My thoughts on Doodles
This is a hard subject and it may offend some people; but as a responsible breeder of quality standard poodles I have a responsibility to speak out. Why you ask? I am weekly accosted by individuals about the wonders of doodles. How they have great temperaments and are hypo allergenic. Well folks that IS a Poodle!
Wally Conron, the breeder who experimented with mixing the Labrador with Poodles had good intentions. He wanted to develop a guide dog that would be hypo allergenic for individuals who wanted a guide dog but were allergic to dog hair. He now admits that he wishes he had never created this mix breed dog. Funny but when he had his first litter of 3 puppies no one wanted a mix breed puppy; they only wanted a pure-bred puppy! Here is a quote from Wally Conron; ”I went to our PR team and said, ‘Go to the press and tell them we’ve invented a new dog, the labradoodle.’ It was a gimmick and it went worldwide.”
So here is my first comment on labradoodles: They are a mix breed dog, like oh so many unwanted dogs in the local shelters. Labradoodles are not a recognized breed….plain and simple. So if you saw a box of mix breed puppies for sale would you really pay $1,500 or up for one? Even the word Labradoodle is not recognized by my spell checker but poodle is!
Mr. Conron also said; “It’s how the dog has been used and abused and sold under false pretenses, Conron says. When the pups were five months old, we sent clippings and saliva to Hawaii to be tested with this woman’s husband. Of the three pups, he was not allergic to one of them. In the next litter I had, there were 10 pups but only three had non-allergenic coats. Now, people are breeding these dogs and selling them as non-allergenic and they’re not even testing them.
”All these backyard breeders have jumped on the bandwagon and they’re crossing any kind of dog with a poodle. They’re selling them for more than a pure-bred is worth and they’re not going into the backgrounds of the parents of the dogs. There are so many poodle crosses having fits, problems with their eyes, hips and elbows; a lot have epilepsy. There are a few ethical breeders but very, very few.”
Here is where I really get a little riled up. Health testing. Reputable breeders spend around $1000 per breeding dog to test for genetic problems. For most of us this happens after we have spent thousands in showing & performance fees to prove our dogs are sound and have the ability/brains to be titled. We do this because we want our future puppy families to have confidence that the puppy they bring home and fall in love with will carry on the genetic lines of its parents. It isn’t just about that cute fuzzy bundle of wiggles that pulls at your heart strings rather it is what will this puppy become as an adult.
You will hear Poodle Breeders saying, “Why doodle when you can Poodle!” If you are truly looking for hypo allergenic, go for the original…..the Poodle. You want brains……….A Poodle is your choice! It is consecutively in the top ten (usually 1 or 2nd place) of the smartest breeds. I’ve never seen a labradoodle on the list! Looking for loyal family pet…..A Poodle is your dog! Want a dog that likes to swim…..A Poodle has webbed feet for just that function! Hubby wants to hunt…..well Poodles were bred as a hunting dog! Never let those show coats fool you! Below all that hair is a retriever that can hold it’s in own in any hunting trial. Even Duck Dynasty’s Uncle Si has a Poodle! Looking for a versatile family dog? A Poodle is for you! Poodles will do anything you ask of them. They want to please and love to have a task to do. I know Poodles that are even titled in herding!
Doodles may look cute but remember you are paying a high price for a “gimmick”. A dog that may not be predictable in temperament nor health due to the fact it genetically is two different breeds. I know that you have met some loving doodles, I have met many loving Heinz 57 dog that came from shelters. But the owners knew that they wanted to rescue and only paid $150 for their dog. They also were aware that their may be issues and were prepared to face them.
As Mr. Conron stated, “All these backyard breeders have jumped on the bandwagon and they’re crossing any kind of dog with a poodle. They’re selling them for more than a pure-bred is worth and they’re not going into the backgrounds of the parents of the dogs.”
Buyer Beware! It was a PR Gimmick that worked in favor of breeders who want to make a lot of money on a “designer” breed. Be an intelligent pet owner please. If you want a doodle then go to your local shelter and rescue one! Don’t encourage these mix breed breeders to continue to breed a dog that may have multiple health and temperament issues or thinking your getting a hypo allergenic pet for your family and it probably isn’t; by paying thousands of dollars for an animal that comes with no breed certificate or registry.
‘I released a Frankenstein. … People say ‘aren’t you proud of yourself?’ and I say, ‘not in the slightest. I’ve done so much harm to pure breeding.’ A quote from Mr. Conron