Wally Conran has regrets.
“I decided to stop mentioning the word crossbreed and introduced the term ‘labradoodle’ instead to describe my new allergy-free guide-dog pups,” he wrote.
The name caught on and interest in the labradoodle soared, but he began to worry about “backyard breeders producing supposedly allergy-free dogs for profit,” Conran wrote. He felt that he had opened up a Pandora’s box.
Better to say he fell into one.
Since the animal rights racket began targeting purebred dogs about 25 years ago, a steady trickle of propaganda masquerading as exposé began to enter the media mainstream. Time magazine’s A Terrible Beauty (which includes scientific gems like “practically every species suffers from inherited diseases”) is a textbook example.
Long on weepy anecdotes and lazy research, short on balance and meaningful rebuttal, the oft stated goal was to push the pet buying public towards shelter animals. For their animal rights puppeteers, the goal was for the public to forgo “enslaving” a pet at all.
Of course, Labs had been getting out of the yard and getting it on with the poodle down the street for as long as Labs and poodles have existed. But historically, the product of such matings rightly sold for a nominal fee, or – as they grew into the 30 lbs of puppy food a week stage – for nothing at all.
That all changed when media got involved to help spread the animal rights crafted message of Hybrid SuperiorityTM.
To Time magazine and others, Labradors and poodles weren’t simply breeds developed for cold water retrieving that excel in a host of other disciplines – they were deeply flawed symbols of a corrupt and elitist social class intent on forcing artificial standards of beauty on the health and welfare of millions of innocent family pets.
Within the past century, though, and especially over the past 50 years, the most popular types have been bred almost exclusively to look good — with “good” defined by breed-specific dog clubs and the American Kennel Club (AKC). “Form has been separated from function,” says Brian Kilcommons, a dog trainer in Middletown, New York.”Styles come in vogue. The competition at dog shows is geared almost exclusively to looks.” This focus on beauty above all means that attractive but unhealthy animals have been encouraged to reproduce — a sort of survival of the unfittest. The result is a national canine-health crisis, from which few breeds have escaped. […]
“Criticize the AKC, and there will be retribution,” says one New York dog trainer. “Judges may find they are no longer getting assignments. Breeders might discover their dogs are no longer winning prizes.”
Never mind that the AKC registers only a fraction of the purebred dogs born in America, and puppies produced by competitive show lines account for only 5% of those – the few hundred dogs awarded breed ring rankings each year were responsible for the gene defects of tens of thousands of largely unrelated purebreds churned out for the commercial market. To that end, Time (along with countless others) advised;
Most of these genetic problems would disappear if Americans could somehow be persuaded to abandon purebreds in favor of mutts. While individual mixed-breed dogs have problems, the animals on average are a lot healthier than their high-class cousins.
The public was paying attention. The result was an epic backfire in mankind’s long history of unintended consequences.
With the birth of a new type of snob appeal – that of the morally superior, politically correct dog owner – came an explosion in the breeding of so-called “designer dogs”.
A puppy who might command $35 in his grandsire’s day was suddenly worth $1200. And why not? If that was the going rate for a purebred standard poodle puppy, surely a fillintheblankpoo, endowed with media-certified hybrid vigour, was worth as much – or more?
No matter that the $1200 purebred might represent thousands of dollars investment in genetic testing, post sale support, and health guarantees – along with the predictability in adult size, coat type, temperament, and trainability so critical in matching a puppy with his owner’s lifestyle and environment.
No matter that late onset defects are often the product of dominant genes, which require only one affected parent to produce disease in offspring, or that many breeds share the same disease genes for common problems such as hip dysplasia.
No matter that purebreds are so often screened for sub-clinical disease or carrier status that handy databases exist ready to be mined and publicized by their critics – while crosses receive little or no such testing at all.
And no matter that crosses between breeds of different physical types can result in grotesque malformations of structure (such as jaw alignment) and coat care nightmares.
The thing that really mattered was that they weren’t “bred to look good”.
And so, Labradoodle beget Goldendoodle, which begat Cadoodle, which begat Doodleman Pinscher, which begat Giant Schoodle, and so forth, all of them commanding prices well in excess of the original purebreds that went into the mix – for the commercially bred purebreds used in such crosses are invariably the least worthy for breeding.
