The creator of the Labradoodle dog breed expresses regret that he has ``created a monster''
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The Labradoodle was created by breeding a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle as a 'service dog for people with animal allergies.'It has the loyalty of a Labrador Retriever and the low shedding of a Poodle. However, Wally Conlon, the creator of the Labradoodle, recalls, ``I opened Pandora's box and released Frankenstein's monster.''
The first ever labradoodle wasn't a designer dog, he was a guide dog - Science News - ABC News
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-09-23/labradoodle-guide-dogs-designer-regret/10717186
Labradoodle Inventor Regrets Creation | GQ
https://www.gq.com/story/dog-blog
A Designer Dog-Maker Regrets His Creation | Psychology Today
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201404/designer-dog-maker-regrets-his-creation
The Labradoodle was born as a result of a letter sent to the Royal Australian Guide Dog Society. The sender of the letter, Patricia Blum from Hawaii, wanted a guide dog because she is visually impaired, but Blum's husband had a severe allergy to animals, so she had no choice but to give up a guide dog.
When Mr. Conlon learned of this, he immediately began breeding Standard Poodles . Mr. Conlon initially thought that Mr. Blum's wish would soon come true. This is because the Standard Poodle does not shed much hair, making it suitable for people with animal allergies, as well as being a hard-working working dog.
Mr. Conlon is interviewed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation .
Mr. Conlon spent three years raising 33 Standard Poodles, but none of them were able to become guide dogs. Mr. Conlon came up with the idea of breeding a Poodle with a Labrador Retriever, which has excellent qualities as a guide dog, and took the female Labrador Retriever to his mentor as a breeder, Mr. John Gosling. I bred it with a male standard poodle.
Photo of Mr. Conlon and his dog. The dogs are, from left, Brandi, a female Labrador retriever, three puppies, and Harley, a male standard poodle.
When samples of the fur and saliva of these three puppies were sent to Hawaii, one of them passed an allergy test. Because he had the potential to be a guide dog, Mr. Conlon immediately named the puppy Sultan and sent him off to Hawaii. Sultan and Mr. Blum, who were trained in Hawaii to become fine guide dogs, became a famous duo in Hawaii.
Local newspaper article reporting on Mr. Blum and the Sultan.
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Mr. Conlon, who was relieved that Sultan was the dog he thought he was, thought that the remaining two dogs, Simon and Sheik, would also be in high demand. However, because everyone wanted a purebred dog, no takers appeared for the two mutts for six months. Mr. Conlon came up with the idea of selling the two dogs as a new breed, so he visited the public relations department of the Guide Dogs Association of Victoria and asked, ``Why not sell a new breed of dog, the Labradoodle, which is smart and sheds less hair?'' I'll approach you.
In fact, when the Guide Dogs Association of Victoria advertised the Labradoodle, it immediately received a huge response, and the Guide Dogs Association of Victoria was flooded with orders from guide dog centers, the visually impaired, and people with animal allergies. So, in order to respond to the demand for Labradoodles, Mr. Conlon bred additional Labradoodles, but soon realized that it was a mistake. This is because the newly born puppies had varying coat textures, and only 3 out of 10 passed the allergy test. In addition, they were not only uniform in appearance but also in personality and abilities, making them not suitable as guide dogs. Later on, it was discovered that many individuals had abnormalities in their elbows, knees, and hips due to genetic abnormalities, as well as individuals suffering from epilepsy.
However, the demand for Labradoodles continues, and when it was reported in the news that former US President Barack Obama was considering getting a Labradoodle to care for his daughter who is allergic to dogs, Labradoodles became popular. has increased further. So Conlon wrote to Obama: ``If you are buying a Labradoodle, read the pedigree and check the parents. Many Labradoodles are not good for training and are not good for people with allergies.'' I sent a letter. It's unclear if Obama read it, but in the end, he didn't choose a Labradoodle as his 'first dog.'
Beau , a Portuguese water dog, was chosen by Mr. Obama as his first dog.
by Obama White House
As a professional breeder, Mr. Conlon always had in mind the idea of raising healthy puppies, which was not the case for many 'hipster' Labradoodle breeders. Mr. Conlon, who retired as a breeder, said, ``There are still a lot of ``puppy mills'' around the world run by ruthless breeders who are only interested in making money, and Labradoodles are mass-produced that end up being abandoned and euthanized in facilities.'' 'There are ethical breeders, but there are only a handful.'
In addition, many new dog breeds have appeared that were influenced by the birth of the Labradoodle. Various poodle crossbreeds such as Cavoodle , Groodle , Jackapoo , Schnoodle , and Goldendoodle are all dogs created based on the commercial success of Mr. Conlon's Labradoodle.
Today, Mr. Conlon is recognized worldwide as the breeder who first created the Labradoodle, but he says, ``I have never been proud of it. It's called 'Masu'. In an interview with Psychology Today, a general psychology magazine, in 2014, Mr. Conlon said, ``I raised 31 Labradoodles during my working days, but now that I am a pensioner, I have two Labrador retrievers, Rocky and Jazz. 'If I had sold more Labradoodles, I would have become very rich and lived in a mansion, but my conscience wouldn't allow it.'
Sultan worked as a guide dog in Hawaii, and after retiring, he returned to Australia and spent the remaining three years of his life with Mr. Gosling. After his death, he was buried next to his father Harley.
Mr Gosling led Australian Broadcasting Corporation reporters to see Harley and the Sultan's grave in his backyard, as if he were standing in front of a real dog: ``A lot of people need a good guide dog, and I hope you'll find your own.'' 'I did what I had to do. I did my best.'
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