What is a "Cockapoo"??

[Nancy Sunderland]

I am very confused; would someone please tell me why cockapoos are in the ALD pedigrees? I thought that was a totally different cross/hybrid. If someone says they breed "pure" ALD, how can a cockapoo be in the mix? (I'm just curious)

[Rose]

I've always heard there were pure bred Cocker Spaniels in the ALD lines, not Cock-a-poo's.

[HANNAH 8/2/07 & HONEY 7/2/08]

I always heard Cockapoos were Cocker Spaniel and Poodle mixed...no idea about ALD pedigrees?

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

The Australian Labradoodle is a mix of multiple breeds (maybe 10). The original breeding of the Lab & Poodle proved to not produce enough consistancy of coat and desired traits. Rutland Manor and Tegan Park (mother daughter) set up programs and infused other breeds. It is beleived that Tegan Park probably used a wider veriety of breeds but both used each others dogs in their programs so the breeds were spread out through the majority of all the lines.

Due to shallow breeding pools and diversity you will find breeders (American, Australian & Canadian) using some of the parent breeds in their program.

It is debatable whether the founding breeders used cockapoos or pure cockers when doing infusions. It is also important to know that one of the founding breeders bred cockapoos or spoodles* before ever breeding Labradoodles.

My personal feeling is that the founding breeders sold breeding dogs way too early in the building of the breed and that not enough foundation lines were built. This is why there is much confusion about what the breed actually is and why you will see infusions still being done using parent breeds.

[Rose]

I just went searching on the web and found the following breeds listed, that were supposedly used to develop some of the first ALD's (besides the obvious Lab and Poodle):
English and American Cocker Spaniel and/or Cockapoo (Cocker Spaniel/Poodle mix), Irish Water Spaniel, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier and Curly Coated Retriever.

[F, Calla & Luca]

This is what Beverley Manners, one of the original breeders , has to say about what lines were or were not used.: Rutland Manor Breeding Practices. Beverley denies using cockapoos. However, she did crossbreed with her daughter's, Angela Cunningham aka many aliases, dogs. It seems entirely possible that the daughter's dogs may have had other breeds mixed in. There has been lots of controversy and discussion posted all over the web about Beverley's daughter including those written by Beverley herself. If your favorite soap opera is off the air these posts should fill in nicely.

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

I prefer to not focus on Beverly & Angela's personal lives but rather Rutland Manor and Tegan Park and what they have contributed to the breed and moving it past the stage of just being a hybrid / Lab Poodle mix.

One must understand that everything they read is not 100% gospel truth when reading some of the details about what makes this breed. It is amazing to read what one person denies in one article yet admits in another.

When this breed was imported into the USA it was not disclosed what breeds were used. It wasnt until breeders started doing "research" that this information was discovered.

I do not fault the founding breeders for not disclosing their recipe but will again say that they probably sold breeding stock too early into the development of the breed and that this has caused much un-needed up roar over the making of the breed.

Many lines have been tested and several breeds have been identified in the makeing of the breed; pedigrees have been researched, original breeder of parent breeds have been verified and consulted.

[Rose]

So, were any of the breeds that I found listed actually used in some of the ALD lines?

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

OH yes and more

[Rose]

What were the other breeds?

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

I am going to decline answering this question directly to prevent spreading what might only be rumor. As I mentioned above some beleive that 10 different breeds were used, some agree that 4 or 5 were used and others will denie current breedings done by Rutland Manor when using the Irish Soft Coated Wheaten as being an Australian Labradoodles.

[Adina P]

What Kendra (Noble Vestal Labradoodles) said.

The ALD is not itself a 'pure breed' yet. Since it is not itself a pure breed, there is still 'development' of it and the ALAA has some guidelines set forth for what can still be infused (added into) the making of this dog. Not all ALD breeders belong to the ALAA and some disagree...but suffice to say it is NOT a pure breed and it is still being tweaked.

Now as far as "pure" ALD...I believe that simply means that the dog's pedigree traces back to only Rutland Manor or Tegan Park--but may or may not be allowed to have anything added...I'm not clear on this as there is no ONE agreed-upon-by-all standard and thus again, it is still being developed.

I get the impression that Beverley of Rutland Manor and her ALFA foundation may differ in what constitutes an okay infusion or not. I don't believe she is a member of the ALAA herself...but she'd have to clarify that. I have tried to keep up with exactly what is what, but given that my preferred labradoodle is the one that is mainly lab and poodle I admit I don't know for sure.

Kendra is what I am saying correct?

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

ahhh, you got most of.

The ALAA has the clearest standard to breed toward with the creation of the ALD. They are missing some of the breeds that the founders used which would be my largest complaint. Thus narrowing the diversity of the gene pool and creating a dog heavy in one or the other of the parent breeds.

The disagreement of what makes an ALD is exactly what I was referring to when I made the comment about the founders releasing breeding stock too early in the development and not having created enough foundation lines.