After all, no one with a poodle or Labrador from generations of health tested, champion stock would consider wasting that investment in a hybridized dead end.
Puppies produced by low quality Labrador parents might command $250 in a market saturated with pet Labradors – hardly enough to merit the work involved in producing a litter or the risk of being saddled with unsold puppies.
But by simply breeding the Lab to an equally invaluable poodle, the value of their puppies could instantly quadruple. Better yet, the profit margins were huge. The Labradoodle puppy requires no more “per unit investment” than does any other mutt – bargain basement breeding stock, dog food, and a vaccination. In contrast, a comparatively priced standard poodle puppy might represent hundreds of dollars of input costs.
Wally Conran knew these things, of course. What he couldn’t have known is how a left-leaning media largely sympathetic to the animal rights agenda would turn his little guide dog experiment into a Gen X status symbol and canine cash-generating monster.
I think every kid should grow up with a dog as a pet/best friend. (Provided the kid and parent is reponsible enough).
I still today miss Lady, my Chihuahua-Toy Terrier cross, who died over 35 years ago! She was the mother to hundreds of pups and whenever she had a fresh batch, which was always, all the neighbouring farm kids wanted one. Lady was a bit of a skank, perpetually in heat. I don’t know how many horny suitors we used to chase out of the yard!
Sorry for the memory lane drama, Kate!
No matter that the $1200 purebred might represent thousands of dollars investment in genetic testing, post sale support, and health guarantees – along with the predictability in adult size, coat type, temperament, and trainability so critical in matching a puppy with his owner’s lifestyle and environment.
To say nothing of the thousands of purebred dogs that responsible breeders take back when purchasers can’t keep them due to divorce, moving to pet-free housing, health reasons, etc. Responsible breeders of show dogs are not to blame for the thousands of unwanted dogs showing up in shelters.
(We recently visited the Calgary Human Society to look at cats. Because we have an unspayed bitch in the house, we can only adopt a cat if we take in the empress Theodora’s AKC and CKC registration papers. “Spay or neuter your pet!”)
About time someone wrote something sensible on the subject, Kate.
…Humane…
Paris Hilton, Lyndsay Lohan, et al. Bred for good looks but have severe genetic fault making them totally useless for anything else. Stretching here? Maybe.
I’ve never paid for a dog in my life, and probably never will. The best things in life may not be free, but my best four-legged friends were.
Interesting article. I won’t disrespect show dogs, or their breeders, and I’m agreed on the animal rights racket. But there is nothing inherently wrong with having, or wanting to have, a cross-bred dog, if you simply want a companion animal.
My Sis has a labradoodle, and it’s a great little dog. Well, not that little, but not a BIG dog. And I have a Basset X Border Collie, and she is also a fine pet.
The root of the whole issue is one of people assigning false value to things, whether for venal reasons, or ideology, or simply to acquire status.
Me too. Best dog I was ever friends with was free. Although she was purebred Border Collie.
Show her once and she knew it. If there’s such a thing as a perfect dog, she was it. Someday I hope to see her again.
Looking at purebreds with disdain and mutts with approval is simply multiculturalism gone dog. The only difference is that, unlike peoplecentric multiculturalism, with dogs the goal isn’t to wipe out the ones with white fur.
My wife and kids wanted a dog and I said you can get whatever you wish as long as it don’t shed, can get bet out running around the back yard and I don’t have to walk it.
We got a pure bred Bichon Frise, with breeding papers. I immediately had him done – I don’t have time for all that breeding crap – and yes, I walk it. lol.
I lost my American Eskimo last November, we said no more pets. Well that lasted all of 5 months. I spent the money on a pure breed (again Miniature American Eskimo). He is worth every cent. After having one with so much brains, there was no way that I would take a “mutt”. I have found that with cross breeds, one never knows the health problems, temperament or even size. I can’t believe how many dogs that were picked up from the SPCA and either put down or turned back in because of health or behavior problems.
We have four pre-bred Maine Coons. We donate a fair amount every year to local spay and neuter programs for cats. But several snotty-nosed PC types have criticised us for having “breeder cats”. You just can’t win with the PC/crowd. Their ignorance may be bliss for them, but they are doing real damage to diversity.
