Labradoodles dissed by AKC official

[Ginny Nightingale]

Oh brother--stuff like this makes me angry--how many AKC breeds out there were once "crossbreeds"? Hundreds? How do people think new breeds came along--magic?? In an article about the Westminster dog show, now taking place, they mentioned how many new breeds were being added and ended with this totally bogus paragraph:

"In a few years, there could be up to 240 breeds at Westminster. But there won't be a puggle, labradoodle or Maltipoo among them. A "designer dog" is more than OK for the White House — President Barack Obama and his family considered a labradoodle before getting a Portuguese water dog — but they're absent at the Garden.

To get to Westminster, a breed must meet American Kennel Club criteria — there has to be an ample population with a three-generation pedigree, a geographic spread of those dogs and a parent club to establish breed standards.

"All dogs are lovable," said the AKC's Lisa Peterson. "But a crossbreed is not a breed.""

Geesh!! What are they talking about? There are so many AKC breeds that started out as a mix of established breeds, aren't there?? And Labradoodles certainly have " three generations of pedigrees, a geographic spread and parent clubs with standards!!" WTD!!? 

Actually, I will be very happy if Labradoodles are NEVER recognized by the AKC. I had a Lakeland terrier once and we got involved in dog shows with him (he finished his championship). I saw the dark side of dog shows--Some handlers do some pretty despicable things to dogs to increase their chances of winning....not for me.

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

I agree with you, Ginny.  Give me my lovable, intelligent, beautiful "crossbreed" any ol' day.  Not ever recognized by the AKC???  I don't care!!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Did you see some of those freaks of nature? The grooming--ugh, the brachycephalic heads bred to a fare thee well, etc. Glad to be excluded.

[Jennifer and Jack]

I think the dog shows are rediculas! Who cares what anyone says, we know doodles rule and AKC dogs drool!

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Who cares?....They are an organization that hands out "pure breed" papers to puppy millers.....They don't care as long as they get their registration fees.....

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I'm with you Ginny. I can't see any benefit to LD's & GD's being "accepted" by the AKC. Quite the contrary.  IMHO the AKC is a big part of the puppy mill problem and I have no respect for the organization whatsoever.  And as you point out some owners of "purebred" dogs put winning before their dogs.

And you are also correct that Labradoodles have multiple generations, geographic spread and parent clubs so it proves that whoever made that statement doesn't know WTD they are talking about! However if it keeps them away from our doodles then I'm good with it!

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Yes...Or Syringomyelia or Caudal Occipital Malformation Syndrome that 95 percent of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels suffer with due to their skull cavities being too small to accommodate their brains...

[Ginny Nightingale]

UGH!!! My sister-in-law has a Cavalier--so that is why he is a nut case!

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Please don't kid yourselves everyone.....Let's be honest here.....AKC or no AKC, Doodles are prone to a multitude of health and medical disorders as well......

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Maybe because the breeds of the parent dogs (lab, poodle, golden) have been messed with so much by the AKC...just sayin'...

[Adina P]

I don't think the AKC itself has messed with the doodle parent dogs.  They are simply popular dogs bred by everyone and their cousin.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Amen. And the same with doodles. You get out what you put in.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Exactly! Would you believe that the handler I got involved with back when I got caught up in dog shows wanted to put braces on my Lakeland terriers teeth to make them more conforming!?? I refused and he finished his championship anyway. Since I was an unknown, the other handlers really resented it when Teddy won anything--I wasn't part of the club. By the way, the breeder I bought the dog from begged me to show him because they sold him as a pet puppy and then realized how gorgeous he was--I couldn't give him up at that point, so I showed him to help them out with their kennel name.

There is a new book out called "Show Dog" where a guy follows a show dog for a year--it doesn't sound like it will be an expose, but it should be. If he is honest in the book, he will reveal some really bad stuff. There is a reason dogs rarely poop in the ring, but I won't go there! Has anyone ever seen "Best in Show"? It is a Christopher Guest movie that makes fun of dog shows --Jane Lynch of Glee is in it--very funny stuff.