From the Editor's Desk

This issue is dedicated to the many health issues we are seeing in Poodles. The articles I have selected for reproduction are from top researchers in their field and were authorized for inclusion in the Gazette. They have been chosen to give a broader view of what we can expect in the future if we do not adhere to some type of diversity in breeding parti Poodles.

Spring is not far away and with it come thoughts of breeding. During my many years as a breeder, I’ve continued to study and learn as much as I can. It is often said that inbreeding is the only way to continually get “type” in a breed; that if you outcross, you will not get the consistency you are seeking. This is true . . . but I have discovered that along with stability in type, I also got inbreeding depression – smaller pups that barely thrived and had a low immune system response to many of the normal everyday exposures such as coccidiosis, giardia, etc. I also got female pups who as adults would have difficult pregnancies. In the beginning, because of the very small breeding pool, inbreeding was necessary to get and retain the parti-color; however, it has now come to a point where breeders are creating more health issues than they are solving.

If this continues, the parti’s future does not look bright. Some breeds are already facing their own demise. About a month ago, I attended an AKC show where I was CERFing four of my Poodles. While waiting, I began chatting with a woman who had Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. According to geneticists, 70 percent of the Cavalier population has heart issues, and there are doubts the breed can recover.

It is my deepest hope that all breeders will take these articles about breeding and health issues to heart, and that we can work together for the health and betterment of the breed we all love.