Building a Healthy Doodle with Pat Hastings

Episode 17 · January 6th, 2020 · 51 mins 18 secs

About this Episode

Puppies are wiggly, wobbly, and make us want to swoon at their cuteness. They all look perfect when you're looking with your heart. How do you know if you're getting a puppy with good structure that will be a healthy dog in the future?
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Well a lot depends on the breeder having a good understanding of structure and selecting a sound dog in the first place.

How a dog is built, it's physical structure, can impact its health and the types of activities it is suited for. This includes the shape of the chest, shoulders, back, neck, legs and joints, how it holds itself up, how it moves, how it sits, etc.

In this episode I interview renowned structure & conformation expert, Pat Hastings, who has judged many dog shows, written/taught on the topic of structure and consults breeders, including some Australian labradoodle breeders, on puppy selection. We also discuss:

  • orthopedic issues that are influenced by structure.
  • a neck issue with a funny name that's common in Bernese and golden retrievers, and thus in bernedoodles and goldendoodles.
  • a key component in preventing separation anxiety that isn't about structure. ⠀⠀

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