conron
The breeder of the world's first Labradoodle warns over-breeding threatens to turn into a 'monster
One of the most coveted and recognizable dogs, the labradoodle, may actually be a'monster,' says the breed's progenitor. According to Wally Conron, an Australia native who was the first person to breed the labradoodle - a cross between a poodle and a labrador - the dog opened up a'Pandora's Box.' 'I bred the labradoodle for a blind lady whose husband was allergic to dog hair,' Conron told Australia Broadcast Network. 'She wanted to know if we could come up with a dog that she could use as a guide dog and her husband wouldn't be allergic to.' The issue, says Conron, who was working for the Royal Guide Dogs Association of Australia at the time, wasn't in finding a breed less harsh on one's allergies, it was finding one that was hypoallergenic and had the right temperament. Poodles, though they met the shedding criteria, didn't quite have the same friendliness factor as labradors, so Conron decided to mix the two.