I have to admit that being an urban apartment dweller I really don’t get a lot of Kate’s one-off dog breeding posts. It’s just completely out of my experience and I can’t fill in the blanks due a lack of subject matter expertise.
Thanks, Kate, for providing all the background information on this issue. It was an interesting read and made me re-think my plans for getting a dog when I move into a house with a yard.
Aren’t purebreds the inevitable result of crossbreeding?
“Unintended consequence”? For Wally Conran maybe. He’s a guy who likes dogs.
Fully intended by the media and bunny huggers, I would hazard. They hate everything. If its older than 1960 it is part of The Establishment, and therefore bad. This includes dog breeds, particularly hunting breeds who exist to aid in the slaughter of innocent wild animals.
Me, I like golden retrievers. They are goofy, they nibble on you, and they like to steal your socks. They will also go get that duck you just shot if you train them a bit, which is really handy.
As a conservative I am public enemy number one so far as bunny hugging Leftists are concerned, no surprise my dog is too. It pleases me to be despised by people with such low morals. If the Left hates you, that’s a really good sign.
They REALLY hate Kate. Kate rocks. ~:D
I am part Scottish, part English, German and French. So I’m cross-bred! Big deal!!
Regarding dogs with behavior problems; I really believe that there are few dogs that cnnot be trained and most of the behavior problems are owner related.
Seems like the same people always have well behaved dogs and the same people always have ” Free Spirited” (should be read “doesn’t listen worth a damn”)dogs.
It is very easy to put a puppy in its place, but considerably more difficult to put a 100lb “free spirit” in its place.
Me too. Best dog I was ever friends with was free. Although she was purebred Border Collie.
Show her once and she knew it. If there’s such a thing as a perfect dog, she was it. Someday I hope to see her again.
Posted by: ol hoss at May 10, 2010 12:20 PM
……………
I had a male Border Collie, smarter than most people I’ve met, he’s been gone 8 years and I still miss him.
Perhaps he, and your dog, and somewhere discussing philosophy at this very moment.
The latest designer breed is a pit bull/collie cross, the “Pollie”.
After it mauls you, it runs and gets help…
djd that was a very breedist remark! Shame on you!
All of which leads to people who are actually willing to pay $600 for a mutt because it’s (and I quote) “part purebred” as opposed to $1200 for a pure bred.
I sold cars for a living for 4 years, and some of the very same people who were aghast at the thought of a dealership getting a $1200 gross profit on a $30,000 mini-van with a sunroof and power seats, are the actual people paying $600-1000 for “part purebred” dogs.
I used to joke that our old Terrier cross (read: mutt) was a Prairie Standardbred.
There are no purebreds, only different classes of people with somewhat known or unknown origin… Oh, we where talking about dogs?
Me, I like mutts as pets. Hybrid vigor and all that.
But breeding pure-breds has it’s place.
Look at it this way: after we all kill ourselves off, all the dogs will go back to the generic Canidae “wild dog” model anyway.
Interesting points about designer dogs, but why stop at blaming the “animal rights racket” and the “left-leaning media”? Let’s throw in all “latte-sipping liberal Torontonians” too! And “multiculti Trudeau-ites”!
And “entrepreneurialism” and “capitalism.”
My dog (God rest his furry soul) was part husky, part timber wolf, all cuddly beast.
I’m no expert in dog breeding but I’m sure there are more problems breeding teacup dogs than carefully breeding pets.
Just my thoughts.
And also as a result every back yard breeder and puppy mill is now breeding “multipoos” and a whole lot of other poos and charging an arm and a leg. Check out any classified section of any newspaper. Responsible breeders always seem to end up taking a hit for taking extraordinary care of their animals while uneducated buyers trot off to the pet store and feed the puppy mills. Anyone looking for a dog, so some research talk to breeders and decide what fits your lifestyle before adopting another member of your family.
Hey! I agree. This hybridization can result in some confusion.
Take my kids for example: 1/2 haggis, 1/2 kraut.
Every time they meet an authority figure they don’t know whether to raise their legs or raise their arms in salute.
My wife and kids wanted a dog and I said you can get whatever you wish as long as it don’t shed, can get bet out running around the back yard and I don’t have to walk it.
We got a pure bred Bichon Frise, with breeding papers. I immediately had him done – I don’t have time for all that breeding crap – and yes, I walk it. lol.
