biopsy.

Unfortunately, these procedures are not cheap and the costs can be quite great. If you suspect your Goldendoodle may have a lump that needs to be further examined and tested for cancer, you will have to weigh the pros and cons regarding whether or not you can afford the required testing, procedures, vet costs and of course, if unfortunately the tests come back and they confirm cancer, long term care and the expenses regarding long term care will have to be carefully weighed.

SPOT THE WARNING SIGNS

* You find an abnormal lump or swelling that continues to become larger over time.

* Sores on your Goldendoodle's skin that don't seem to heal.

* Your Goldendoodle begins to lose weight for no particular reason.

* Loss of appetite.

* Unusual bleeding or discharge from your Goldendoodle's nose, mouth or anal area.

* You notice a foul odor from your Goldendoodle's mouth.

* Your Goldendoodle begins to have difficulty swallowing or eating.

* Your Goldendoodle suddenly doesn't have the ability to exercise and seems to have a loss of strength.

* Your doodle has difficulty breathing.

* You notice that your Goldendoodle has lameness or stiffness.

* Your Goldendoodle has difficulty urinating or defecating.

* You notice a sudden change in behavior with your dog.

Now, if you notice any of the issues above, do not suddenly become frantic that your Goldendoodle has cancer. There are many explainations other than cancer, for the above symptoms. It's very important, however, if you notice any of the above symptoms that you have your veterinarian thoroughly check your Goldendoodle out. Waiting could cause your Goldendoodle's demise.

*About the author: Dee Gerrish, of Goldendoodle World, has been writing about the Goldendoodle dog since 1999. Dee is one of the original founders for the Goldendoodle dog for the entire southern region of the United States.

*This article is copyright protected December 23, 2009. The content of this article may not be copied, redistributed or used for commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of its author, Dee Gerrish. All rights are reserved.

About the Author:

Dee Gerrish has been a private, professional breeder for 13 years as of Jan. 2009; She was a respite and foster care provider in Mannheim, Germany and won many community awards for her dedicated service. Dee has written very popular Goldendoodle articles that are listed across the internet.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Breast cancer in Goldendoodles

Righting a wrong when wrong is wrong

This evening I received a most interesting message by a man named "Ben". What makes it interesting is the fact on a site called Ripoffreport.com a few estranged family members have been posting untruthful accusations and allegations about me as a person and about my business, Goldendoodle World/Lake Ridge Kennel on that website and they've have been doing this since 2006.

I had noticed a comment on that site by someone named "Ben" and I had never heard of this person and knew nothing about him whatsoever. Here is the message he sent to me via facebook:


Ben Szum October 26 at 7:21pm

Re: I was the victim of identity theft

Awhile ago, it came to my attention that somebody was saying bad things about you (and several other businesses, including a law firm), on "ripoffreport.com", using my name and location as their screen-name. It turned out to be an ex-girlfriend who was using my account, which she knows the password to. She also stole my debit card at one point and made several unauthorized transactions to my account. I trusted her very much, but once I saw what she was doing, I broke up with her, contacted the police, and she's dealing with it in court. I have since changed my password, as well. She won't be bothering me, you, or anybody else in my name.

I have posted that I'm not the one saying this. She does not know anything about you, except what other people say. She's just trying to get random people mad at me. She confessed to doing this after we got into a quarrel. I'm undoing the damage she's done (Fortunately, she didn't do as much as she could've) and letting the police deal with her.

I'm going to go get started on undoing her damage to my name. Wish me luck.

*end of message*.........................................

I've since sent a message thanking him for his honesty and he appears to be a college student. If he is ligit, his message today was a warm welcome. I told him that I can't believe how cruel people can be to each other and that his honesty today was the first step in the right direction. What a very nice thing to do! How many people do you see doing this? I surely hope more than not.

This simple gesture of righting a wrong, on his part, means a lot to me. Now if only the others would fess up and come forward too.
One can only hold out hope.

Opray Winfrey's puppy dies of parvo virus

Oprah Winfrey's puppy dies of Parvo Virus

Imagine that! A celebrity's puppy contracting parvo virus! I don't know why so many people assume that the parvo virus is a breeders' fault when it can clearly happen to puppies and dogs owned by anyone, anywhere and at any time. When a canine contracts the parvo virus, it is not the fault of a breeder or owner. Parvo can attack puppies and dogs alike who are of any age, even if they have had vaccinations. According the Entertainment Tonight:

Oprah Winfrey's new puppy perishes


March 17, 2009, 7:41 PM EST
Entertainment Tonight

ET has learned that one of Oprah Winfrey's two newly-adopted puppies has passed away.
Ivan, a golden cocker spaniel mix that Winfrey adopted earlier this month, passed away late last week from parvovirus. Winfrey adopted Ivan shortly after adopting his sister Sadie earlier this month. In the March 6 episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Ivan was held up by "Oprah" show panelist Alexandra Wentworth.

ET has learned that Sadie also has parvovirus, an infectious disorder that can cause diarrhea and vomiting in dogs. Sadie is currently in stable condition.
"I'm saddened by his passing though we only had him for a weekend," Winfrey tells ET. "I remain hopeful that Sadie will pull through."


