Why the Labradoodle is Not an Actual Breed
I recently received an e-mail from my pet therapy group about a Labradoodle that was in need of a new home. The husband of the woman who owns the dog is upset that the Labradoodle they have is shedding and he only agreed on having a non shedding dog. The woman mistakenly thought that all Labradoodles are low shedding…now this poor dog doesn’t have any where to go.
Let me explain why she was mistaken.
The Labradoodle is not an actual breed. For some reason, someone thought it would be a good idea to breed a Labrador Retriever with a Standard Poodle. Any geneticist will tell you that this dog is now part Poodle and part Labrador…but it’s really any combination of the two.
The Labrador is a hunting dog, is very energetic and loyal and sheds moderately to heavily…depending upon the season.
The Poodle is also a hunting dog (originally), is somewhat energetic, is very intelligent and sheds almost not at all.
A Labradoodle may have any combination of these traits….and is not recognized as a true breed because of the fact that when you buy a Labradoodle…you can’t be sure what you’re going to get. A true breed is much more stable and you always know what you are going to get. You always know what a Poodle will be like and you always know what a Lab will be like.
Having said that, there may be some Labradoodle breeders who have worked very hard to stablize their lines and may have somewhat of a “breed” that can be characterized as always posessing certain traits…so as always…do your homework and meet each parent when looking for a puppy.
I hope this sheds some light on “designer breeds” and other “non-breeds”. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the Labradoodle or if you disagree with my assessment of the dog.
Comments
By Lauren on February 6th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Nice post. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard folks get Labordoodles or Goldendoodles because they think they are getting a non-shedding dog or a less hyper dog than a Lab. There needs to be a lot more education for buyers on designer breeds and truly understanding what they are getting.
By Jennifer on February 6th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
I’ve noticed the same trend and my mission is to help others realize that information is the key to helping keep these poor “designer dogs” out of the shelters.
Thanks for your comment!