Why are Labradoodles so Awesome?

1)      Labradoodles are derived from 2 awesome breeds.

For 21 years the Labrador Retriever has been America’s favorite dog and for good reason.  I have grown up with labs and know firsthand how easy they are to love.   They have a lot of active drive and practical purpose as a working companion (gun dog), yet are calm and obedient if trained properly.  Their loyalty and friendly temperament makes them outstanding pets. 

Poodles are another great breed.  These dogs have a lovely temperament!  However, what makes this breed really stand out is its intelligence.  The Poodle is tied neck and neck with the Border Collie for the title, "smartest dog breed" (except you don’t have to deal with those pesky herding instincts).  Finally, the cherry on top is the Poodle's "no-shed" coat.

2)      First generation Labradoodles are the product an awesome phenomenon called “Hybrid Vigor.”

I won’t put you to sleep with a complex, at length, discussion of genetics and Hybrid Vigor, so please keep in mind this is a very simplified explanation. 

As you know, pure bred dogs can suffer from genetic health issues that are usually breed specific (hip dysplasia, Canine Dwarfism, etc.)  This is because pure bred dogs have a high level of relatedness, and a low level of genetic variation.  This creates an environment ripe for the expression of bad recessive genes (bad traits like hip dysplasia).  However, when you cross two different breeds that have different problems, it opens the gene pool back up and hides the bad recessive traits under the dominant good genes from the other breed.  This is the phenomenon of Hybrid Vigor.  The longer that these breeds have been isolated in their own genetic pool, and the greater the genetic differences between the two breeds, the stronger the resulting Hybrid Vigor will be.  This creates a dog with fewer problems.  Hybrid dogs live longer, go to the vet less, are more fertile, and are more mentally stable. 

Basically, you start with really two awesome breeds and combine them.  The resulting progeny will have fewer health problems and better temperament than either of the starting breeds.  Plus, in the specific case of the Labradoodle, you might even luck out and get expression of those no-shed genes.  

Keep in mind that if a health issue is shared by both breeds, Hybrid Vigor will not help eliminate that problem (i.e. hip dysplasia).  That is why it is always important to make sure the proper health testing has been done!