Labradoodle
| Labradoodle | |
|---|---|
| File:Labradoodledown.jpg A fleece coated Labradoodle (the appearance of Labradoodles varies). | |
| Origin | Australia |
| Breed status | Not recognized as a breed by any major kennel club. |
| Dog (domestic dog) | |
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 [1]. His aim was to combine the Poodles' low-shed coat with the gentleness and trainability of the Labrador, in order to provide a guide dog for the blind with less shedding, and hence more suitable for people with allergies to fur and dander.There are now many different generations of Labradoodles.St. Clair Kennels was the first to recross the Labradoodle to the poodle creating the ever popular F1b curly coated Labradoodle. [2].
Characteristics
The Labradoodle is still under development, and strictly speaking cannot yet be described as a purebred dog breed because it does not breed true, i.e. the puppies do not have consistently predictable characteristics. While many Labradoodles display the desired traits, their appearance and behavioral characteristics cannot yet be predicted with any certainty.[3]
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 colour range includes white, cream, gold, apricot, red, brown and black, and most of the other colours available 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 often display an affinity for water and the strong swimming ability present in both their parent breeds.
Types of Labradoodle
Some people want to avoid making the Labradoodle into a recognized breed, and/or believe that a true Labradoodle should only have Labrador and Poodle lines [4]. By restricting breeding to early generation dogs (i.e. bred from a Poodle and Labrador rather than from two Labradoodles), they hope to maintain genetic diversity, and 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 breed. These dogs are usually referred to as Multigenerational (abr. Multigen) or Australian Labradoodles [5]. Australian Labradoodles differ from Multigenerational Labradoodles, as they may also have other breeds in their ancestry. English and American Cocker Spaniel/Poodle crosses, Two Irish Water Spaniels, Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers and a Curly Coated Retriever have variously been used in some Australian Labradoodle lines.
Popularity
Labradoodles have become increasingly well known in recent years. The Oxford English Dictionary now lists "Labradoodle" as a new word, and Monopoly board game included a Labradoodle icon in its "Here and Now" [6] and Australian [7] editions. Their popularity has been used to good effect, with New York department store Lord and Taylor raising $50,000 in 2004 and $55,000 in 2005 for Guiding Eyes for the Blind selling Labradoodle plush toys.[8], and Macy's department store raising funds with plush Labradoodles "Grace" and "Courage" for Breast Cancer Awareness in 2006.[9][10]. An animated soft toy Labradoodle, "Lucky the Incredible Wonder Pup", was also the 2006 "Toy of the Year" and an Oppenheim Platinum Toy Award winner.[11][12][13]
Notable Labradoodle owners
- Sir Donald Campbell, who broke land speed records in the 1950s in Bluebird, was one of the first Labradoodle owners.[14]
- Golfer Tiger Woods has an Australian Labradoodle named Yogi.[15]
- Actress Jennifer Aniston also owns a Labradoodle, bought for her by former husband, Brad Pitt.[16]
- Actresses and sisters Courtney Peldon and Ashley Peldon have two Australian Labradoodles named Odysseus and Calypso.[17]
- Actor and TV presenter Graham Norton has a Labradoodle named Bailey.[18]
- Top Gear presenter, Jeremy Clarkson and his wife Francie have a Labradoodle named Dodger.[19]
- Richard Hammond (also a presenter of Top Gear) owns a Labradoodle called TG which occasionally features on the BBC show.[20]
- Model Christie Brinkley owns a Labradoodle named Maple Sugar.[21]
- Actress Barbara Eden has an Australian Labradoodle named Djinn Djinn (named after her invisible dog in the TV show I Dream of Jeannie).[22]
- Actor and Director Henry Winkler of Happy Days has a Labradoodle named Charlotte.[23]
- Musical star Hugh Panaro (who played the lead role in the Broadway production of Phantom of the Opera) has a Labradoodle named Soot.[24]
- Political folk/rocker Billy Bragg also owns a Labradoodle. [25]
- NFL Miami Dolphin Derrick Pope and his wife Denise own a parti-coloured Labradoodle.
References
- ^ http://www.guidedogsvictoria.com.au/faq/guide-dog-faq/
- ^ http://www.readersdigest.com.au/content/my-story-i-designed-a-dog/
- ^ http://thelabradorclub.com/library/labradoodle.html
- ^ http://www.goldendoodles.com/labradoodle_faq.htm
- ^ [http://www.goldendoodles.com/Resource/australian_labradoodle.htm http://www.goldendoodles.com/Resource/australian_labradoodle.htm
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2006-09-18-monopoly-token_x.htm
- ^ http://blogs.smh.com.au/sit/archives/2007/06/city_of_slackers_goes_by_the_b.html
- ^ http://cdc.guidingeyes.org/bin/regnews?1+1078767037
- ^ http://www.bcrfcure.org/part_promo06_macyslabradoodles.html
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/04/magazine/04dogs.t.html?ex=1173758400&en=e310238aaa417538&ei=5070
- ^ http://embedded-system.net/lucky-the-incredible-wonder-pup-the-winner-based-on-rsc-4128-voice-recognition-microchip-from-sensory-ic.html
- ^ http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/8662.shtml
- ^ http://www.toyportfolio.com/PlatinumAwards/Platinum_ToysPreschool.asp?offset=10
- ^ http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2339260.ece
- ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=2467773&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
- ^ http://labradoodle-dogs.net/labradoodle-news.php
- ^ http://celebritydogwatcher.com/?p=620
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,,2013083,00.html
- ^ http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2339260.ece
- ^ http://richardhammond.bravehost.com/index.html
- ^ http://lhj.com/lhj/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/lhj/story/data/LHJ092005christiebrinkley_09082005.xml
- ^ http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/0208loveletters0208.html
- ^ http://www.animalwellnessmagazine.com/m/m64/main.htm
- ^ http://www.geocities.com/broadwayphan81/Article122804.html
- ^ http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2002/101702/music2.html