Curtis Rist
10/01/2004
As I look back on it now, I realize I had been starving for a dog.
Living in a small New York City apartment made owning a canine pal unwise, but having world-class allergies made it risky. For 20 years, no dog crossed my path, until a friend introduced me to her Australian labradoodle. “She doesn’t shed,” she told me. “And most people aren’t allergic to her.” I pet the dog (while holding my breath), and realized quickly she was right. There was no shedding, revealed by a quick glance at her hair-free couch, and no wheezing from me. To top it off, the dog was cute beyond words: vivacious with a body full of loose curls that reminded me of reggae master Bob Marley. “This is the dog for me,” I thought, and added my family’s name to the lengthy wait-list for a puppy.
While labradoodles may not have the American Kennel Club seal of approval in the way that, say, a borzoi does, they have something else—a pedigree of purpose as friendly and healthy family companions. First bred in the 1980s by the Royal Guide Dogs in Australia, the dog mixes a Labrador retriever with a standard poodle in a novel attempt to produce an allergy-friendly guide dog. The result is an animal with the intelligence of the poodle and the sweetness and loyalty of a Lab. The fact that it comes in such an endearing package is a bonus. In the first crossing, hair and saliva samples from one of the pups appeared not to aggravate allergies, and subsequent dogs were bred. The name “labradoodle” was coined, and soon guide dog breeders were producing “double doodles,” crossings of first-generation dogs, as well as “tri doodles,” crossings of second-generation dogs. The more they bred, the more they were selected for nonshed qualities, beautiful coats and temperaments.
In a world in which animal shelters are beyond capacity, what right does anyone have to produce a new breed? I think I have the answer. In addition to producing a winning dog, the labradoodle crosses have, in most cases, yielded puppies that appear to be less prone to genetic abnormalities such as hip dysplasia and blindness that plague both poodles and Labs. Their gentle temperament, which makes them reliable and safe family companions, results not by chance, but through careful choices in breeding. Good genes do not come cheap, of course. Because of the care in selecting unrelated lines and producing consistent-looking puppies, breeders raising true Australian labradoodles—as opposed to random poodle-Lab crosses—usually charge $2,000 to $3,000 for family pets, and $10,000 to $15,000 for breeding pups.
Petability Factor
Having left New York City for a home in the country, I have more than made up for my years of dog deprivation. In addition to our first labradoodle, a beautiful black female named Cha Cha, we have added Baby Joey, a chocolate stud male from Australia, and Miss Winter, Cha Cha’s sister. Three new pups have arrived from Tasmania, and each has found a place in our home. My wife, Lynn, and I had long wanted to involve our sons, Edwin, 15, and Anton, 11, in a family project to make use of the land around us. Lynn had lobbied for herbs, but these always lacked a certain petability to me; likewise, everyone vetoed my suggestion of American bison, citing similar concerns. Suddenly dogs—or, to be specific, these dogs—seemed the right choice.
Beyond the sheer entertainment of witnessing the entanglement of dog personalities every day—which could rival any Jane Austen novel for its petty clashes, romantic reunions and comic intrigue—raising dogs has brought us together as a family. It is a critical time not just for us, but for any family with children reaching the threshold of adulthood, and my wife and I are beginning to wonder what life will hold when they move on. The dogs have given us a common link at a moment when many families find themselves driven apart.
We are awaiting our first labradoodle litter, and I suspect that the all-night labor and round-the-clock puppy care will raise our household pandemonium to a new level. Yet by working together and opening ourselves up to new experiences, in the true spirit of running a family business, I know we will thrive on it—as will our dogs.
 | Curtis Rist, a writer, building contractor and dog breeder, lives with his family in Claverack, N.Y. He can be reached at rist@taconic.net. |