I'm not glad that Oprah Winfrey's puppy contracted parvo and died. I am, however, very glad that this incident has come to light and that it happened to a celebrity such as Oprah Winfrey who is a huge "rescue" advocate. The reason I'm glad that it happened to someone like Oprah Winfrey...if it was going to happen to anyone...is because she is known to "rescue" dogs from shelters or rescue agencies and has, over the years, taken jabs at breeders and makes the claim that people should not buy puppies from breeders because they are "puppy mills" and the list goes on at the jabs she and her other advocate celebrity friends of hers has taken towards breeders over the years. So imagine my surprise to hear that one of Oprah's puppies that she more than likely adopted from a shelter....contracted parvo virus and died!

A lot of these rescue advocate snobs who sit upon their self made, soap oprah box to voice their personal opinions about breeders point fingers at breeders when an issue like parvo virus hits a puppy that someone has adopted. Here me now, people, parvo virus can attack a dog or puppy regardless of how terrific the breeder is. Many people do not realize that shelter dogs come with their own health problems and that parvo virus can attack dogs and puppies even in the cleanest environment. I am quite certain that advocate nuts will twist the reasoning around so that the blame still falls back to where Oprah's puppy originally came from......a breeder...because that's how they roll.

But let's learn a little somethin' somethin' about the deadly canine communicable disease called Parvo Virus:

WHAT IS PARVO VIRUS?

Parvoviruses are a large group; almost every mammal species (including humans) seems to have its own parvovirus. Fortunately, each virus is pretty specific about what animals it can infect (i.e. the pig parvovirus will not infect people, the canine parvovirus will not infect cats etc.) The canine parvovirus will affect most members of the dog family (wolves, coyotes, foxes etc.) and there is a new mutation that can affect domestic cats.
Parvoviruses are smaller than most viruses and consist of a protein coat (a "capsid") and a single strand of DNA inside. It is hard to believe that such a simply constructed organism could be so deadly; however, this virus has proved especially effective at infecting rapidly dividing host cells such as intestinal cells, bone marrow cells, cells of the lymph system, and fetal cells. Parvo viruses are difficult to disenfect away and very difficult for a puppy or dog to over come.
There are many parvo virus species have been well known for decades in our society, but the canine parvovirus is a relative new, when it comes to viruses. The original canine parvovirus, discovered in 1967 and called "CPV-1" or "the minute virus of canines," did not represent much of a medical threat except to newborn puppies. However by 1978, a new variant, "CPV-2" appeared in the U.S. This newer version seems to represent a mutation from the feline parvovirus (which is more commonly known as the "feline distemper virus"), though there is some controversy regarding what the parent parvovirus actually was. Because this virus was (and is) shed in gigantic numbers by infected animals and because this virus is especially hardy in the environment, worldwide distribution of the virus rapidly occurred. At this time, the virus is considered to be "ubiquitous," meaning that it is present in EVERY ENVIRONMENT unless regular disinfection is applied. More about parvo virus can be found on this link,

http://marvistavet.com/html/what_is_parvo.html

However, it's important to note that even "regular disinfection" can not prevent the parvo virus from attacking puppies and dogs. A bleach solution is really the best disinfectant to use if their puppy or dog has contracted parvo. But too many people assume that all they have to do is bleach their floors. All areas of your home must be cleaned with a bleach solution. The solution must be mostly bleach mixed with a little bit of water. Wiping counters, door knobs, floors and most surfaces will help kill the virus. Items that were used for your puppy or dog should be thrown away. Many people assume that they can just go right out and obtain another puppy or dog after the one they had, died of parvo. This is not recommended. A person who has lost a puppy or dog to parvo virus should ensure they have bleached every area, including the bottoms of their shoes, that their canine has been around. Many make the mistake of using the same toys, the same food dishes, the same crate, etc; Germs from the parvo virus can remain on these items and I definitely would not risk it by keeping these items for your next canine. Germs are not visible to the naked eye and who is to say if the virus still remains even if you have bleached them?

Parvo virus is NOT a breeder's issue. Parvo virus is everyone's issue. In 1978, there wasn't a single dog or puppy who had protection against this deadly disease. They had no immunity whatsoever. An epidemic happened which proved quite disastrous. By 1979 a second mutation called CPV-2a occurred and this particular virus was even more aggressive. Many veterinarians used the feline vaccine on dogs because back then, vaccinations were at a premium and not that affordable. Thirty years went by and a new virus began attacking dogs. This virus was CPV-2b. Virtually all dogs at that time were exposed to that particular virus. In 2000, an even newer virus hit the United States and this particular virus was able to attack even cats! CPV-2c was even deadlier than the CPV-2b. Cats who were vaccinated against feline distemper were protected.

In 2004, an even deadlier version of the parvo virus became known to not just breeders but to everyone who owned a dog in the United States. Vaccinations that puppies and dogs had been given didn't even protect them against the new strain that happened that year. Many puppies and dogs, that particular year, were hit with this new deadly strain even though many dogs were older dogs who had years of vaccines that was suppose to protect them. It was a known fact that in New York, many Goldendoodles and Labradoodles who attended a "doodle romp" that year, had been hit by the new virus and many of them unfortunately died and could not over come the disease even with hospitalization by top vets. We, ourselves, had been contacted by just a couple of customers in 2004, whose Goldendoodle pups had contracted this particular deadly strain and had passed away. It was devestating for not just our customers, but for us as a breeder. We knew the pups had been checked out as healthy by our veterinarian and we knew for a fact we had given them the proper vaccinations. We could not understand how or why a couple of our puppies had contracted this deadly disease especially given the fact we have always taken every precaution possible to protect our pups and dogs from deadly canine communicable diseases. This deadly strain of parvo virus happened to many breeders and dog owners alike, in 2004. This disease was wide spread through the United States and it was not particular of what dog or puppy it attacked. It is a known fact that even some veterinarians who were breeders themselves, had been hit with the virus that was new in 2004 and even they were unable to save all of the puppies or dogs who had contracted that particular strain of parvo.

