Labradoodle

Infobox Dogbreed
country = Australia


image_caption = Labradoodle with a fleece coat. The appearance of Labradoodles may vary.| name = Labradoodle
notrecognized = true

A Labradoodle is a crossbred or hybrid dog created by crossing the Labrador Retriever and the Standard or Miniature Poodle.

History

The Labradoodle was first deliberately bred in 1989, when Australian breeder Wally Conron first crossed the Labrador Retriever and Standard Poodle for Guide Dogs Victoria. [http://www.goldendoodles.com/labradoodle_faq.htm Labradoodle FAQ ] ] . His aim was to combine the low-shedding coat of the Poodle with the gentleness and trainability of the Labrador. [ [http://www.guidedogsvictoria.com.au/faq/guide-dog-faq/ Guide Dog FAQ: Guide Dogs Victoria ] ] [ [http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/local/display.var.2347446.0.colchester_more_than_puppy_love.php Colchester: More than puppy love! (From Gazette) ] ] [ [http://www.eyeofthepacific.org/guidedogs.htm Guide Dogs ] ] [ [http://www.nfbnet.org/pipermail/nagdu/2006-October/017315.html [nagdu Association for the Blind of West Australia ] ] [ [http://starbulletin.com/2004/06/28/news/story6.html Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News ] ] [ [http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2007/10/21/therapy_dogs_are_bridge_to_the_world_for_autistic_children/ Therapy dogs are bridge to the world for autistic children - Boston.com ] ]

Appearance and temperament

The Labradoodle as a dog breed is still developing, and does not yet "breed true", "i.e.," the puppies do not have consistently predictable characteristics. While many Labradoodles display desired traits, their appearance and behavioral characteristics remain, from a breeding standpoint, unpredictable.

As such, Labradoodles' hair can be anywhere from wiry to soft, and may be straight, wavy, or curly. Some Labradoodles do shed, although the coat usually sheds less and has less dog odor than that of a Labrador Retriever. The color range includes white, cream, gold, apricot, red, brown and black, and most of the other colors seen in Poodles.

Like most Labrador Retrievers and Poodles, Labradoodles are generally friendly, energetic and good with families and children (although as with any dog the temperament may vary between individuals). Labradoodles also often display an affinity for water and the strong swimming ability present in both their parent breeds.

Types of Labradoodle

There is no universal consensus as to whether breeders should aim to have Labradoodles recognized as a breed . Some breeders prefer to restrict breeding to early generation dogs (i.e. bred from a Poodle and Labrador rather than from two Labradoodles) to maximise genetic diversity, in order to avoid the inherited health problems that have plagued some dog breeds.

Others are breeding Labradoodle to Labradoodle over successive generations, and trying to establish a new dog breed. These dogs are usually referred to as Multigenerational (abr. Multigen) or Australian Labradoodles [ [http://www.goldendoodles.com/Resource/australian_labradoodle.htm The Australian Labradoodle ] ] . 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 (ie Cockapoos, Two Irish Water Spaniels, Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers and a Curly Coated Retriever) have variously been used in some Australian Labradoodle lines.

Labradoodle coats are generally divided into 3 categories: Wool (with tight curls, and similar in appearance to that of a Poodle, but with a softer texture); Fleece (soft and free-flowing, with a kinked or wavy appearance); or Hair (which can be curled, straight or wavy, but is more similar in texture to a Labrador's coat) [ [http://www.sunsethills.biz/australian_labradoodle_coat_types.shtml Coat Types ] ] .

Labradoodles come in a wide variety of colours, including chocolate, cafe, parchment, cream, gold, apricot, red, black, silver, chalk, and parti colours. [http://www.ilainc.com/IALA/ALabradoodleBreedStandard.html]

Health

Although most Labradoodles are healthy, they can suffer from certain problems common to their parent breeds.

Both Poodles and Labrador Retrievers can suffer from hip dysplasia, and dogs should have specialist x rays to check for this problem before breeding. The parent breeds can also suffer from a number of eye disorders, and a CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation) exam should also be performed.

