syrinx

Despite the fact that all breeds necessarily started as mixes (they're not wolves now, are they?) we still face some bigotry about our hybrid dogs!

People stuck in the outmoded thinking that only pure bred dogs are valid have said some very strange things to us about our choice of dogs. While Bonnie is a rescue, Fergus was a very deliberate choice we made carefully after two years of research.

The hybrid mix between Standard Poodle and Labrador Retriever results in very intelligent dogs with non allergic fur—and comical, complex personalities.

Baby Bonnie

Perhaps a hundred years ago we would have looked for a dog with strong hunting skills, or excellent herding talents. But we don't live the same way as our ancestors did and those traits are less desirable. Fergus is part of the family and so personality becomes a more important feature. Times have changed and there has been a shift in focus for needs in family pets. Labradoodles and Goldendoodles (Fergus and Bonnie respectively) were actually meant to be service dogs and it shows in their behaviour. They recognize patterns and respond to any pattern that is broken. The best example I can give is the 10:00 growl rule. If I am doing any work at my desk at 10:00 at night, the pattern is broken in the minds of my dogs. They don't know it's 10:00. They do know it near the time that we are not working at our desks, however, and if I am at my desk, I will be growled at, barked at, and herded away from my desk. Why? because I am not supposed to be there. This trait is what makes them excellent service dogs. They believe the pattern is broken and I need to be reminded to get away from my desk! They have observed a pattern and I have exceeded the pattern, and it is their job to tell me so. There are other patterns they have observed, and they will not hesitate to remind us that we have broken them. They take it upon themselves to protect us from ourselves. Intelligent dogs do not like spontaneity. It breaks the pattern, and dogs meant for service assistance are brilliant at seeking out patterns.

Baby Fergus

This description from Dog Breed Info Center says better than I can:

This classic example of logical and planned cross breeding was created in Australia in the 1980's. The goal was and still is to create a new "breed" with the best attributes of the original breeds. Wally Conron's objective was to produce assistance dogs that do not shed hair (for people with allergies). Labradoodle guide dogs have been successfully trained and placed in Australia and Hawaii, but as yet the non-shedding characteristic of the Standard Poodle has not become a fixed a tribute. The Labradoodle started out as a simple cross between the Labrador Retriever and Standard Poodle or Miniature Poodle and is still widely the case in North America. Australian's, on the other hand have taken the Labradoodle a few steps further. In mid 2004 it was announced that the Australian Labradoodle was not just a Labrador x Poodle cross but was a breed in its own right developed over many years with particular goals in mind.

tags: dogs fergus bonnie breed bigotry