[BeckandPat]

Hey everyone. Been awhile since I last checked in!
Well, we took Nigel with us on a road trip from LA to Madison, WI for Christmas, so he could meet the family. He had the BEST TIME EVER in the snow. SOOOO cute. But, I digress. We went thru over 16 states on our way there and back and learned a couple things:

A) Gingersnap cookies are MAGIC food for curing car sickness.
The ginger soothed Nigel's easily car-sick tummy and he never once
got sick like he used to. Hooray. I read this tip on a vet site and recommend highly.

B) Some hotels will only let you have your dog in a smoking room. Awful if you're a non-smoker. The smell just lingers. We only had to deal with this once and we learned to double-check with the front desk from then on. Baymont Suites and La Quintas are great for dogs! Super 8s were good, too.

C) There are a lot of doodle discriminators out there! We went to dog parks along the way in Santa Fe, Las Vegas, Wyoming, Denver, Madison, etc. One woman got so excited b/c from afar Nigel looked like her dog, a pudle-pointer. but when reaching us, she exclaimed, "What IS that?" When I told her he was a labradoodle, she sniffed and said. "Oh. My dog is a REAL breed." and then walked off not letting the dogs play! In Vegas, a woman came up to us and said, "Is that a labradoodle?" When I told her yes, she said, "I thought so. They are cute and all, but at the end of the day I hope you know that all you own is a big, fat mutt. Nothing more."

WOW! Now, most people we came across thought Nigel was the most adorable thing they'd ever seen on four legs and smiled and were interested in his background. But, the four or five nasty comments we had during this trip were surprising!

Wondered if anyone else has encountered this snobbery towards doodles? I kind of remember a groomer being mean to one of you on this forum.
I don't get it. Who cares if our dogs are bred from the finest stock or picked up from a shelter. If they are caring, wonderful companions who bring joy to you and vice-versa, isn't that all the matters?

 

[angelaj]

I have also encountered the discrimination. I am a nurse and have been sooooo excited about my girls that I've told everyone about them. I've shown pcitures to everyone, too. The other day, a physician who is also a fellow animal lover called my girls mutts. She said she just didn't understand why anyone would pay money for a mutt. I informed her that labradoodles are a recognized breed by the CKC (I'm right, right?) and that the Australians and been bred and re-bred for years in order to get the breed just right. She admitted they're beautiful and probably wonderfully tempered but still, only mutts. Hmmmph! Whatever, we know better!

 

[dixiedi]

All dogs start out as a mixture of two or more breeds before they are a recognized breed. I don't understand all the rucus :roll: I have no doubt the Labradoodle will be a recognized breed, not in my lifetime but it will happen. They are not a faze and are not going anywhere, they are here to stay :!: :!:

 

[Maureen]

Hey BeckandPat, nice to hear from you!
and those discriminators can TAKE A FLYING LEAP!! :twisted:

Next time you are in the Denver area lemme know! You could do a doodle tour if you are driving along I-70...from LeeAnn, to Linda and Di, then me, then Jac and Vicky! :wink:

I had one of the all-time stupidest discriminating stories told to me from 2 different doodle-families, with 2 of our puppies: they both went to the same groomer's shop to ask about their doodles being groomed and BOTH of them got snobby MUTT names thrown at their dogs! Can you imagine a BUSINESS PERSON snubbbing the lifetime of business she could have gotten from both of those families and ANY OTHERS I might have referred to her??? Is anyone that business-smart??? :shock:

Happy Monday....go hug a doodle!

 

[wannadoodle]

People are ignorant. I would take a doodle from any one of the breeders on this forum over any puppy mill thoroughbred any where. Intentional mixing has always been done. The key to any breeding from doodles to maltese....is responsibility!!! Genetic testing, etc. This topic really gets my dander up :twisted: Sorry.

 

[angelakj]

just jealous..

I think people are just basically jealous. The pure breed owners want all the dog-glory for themselves and are jealous that a mixed breed dog is being recognized and getting attention as possibly better than their snooty-snooty dog. I have had pure bred dogs before and I think this is so stupid. Other people are just jealous about the money. Lets face it - if you can afford a labradoodle you're doing pretty well. Many, many people think it's an unnecessary and indulgent expense to pay $600-2500 for a dog and especially a mixed dog! Then there are the the people who see it as genetic engineering and don't like that. I really believe the root of it all is jealously. We have these wonderful, cute, healthy, expensive dogs and other people are jealous. I was looking into a training class for Cody and the man on the phone would not call him a Labradoodle. He kept saying "lab mix" even though I told him over and over Cody is a Labradoodle. He said we call anything other than true breeds mixes. People can just get over themselves. If anyone ever calls Cody a mutt to my face this is what I'll say...."Actually, he's a designer mutt, bred to increase his intelligence and health - two things that are seriously lacking and dangerous in many pure bred/inbred lines. Labradoodles have allowed allergic and asthmatic dog-owners to finally be able to have a love a pet. My dog is wonderful and loved and no less valuable than yours."

 

[Maureen]

right on girlfriend! preach it!

Hey, seriously, do you all know that UC-Davis is doing a study on the canine genome for shedding in LABRADOODLES?

And that you and your dogs can participate in this research?
if anyone's interested I'll post or email the info to you, on how to get the DNA swabs for your dog(s). it's easy and how LEGITIMATE are doodles if someone is doing a genetic study on their shedding traits?

