| Celebrities like Paris Hilton may carry their dogs in their | | | | likelihood is higher, and this is exactly what is happening |
| Gucci handbags, accessorized to the glittering collar. | | | | to many of the labradoodles being bought in the US |
| But the recent trend in designer dogs seems to | | | | now. They are ending up in shelters because they do |
| suggest that everyday people are catching this | | | | not have the characteristics of the carefully bred stock |
| unfortunate trend. | | | | the variation originated from. |
| Instead of simply buying diamante collars, however, | | | | And given that badly bred rottweilers can be very |
| people are demanding cross bred dogs with catchy | | | | aggressive, if the roodle trend takes off in the same |
| marketing names. We've had the Spoodle, the Groodle, | | | | way, this could be a disaster all round. Especially so if a |
| the Labradoodle, the Spanador, the Cavador, and the | | | | family with children bought one expecting the docile |
| Retrievador. Now folks, meet the Roodle. | | | | nature of the roodles created by Mr Freeman, and end |
| The roodle is a cross between a poodle and a | | | | up with an aggressive, large dog. |
| rottweiler. They are the successful creation of a | | | | Labradoodles are not consistent breeds. And given |
| breeder from Melbourne, Australia. Fred Freeman has | | | | that ten years was spent trying to get a rottweiler |
| successfully bred 3 litters of roodles, some going as | | | | poodle cross, there is every indication to think that |
| far afield as Hawaii. | | | | roodles are not a consistent breed either. That means |
| Roodles have the crinkly coat of a poodle, but larger. | | | | that simply mating a rottweiler with a poodle is not |
| They are quite stocky, and fairly big, with long floppy | | | | going to automatically get you certain characteristics, |
| ears. Mr Freeman describes the dogs as having the | | | | especially in temperament. |
| intelligence of a rottweiler, yet docile and easy to train. | | | | Normally, contacting an association for a |
| His roodles are also non aggressive, do not moult, don't | | | | recommended breeder would solve this type of |
| smell, and are low on the allergy scale. | | | | problem. But in this brave new world of designer dogs, |
| The idea of creating a non allergic dog was what | | | | this may not always be the case. Especially if the |
| started the original breeder of the labradoodle, Wally | | | | experience with the labradoodles is anything to go by. |
| Conran. Wally was the Manager of the Royal Guide | | | | The breeders at Rutland Manor and Tegan Park in |
| Dog Association in Australia at the time. Someone | | | | Australia started their stock from labradors, poodles |
| needing a guide dog who was non allergenic | | | | and labradoodles from Don Evans, another breeder |
| contacted the Guide Dog Association, and Wally | | | | who had discovered the breed independently of the |
| successfully crossed a labrador with a poodle that | | | | Guide Dog Association. Those labradoodles were |
| fitted this purpose. | | | | legitimate labradoodles, and they kept records of all |
| So, the origins of the labradoodle were quite in keeping | | | | subsequent breeding. They also determined which |
| with the way many of what are now considered pure | | | | coats were low allergenic. They conducted extensive |
| bred dogs were created. That is, they were created | | | | research and breeding programs to arrive at the dog |
| with a specific purpose in mind. | | | | that has become characterized as a 'labradoodle'. |
| But the popularity of the labradoodle has created a | | | | Contrary to popular knowledge, they are not the |
| new set of problems. Namely, many unscrupulous | | | | product of exclusively mixing in labradors and poodles. |
| people, some with no experience breeding dogs, and | | | | Other breeds were used occasionally, for certain |
| others with none, or little, experience breeding | | | | characteristics. |
| labradoodles or other similar crosses, jumped on the | | | | The breeders at Rutland Manor and Tegan Park |
| bandwagon. Demand meant that these dogs were | | | | began calling their dogs, and those descended from |
| expensive, supply was short, and this attracted many | | | | that stock by reputable breeders, Australian |
| into this new field. | | | | labradoodles, to distinguish them from the |
| But breeding dogs, especially across different breeds, | | | | labrador-poodle mixes that were being indiscriminately |
| is not simple. In Wally Conran's original efforts, not all | | | | produced. The mixes were not quality controlled, many |
| labradoodles were low in allergy. And when it comes | | | | were allergenic, yet people with allergies were misled |
| to trying to come up with new mixes, a lack of | | | | into buying them, expecting not to get allergic reactions. |
| knowledge can produce disastrous results. For | | | | The International Labradoodle Association was set up |
| instance, breeding two dogs with similar genetic | | | | originally to help maintain the quality and characteristics |
| weaknesses can lead to the new litters born with an | | | | of this new designer dog. Yet they now are seeking to |
| increased chance of the health problems associated | | | | call all labrador-poodle crosses 'Australian labradoodles'. |
| with those breeds. Other factors include disposition. If | | | | If this is successful, consumers will have no way of |
| people are expecting certain traits based on what | | | | knowing whether they are buying what they think they |
| decent breeders have produced, and they pay a lot of | | | | are, and what their health requirements determine they |
| money for a dog that turns our to be completely | | | | need. The end result will be more abandoned dogs |
| different, those dogs may well end up being | | | | being euthanased because of a careless association |
| abandoned. | | | | and even more careless breeders. |
| In the case of a dog bought to be low allergenic, this | | | | It does not bode well for the roodle. |