You may already know that there's a big difference between a "designer dog" and a "mutt." While both are mixed-breeds, the designer dog (sometimes called a hybrid) is a deliberate combining of the traits of two different purebred breeds. Mutts and their heritage? Who knows?
When you opt for a designer dog, you can expect that the parents have been carefully investigated and chosen so that their traits complement each other. When you opt for a Labradoodle, you're getting a deliberate cross between a Labrador and a Poodle. And if you buy a Labradoodle puppy from a reputable breeder, you're getting the result of a very careful and considered mix, where both parents are healthy, purebred, and lacking any known problems.
Labradoodles are a very popular hybrid dog. Poodles and Labradors are both very popular breeds; they use their high native intelligence in a heart-felt desire to please people. And the Labradoodle puppy generally shares these traits.
One of the goals of breeders of these dogs is a desire to breed dogs that are more hypoallergenic. This is hoped to be one of the results of the Poodle's contribution to the mix. Poodles do not shed as much as most other breeds. When combined with the genes of a Labrador -- a shedder extraordinaire -- the hope is that the puppies will have all the good traits -- an active, friendly, intelligent dog -- with a coat more like the Poodle and with the Poodle's lower level of shedding.
Some breeders will attempt to claim that Labradoodles are hypoallergenic; the truth is that it depends upon the individual dog. Because of their gentleness and trainability, Labradoodles have been used as guide dogs and assistance dogs for more than 20 years.
First-generation Labradoodles -- those bred from a Labrador and a Poodle, rather than from a pair of Labradoodles -- tend to be more uniform. Some of these puppies will resemble Labradors; others will resemble Poodles. Temperaments may lean toward the Poodle or toward that of the Labrador parent. Coats may range from apricot, black, brown, cream, gold, white, and other Poodle-like colors. Your competent breeder, familiar with Labradoodles, will have a pretty good idea of how each puppy will develop.
When breeding designer dogs, breeders are, among other things, trying to produce dogs without some of the problems known to the two separate breeds. This is known as "hybrid vigor." The first generation of such breeding can appear to be lacking some of the problems known to exist among the purebred dogs. First generation Labradoodles may be healthy; then again, they may not.
The difficulty arises when both parents have similar genetic problems. For instance, hip dysplasia is a known problem within the Labrador breed. If the Poodle parent shares this problem then the difference in breeds is of no effect and the puppies will probably inherit a tendency toward similar hip dysplasia difficulties.
For this reason, it is vitally important that your breeder is testing/investigating the health and lineage of the both parents. Do not buy a Labradoodle -- or any other dog, for that matter -- without discussing the health-and-bloodline issues with the breeder. Because Poodles demonstrate a tendency toward progressive retinal atrophy, this can also be an issue with Labradoodles.
When a breeder breeds from succeeding generations of Labradoodles -- rather than breeding directly from a Labrador and a Poodle -- the benefits begin to subside and the puppies will tend to resemble more closely either a Poodle or a Labrador.
Labradoodles -- in fact, many designer dogs -- are currently very popular. But before you bring one home, do your research concerning potential health problems. Be especially concerned if both breeds share a tendency toward the same problem(s). And familiarize yourself with the contributing breeds, too. That is, if you don't like Poodles or you don't like Labradors as separate breeds, then there's a good chance you won't like the Labradoodle, either.
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