Our Poor Designer "Doodle Dog" Can't Even Sit Properly

     For years now, dog breeders have been raking in the cash, breeding “Doodle Dogs” (all kinds other breeds to poodles).   They breed Labradoodles (Labrador Retriever-Poodle mix), Goldendoodles (Golden  Retriever-Poodle), Bernedoodles (Bernese Mountain Dog-Poodle mix) etc, etc.  You get the idea.  Everyone wanted a mixed poodle bred dog.  Sadly, it seems more attention was paid to selling puppies, than to the genetics of these designer dogs, and as a result, many dogs have been created and sold with horrible genetic problems.

    Our dog Kona is one of them.  Kona is a Bordoodle, a mix of Border Collie and Poodle.  She is a rescue dog that we got for free from her previous owners.  They told us she had joint problems, but we accepted that she might develop complications in the future.  She was still a young dog when we got her, and she was very energetic and normal.  However, now as she ages, very serious problems are starting to show.

    After our last vet visit where an X-ray of Kona was done, we were told that basically, Kona has no hip sockets, and her legs are held in place by scar tissue.  Kona can no longer walk,  she is able to stagger upright, when she needs to pee or poop, and shuffle like a seal when she needs to move a bit.  I have to carry her outside when she needs to do her business and carry her from room to room, when necessary.  

    With all of her problems, Kona remains stoic and very affectionate.  We have been giving her several pain-killers daily.  

    In the photo above, you can see that she can’t even sit properly.  At first glance of the photo, things seem normal, but look at the position of her rear legs in the shadow.   Normally a sitting dog will have one leg of her rear legs on the right side and the other on her left side.  Whenever Kona sits, she has both of her rear legs on the same side.

    It is very sad to see Kona struggling to deal with such difficulties, but like I said, she is very stoic and still full of eagerness, and spark.

    It is depressing to know that so many dog breeders are still so eager for money, that they ignore the genetics of the dogs they breed.

    Buyer, beware.

You can see my paintings at:  davidmarchant2.ca