I'm happy to have been able to contribute 2 generations from here for their benefit!

 

[angelakj]

sign me up

Can you post the study information? I would love to help out.

 

[Maureen]

I just wrote to Katy to confirm they are still collecting DNA swabs from doodles.....if it's ok either Katy will post or I will post her info.

 

[wannadoodle]

We would love to participate. On another note, Toby got microchipped Saturday. Have any of you done this?

 

[Jannie]

Sadie was microchipped at the breeders before we took her home.

 

[Maureen]

yeah, all my girls were microchipped when they got their OFA x-rays...to help with tracking it's the dog they're registering I guess. One of my girls bled kind of a lot, but the other 2 did fine.

everything ok with Toby?

 

[Maureen]

I posted a new topic for the doodle-shedding study...and just for fun, a poll, if I did it right!

I posted it in the QUESTIONS section, to hopefully catch as many people as possible

 

[Chesterpal]

Ugh! Those people make me nuts...especially when they tell you they are dog lovers---I guess only purebred dog lovers.
In purebred dogs they breed ones with the best traits together...the only difference is that our LDs have the best traits of different breeds...what's the problem!
(sometimes I want to refer to the neighborhood purebreds as inbred mutants...however I hold back).

 

[K9Summer]

Inbred mutants... I love it!! I have gotten some snobby looks from people when I say Summer is a labradoodle, but usually people love her and think she's adorable. I met a couple with 2 poodles and I was expecting a negative comment, but they couldn't stop raving about how cute she was! They were commenting on which parts looked lab and which parts looked poodle.
We were at the dog park the other day and this woman had an australian labradoodle, and I told her that Summer was also a labradoodle, and SHE even gave me a funny look. Now, I know that Summer looks very labby, and she's an F1, but c'mon! I guess everyone thinks their own dog is better than everyone elses (me included!), but can't we all just get along! LOL. Oh well, we all know that doodles are wonderful! Who cares what anyone else thinks!

Bridget and Summer

 

[mssteuer]

I only have had positive remarks to our two Labradoodles. They're over a year old now and still i get at least 1 or 2 "wow, what beautiful dogs!" every time I walk time... Also everyone "has heared of Labradoodles" and has a sister/mom/daughter/friend who has one or wants one.

Maybe it's because it's Los Angeles and people are more trend-sensitive and more open minded, but I really haven't had one negative remark in the full year we've had Labradoodles...

I do sympathize though If someone would say something like that to me, I wouldn't stand for it either!

 

[Jac]

I don't know...seems to me like in those situations (the first few, no time to read all, yet) you could simply reply..."Yeah, it's almost like they have no manners and would likely tell you what they are thinking even when no one cares." And walk away, of course...taking your business elsewhere.

Ugh! Stupidity!

 

[BeckandPat]

Labradoodle owners unite! Now I have some good comebacks from you all if it ever happens again. I had one snotty poodle owner say something in LA, too, Michael. Alas, it seems to be all around. But, NOBODY seems to doubt how freaking adorable they all are! Nothing negative you can say or do there. So, ha!

Now that I know about all the doodles across the I-70, Nigel will definitely have to have some play dates next time we do a big road trip. Fun!

 

[keywee]

I love mutts and for me there is nothing sweeter than scruffy doodle hugs!

Seriously though, haters should know that one of the principle reasons Labradoodles are such a successful cross is because of their guide dog abilities along with the non or low shedding qualities. Our breeder has placed several Doods in service roles. So the only thing that makes LD's different from other breeds that are developed out of necessity is official recognition.

 

[plwilliams]

Discrimination

All dogs start out as a mixture of two or more breeds before they are a recognized breed. I don't understand all the rucus :roll: I have no doubt the Labradoodle will be a recognized breed, not in my lifetime but it will happen. They are not a faze and are not going anywhere, they are here to stay :!: :!:

What you say is true, and in most cases, AKC recognized breeds do come from a blending of more than one breed. However, people should not be offended if someone calls there Labradoodle a mutt, as that is what they truly are. I don't doubt that many of them can be sweet and cute, but by the true meaning of the word "purebred", a Labradoodle does not fit. Also, this mixture may be a fad, and it may not. What I object to is the fact that many breeders tout them as registerable breeds, and for any truly legitimate registry, they are not. The only true legitimate registry in this country for "purebred" dogs is the AKC. Also, the CKC does NOT recognize the LAbradoodle as a breed.
Look at the Cock-a-Poo. This type of dog is also not a purebred dog, and is not recognized as an actual breed. It is a mutt. They are adorable, and if someone wants this mix, then they should certainly be able to have them and love them without ridicule, BUT, they should not be offended when someone calls them a mutt as that IS what they are. Cock-a-poos have been around for at least 30 years, and they are not a recognized breed yet, and I doubt they ever will be. To establish a "purebred" type of dog, you must be able to recreate certain traits, consistantly by breeding the same breed together. You will NEVER create a purebred dog by breeding two diffferent breeds together generation after generation. To establish a purebred dog, the Labradoodle as an example, you would need to breed a Labradoodle to a Labradoodle for many, many generations to even be considered in the running as a purebred dog.
I have absolutely nothing against Labradoodles at all, and most are probably lovely. I DO object to misrepresentation of these dogs and making people believe they have a registerable breed with a legitimate, purebred registery.
Pat