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Labradoodle

A Labradoodle is a crossbred or hybrid dog created by crossing the Labrador Retriever and the Standard or Miniature Poodle.

History

The Labradoodle was first deliberately bred in 1989, when Australian breeder Wally Conron first crossed the Labrador Retriever and Standard Poodle for Guide Dogs Victoria.. His aim was to combine the low-shedding coat of the Poodle with the gentleness and trainability of the Labrador.

Appearance and temperament

The Labradoodle as a dog breed is still developing, and does not yet breed true, i.e., the puppies do not have consistently predictable characteristics. While many Labradoodles display desired traits, their appearance and behavioral characteristics remain, from a breeding standpoint, unpredictable.

As such, Labradoodles' hair can be anywhere from wiry to soft, and may be straight, wavy, or curly. Some Labradoodles do shed, although the coat usually sheds less and has less dog odor than that of a Labrador Retriever. The color range includes white, cream, gold, apricot, red, brown and black, and most of the other colors seen in Poodles.

Like most Labrador Retrievers and Poodles, Labradoodles are generally friendly, energetic and good with families and children (although as with any dog the temperament may vary between individuals). Labradoodles also often display an affinity for water and the strong swimming ability present in both their parent breeds.

Types of Labradoodle

There is no universal consensus as to whether breeders should aim to have Labradoodles recognized as a breed . Some breeders prefer to restrict breeding to early generation dogs (i.e. bred from a Poodle and Labrador rather than from two Labradoodles) to maximise genetic diversity, in order to avoid the inherited health problems that have plagued some dog breeds.

Others are breeding Labradoodle to Labradoodle over successive generations, and trying to establish a new dog breed. These dogs are usually referred to as Multigenerational (abr. Multigen) or Australian Labradoodles . Australian Labradoodles also differ from early generation and Multigenerational Labradoodles in that they may also have other breeds in their ancestry. English and American Cocker Spaniel/Poodle crosses (ie Cockapoos, Two Irish Water Spaniels, Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers and a Curly Coated Retriever) have variously been used in some Australian Labradoodle lines.

Labradoodle coats are generally divided into 3 categories: Wool (with tight curls, and similar in appearance to that of a Poodle, but with a softer texture); Fleece (soft and free-flowing, with a kinked or wavy appearance); or Hair (which can be curled, straight or wavy, but is more similar in texture to a Labrador's coat) .

Labradoodles come in a wide variety of colours, including chocolate, cafe, parchment, cream, gold, apricot, red, black, silver, chalk, and parti colours.

Health

Although most Labradoodles are healthy, they can suffer from certain problems common to their parent breeds.

Both Poodles and Labrador Retrievers can suffer from hip dysplasia, and dogs should have specialist x rays to check for this problem before breeding. The parent breeds can also suffer from a number of eye disorders, and a CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation) exam should also be performed.

Over the past couple of years, a number of Multigenerational Labradoodles have also been found to suffer from PRA (progressive retinal atrophy, an inherited disease that causes blindness) which occurs in both Miniature Poodles and Cocker Spaniels. It is strongly recommended that Multigenerational Labradoodles be DNA tested for PRA before being bred.

The labradoodle in popular culture

The Oxford English Dictionary now lists "Labradoodle"
Monopoly board game included a Labradoodle icon in its "Here and Now" and Australian editions.
New York department store Lord and Taylor raised $50,000 in 2004 and $55,000 in 2005 for Guiding Eyes for the Blind selling Labradoodle plush toys.
Macy's department store raised funds with plush Labradoodles "Grace" and "Courage" for Breast Cancer Awareness in 2006..
An animated soft toy Labradoodle, "Lucky the Incredible Wonder Pup", was a FamilyFun Magazine 2006 "Toy of the Year" award and an Oppenheim Platinum Toy Award winner.
In the 70th episode of Scrubs, "_2004-2005," Dr. Cox tells JD and Elliot that together they "make one barely-passable doctor-slash-Labradoodle.
US Democrat candidates Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton were both compared to Labradoodles during the 2008 election campaign.

Notable Labradoodle owners

Sir Donald Campbell, who broke land speed records in the 1950s in Bluebird, was one of the first Labradoodle owners.
Golfer Tiger Woods has two Labradoodles named Yogi and Riley.
Actress Jennifer Aniston also owns a Labradoodle, bought for her by former husband, Brad Pitt.
Actresses and sisters Courtney Peldon and Ashley Peldon have two Labradoodles named Odysseus and Calypso.
Actor and TV presenter Graham Norton has a Labradoodle named Bailey.
Top Gear presenter, Jeremy Clarkson and his wife Francie have a Labradoodle named Dodger.
Richard Hammond (also a presenter of Top Gear) owns a Labradoodle called TG (often referred to as "Top Gear Dog") which occasionally features on the BBC show.
Model Christie Brinkley owns a Labradoodle named Maple Sugar.
Actress Barbara Eden has a Labradoodle named Djinn Djinn (named after her invisible dog in the TV show I Dream of Jeannie).
Actor and Director Henry Winkler of Happy Days has a Labradoodle named Charlotte.
Musical star Hugh Panaro (who played the lead role in the Broadway production of Phantom of the Opera) has a Labradoodle named Soot.
Political folk/rocker Billy Bragg also owns a Labradoodle.
Writer Carolyn B. Ellis and her three children own a Labradoodle.
Middlesbrough F.C. (UK) player Andrew Taylor has a Labradoodle named Sonny.
Tom Griswold of The Bob and Tom Show in Indiana has a Labradoodle named Tazzie.
Author Garth Stein owns a Labradoodle.
Blogger Perez Hilton owns a labradoodle named Teddy Hilton.
Legal thriller author David Baldacci's Labradoodle is named Finn.
Rodman Primack, chairman of the London auction house Phillips de Pury & Company has a chocolate Labradoodle named Theo
LA Kings Star Forward Dustin Brown and his wife Nicole own Milo, a Chocolate Labradoodle