I am not a breeder, but I have owned Labs all my life.
Recently an add placed in our local paper advertized Shepadoodles. This doodle craze will not end. It is all about making money off of the uneducated public since so many of us and our children are allergic to so many things. Non allergenic is a selling point for profit. Have any of you ever had a severely asmatic child? Who happens to want a family dog? People will pay big money and this is what the doodle craze is all about.
Whether it is the "new" Australian breeders or anyone else mixing poodles with whatever I do not agree nor support. Leave my precious breed alone! - they are perfect as they are and yes they do shed.

Unfortunately for those who are purchasing the doodle breeds to be able to own a dog without worrying about dog dander allergies- it doesn't work. They tried this breed at some of he guide dog facilties and found the one thing they were trying to accomplish by mixing the breeds was just not happening. The Labradoodles were still causing symptoms in those who were allergic to dogs.
Judy

I can sympathize with anyone who has a family member with allergies and really wants a dog. Then why not get a dog that you are possitive will not shed? There are plenty of pure bred non-shedding breeds to choose from that would be cheaper than one of the "Doodles" The problem I have with people creating these mixes and selling them is that it keeps people from seeking mixes from a shelter. I have nothing against mixed breed dogs....some of the best dogs I've ever owned were sweet, loving mutts that were on death row at local shelters. So let's not make MORE mutts....let's find homes for the ones in shelters that will eventually be put to sleep for lack of a home. If you want to spend lots of money on that mutt...then give that HUGE amount of money to the shelter as a donation! JMO....and I'm sticking to it!

I've even seen ads for Roodles, Rottie X Poodles. Amazing

Melody, you are completely right. Anyone who wants to breed should spend some time working at a shelter.

Roodles? Sounds like a breed Scooby-Doo created!

Simply a passing comment on Poodles in general. The Standard Poodles that I know, through a friend who is a breeder with the all-breed club I belong to, are awesome dogs. Intelligent, funny, reliable, non-shedding and by golly they hunt, she does hunt tests with them and they are incredible retrievers. She has conformation CH's and bemoans the creation of Labradoodles too. Her complaint is that the original type and purpose of the Poodle has been diluted due to the show ring ~ sound familiar?

Well, I'm going to play devil's advocate here because one of my clients has imported Australian Labradoodles to help establish the breed here in this country. In Australia they have to be 5 generation crosses before it is registered. My breeder client is just as reputable as any of us--perhaps even more. She spends large amounts of time and money at my clinic doing everything from clearances to spaying and neutering the pups before they go to new homes (as required by the Australian Labradoodle Assoc.) No they are not "perfected" yet, but if she feels a dog or bitch is not producing what they are trying for (ie, coat) she place the dogs in homes. She tells everyone who buys one that she can not guarantee it will not shed or that it will be hypo-allergenic. There are many (maybe I should say several) breeders like this around the country now who are trying to work with AKC on getting them recognized eventually. So although we lab purists may not approve, I think they are here to stay. I will say that my favorite cross that I have seen come in to my hospital was named a "Hava-poo"!!!! (Havanese X Poodle)--others were Jug's, Cava-chon, and of course the Puggles. These are all F1 crosses and by all means are a mutt!

I don't understand why the legit "doodle"-seekers who are looking for non-shedding poodle-type dogs for their allergic children don't just get a nice poodle! They come in many sizes and are guaranteed not to shed and can make excellent service dogs! They buyer could even take the allergic child over to the breeder's house to see if the child reacts to those specific dogs...no gambling involved! I mean, I love Labs and I get why someone would like "a little lab" mixed in for personality but why not just choose the shedding lab or the non-shedding poodle? When purchased from a reputable breeder, there are far more generations of research and careful breeding behind each dog. More known health history, far more known temperaments, etc. Of course nothing is a total "known" but why not stick with many many years of careful research...why buy a doodle that may or may not be hypoallergenic for a ton of $ only to have to give it up when the child turns out to be allergic. And I get what Kathy is saying about her client who does clearances and carefully culls her breeding stock...but why not just be a great breeder of poodles and/or labs? Why mass produce the mix (yes for every one she keeps to breed, there are many who go off to buyers and live out their potentially problematic lives or get given to the SPCA because they weren't what the buyer expected (even though seller made no promises). No matter how much warning was given, they buyer still has their own expectations and is purchasing a dog with way more variables than a lab or poodle (i know there are some variables with any dog). How much does Kathy's client charge for her pups? Does she barely cover her costs (like most of us) or does she make a good profit? Not to pass judgment on her but just something to think about....Maybe doodles should be a very limited controlled experiment funded by some grant or something and every single offspring documented for health, temperament, hypoallergenic or not, etc....and the pet puppies could be donated or adopted for a donation to the research fund....Just too unregulated and too much profit being made. I could breed my lab to my poodle breeder friend's poodle and make a sh**load of $....no thanks...not worth the compromises and risks.

Two comments
First of all I don't think the purpose for which our dogs were intended has been diluted by the show ring one bit. Our show bred dogs are still sold to hunters and I have never sold a hunting dog and had it returned because it wouldn't do its job and I know I am not the only breeder who can say this. In fact just the opposite, I have sold dogs to non hunters who once they got a Labrador had buddies who wanted them to bring their dog out to the hunt club and then they were converted after watching their untrained dog's natural ability and then became hunters. Do not think for a moment that these show dogs don't hunt!
Secondly there was talk in the other Labradoodle thread regarding how there are new breeds being accepted by AKC everyday. Well here is the difference in these 'new'breeds and the Labradoodle. These breeds you are seeing being added to AKC such as the Italian Spumoni, Polish Lowland, Plott Hound are not new breeds- some have been around longer than the Labrador- they have been long recognized in the European countries, they are just new to our country and AKC. They are not breeds that were newly put together by breeders and 30 years even is 'new'.
Judy