What WE did, as a breeder who never wanted this to happen...hopefully...to us again, was contact several laboratories who made the parvo virus vaccine and find out everything we could as to the best way to protect our puppies and dogs from this deadly virus. We switched our vaccines to a newer version called "NEO-PAR" and we were told to use a "high titer", low passage vaccine in the beginning and then reverse the vaccine during the second phase of vaccinations by using a "low titer", high passage. This way, our puppies would receive the best protection possible. We have now also included a new vaccine that has come out for distemper and we add this vaccine as the third "puppy" vaccine so that our young puppies receive at least three sets of vaccines while still nursing with their mother, which also helps boost their immune system. So far, the changes we made in the vaccine types that our puppies and dogs receive as well as implementing our "no browsing" policy, has been completely effective in protecting our puppies and dogs from parvo. We have not had a single incident of parvo since 2004. Which of course, we are simply delighted over, but we know that a newer strain of parvo can happen at any time. Breeders and shelters alike always need to be diligent in their practices regarding vaccinations but also in how they allow people to come into contact with the animals in their care. Vaccines do not mean much if breeders and shelters allow the general public to handle their puppies and dogs simply for the asking. Parvo virus germs attach themselves to every article of clothing that a person wears. They attach themselves to your shoes, hair, clothing, even car tires! Anything that you have on your being at the time of visiting puppies and dogs of any age, can become deadly due to harboring parvo germs. Without you even being aware of it. We've been ridiculed by some for our strict "no browsing" policy since 2004.......but any breeder or dog owner who has suffered a financial loss, not to mention the emotional loss, of a puppy or dog, understands why our policy was put into effect. It is because of our strict policy and our vaccination changes that we have been very fortunate to not have a recurrance of parvo attacks and we do not apologize for the changes that we made.

There is an old saying....those that mind don't matter and those who matter, don't mind.



*About the author: Dee Gerrish has been a private, professional, hobby breeder since 1996. She has written extensively about the Goldendoodle dog since 1999. Dee Gerrish has photographed, documented and researched the Goldendoodle dog since 1999. Dee was the first breeder to register the Goldendoodle dog with a ligit kennel club in the United States and Dee is one of the original founders for the Goldendoodle dog in the southern region of the United States.

What is a first generation Goldendoodle?

What is a first generation Goldendoodle?

What does "F1" mean? What does "F1B" mean? Why is there so much confusion about the term "First generation Goldendoodle" ?

It seems to me that many people are having problems understanding what constitutes a Goldendoodle as being a "First generation" hybrid. It's quite easy to understand if you have some knowledge with basic genetics. It may seem complicated to those who do not understand the basics of genetics. Simply put, a First generation Goldendoodle is any Goldendoodle dog that comes from two parents who are not closely related, regardless of whether or not both Goldendoodles are Goldendoodles or if one parent is a Poodle and the other parent is a Golden Retriever or whether one parent is a Poodle and one parent is a Goldendoodle. The offspring are STILL considered Goldendoodles and they are STILL considered first generation when neither parent shares the exact same parents themselves. That's it in a nutshell. Nothing complicated about it, but so many people...including breeders.....just can't seem to grasp the concept.
Instead, some people believe that a first generation Goldendoodle only comes from a 50/50 mix...meaning, coming from one parent who is a Poodle and one parent who is a Golden Retriever or some people believe that Goldendoodles are "f1B" if a Goldendoodle is bred to a Poodle or Golden Retriever or to another Goldendoodle. I'm sorry to burst the genetic bubble, but that belief is not accurate at all. If you really want to get technical, lets first ask "First generation of what???". What is the Goldendoodle a first generation of, exactly ? Are they the "first generation" upon their family tree? Are they the first generation to both of their parents? Technically and accurately speaking, if neither parent are directly related, the answer is YES. All offspring, in reality, that are born to two parents who are not directly related and who DO NOT share the same parents themselves, are FIRST GENERATION DOGS.

What exactly does the term "first generation" imply anyway?

When speaking of "generations" it is generally implied to mean parent/child. The parents have children and thus, their children are "first generation". When those children have their own children, they then become "second generation". When we speak of the Goldendoodle being a "first generation" it is implied to mean that the offspring come from two parents who are not closely related or who are not related at all....whether the same breed or different breed, the offspring are always "first generation" when neither parent are directly related to each other. I've had so many people try to convince me that a Goldendoodle isn't a first generation Goldendoodle unless if comes from a Poodle/Golden Retriever parent. Again, I hate to burst your genetic bubble, but that's not correct. With purebred dogs, both parents are the same breed and their offspring are first generation providing neither parent shares the same parents themselves or direct relatives within their first three generations of pedigree. If you bred two parents who were related, together, then their offspring would be "second generation" . When we speak of Goldendoodles being an "F1B", the "B" means "backbred". A very nice term for implying the dogs are inbred....backbred to a close relative. Just because a Goldendoodle is bred to a Poodle, does NOT imply the offspring are "F1B". If a Goldendoodle is bred to a Poodle and the Poodle within the Goldendoodle's genetic structure is NOT related or closely related to the other Poodle used for breeding, their offspring are "first generation". If a Goldendoodle is bred to a Golden Retriever and the Goldendoodle used for breeding is NOT closely related or related at all to the Golden Retriever within the Goldendoodles' genetic structure, their offspring is still a first generation.