Over the past couple of years, a number of Multigenerational Labradoodles have also been found to suffer from PRA (progressive retinal atrophy, an inherited disease that causes blindness) which occurs in both Miniature Poodles and Cocker Spaniels. It is strongly recommended that Multigenerational Labradoodles be DNA tested for PRA before being bred.

The labradoodle in popular culture

* The Oxford English Dictionary now lists "Labradoodle" [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200508/s1434937.htm Oxford Dictionary hoovers lush new words. 11/08/2005. ABC News Online ] ]
*Monopoly board game included a Labradoodle icon in its "Here and Now" [ [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2006-09-18-monopoly-token_x.htm USATODAY.com - Move over, Rover: Hybrid labradoodle replaces Scottish terrier token ] ] and Australian [ [http://blogs.smh.com.au/sit/archives/2007/06/city_of_slackers_goes_by_the_b.html The Sydney Morning Herald Blogs: Stay in Touch ] ] editions.
* New York department store Lord and Taylor raised $50,000 in 2004 and $55,000 in 2005 for Guiding Eyes for the Blind selling Labradoodle plush toys. [ [http://cdc.guidingeyes.org/bin/regnews?1+1078767037 CDC.GuidingEyes.Org - GEB Community News ] ]
* Macy's department store raised funds with plush Labradoodles "Grace" and "Courage" for Breast Cancer Awareness in 2006. [http://www.bcrfcure.org/part_promo06_macyslabradoodles.html] [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/04/magazine/04dogs.t.html?ex=1173758400&en=e310238aaa417538&ei=5070 Designer Dog-Fights - Jon Mooallem - New York Times ] ] .
* An animated soft toy Labradoodle, "Lucky the Incredible Wonder Pup", was a FamilyFun Magazine 2006 "Toy of the Year" award and an Oppenheim Platinum Toy Award winner. [ [http://embedded-system.net/lucky-the-incredible-wonder-pup-the-winner-based-on-rsc-4128-voice-recognition-microchip-from-sensory-ic.html Zizzle Lucky the Incredible Wonder Pup ] ]
* In the 70th episode of Scrubs, "," Dr. Cox tells JD and Elliot that together they "make one barely-passable doctor-slash-Labradoodle." [ [http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/8662.shtml FamilyFun Magazine Toy of the Year - Raving Toy Maniac - The Latest News and Pictures from the World of Toys ] ] [ [http://www.toyportfolio.com/PlatinumAwards/Platinum_ToysPreschool.asp?offset=10 Platinum Award Winners 2008: Toys ] ]
* US Democrat candidates Barack Obama [ [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-rosenbaum/is-obama-a-hybrid_b_97661.html Steve Rosenbaum: Is Obama a "Hybrid"? ] ] and Hilary Clinton [ [http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/mutts/blog/2008/02/post_57.html Mutts: If candidates were dogs: Hillary Clinton - Labradoodle - A blog for animal lovers on pets, dogs, cats, shelters and animal rescue - baltimoresun.com ] ] were both compared to Labradoodles during the 2008 election campaign.

