For those people who have let their sneezing, eye-watering allergies to dogs keep them from a relationship with what has long been known as "man's best friend," the hypoallergenic Labradoodle may be the solution.
A breeder named Wally Cochran is credited with the first cross breeding of a labrador and a poodle, according to Tegan Park Breeding and Research Center, one of two main breeders of the Labradoodle. After Cochran noticed that the dog caused few allergic reactions and also was a relatively light shedder, the Guide Dog Association began to research the breed in the 1970s in an effort to find an allergy-friendly guide dog.
Original breeding of the Labradoodle was hindered by unpredictability of its coat, temperament and size, which caused the Guide Dog Association to stop research by the early 1980s.
Private breeders, however, feeding off of the Labradoodle's reputation as a hypoallergenic dog have been improperly breeding the Labradoodle, according to manager Angela Cunningham of Tegan Park, via e-mail from Australia.
Many of these breeders have been selling dogs around the world that are far from hypoallergenic, causing the breed's popularity to waver, as these imitation Labradoodles rarely hold true to their non-allergenic claim.
"There are many people cashing on the name Labradoodle and breeding a Labrador to a Poodle and selling them as hypoallergenic dogs," Cunningham said. "This is a little misleading, as that first cross is only a stepping stone to a long walk of developing the Labradoodle as a breed. There are only a handful of breeders around the world breeding pure Australian Labradoodles."
In addition to the breed being allergy friendly, 99 percent of properly bred Labradoodles do not shed and emit no odor, according to both Tegan Park and Rutland-Manor Labradoodle Breeding and Research Center, the other main breeder of the Labradoodle.
First-year College student Laura Berman said the Labradoodle sounds like exactly what she wants in a pet.
"I think dogs are really cute, and I always wanted to have one to fetch the paper, go on walks with, and do all the other fun stuff people do with dogs," she said. "But when I get too close I just start sneezing, and that's no good."
This high non-dander percentage can only be claimed by official breeders of the Labradoodle, and perspective owners should check on the background of the breeder before purchasing any Labradoodle, Cunningham said.
"A breeder needs to start with health certified multi-generation Australian Labradoodles," Cunningham said. "They need to be aware of responsible dog ownership and breeding, and follow the guidelines of such."
The positive characteristics of Labradoodles, however, don't stop with their allergy-friendly nature.
The Labradoodle in general is relatively low maintenance when it comes to typical dog care. According to the Rutland-Manor Web site, they seldom if ever need bathing, and only require a medium to low amount of exercise.
"I don't think I want a dog now, but maybe later in my life after college," said first-year Engineering student Stephen Guy, who has allergic reactions to dogs. "I would definitely look into" [the Labradoodle].
In addition to being hypoallergenic, they are very intelligent and social dogs, but this often can make them needy for attention.
"Australian Labradoodles are also incredibly intellectual, making them wonderful assistance dogs and also agility competition dogs," Cunningham said.
A standard Labradoodle is approximately the size of a large Labrador, but more athletically built, according to the Tegan Park Web site. They are 20 to 26 inches in height and weigh 55 to 77 lbs. Both Tegan Park and Rutland-Manor currently are developing medium and miniature sized Labradoodles for people who would prefer a small dog.
Both breeding centers breed Labradoodles in a variety of colors, including chalk/milky white, shades of cream, apricot, gold, black chocolate and silver.
Rutland-Manor claims that all 387 Labradoodle owners in the United States who adopted from its breeding center are happy with their pets and have encountered no allergic problems.
Berman could become number 388.
"I'm very excited about hearing about the Labradoodle," Berman said. "I will definitely look into them, but not until after college"
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