Genetic diversity is very important when it comes to hybrid dogs, period. Due to the fact many purebred fanciers inbreed their dogs, the entire reason hybrid dogs have fewer health issues is due to the fact their genetic structure is wide and varying. A genetic "bottle neck" is created when two dogs are bred together and share the same lineage. It's one thing to have similar ancestors or share similar ancestors down through the pedigree, its quite another to have the same exact ancestors down through the pedigree. We have created the Goldendoodle since 1999. We have been purebred dog breeders since 1996. We know for a fact that dogs are healthier and have entirely fewer genetic issues when they have a wider variance in their genetic structure. Goldendoodles who come from two related parents will have genetic issues much more often than Goldendoodles who come from two unrelated parents. When a breeder says they create "multi-generation" Goldendoodles....that means you'd better be careful of buying one of their dogs. Multi generation Goldendoodles are highly inbred dogs and are at a much greater risk for genetic issues. I definitely do not believe in multi-generation doodles or even purebred dogs. I've never agreed that even purebred dogs who are bred back to a direct relative is a good thing. Such dogs can be at a higher risk for behavioral issues; health issues and genetic issues. Many undesirable traits come from dogs who are born from parents who are too closely related.

When Gregor Mendel began his hybridization experiments with pea plants in 1856, knowledge of how heredity works was limited. Experimenting with hybrids has been going on for many, many years. Many things had been guessed at or not exactly known as to how genetics + hybrids really worked. Some characteristics, called discrete traits, did not produce a state of being between two parents. The children of a brown-eyed father and blue-eyed mother do not end up with an intermediate eye color; rather, the children inherited the eye color of a single parent. This occurs with people. With dogs, it is quite different. The offspring CAN inherit an intermediate eye color and we've witnessed this with the Goldendoodle dog. In 2006, we bred two Goldendoodles together that were not closely related. They had a different Golden Retriever parent and a different Poodle parent. The only traits the Goldendoodle dogs had in common was that they had the same eye color (Blue); The same coat type (curly) and both were the same color (apricot). We intentionally bred both Goldendoodles together so that we could increase our chances of having blue eyed Goldendoodles.

We were not sure what coat type would occur since both doodles had a curly coat. We were quite surprised to learn the following:

*smooth coat/blue eyed/first generation Goldendoodle

1. This pairing only produced 2 blue eyed doodle offspring.

2. Out of four offspring, 1 puppy had brown eyes. 1 puppy had green eyes. Two of the puppies had blue eyes.
3. Out of four offspring, 3 puppies had a smooth coat and 1 puppy had a shaggy coat. Not a single curly coat was born to parents who had a curly coat themselves.
4. Out of the four offspring, 2 puppies were cream. 2 puppies were apricot.

If we assume that each parent contributes a single chromosome to his/her offspring for a given trait, how is it that we had 3 smooth coat Goldendoodles born out of this pairing and neither parent had a smooth coat? How is it that we've seen a variance in size regarding the offspring, regardless of the sizes of either parent and how is it that we've seen a variance in eye color for the Goldendoodle offspring, regardless of the eye color of either parent? We personally have come to know that Goldendoodle dogs can inherit their traits, appearance, sizes, temperaments and coat or eye coloring from their entire lineage of ancestors. We have come to know that Goldendoodle offspring do not inherit traits exclusively from their parents. We know that their entire lineage plays a part of what and whom they become. Gregor Mendel proposed that some genes are dominant while others are recessive. Since 1999, we have come to realize that our Golden Retrievers Do carry the dominant genes. They dominate personality, color and at times, they dominant coat traits in our Goldendoodles. On occasion, we do see Poodle traits dominate in a select few offspring. For an experienced breeder, it is quite easy to spot the dominating gene. The inexperienced breeder will only be able to rely on information they obtain via the Internet and not all of the information is clear, precise or accurate. Hence, why there is so much inaccurate Goldendoodle information over the Internet. Much of it drives me crazy.

Especially because I've dedicated an extensive amount of time documenting the coat changes; The many coat phases; the personality types; The coat types; The coloring and markings; I've lived, breathed and basically dreamt day in and day out, the Goldendoodle dog. It is very frustrating to try and explain the facts with regards to the Goldendoodle dog to inexperienced people who want to challenge what it is I've come to know through personal experience and my countless hours of research. There are some days, I just don't even try. Some people don't want to know the facts, they only want you to tell them what they want to hear and not what the facts are and I don't like to try and teach someone about the Goldendoodle dog if they are not interested in actually learning and knowing facts vs. rumors or what they've "read" over the Internet. I LOVE writing about the Goldendoodle dog and what I've come to know. It's quite obvious that the Goldendoodle dog is a passion of mine, given the fact my website is so extensive and comprehensive where the Goldendoodle is concerned.