Posted by: J at May 10, 2010 12:29 PM .
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After losing Taylor I said No More dogs, named her after Charleton Heston Planet of the Apes. But, now , my 8 year old daughter had to have a puppy. She got a registered female German Sheperd back in mid-October, and yes J, I was suppose to be relieved of all duties, yea right, started walking Cinnamon back in November, good Lord, I would walk a mile and she would run 5, in 7 months she has gone from 18 pounds to 70 and I have gone from 240 pounds to 215 and can damn near get back in my 36 x 34 Levi’s, LOL.
,
Excellent post, Kate. My best dog was a purebred and registered German Shepherd, gone 2 years now. Intelligent, beautiful. Replaced by another of same! Sorry, I don’t go for mutts. I think if the “market” for mutts disappeared, perhaps people would have to be more careful about unintended breedings. As for all the “-poos” around. Uggh. And you do know the “type” dogs sold at places like Petland are from puppyfarms, right? Avoid at all costs.
I don’t know. I have a purebred Lab, and it is the best dog I ever had. It was worth the price. I had him fixed even though many people who see him want to breed him with their lab bitches. He is a beautiful dog. I am quite sure that breeder selection for temperament had a lot to do with him being a great dog as selection for looks.
Our dog is half daschund and half chihuahua. A nice mix.
But it was only after we got her that we learned that her cross has an actual name: a “Chiweenie”, also nicknamed the “Mexican hot dog”.
I think people invent these silly cross names to sell more dogs, not to describe a specific dog and its attributes. It’s all about the $$$.
dogs sold at places like Petland are from puppyfarms, right
Posted by: wendy.g at May 10, 2010 4:16 PM
Always had some questions about what constituted a “puppy farm.” It seems as if someone attaches that handle to any breeding operation, the place is doomed. It’s like calling something a concentration camp.
Is a PF a place where the number of animals exceeds a certain amount?
Is it the conditions?
Is it the fact that dogs are sold for profit?
What the hell constitutes a puppy farm?
It’s far to easy to brand a place a “puppy farm.”
I know good, decent people have had their livelihoods ruined because some socially-retarded do-gooder decided to call the OSPCA and report a “puppy farm”. Just because it didn’t fit her twisted idea of how an animal should live.
There are dairy operations locally where 500 cows have 500 calves on an annual basis. Is that a “calf farm”?
Take a drive north on Hwy 10 and tell me if those barns with hundreds and hundreds of thoroughbred mares constitute a foal farm.
Mutts are Us !
Ok, so this is a bit of a nit, but I think Wally Conran is taking a bit too much credit for the Labradoodle. When I was a kid I had a book on World Land (and water) Speed Record holders. Donald Campbell (Son of Sir Malcolm and both of Bluebird fame) was pictured with his black labradoodle in the book. I’d say I was maybe 11 or 12 when I first read about this and I’m 50 now. Also, Donald Campblell was killed in 1967 and he looked fairly healthy posing with his dog so ‘inventing’ the breed in the late 80’s (unless it was supposed to be 1880’s) might be a bit self-serving of good Mr. Conran.
http://labradoodle-dogs.net/tag/celebrity-labradoodle-owners/
Check the 8th name on the list…
I have both mixed breeds and pure-bred dogs. The mixed breeds are the accidental type – not designer breeds. I love them all – they are good dogs. Both types have their place.
And this (from the TImes article?) is utter bull-hooey: “Within the past century, though, and especially over the past 50 years, the most popular types have been bred almost exclusively to look good — with “good” defined by breed-specific dog clubs and the American Kennel Club (AKC). “Form has been separated from function,”” – it has a grain of truth for the lines of dogs that win at conformation dogs shows (a VERY small percentage of the population of dogs), but I compete at dog agility, and the pure-bred dogs there are NOT breed for looks. My Cattle dog that I compete would be kicked out of a conformation show – but she kicks butt at agility (and I learning herding with her).
The worst case of cross breeding I saw was at an animal rescue shelter. A black lab crossed with a daschund. The head was a lab’s head, on a daschund body. It was like watching a sci-fi episode of some sort. I couldn’t laugh, I felt so sorry for it. Was the mom a lab and the dad the daschund?