Notable Labradoodle owners

*Sir Donald Campbell, who broke land speed records in the 1950s in "Bluebird", was one of the first Labradoodle owners. [ [http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2339260.ece Hounded out: Fur and loathing in the dog world - This Britain, UK - Independent.co.uk ] ]
*Golfer Tiger Woods has two Labradoodles named Yogi [ [http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=2467773&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312 ABC News: Is Tiger the U.S. Team's Hope at The Ryder Cup? ] ] and Riley.
*Actress Jennifer Aniston also owns a Labradoodle, bought for her by former husband, Brad Pitt. [ [http://labradoodle-dogs.net/labradoodle-news.php The Labradoodle Dog in the News ] ]
* Actresses and sisters Courtney Peldon and Ashley Peldon have two Labradoodles named Odysseus and Calypso. [ [http://celebritydogwatcher.com/?p=620 Celebrity Dog Watcher - Digging up Celebrity Dog News - Arf! » Celebs Turn out for BowWowWeen ] ]
* Actor and TV presenter Graham Norton has a Labradoodle named Bailey. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,,2013083,00.html Q&A: Graham Norton | Weekend | Guardian Unlimited ] ]
*Top Gear presenter, Jeremy Clarkson and his wife Francie have a Labradoodle named Dodger. [ [http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2339260.ece http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2339260.ece] ]
* Richard Hammond (also a presenter of Top Gear) owns a Labradoodle called TG (often referred to as "Top Gear Dog") which occasionally features on the BBC show. [http://richardhammond.bravehost.com/index.html http://richardhammond.bravehost.com/index.html]
*Model Christie Brinkley owns a Labradoodle named Maple Sugar. [ [http://lhj.com/lhj/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/lhj/story/data/LHJ092005christiebrinkley_09082005.xml Christie Brinkley: A CoverGirl at 51 ] ]
*Actress Barbara Eden has a Labradoodle named Djinn Djinn (named after her invisible dog in the TV show "I Dream of Jeannie"). [ [http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/0208loveletters0208.html We Love 'Letters' ] ]
*Actor and Director Henry Winkler of "Happy Days" has a Labradoodle named Charlotte. [ [http://www.animalwellnessmagazine.com/m/m64/main.htm Animal Wellness Magazine - devoted to natural health in animals ] ]
*Musical star Hugh Panaro (who played the lead role in the Broadway production of Phantom of the Opera) has a Labradoodle named Soot. [ [http://www.geocities.com/broadwayphan81/Article122804.html Hugh Panaro Online - 12/28/2004 Article ] ] [ [http://chestnuthilllocal.com/issues/2008.06.26/locallife1.html Welcome to the Chestnut Hill Local ] ]
*Political folk/rocker Billy Bragg also owns a Labradoodle. [ [http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2002/101702/music2.html Montreal Mirror - Music: Billy Bragg ] ]
*Writer Carolyn B. Ellis and her three children own a Labradoodle. [ [http://www.thesop.org/index.php?id=8050 The Student Operated Press ] ]
*Middlesbrough F.C. (UK) player Andrew Taylor has a Labradoodle named Sonny. [ [http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/0200sport/0100football/tm_headline=it-8217-s-a-dog-8217-s-life-as-andy-waits-on-op&method=full&objectid=20347480&siteid=50081-name_page.html#story_continue icNewcastle - It’s a dog’s life as Andy waits on op ] ]
*Tom Griswold of The Bob and Tom Show in Indiana has a Labradoodle named Tazzie. [ [http://www.bobandtom.com/gen3/ed_pages/ed_page020703.htm The Bob & Tom Show ] ]
* Author Garth Stein owns a Labradoodle. [ [http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6542290.html?industryid=47175 Q&A: Garth Stein - 4/1/2008 - Library Journal ] ]
* Blogger Perez Hilton owns a labradoodle named Teddy Hilton. [ [http://www.perezhilton.com/category/teddy-hilton/ Celebrity gossip juicy celebrity rumors Hollywood gossip blog from Perez Hilton » Teddy Hilton ] ]
*Legal thriller author David Baldacci's Labradoodle is named Finn. [ [http://www.roanoke.com/smithmountainlake/dockside/wb/158581 Smith Mountain Lake Virginia (VA), including Smith Mountain Realty, News and Lifestyle Features - smithmountainlake.com ] ]
* Rodman Primack, chairman of the London auction house Phillips de Pury & Company has a chocolate Labradoodle named Theo [ [http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article4241236.ece Why do men love 'dangerous' dogs? - Times Online ] ]
* LA Kings Star Forward Dustin Brown and his wife Nicole own Milo, a Chocolate Labradoodle [ [http://www.pr.com/press-release/94465 NHL Wife Invents Best Selling Pacifier Accessory to Eliminate the Problem of Lost Pacifiers - PR.com ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.ilainc.com/IALA/index.html International Labradoodle Association]
* [http://www.ilainc.com Australian Labradoodle Association of America]
* [http://www.australianlabradoodleclub.us/ Australian Labradoodle Club of America]
* [http://www.laa.org.au/ Labradoodle Association of Australia]
* [http://www.labradoodle.org.uk/ UK Labradoodle Association]