*Dark apricot, first generation, curly coat Goldendoodle

I love talking about the Goldendoodle to anyone who wants to know.....and I might even get into some heated arguments with people about the Goldendoodle dog because I'm very passionate about what it is I've come to know to be facts and I am NOT one for believing rumors. The Goldendoodle dog is a very stimulating, entirely new field of study for me. I've created the Goldendoodle dog in nearly every imaginable way and my research has helped literally thousands of people over the years. Some people you just can't convince and it is those people that really need to become breeders themselves or otherwise just shut up. That sounds harsh, but I'm very direct and honest. I don't need to argue with an inexperienced doodle person who doesn't know what they are talking about. They don't know what they are talking about because they haven't done the research on a personal level. They haven't spent the time that I've spent, nor have they indulged themselves in documenting facts and taking thousands of photos as a part of their documentation.

Darwin's problem explaining "blending" and the preservation of variation was essentially solved. However, while Mendelian genetics provided a way to refute arguments concerning the lack of a mechanism for the preservation of variation through inheritance, Mendel's results went largely unnoticed until 1900, when the laws were independently "rediscovered" by several geneticists -- Hugo de Vries, Carl Correns, and Erich von Tschermak -- some 34 years after Mendel's original publication of his findings in 1866! Speaking of genetics, Let's talk about genetics for a little bit.
Evolution can be described in many ways; one way to look at evolutionary change as a change in genotype frequencies over time. If organisms are considered evolutionarily successful if they have more offspring, and offspring are created from genes, then changes in gene frequencies (or more specifically, genotype frequencies) will reflect successful evolutionary phenotypes. Researchers in the field of population genetics examine populations in terms of differing proportions of particular genotypes in order to determine what, if any, evolutionary forces are active in that population. Genotype frequency and gene frequency are closely related variables, and both are easy to measure. The simplest case is one genetic locus with two alleles (A and a) and three genotypes (AA, Aa, and aa).

Each individual has a genotype made up of two genes at the locus and a population can be symbolized like this:

Aa AA aa aa AA Aa AA Aa

This is an imaginary population with only eight individuals. To find the genotype frequencies we simply count the numbers of individual with each genotype. Thus:
frequency of AA = 3/8 = 0.375frequency of Aa = 3/8 = 0.375frequency of aa = 2/8 = 0.25
The extent of variation in natural populations is such that every individual must be genetically unique. Evolution from the origin, to the modern diversity, of life must have required more variation than existed in the original population.

Where did the extra variation come from?

Several processes can generate new variation in a population:

• Recombination between existing chromosomes produces new chromosomes with their own unique sequences and many new genetic variants of a character like body size were probably generated by recombination.

• Migration is an important source of new genetic variation: when individuals arrive from distant parts they will often have different genotypes from the local population; they thus provide new genetic variation.

Both recombination and migration work with existing allelic variation; they put existing variation into new genetic, or geographic, combinations. Important though this is, if there were no pre-existing allelic variation, recombination and migration would not generate new genetic variants. Recombination between identical chromosomes produces the same identical chromosomes over again.

• Mutation is the original source of genetic variation. Even in a population in which all copies of a chromosome were identical, new genetic variants would arise by mutation.

Random events in population genetics - What is random sampling?

Gene frequencies may change by chance
Even when natural selection is not operating, the gene frequencies may change a little from the previous generation just by chance. This can happen because the genes that form a new generation are a random sample from the parental generation.

Random sampling

Random sampling occurs whenever a smaller number of successful individuals (or gametes) are sampled from a larger pool of potential survivors and the fitness of the genotypes are the same. Random sampling works at every stage as a new generation grows up but it starts at conception.
In every species, each individual produces many more gametes than will ever fertilize, or be fertilized, to form new organisms. Using the female trout as an example, it has many thousands of gametes of which a tiny fraction will ever become zygotes.

The successful gametes which do form offspring are a sample from the many gametes that the parents produce. Provided the parent is a heterozygote, such as Aa , it will then produce a large number of gametes, of which approximately one half will be A and the other half a . If that parent produces 10 offspring, it is most likely that five will inherit an A gene and five a . But because the gametes that formed the offspring were sampled from a much larger pool of gametes, it is possible that the proportions would be something else. Perhaps six inherited A and only four a , or three A and seven a.

Random sampling can have important evolutionary effects such as genetic drift and the founder effect.

What is the Founder effect??

Using Polydactyly as an example......extra fingers or sometimes toes ..... is one symptom of Ellis-van Creveld syndrome. The syndrome is commonly found among the Old Order Amish of Pennsylvania, a population that experiences the "founder effect." Genetically inherited diseases like Ellis-van Creveld are more concentrated among the Amish because they marry within their own community, which prevents new genetic variation from entering the population. Children are therefore more likely to inherit two copies of the particular recessive genes that lead to genetic disease. Because of their closed population stemming from a small number of German immigrants -- about 200 individuals -- the Amish carry unusual concentrations of gene mutations that cause a number of otherwise rare inherited disorders, including forms of dwarfism. Eastern Pennsylvania is home to beautiful farmlands and countryside, but it's also a gold mine of information for geneticists, who have studied the region's Amish culture for decades.
The founder effect can occur in dogs when a breeder inbreeds their dogs and does NOT use a wider variation of genes to create their dogs' offspring. Maybe not perhaps by having extra fingers or toes, but by other undesirable traits such as personality disorders, behavioral disorders or physical issues as well as internal issues. When dogs are too highly inbred, some do not even survive their first birthday. The female dog can miscarry the entire litter or one or two of the puppies can suffer from what is called the "fading syndrome".