Any dog that makes you feel good, enjoys a run in the country and is there for treats and pets is ok with me. I’ve had both and my favourite was a Springer show dog that was never shown. The instinct is what got me. Never trained for birding she would quarter in six inches of snow, just the ears flying behind. It was a sight. She also responded to hand signals although I never trained her.
Lying beside me, asleep as I work, is the perfect clone of the pup whose pic graces the top of your piece Kate.
Big, honking goldendoodle. Lovely animal, bought “second hand” from a person who knew a bit about training dogs and was bright enough to realize 80 pound dogs need a backyard and two small boys to be happy.
As you said at the time I asked about goldendoodles, “nothing wrong with them but they are mutts”.
Yup. And it seems to be a good cross.
As “used dogs” go, Stoffal is a keeper…pay $1200…Are you nuts?
Longest thread you have ever posted.
You want a great pet? Go to your local previously enjoyed dog mart(SPCA) and pick up a winner.
Hey Ben, do you know Phil McCrackin?
I have a purebred Berner and she,like my last dog (a mutt), is a charmer. She believes that all people were put on this earth to have their hands on her and she likes nothing better than a room full of people- a target rich environment.
It’s an education watching her ‘work the crowd’.
She has all the positive personality traits I have seen outlined for Berners and a couple that are unique to her.
I firmly believe that guardian angels inhabit this earth but they have four paws and love bones.
You guys talk about “mutts” making great pets, and I am sure they do, but what if you live in the country and want a dog with a specific temperament? One that stays by your side, and doesn’t wander the area looking for chickens or goats to kill? Picking breeds is way more about behavior of the breed than the looks, if you ask me. Gang bangers would like the looks of Labs if they were vicious and Lab owners would prefer the look of Staffordshire Terriers if they were a gentle to all comers, stay at home type of breed.
My girlfriend has a rescue dog – when I first met her I had a vision of a St. Bernard with a cask around it’s neck filled with gin and vermouth. Turned out he was abused (who knew?). Anyway, he is the most beautiful, good-natured (100lb hairball) dog that you could possibly imagine. There’s a lot to be said for a used dog. I gather they don’t all work out this well, but Maxx is great. His only flaw is that he won’t swim. One of his original owners disciplinary techniques was to spray him with water. So last summer we bought him the biggest doggy life jacket you can buy and dragged him (gently) into the lake at the cottage. You can only imagine a dog this big pawing at the water with his front legs while letting his rear legs float motionless – spread out like a bullfrog… It was embarrassing! Anyway, he finally got the hang of using the back legs so this year, we’re hoping for a solo swim on his part.
Bad breeding is far worse than purebred breeding. The problem is there’s a huge variation in breeders. A couple I know bought a german shepherd a few years back. Took good care of the dog and disciplined it. One day it simply snapped. Had to be put down.
These breeders are the problem, as well as anyone that abuses their pet. Purebred or not. It’s true “mutts” are less prone to certain diseases.
Should we ban certain races of humans from breeding within their own “race” because they’re more likely to have genetic diseases?
West Africans having sickle cell.
Native Americans suffering from lactose intolerance.
Hispanics and blacks having higher rates of diabetes.
Etc..
Funny how the people that are upset about purebreds would be the first to defend “purebred” human babies.
I prefer dogs to liberals. They smell better and their personal hygiene is better.
This, ‘let’s pretend to be Marxists…as long as it isn’t inconvenient’ business is getting old, isn’t it?
It’s getting to the point it is getting tough to make jokes about it.
Please post a new topic. If I have to look at that dog again, I’ll likely have to go to the pound and adopt one.
And then there is this aggression thingy.
Heaven forbid if your dog even just appears aggressive…
phantom…
i believe the gent’s name was Phil McCavity….
Both “Max” descendant of the “Littlest Hobo” and “Patches” a Springer from a farm in the Kawartha’s were both smarter than me.
At 10 weeks Patches had us both trained to let her out by scratching at the screen door only to fake a pee just so she could check out the big red Chow-Chow next door.
Every single time we passed the Hillbilly campground on Hwy #11 on the way to her boyfriend Bo’s (a husky shepherd mix) Cache Lake cottage she would wake up from deep snoring and her stump of a tail didn’t stop wagging until the weekend was over and she was back snoring on the Sunday night drive home.
Max never got caught cheating red-handed.