There has been much written on both sides about designer dogs, specifically "doodles". To rehash everything here would be redundant. Almost as redundant as that last sentence. Doodles became all the rage starting with 2 main crosses "Cock-a-poos" (Um, really? The name isn't even appealing) and labradoodles.
Sidebar: In the interest of full disclosure, my first dog as an adult was a cocker/poodle mix. An adopted dog. One that was rescued from an abandoned house. I did not buy the dog. I did not seek out the dog. I simply gave a homeless dog a home. Dogs that are rescued are NOT the point of this post.
I have, unfortunately, seen an increasing number of doodles and this just breaks my heart. I met a lovely woman with 2 of these doodles. She informed me that they went this route because they wanted a dog that didn't shed, and her husband "wouldn't be caught dead" with a poodle. When I looked at her 2 dogs that had this horrible stiff coat that shed, and was matted to the skin, I wondered if her husband realized that when he walked these 2 dogs, he looked like he was walking 2 horribly bred standard poodles that were swaybacked and blocky. I decided it didn't make a difference, so I left it alone. The poor dogs had to be shaved down to the skin because the hair was so matted.
At a recent agility show, a novice handler with a border collie/poodle told a friend that they went with the cross because "everyone knows that border collies aren't good with children." My friend and I were flabbergasted. Where did this notion come from that all you have to do is add a poodle to a breed and all of a sudden you have the "perfect" dog? I know poodles are the perfect breed, and evidently others believe so as well. That's the only reason I can come up with for why they are crossing so many breeds with poodles.
I am a firm believer that any breeding should be done for a good reason. To make money is not a good reason. There are unscrupulous types out there breeding doodles and selling them to the unsuspecting public for big bucks. These *breeders* tell their clients that doodles don't shed, and are AKC registered because the parents are registered. I am always amazed at the price tag that comes along with these "mutts". The *breeders* of these dogs are supporting their families off of money earned through fraudulent means. John Q. Public wouldn't knowingly spend an exorbitant amount of money on Volvo because it had a Jaguar hood ornament on it, so why are they willing to pay for a mutt disguised as something it isn't? I don't have an answer, but I wish I did. Faithful poodle, lab, and other purebred enthusiasts work hard to try and educate the public on the reality of what they're purchasing. Sometimes it feels like we're fighting a losing battle.
Others choose to try and shame people into admitting the truth, like this blog post from the blog Dogsnobs:
Doodle Rage--Dogsnobs. Hopefully, if dog enthusiasts continue to speak to the issue and work hard to uncover the truth, maybe the general public with start to see the truth and we can turn the tides. Dogs deserve better from us.