Because defects can vary wide and greatly, it is of great importance that the Goldendoodle breeder become experienced in their selection of breeding methods. Some people can challenge me all they want with regards to the Goldendoodle dog, but we are up for the challenges and will argue with whomever wants to debate the issue regarding first generation Goldendoodles vs. F1B Goldendoodles. There isn't a single advantage in creating a second generation Goldendoodle...much less an "F1B". Breeders can argue amongst themselves or with others as to what the term "F1B" means, but we personally will never change our view that "F1B" means the Goldendoodle is an inbred dog. A breeder who creates the "F1B" Goldendoodle will create the Goldendoodle from a 50/50 mixture; meaning, the Goldendoodle comes from a Poodle/Golden Retriever mixture. They will then select one of the offspring and when that offspring becomes old enough to breed, they then breed that Goldendoodle BACK to its brother, sister, mother or father or close relative. Perhaps they even breed it to another Goldendoodle who shares its same ancestry. This is the true meaning of the "F1B" Goldendoodle. We have never created a Goldendoodle in this manner, nor would we want to. We have not ever created a purebred dog in this manner, but many show breeders have. Hence why so many purebred dogs have so many issues, today.

If individual dogs share the same parents or very close ancestry, there's a greater likelihood that the recessive genes of the "founder" genes will come together in the cells that produce offspring. Thus diseases of recessive genes, which require two copies of the gene to cause the disease, will show up more frequently than they would if the two breeding dogs were not closely related. Further studies have been completed regarding inbreeding.

HIDDEN VARIATIONS

The fact there are hidden variations at the genetic level is yet another reason why inbreeding (creating F1B Goldendoodles) carries with it an increased likelihood of the expression of a deleterious or lethal allele. It is very likely that all individuals carry some deleterious alleles which are left unexpressed from generation to generation, primarily because the frequencies of these alleles in the whole population is very low. While outbreeding (creating offspring from two unrelated parents) (or exogamy) will significantly reduce the probability of a chance encounter between two individuals carrying the same deleterious alleles, inbreeding will significantly increase this probability on the basis of degree of relatedness. Again, this is why the Goldendoodle hybrid, when created properly by experienced breeders, is a much hardier, healthier dog than their purebred counterparts.

All dogs, as well as all living animals and plants, including humans are made up of living cells. Each microscopic cell is a building block of life that contains a specific set of "biochemical blueprints" called chromosomes. The complex molecules instruct the cell and make it possible for the cell to repair and reproduce themselves. As an example, whether a cell is supposed to be part of an organ such as a heart, or a part of your skin or whether or not its role is to grow hair upon your head, arms or legs. Breeders who study the basic concept of genetics, found out a long time ago that many traits, such as hair coloring of dogs, could be manipulated to produce new coat colors or even new eye colors by breeding two dogs that have one particular coat color or a particular eye color. Breeders found out they could also remove such coloring if they wanted to, in the offspring. A British mathematician/biologist named R.C. Punnett developed a straight forward, yet very powerful statistical tool called the PUNNETT SQUARE to predict the outcome/offspring of breeding individuals with known traits of various characteristics. Even though both parents may have a particular coat color...lets say "Black" (Bb), about 1/4 of the litter of puppies will have buff coat coloring. Why does this occur? Each parent's pair of genes responsible for determining coat coloring has one recessive buff gene (b) that was passed along to the offspring by their parents and/or their grandparents and so on. This is how we explain eye coloring of the Goldendoodle dog. When a breeder has a puppy with an eye color that neither parent has, you can be sure the eye coloring came from a recessive gene that was a part of the parents' lineage down through their heritage.

This also explains the SMOOTH COAT Goldendoodle.

The Golden Retriever has a smooth coat. The Poodle has a curly coat. When we bred a blue eyed curly coat Goldendoodle to a smooth coat Golden Retriever, interestingly enough, all of the offspring had brown eyes and all of the offspring had a shaggy coat except for one smooth coat who looked like a carbon copy of her purebred Golden Retriever mother. The shaggy coat was a recessive gene carried by the Goldendoodle sire who had littermates himself, as well as ancestors with a shaggy coat. As with the Goldendoodle to Goldendoodle pairing who both had a curly coat and yet did not produce a single curly coat in their offspring, we know that the parents themselves both carried the recessive genes to create the blue, green and brown eyed doodles who had the shaggy coat and smooth coat.

The origin of the Goldendoodle

Goldendoodles originated from the crossing of a Poodle and a Golden Retriever. Some argue that the Aussies (Australians) created the Goldendoodle first and some argue that the Canadians created the Goldendoodle first. Who actually started the Goldendoodle doesn't matter.What matters is the fact that Goldendoodles have actually been around much longer than most people realize. Dogs have been mating outside of their own breed since the beginning of man. Every purebred dog in the world began as a mixed breed dog or came to be as a result of many mixtures of other breeds. Lets say that we give the Golden Retriever the letters (GR) to represent the gene pair for the Golden Retriever and the Poodle (PP) to represent the gene pair of the purebred Poodle.

