Breeding for A Healthy Labradoodle puppy!
Why Good Structure is important to the overall health of your dog.

 As an experienced dog breeder and show exhibitor for 25 years I am able to evaluate structure to determine the dog’s ability to function well for each individual family or purpose.

Many years have been spent observing dogs in motion and studying the movement and structure of canines. My Experience of Showing and competing in conformation and agility events, owning and breeding top winning dogs qualifies myself as a breeder with hands on experience.  My dogs (prior to Labradoodles) have earned many titles along my journey in performance events as well as earning AKC championship titles. I would conclude that I know a few things about canine structure. I am far from an expert and my learning is ongoing.
I have learned by trial and error, from experienced mentors, reading, and attending seminars taught by some of the best well-known experts in the canine world.

How does canine structure affect overall soundness?
Bottom line is that it takes experience or a willingness to learn to breed and produce dogs that are structurally sound.
If you have a dog that is not structurally sound you risk great pain and expense keeping that dog healthy.
A breeder must know how to identify a structurally sound adult dog in order to produce structurally sound puppies.

It is impossible in one article to convey all of the points that make up a durable dog. Highlighted below are just a few that focus on the structural elements and how each affects the dog in overall soundness and in motion.

Short neck: In most cases a dog’s front foot will hit the ground no further out than the end of its nose. A short neck means that the dog has a short reach, and requires more steps to cover ground. This diminishes the dogs efficiency of forward motion causing the dog to move faster, ultimately tiring out the dog quickly. This is not a good choice for a person that wants the dog to be a hiking partner or running mate.

Square and balanced: What does this mean in the dog? The distance from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttocks when measured is equal to the measurement from top of the withers to the bottom of the front foot when the dog is standing squarely.
A dog that is balanced and square moves more smoothly, causing less friction on it’s joints. A dog that is slightly longer than tall increases speed. There is little room for error in square, longer in body than tall allows for forgiveness in motion. When a dog is taller than long there is no correct placement for the feet to fall under the dog.

Topline: A level topline is indicative of a strong back.
The topline is determined by the proper structure in both the front and rear assembly of the dog. Proper proportion of back to loin and overall condition of the dog and it’s muscles. Topline issues are actually symptoms of problems originating elsewhere in the dog’s structure.
A moderate slope to the croup allows for a normal pelvis structure, which determines rear angulation and facilitates balanced movement and reach of the rear legs.

Chest:
A deep chest (not wide) improves stamina and endurance.  A correct chest or ribcage maximizes the heart and lung capacity, permitting efficiency of the front assembly for movement and forward motion.
In the majority of breeds the depth of chest reaches the elbow. When the chest is above the elbow, it affects the way the upper arm ties onto the chest or ribcage and will diminish the stability of the front assembly.

Shoulder:
Well laid-back shoulder blades produce a smooth gait, and allow the entire front assembly to serve as a shock absorber, especially when the elbows are directly below the point of withers. This allows for the point of shoulder to be angulated to such a degree that the dog is able to reach forward adequately.

Elbow:
The elbows function as the hinge for lifting the front legs when the dog is in motion. The elbow should be set fairly tightly against the ribcage and should be relatively invisible from any angle. Elbows that are too loose may cause the dogs front feet to turn in, putting pressure on the inside toes.

Front too far forward:
Visually it appears that the dog is straight in the fore chest area or has no breast bone area. This appearance is the result of the upper arm being set on too far forward, as it sits in front of the ribcage. This improper attachment of the upper arm causes instability and lack of strength in the front assembly.

Pasterns:
Pasterns are the support system for the front assembly.
A slight slope to the pasterns when viewed from the side is correct and serves as a shock absorber. A short pastern is better for endurance.

East -West Pasterns:
East-west pasterns place excessive strain on the joints causing structural breakdown. Straight legs provide the strongest column of support for the weight of the body. The forequarters of dogs must carry more than half of the body’s weight.

Foot:
Feet are typically in proportion to the dog’s bone and substance. It is unacceptable in all breeds to have a flat foot, which is prone to breakdown.

Rear Assembly:  Balanced angulation
A dog must have proper rear assembly in order to produce effective drive and forward motion. A proper rear assembly allows for a more effective front assembly.
Visually appearing straight in stifle or lack of angulation, rear legs are under the dog and not behind the dog it creates more wear and tear on the joints. When the legs are too far behind the dog it creates over angulation, creating more stress on the stifle, hock and hip joints.

Knees:
Knees that turn or point out diminish rear drive and put stress on the hips. Visually the hocks will appear to turn in slightly towards each other.

Hocks:
Hocks are the building blocks to the rear assembly, and should not have any forward motion or side to side motion. A well let down hock is defined as a short rear pastern.

Cow hocks:
Cow-hocks are defined as hocks that turn in towards each other. Dogs that stand  cow-hocked, but do not move cow-hocked have another issue that creates the illusion of cow hocks.

All these factors contribute to the soundness of an individual dog, which  allows the dog to perform a multitude of amazing feats. Whether running on the beach, running an agility course, playing frisbee, hiking on a trail, or just playing with each other in the backyard.

It is my goal at Country Labradoodles to produce sound and structurally correct dogs for future generations to love and cherish.

Attention Dog Breeders
The best most comprehensive book that I have found for any level of dog breeder is by Pat Hastings “Structure in Action the making of a Durable Dog”
There are many other respected authors that have written on how to Breed better dogs, I find Carmen Battaglia amongst the best.

Author: Elizabeth Ferris
Country Labradoodles