Goldendoodles, labradoodles, bernedoodles, aussidoodles, yorkipoos and maltipoos are very common household pets. They are crosses between a poodle and another breed to produce low-shedding, curly-coated versions. They may seem like good options as family pets, but they come with underlying problems.
On an average day in America, there are millions of cats and dogs roaming the streets, and, according to the ASPC, about a fifth of the ones in shelters end up euthanised because of the overwhelmed capacity. There is a massive overpopulation problem, and breeding doodles accentuates it. There is an extremely high demand for doodles, which increases the number of breeders looking for big money from litters of puppies. Because the money is so appealing, many breeders are unethical in their work, skipping health checks on parents and denying proper or safe care. Plus, it is difficult to define “ethical” puppies when it comes to mixes, since there is no standard, making it harder for even the most informed breeders to give the dogs good lives. Breeders keep selling doodle puppies because misinformed people continue to buy them, even though there are millions of homeless dogs already. According to PETA, even the creator of the labradoodle, Wally Conron, believed the creation and exploitation of the dogs was a harmful mistake, saying he “released a Frankenstein’s monster.”
When combining dog breeds, puppies can inherit both parents’ health concerns, meaning they have substantial medical histories. This is only exacerbated by the lack of health screening by the aforementioned breeders. Their fur can form painful mats, worsened by the double coats they can inherit from non-poodle parents. According to PETA, Goldendoodles and labradoodles are prone to hip and elbow dysplasia, while Bernedoodles can inherit joint problems and retinal atrophy, which causes blindness. All types of doodles are prone to chronic ear infections, allergies, skin conditions and other eye disorders. Any dog can inherit a condition of any kind, but doodles have a much higher chance, and without informed and prepared owners, the dog’s quality of life will plummet.
Whenever someone is allergic to dogs but still wants one, they often look for “hypoallergenic” dogs. The protein that creates the allergen is found in the dog’s saliva and dander, not their fur. While the fur type of doodles sheds less and reduces dander, it is still there, and by no means hypoallergenic. People are just as allergic to doodles as they are to any other type of dog, and while reactions vary depending on the person, the same precautions should be taken no matter the breed. All pets have saliva, meaning they all produce allergens, so no dog or doodle will ever be truly hypoallergenic, and you shouldn’t buy an unethical dog just because of it.
Doodles can inherit a variety of temperaments, but they are often unstable because of their parent breeds. While some are great companions, others are rife with fear, reactivity and aggression. Not only can they be socially challenged around other dogs, but they generally show more inanimate fear than their purebred parents, meaning they exhibit separation anxiety, fear of inanimate objects and fear of loud noises, among other things. Overall, behavior is a mixture of genes and environment. However, because of doodles’ genes, they are predisposed to behavior challenges. Genetics matter.
There are so many other options when looking for a dog. Shelters have any kind of dog you could imagine, and ethical breeders can be found through research. If someone is so desperate for a curly-haired dog, an actual poodle is one of many better options, so a doodle is not even close to the only resort. When in doubt, any dog is a good dog, purebred or not. But if you are going to buy a doodle, you need to be responsible.
