Interesting Article

[Stacy, Bruno, Molly and Gracie]

Article in Psychology Today

[Barbara, Zoey and Zeke]

Interesting read, but it basically just reports what he prefers.  Apparently he likes his pedigreed labs.  Have to admit that I do agree somewhat with backyard breeders just trying to get rich.  (But hasn't that actually always been the case?)

[Nancy]

I agree with you Barbara, he is only reporting his preference and he was able to please his boss by fulfilling the need of his clients.  I agree with the fact that poodles do not make good guide dogs but they do make excellent service dogs.  I took training classes with my Oliver from a woman who bred, raised and trained Poodle service dogs.  They are extremely intelligent but require more stimulation than what is expected of a guide dog.  Simply put, most Poodles would not be able to be trained as a seeing eye dog because they would be get bored with the job.  So the reasoning behind why Conrad decided to mix a Lab and a Poodle makes perfect sense for someone needing a seeing eye dog.  I honestly think it is a wonderful mix and hope someday it will become a recognized breed.  Probably not but that's wishful thinking....  With that being said, with all breeds there are problems with puppy mills, backyard breeding, lack of health testing, etc...it is not just with the Labradoodle.  It is just that Labradoodles and Goldendoodles are the "popular" mix now and the demand is so high that everyone and anyone is breeding.  I wish more people would "do their homework" before just buying a Labradoodle because someone told them it was a Labradoodle.  There are many reputable breeders out there who take pride in their dogs, do health testing and are continuing to improve the "breed", even though it is not a true breed....LOL :)

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Obviously, this article has been around for a while.  Poodle mix dogs are just that - mixes, mutts, American Standard Breed, whatever you want to name it. The dogs that are mixed with poodles that are also smart dogs, result in smart puppies. The dog breeds that aren't too smart might get some extra brainpower in their genes but it is not a given.  The shedding dogs might get a less or non- shedding coat, but it is not a given.

They are not a pure breed and I don't think they ever will be.  It would certainly take away most of the excitement that occurs when getting a doodle puppy.  What is fun are the surprise each doodle comes with - will it shed? will it have a curly coat? will it have facial furnishings?  will the color fade/change?

The man who originally tried the lab/poodle cross is disappointed that his 'creation' didn't quite meet what he was hoping to meet.  That's fine.  What he did create is a fun-loving type dog that tends to be a happy, friendly, family pet, but one that needs training and stimulation - just like his labs. Sadly the hype and crummy breeding have made it difficult to find a good poodle-mix dog.  People who want to make a buck take a poodle and mix it with anything and try to jump on the popularity bandwagon and many of us fall for it without checking to see that we are getting as healthy a dog as we could.