About Our Breeding Practices and Genetic Testing Transparency

We are always striving to be transparent about the genetics behind our puppies. Here’s some clarity on a few common genes and concerns:

CDDY and CDPA: What They Really Mean

• CDDY (Chondrodystrophy) is a trait-linked gene associated with shorter limbs. On its own, CDDY doesn’t cause disease but it is a risk factor if the dog is paired with another CDPA carrier/if the dog is structurally short. Breeders often ask about CDDY because it “looks better on paper,” but it’s not a disease marker.

• CDPA (Chondrodysplasia), found in breeds like Dachshunds and basset hounds~ cdpa is an actual mutation that can lead to disease progression such as IVDD—but only in structurally short dogs.

• Neither CDDY nor CDPA are actual disease tests, like PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) or vWD (Von Willebrand’s Disease).

The Relationship Between CDDY, CDPA, and Stature

Both CDDY and CDPA are located on the same strand of DNA, and that genetic region is closely associated with stature. This connection is why these genes often appear together in smaller breeds like toy poodles—breeding for reduced size can inadvertently increase the frequency of both variants.

Why do poodles even have CDPA?

The short-legged gene (CDPA) was introduced into the toy poodle breed to make the puppies appear smaller. In my opinion, it just makes them look a bit bulky—though I have to admit, some of them are absolutely adorable!

When we first started, we had quite a few short-legged toy poodles. I used to jokingly call them “wiener-poos.” Back then, the only way to find out if a dog carried the gene was through breeding and producing offspring. It was a long process of trial and error—lots of breeding, lots of time. And without genetic testing, which wasn’t available at the time, it took years to make progress. Technically, CDDY should not even exist on a poodle panel.

Understanding CDDY in Poodles

A properly built poodle can carry two copies of CDDY without issue. It’s important to remember that all poodles originally started out as standard poodles. The process of downsizing to toy poodles happened gradually over many generations, which means toy poodles are now genetically quite different from their standard counterparts.

CDDY is actually very common in toy poodles, even miniature. As breeders worked to isolate the genes responsible for smaller size, traits like CDDY became more prevalent in the gene pool.

Fast forward ten years…

We focus on breeding dogs that are not at risk for IVDD or other known hereditary diseases, and we go beyond DNA tests. A dog can test perfectly but still have critical flaws in temperament, bite, conformation, or structure—traits that aren’t genetic-testable but matter just as much.

Growth Plate Health and Long-Term Soundness

One of the most overlooked risks in Poodles and other breeds is injury to growth plates during that first vulnerable year. Even if both parents have ideal genetic tests, early damage to a pup’s delicate growth plates can lead to lifelong issues. Damage to growth plates (rarely visible at the time of injury) put a short poodle at elevated risk of IVDD. That’s why we provide education to all our clients on how to:

• Delay spay/neuter appropriately

• Avoid high-impact activity

• Prevent falls and overexertion during key growth stages

Below is an example of a poodle who carries 2 copies of CDPA (short leg gene)

Since she has 2 copies-she can only make 100% short puppies. She may or may not carry CDDY. At the time there wasn’t testing for CDDY, and CDPA wasn’t even listed as anything but under body traits on a poodle testing panel. New research shows that short legged traits DO increase risk for IVDD like you see in other breeds with short legs.

Below here is a miniature poodle with Two Copies of CDDY—But No CDPA

Take a look at this Poodle. He has two copies of CDDY (Chondrodystrophy), but no CDPA (Chondrodysplasia, or “short-legged” gene). Does he look short to you? Not at all!

That’s because CDDY alone doesn’t make a dog short—and in cases like this, it has no visible effect. The real risk for short legs or related issues like IVDD comes from CDPA, especially when paired with shorter limb structure. Dogs that carry CDPA may appear tall but can still pass on the short-legged trait, producing a mix of short and tall puppies.

If you’re curious whether your Poodle carries the short-legged gene, a simple genetic test will tell you. Most major dog DNA testing companies now offer this as part of their breed-specific panels.

Why We No Longer Breed CDPA Carriers

This is one of our retired studs, Rhett. He carries two copies of CDDY and one copy of CDPA. As you can see, even one copy of CDPA can result in shorter legs, and that’s exactly what we observed in some of his puppies.

While it can take several generations, it is absolutely possible to breed out the CDPA mutation, and that’s exactly what we’ve done. I believe it was about two years ago that we retired our last CDPA carrier from our breeding program. We still have a couple as cherished pets, but they are not used for breeding.

Rhett was an incredible dog with puppies known for their outstanding temperaments, but in the end, the risk of short-legged offspring and IVDD just wasn’t worth it.

Don’t panic if your poodle is on the shorter side!

An elevated risk is just that—a risk factor, not a diagnosis. Many short poodles go on to live long, healthy, and happy lives without ever experiencing problems.

It’s also important to remember that even tall poodles with perfect test results can develop IVDD if they suffer an injury.

The goal of this article is to bring clarity and understanding to a complex and sometimes confusing topic.

I appreciate that if you are reading this article-you are taking the time to do your research—it makes all the difference when choosing a responsible breeding program.

Below is an example of other poodles with short legged gene.

These Two Dogs Carry One Copy of CDPA

Even though the poodle on the left is tall, she carried one copy of the CDPA gene. At that time there was no test at all but you could find out by the pups they produced. Any single CDPA carrier has the potential to produce shorter-legged puppies, even if they don’t appear short themselves. This is why CDPA holds more weight than CDDY (both are on the same strand of dna).

Here’s how it works:

• One copy of CDPA can cause short legs in offspring, especially when paired with another carrier.

• If both parents are clear of the CDPA gene, they will only produce CDPA-clear puppies.

That’s exactly what we’ve been working toward over the past four years—breeding carefully and selectively to reduce, and now eliminate, CDPA from our program. Today, we’re proud to say our focus is on producing structurally sound, CDPA-clear puppies.

Hey breeders!

It might seem like overbreeding IVDD-clear dogs is the smartest move—but let’s take a closer look.

You may have one CDDY-clear dog that you’re using with every other dog just to produce more “clear” puppies. That’s actually a form of bottlenecking, and it reduces genetic diversity in poodles.

Maintaining genetic diversity isn’t easy—it’s expensive and time-consuming. It often means investing in a wide variety of genetics or purchasing from breeders who’ve already done that work. Even then, the dog you get might still have low overall diversity.

When you’ve worked hard to increase diversity in your lines, chasing fads like “clear-only” breeding can set you back. Overusing one dog to chase a specific result may seem like progress, but it can actually undo years of work. Genetic testing companies even state that dogs with these height variants shouldn’t necessarily be eliminated from your breeding program. Testing is a tool.

Done carefully, balancing health, structure, temperament, and diversity is possible—but it takes time.

Make sure you’re breeding with purpose—not just chasing what looks good on paper. And most importantly, explain to your clients what each health test result actually means for their puppy.

We should always strive for better, with patience and intention.

Remember: you’re in this for the long haul.

Our Breeding Goals

We breed primarily for companion homes, with less than 1% of our pups going to other breeders. That said, breeders often prefer a puppy with only one copy or no copies of CDDY instead of two, for appearance and marketing reasons.

At the end of the day, no dog is genetically or structurally perfect—but we’re proud to do everything possible to produce happy, healthy, well-structured puppies from thoroughly evaluated parents.