Cockapoo line in multigen labradoodle pedigree..?

[M. and Mila]

Hi all,

Newbie here and soon to be welcoming our first labradoodle pup,so obviously very nervous and excited at the same time.

After placing a deposit with our breeder I had a closer look at the pedigree she sent and discovered that one of the stud's grandparent was a cockapoo.Now,I thought 'multigenerational' meant literally, many generations of labradoodles after the first initial cross between the lab and the poodle..

My question is, is this normal,for true labradoodle breeding? What about shedding,I know it is 2 generations away but still,cocker spaniels(?) shed.

 

Thanks for any input,in advance.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Is it an Australian Labradoodle?  I have a mini ALD and Cockapoo was infused in his line.   Actually a great grandparent was a Cockapoo.  I see no problem with this.  My guy is awesome....no shedding, smart and really sweet.  That Cockapoo infusion didn't negatively impact him at all.

[M. and Mila]

Yes, it is an Australian Labradoodle and it seems an 'infusion' has occured..it will be the pup's great great grandparent(the cockapoo).

Thanks for the answer,didn't know about this,thought it would invlove only the 2 breeds(lab x poodle).

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

ALDs actually can have as many as 7 different breeds in their genetic background.

From Wikipedia (sources cited) 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 (i.e. Cockapoos), TwoIrish Water Spaniels and Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers were used in some Australian Labradoodle lines. The Curly Coated Retriever were used too, but these lines did not work out and these breeds were no longer used.^[14

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labradoodle

Cockapoo is very common in ALD pedigrees, and in fact current ALAA guidelines permits cockapoo infusion: http://alaa-labradoodles.com/InfusionGuidelines.html

As far as cocker spaniels shedding, Labrador Retrievers shed, too, big time. So even if your puppy had only poodle and Lab in his pedigree, there would still be a chance of shedding from the retriever genes. 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

You're welcome...and I hope it works out as well for you as it did for me!  Please keep us posted...this is exciting.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

My Tara is a mini multigen ALD and her father was a multigen cockapoo. I knew when I purchased her that her litter was an infusion litter. She is intelligent and a sweetheart with a soft, wavy fleece non shedding coat. No disappointments. :)

The ALD  line is completely different from the  Labradoodle line which consists only of various crosses between labs and poodles. At this point in time it  is somewhat of a mystery as to what actual breeds are included in any given ALD line. Other breeds including the Cocker Spaniel were added to obtain various desirable features on a more consistent basis.

[Lynda Kamrath]

Is your pup an Australian Labradoodle?  They tend to be smaller than their American counterparts and yes, they have other things in their background.  Most frequently poodle, cocker, and puli.  Nowadays even Wheaten terrier.  Someone said "There is no lab in my labradoodle", and that is true in many cases these days.  They sell these pups as sixth generational ALDs, but there have been lots of questions about the breeding out of two kennels in Australia.  I have one of those 6th generational ALDs, but as far as I am concerned, the breeding doesn't matter.  Get your pet spayed or neutered if (s)he doesn't come that way already and enjoy them as the wonderful pets they are.  BTW, my ALD is low shed and curly haired.  You can see his photos on the photos on my page.  Take a look, he is pretty typical of the ALDs I have seen. 

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

My daughter has an Australian labradoodle, and cockapoos can be found in his family tree.  He is an awesome dog, and does not shed.  He's also very cute!

[M. and Mila]

Oh,wow, somehow I missed that.I was reading warious breeders' websites but I forgot to look up the very wikipedia..my bad.

I don't know how,but my impression was that those infusions were used only in the first stage/2-3 generations of dogs for ALDs,that is,in the early 80s.After that,they only crossed the offsprings and that is how the multigen ALD was created.

 

Now,I don't understand why would it be necessary to infuse so many breeds,how does one keep the conformation,etc? (although by taking a look at the dogs used by reputable breeders they are all beautiful)

[M. and Mila]

I guess I was confusing the ALDs with the labradoodles. Too many terms& names and I am only at the beginning of the journey:)

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

My ALD has cockerspaniel way back.  He is wavy non shed and the sweetest disposition.  Love him to pieces! 

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Michele, Wally Conron who was the founder of the Australian Labradoodle did indeed breed labrador retrievers to poodles as an experiment to get a non shedding  guide dog.  The woman who took over this experiment for commercial purposes -and whose dogs are in most, if not all, of our ALD pedigrees wrote a long description of her breeding practices some time back on her website to answer her critics.  She said she began with labrador retrievers x poodles but the resulting dogs were heavy on the forehand, prone to hip dysplasia, wiry, large, very energetic, and hard to train.   She bred back to poodles but that wasn't a solution because she was getting too much poodle.  That led her to try an infusion of American and English cocker to reduce the size and improve the coat. She also claimed a one time infusion of Irish Water Spaniel. She said she tried an infusion of the curly coated retriever but let the line die out because she wasn't happy with the results.  That, at least, is her story.  Around 2004, she decided to bring the Irish Wheaten Terrier into the mix for coat and gait.  Here all paths diverged.  Confused yet?

The ALAA mandates the ALD is a 3 breed dog - Labrador retriever, poodle and cocker spaniel. Cockapoo infusions are allowed to broaden the gene pool.  So all normal.

IMHO Whatever can be said about the woman who developed the ALD -and there is plenty -- she did create a remarkably consistent, delightfully intuitive, sweet, smart, no shedding dog known as the ALD.  But I'm glad the future of the ALD is now in the hands of good caring breeders in America and Canada.  

 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Amen.