# Are Standard Pari Poodles really less healthy?



## spotsonofbun (Jan 3, 2013)

It might be because parti's are not recognised by many kennel clubs although there have been rumours that it might be changing. Breeding specifically for something that is a fault by breed standard is frowned upon and it might be an indication that it is a BYB (backyard breeder) 

However there are some clubs that do recognise it and if you go to a responsible breeder that shows and especially health tests I don't think they are less healthy. Its not like with merle where some issues are connected to the merle gene (when you breed two merle's together). 

I hope they will be recognised by the major kennel clubs soon.


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## Poodlemama99 (Feb 12, 2010)

I have 2 parti poodles and both are just as healthy as my solids. Not sure where that info is coming from but that has not been my experience. 


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## Poodlemama99 (Feb 12, 2010)

I hope they will too as I find the partis, phantoms (I have a silver and creme phantom too) and tuxedos to be gorgeous. Weird because when I got my first poodle as an adult I was so sure I never wanted anything but a black poodle. But now I just adore the partis. 


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## salexander04 (Jan 15, 2013)

Good to know. I just want to be cautious because we really want a healthy pet.


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## Poodlemama99 (Feb 12, 2010)

I do have toy size and not spoos but I not think that would make any difference. If anything toy sizes seem to have more health issues than larger dogs. Good luck in your search. Partis are not as common as solids so you may have to search for a while. Just do your due diligence with the breeder and you will be fine. 


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## Apres Argent (Aug 9, 2010)

Multi's are very inbred and many do no testing. The foundation that was used to start the Multis in standards was not the healthiest stock and then because the spotting genes are recessive they were heavily inbred to produce the colors. Most issues never make it to PHR. Does the color make them not as healthy? NO the serious inbreeding and lack of health information seem to make them more likely NOT to be healthy. JMO after having to fix several because of hips, SA and bloat.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

Isn't that funny, eh? I'm so used to Multis at the kennels that, to me, they're abt as common as grass. At a guess, they probably comprise a third of the dogs in the group from there.

As far as I know, they receive all the usual tests at two years old before they're bred.


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## MaryLynn (Sep 8, 2012)

I think it all depends really on the breeder. There are plenty of breeders out there cranking out puppies with minimal/no testing because parti's can be very interesting and flashy to look at. Great sale for an impulse buyer, etc. 

However, from my research before buying, I can't really seem to find a reason to believe that parti's are any less healthy when bred correctly, than the solids. Any pedigree dog has a small genetic pool anymore, and I really don't think we can argue that breed standards have really helped improve the genetic variability (something much more important to a species than where its tail is set, or what colour its lips are ).

There are no genetic defects tied with piebald patterning in poodles.


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## The Opera Poodle (Dec 19, 2012)

My parti lived to be only 3 1/2 and had many health problems. But, she was a rescue from a puppy mill. It isn't the coloring itself that makes them unhealthy, but the bad breeding. I would have another in a heart beat as long as I wasn't encouraging a horrid persons greed. 


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## 3dogs (Nov 3, 2010)

Partis are NOT less healthy than a solid. You will have a much harder time finding Parti's because the AKC does not allow them to show in the conformation. You also get "color snobs" as well. Look for a great breeder that health tests, works their dog in some form whether from therapy, agility, hunting, conformation tracking etc... but does more than just churn out pups. Now every person has their own opinion as to what is acceptable as far as # of dogs, # of litters etc... you have to figure that out as an ethical consideration. Anyway, we have listed several good Parti breeders out there. I was just showing this weekend with 3 of them at UKC .


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## salexander04 (Jan 15, 2013)

Thanks everyone. This has been helpful.


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## Sookster (Apr 11, 2011)

If what you are asking is "does parti-coloring make a dog less healthy" the answer is absolutely not. There are no known health problems tied to the spotting gene that causes parti-coloring to occur. Often, partis and solids are born in the same litter and all pups are just as healthy. Some breeds do have colors that are tied to health problems. For example, white in boxers is known for causing lots of health issues (blindness and deafness among them). Merle in many breeds is linked to a lot of health issues as well. Parti coloring, whether in poodles, spaniels, or any other breed which carries the spotting gene, is not linked to health issues. 

If what you are asking is "is it more difficult to find a healthy parti-colored poodle than a solid" then well, the answer may be yes. NOT because parti-coloring causes health problems, but because in puppy mill and backyard breeding operations, that flashy coloring sells well. Lots of unscrupulous breeders breed partis, and unscrupulous breeders produce unhealthy dogs. That said, there are less (actual quantity) "bad" breeders of strictly partis than there are bad breeders of solid. Proportionally, however, (based on a ratio) there are probably more irresponsible parti breeders than there are responsible ones. 

If you are asking "are solid poodles more healthy than partis" the answer is obscure. A solid dog from a good breeder is going to be more healthy than a parti dog from a puppy mill. A parti dog from a good breeder is going to be more healthy than a solid dog from a backyard breeder. 

So the simple answer to your questions is don't get hung up on color. Find a good breeder who is breeding responsibly and health testing and you will be good to go, regardless of what color the puppies are. As to genetic diversity, poodles as a breed are highly, highly inbred, so I don't really think partis are that much more inbred than any typical solid line.


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## salexander04 (Jan 15, 2013)

Thanks Sookster. I have been trying very hard to find a good parti breeder, it's really not easy. We may have to look into the solid coloring again


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## Sookster (Apr 11, 2011)

salexander04 said:


> Thanks Sookster. I have been trying very hard to find a good parti breeder, it's really not easy. We may have to look into the solid coloring again


If you really want a parti, don't give up. There are good breeders out there, you just have to find them


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

salexander, You will notice that Sookster has a gorgeous new parti puppy. She didn't mention it, but she had to wait a long time for him. She knows who the good parti breeders are. 

I agree you have to be careful when you want a parti poodle. You want to see the same testing on a parti litter that you see on any other litter. And, that is more than hips and eyes!


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## Sookster (Apr 11, 2011)

outwest said:


> salexander, You will notice that Sookster has a gorgeous new parti puppy. She didn't mention it, but she had to wait a long time for him. She knows who the good parti breeders are.
> 
> I agree you have to be careful when you want a parti poodle. You want to see the same testing on a parti litter that you see on any other litter. And, that is more than hips and eyes!


I did wait a long time! I knew what I wanted in a dog, and I knew what breeder I wanted a dog from, so I just waited until that perfect puppy was born. It was a long wait, but well worth it. I'm familiar with a couple good parti breeders on the east coast, but have less knowledge of other areas. I'm happy to discuss breeders via PM if anyone would like my input.


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