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Peter Stanford 26 September 2019 6:00pm BST > AS THE CREATOR OF THE LABRADOODLE SAYS THE CROSSBREED IS HIS 'LIFE'S > REGRET', PETER STANFORD BOUNDS TO THE DEFENCE OF
DESIGNER DOGS When Wally Conron bred the world’s first Labradoodle back in 1989, there was a practical reason for doing it. A client was looking for a guide dog with fur, not hair, so it
wouldn’t inflame her husband’s allergies. In hitting upon the idea of crossing a Labrador with a Poodle to successfully solve her problem, 89-year-old Australian Conron now believes he has
created a monster. It is, he says, his “life’s regret”, because too many of the legion of Labradoodle crossbreeds that have subsequently become so popular as pets are either “crazy” or
plagued by health problems. The name, though, was just so catchy (some vets report that others had crossed the two breeds successfully before Conron, but didn’t have his knack for branding).
And the Labradoodle was just so cute that it quickly became the designer dog of choice, encouraged by well-known owners from Jeremy Clarkson to Jennifer Aniston and Graham Norton. In other
words, it was looks, rather than utility, that created such a market that breeders struggled to produce enough puppies to meet demand. History is littered with dogs created to be easy on the
eye. My own faithful family Cocker Spaniel, Bess, is what is known as “show” rather than “working”, because she is part of that strain bred for decades to have smaller legs, a longer nose
and ridiculously bigger floppy ears than her ancestors whose lives once revolved around hunting and picking up game rather than smiling up winningly from under my desk as I write this. But
at least she came to us from an approved Kennel Club breeder (complete with official name – Small Cloud Passing). The thing with crossbreeds is that there is no such oversight, and so, as
Wally Conron complains, a thriving market for Labradoodles has encouraged “unethical, ruthless people”, with scant care for the dog’s future welfare in their hurry to make a quick buck. Even
opting for a regulated breed, though, doesn’t guarantee a healthy dog. Ask any vet and they are much more likely to complain about the number of suffering French Bulldogs – or “Frenchies” –
than Labradoodles who turn up in a sorry state in their surgeries. The Frenchies has been manipulated by breeders picking out those from the litter with flatter faces so as to create a look
that may today be prized by celebrity owners such as Madonna and Leonardo Di Caprio, but is widely cursed by animal welfare experts on account of the chronic breathing problems it has
caused. The best way of seeing the current plight of the Ladradoodle, suggests renowned vet Bruce Fogle, is a “variation on a bad theme”. Labradors are known for their hip problems, he
explains, so conscientious breeders, with Kennel Club encouragement, X-ray all litters to select those free from dysplasia – the breed’s troublesome hip vulnerability – to go on and have
puppies of their own. “But because Labradoodles have suddenly become so popular,” argues Fogle, the Canadian-born but UK-based father of broadcaster and adventurer Ben Fogle, “some
unscrupulous breeders don’t bother with X-rays, with the result that many of the Labradoodles I see today have just as many hips problems as Labradors, if not more.” While in theory
crossbreeding could be an opportunity to eliminate such inherited problems, the reality seems to be that it is increasing them – and animals’ suffering. Fogle also believes that the one of
the key selling points of the Labradoodle – that it is hypoallergenic – is at best exaggerated because they have the same Can F 1 protein in their skin as is found in other dogs. This is
what causes an allergic reaction, he says, not whether they have hair compared to fur. While most working vets are not quite so damning about Labradoodles as Wally Conron, they do
nevertheless stress that there are pros and cons with this and other crossbreeds. “Creating designer dogs is a sad path to have gone down,” says experienced Yorkshire-based vet, Zaila
Dunbar. Her advice to those wanting a dog is a familiar one: go to rescue centres where what used to be called mongrels, a mixture of all sorts of breeds, are readily available, and often
have less of the exaggerated traits and drawbacks of purer breeds or specific crosses. Fogle echoes this advice to go for a “mutt”, but he also highlights why it is falling on deaf ears. A
growing number of the puppies available from rescue centres in recent years have contained at least some element of Bull Terrier in them, which puts off potential owners, especially those
wanting a family pet, because such dogs feature so frequently in stories of savage attacks. “If you don’t want to risk a rescue dog, the crossbreed can sound more attractive than the pure
breed for all sorts of reasons. On the pro- side, if you are looking for a breed that has a good record for being pretty healthy, lives a long life, and is very responsive and trainable, the
Poodle is a good option. But while it was regarded as fashionable in the 1960s, its looks are now definitely non-woke. So a crossbreed that is half Poodle but better-looking has great
appeal.” Zaila Dunbar is reluctant to recommend a particular breed for those who have been put off Labradoodles. She does, though, point to “robust, healthy” Border Terriers. They still have
that sufficient of that “working” element in their genetic make-up. Broadcaster Edward Stourton, whose Diary of A Dog-Walker column was a hit with Telegraph readers, puts it more bluntly:
“Go for a dog bred to do healthy things, rather than for vanity.” READ MORE: MY LABRADOODLE IS NO FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER – HE'S MORE LIKE A MAD SCOOBY DOO