The offspring that comes from this pairing is quite accurately predicted by the Punnett's Square:
GR+PP=GD (Goldendoodle)

Predicted Breed outcome of the litter= 100% Goldendoodle.

When a purebred Golden Retriever is bred to a purebred Poodle, the entire litter of puppies produced is composed of first generation Goldendoodles (GD). They become adult dogs whose physical appearance can be much different than either parent including a variance of physical traits that neither parent dog has, itself. For example, neither Golden Retriever or Poodle has a full facial beard trait that their children, the Goldendoodle, has itself. Neither the Golden Retriever or the Poodle has a shaggy coat that the Goldendoodle child has. But the Goldendoodle dog DOES carry some physical traits and attributes as that of their parental dogs.

The Goldendoodle does have almond shaped eyes similar to its Golden Retriever parent. The Goldendoodle may have either a Poodle temperament or a Golden Retriever temperament, depending upon which gene was more dominant. One of two of the pups may have a curly coat that is similar to its Poodle parent. Some of the offspring may have very long, slender legs that is similar to its Poodle parent and some may have shorter legs that are more similar to its Golden Retriever parent. Sometimes the coat type or length of coat is determined by the Golden Retriever. Again, we have come to know by experience that it all depends upon the dominating gene.

Although most Goldendoodles exhibit a favorable combination of their traits and characteristics from both of their parental breeds, they will still retain those alleles (meaning variations) from their parents that were NOT expressed within their first generation. These hidden variations/recessive alleles are analogous to the "buff" coat color discussed up above regarding coat coloring. This is why you may see Goldendoodles that come out of the same litter, have different colored eyes or different coat colors or who have different characteristics amongst each other such as a variance in sizes. While some Goldendoodle breeders believe they can "purify" the Goldendoodle by creating multi-generations or by backbreeding and inbreeding, it doesn't seem statistically possible to "purify" the outcome of further generational breeding beyond 50% Goldendoodle. Applying the three "unique" gene pairs (GR, PP, GD) created in the Punnett Square which predicted the second generations....it just doesn't all add up when you go beyond that range.

The Punnett Square can not take into account the selective breeding methods being used by Goldendoodle breeders who are involved in attempting to establish this hybrid as a "recognized purebred dog". It could technically require up to 15 generations (or more) of very fine selective breeding of unrelated Goldendoodles to guarantee ALL subsequent generations of the puppies the same "statistical/genetic purity" as the first generation litter that come from a Golden Retriever/Poodle mixture.Although the Goldendoodle dog IS recognized as a registered hybrid with many kennel clubs, we older breeders may never see this hybrid as an AKC recognized purebred dog, in our lifetime because it will require an extensive amount of breeding from a select few breeders who then create their own kennel club to create their own Goldendoodle standards just as the breeders did for the purebred dog back in the very early days of man.I can't think of too many breeders who desire to keep 15 generations or more, of Goldendoodles, just so they can attempt to "purify" this hybrid.

The Goldendoodle dog is quite a unique dog as it is now and I don't see why we as breeders need to change this. Those who desire to argue what makes a first generation doodle, a first generation, can argue all they want. Genetics determines what a first generation is, whether plant, animal or human and this fact can not be removed, despite the arguments.

Resources:

Genetics

http://www.wwnorton.com/college/anthro/bioanth/ch2/chap2.htm
http://www.mulberryfarm.com/canine-genetics_explanation.htm#cockapoo-genetics

About the Author: Dee Gerrish is a Searchwarp.com winning, founding, top 100, featured Goldendoodle author. She has been a private, professional, registered and certified breeder for 12 years as of Jan. 2008. Her extensive, comprehensive, educational research about the Goldendoodle dog has helped numerous people across the world. More information can be located upon her doodle website at http://www.goldendoodleworld.com/ On a doodle quest? Check out her website and give her a call.

Lyme Disease and your Goldendoodle

Lyme Disease and your Goldendoodle

Lyme disease can occur in dogs if bitten by a tick. Lyme disease was first discovered in 1975 by Allen Steere, here in the United States. There had been a mysterious outbreak of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis near the community of Lyme, Connecticut. In 1982, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease was discovered by Willy Burgdorfer, who isolated spirochetes belonging to the genus Borrelia from the mid-guts of Ixodes ticks. Lyme disease is the most prevalent tick-borne illness in the United States.

As we near the warmer months, Goldendoodle owners need to pay special attention to ticks. Some topical treatments like "revolution" will help prevent ticks, but we also have come to know that Goldendoodles can sometimes have organ failure from these topical treatments, over a long period of usage. You have to remember that these topical treatments are toxic chemicals that can cause health problems with your Goldendoodle.

So what to do? Veterinarians have a vaccine to help prevent lyme disease in dogs. We highly recommend that all Goldendoodle owners, as well as other dog owners, vaccinate their canine to help protect them against lyme disease. Another tick illness is called "Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever". I can personally relate to this particular illness since many years ago, I had contracted "RMSF" after being bitten by a tick that had fallen out of a tree when my husband and I were clearing trees out of our back yard near a wooded area. Symptoms for "RMSF" are very similar to Lyme disease. Joint pain, fatigue, feeling flushed, fevers, chills, swollen lymph nodes, severe headache and muscle pain. Many people assume they are coming down with the flu but find out through a blood test that they have contracted one of these tick-borne illnesses. Your Goldendoodle can show the same symptoms including redness or rash around the area bitten by the tick.

Without treatment, a person or a dog can die. Symptoms can appear anywhere from 1 day to 1 month after the bite. This is why diagnosing a tick borne illness can be quite difficult, especially in dogs. There are stages to the disease itself. The first stage being redness or a rash surrounding the bitten area.

The second stage, once the bacteria begins to spread, begins to affect bodily functions. Problems can be any of the following:

*Meningitis * Numbness in the arms or legs, including pain. *Paralysis of the facial muscles which usually only affects one side of the face. * Abnormal heart beat.

The third stage can occur weeks, months or years after the original bite from the tick. Without antibiotics to treat the disease, lyme disease will progress and cause damage, if not death.

Chronic Lyme arthritis—brief bouts of pain and swelling usually occurring in one or more of the large joints, especially the knees

Nervous system problems, including memory loss and difficulty concentrating
Chronic pain in muscles and/or unrestful sleep

If a blood test has confirmed lyme disease or rocky mountain spotted fever, antibiotics will be prescribed. Treatment can last from 2 - 6 weeks depending upon the severity of the illness. Tick prevention will also help reduce the chances that your Goldendoodle will contract either tick born disease, but it is important to know that a lyme vaccine is available for your doodle dog and its very important as we near the summer months, that your canine obtain this vaccine.
If you feel comfortable giving your Goldendoodle vaccinations, a lyme disease vaccine can be obtained by visiting either "Omaha Vaccine" or "Revival Animal". The vaccine is given intra muscularly and is very easy to give to your Goldendoodle.
More information about Lyme disease can be obtained here: http://www.acponline.org/clinical_information/resources/lyme_disease/patient/diagnosis.htm


*About the author: Dee Gerrish has been a private, professional, hobby breeder since 1996. She has owned dogs all of her life. Visit her website at http://www.goldendoodleworld.com/ for more doodle information, photos and videos. Dee Gerrish is one of the original founders for the Goldendoodle dog in the southern region of the United States. She was the first breeder to register the Goldendoodle dog with a ligit kennel club, in the United States.

People love to love dogs

People love dogs. People love to love dogs. People love to own dogs. What type of dogs do people love to own? Well, all sorts of people have fallen in love with dogs over the centuries. Famous people own dogs. Poor people own dogs. The average person owns dogs. Dogs even sometimes live at nursing homes and dogs have performed many functions for centuries. In some Asian countries, dogs sometimes even become food.

Have there been famous people with famous dogs? Yes! Through out history, many famous people have owned famous dogs. Will Rogers once said, "If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went." Most people who are dog people will agree that most dogs are nicer than most people.

Dogs are not judgemental nor do they care how much money you earn. Dogs do not even care if you have a job so long as you make it YOUR job to give them love and lots of hugs. Joe Weinstein said, "My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3 a can. That’s almost $21 in dog money." Dogs are very basic, simply creatures and they are surely not as complicated to understand as humans are. People make life complicated. Dogs do not.

Dogs make great pets for many people, especially senior citizens. They provide companionship and instant friendship. Dogs do not mind how old you are. Dogs will love you even if you are in diapers! Young or old. Over the centuries, dogs have provided valuable service to people. From assisting fire fighters to helping locate victims of earthquakes! Dogs can be trained to help people who need assistance with personal chores. From ringing bells, to picking up small items to helping the blind get around. Dogs can even learn to perform multiple tricks!

Many people who love to own dogs have a need with learning how to train their dogs. Casar Milan is a well respected dog trainer with alot of terrific information on how to train your dog! His website provides alot of great information. Some people go to college to learn how to become a better dog person. Seriously! Check out this link if you are interested in getting a degree on becoming a better dog person! Dogs think, feel and react very much like humans. That's why people and dogs go together like peanut butter and jelly! But you'd have to be a dog person to agree with this notion.

Dogs actually help people understand themselves better as human beings. There are millions of people on our planet who own dogs. Some people shouldn't own dogs and some dogs shouldn't be around people. You can see dogs virtually anywhere! You see people throwing a frisbee for a dog in a park. You see people walking their dog on a sidewalk. If you visit Germany, you will even see dogs riding on a trolly or sitting besides its master at a local cafe. Some people have more pictures of their dog than of their children. Some children prefer their dog over their friends. Some dogs prefer one person over another.

Many people will tell you long stories of how their dogs have enriched their lives. Some people don't even want to discuss dogs at all! Sometimes a person will think they are not a dog person at all until they meet a dog. Then suddenly that non-dog person becomes magically transformed. Some people are morons around dogs and some dogs think some people are morons. Dogs can make us laugh. Dogs can make us cry. Dogs can make us mad and dogs can make us happy. Not everyone loves dogs and not every dog loves a person. One thing is for sure, however!

Dogs have been around for centuries and we will continue to see dogs for as long as we see people.

*Author/Breeder: Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World cc@2009

*Photo courtesy: Goldendoodle World: http://www.goldendoodleworld.com/ and Goldendoodle owner, Cheryl as well as Goldendoodle, Sonny.

(Sonny is a male Goldendoodle that was purchased by Cheryl from Goldendoodle World. Sonny has been featured in a magazine article