Of labradoodles and pit bulls

Graces7

Being "fairly" new to dogs, I am always interested in the ones who pass our market stall ..

Last weekend a hearthrug, called a labradoodle. Crazy mixture. Just a fad?

Early today, a black dog smaller than our collie. Soft as a brush....When I asked as I always do, what breed,,, Americal Pit bull. I had never seen one in the flesh. The man was hesitant to tell me the breed, and we had quite a chat.

Having read the threads here I understood his situation; he lives in the North.. says he has to muzzle the dog there but not here.. told me of one man seeing the dog and shouting that he would shoot the dog.

A gentler boy I have yet to meet.

He was rescued, was Bruno; we meet a lot of rescue dogs, which is great.They are smaller than I thought they would be. Shows what adverse publicity does....

Also met a wee springer 5 month old ; on an improvised leash as the girl said it it was too hot to leave her in the car.... nice to hear that.

pwd

Do you mind if I comment on your blog?
I don't remember hearing of labradoodles before. I can understand the attraction for a certain kind of person. Cross between a fun friendly dog and one that looks prissy. Both breeds are intelligent I think too.
The negative publicity surrounding certain breeds of dog is an emotive issue I think.
I have no doubt that the media is somewhat hysterical a lot of the time in the accounts of dogs turning vicious. I won't get into discussing the dangerousness or harmlessness of particular breeds.
I would say that a dog being generally gentle of temprament doesn't necessarily indicate that it would never become fierce. I worked in an animal shelter for a few months. There was a bulldog there which was probably the sappiest dog I have ever met. He was extremely gentle and affectionate. However I discovered that he had a few mental problems. He had been adopted by a couple, but had been so jealous of their existing pet greyhound that he killed it, and started to eat it... Really I think the dogs that do have it in them to savage their owners are the very emotional kinds, that often will be very gentle and affectionate in their normal demeanor.

tman

pwd wrote: »

I don't remember hearing of labradoodles before. I can understand the attraction for a certain kind of person. Cross between a fun friendly dog and one that looks prissy. Both breeds are intelligent I think too.

I think they're also great for people with allergies, in fact I think that might be the reason they were bred in the first place (seeing eye dogs for people with allergies)
My brother has a labradoodle and she's the soppiest dog I've ever met, surprisingly big too (larger than a typical lab)... An absolutely lovely dog!

EGAR

Pit Bulls are banned in Northern Ireland. They will be seized and pts'd.

They are on the Restricted Breeds list here and must be muzzled and leashed by law.

Kev M

pwd wrote: »

I don't remember hearing of labradoodles before. I can understand the attraction for a certain kind of person. Cross between a fun friendly dog and one that looks prissy.

Haha.. You obviously know very little about standard poodles.

ghost_ie

I hate this thing of turning a crossbreed into a new breed. My eldest is a lab/collie cross, a loveable and faithful mutt who I wouldn't change for the world, and I get quite annoyed with people who call her a Collidor.

The pit bull should be muzzled by law while it's down here, and kept on a lead

TooManyDogs

ghost_ie wrote: »

I get quite annoyed with people who call her a Collidor.

I have all cross breeds and I'll make up cross breed names for them just to annoy the people who have spent a fortune on their labradoodle, puggle or any other 'designer'. I've found it drives them nuts when I describe my lad as a 'labra-terrier', or another one as a 'span-herd' (spaniel x GSD). They'll try to tell me that theirs is 'a real labradoodle' and get quite thick that I'm trying to make out my rescue dogs I got off the street are the same as their expensive designer dog. :rolleyes: As my husband is always telling me, 'little amuses the simple!'

IvySlayer

It's a stupid law. My friends and I were playing footy in a field yesterday, there was a man there with his Staffy and he was a friendly fellow. Happily playing with his tennis ball.

There's also a jack russel near, who is a little snapper. If I walk by, he'll come out and bark and snap.

ISDW

ghost_ie wrote: »

I hate this thing of turning a crossbreed into a new breed. My eldest is a lab/collie cross, a loveable and faithful mutt who I wouldn't change for the world, and I get quite annoyed with people who call her a Collidor.

The pit bull should be muzzled by law while it's down here, and kept on a lead

To be fair (and I also hate the designer crossbreeds with stupid names) the Labradoodles have been around for a while now. They are an intentional breeding, originating from Australia where as a previous poster said, they were looking for a non-shedding guide dog. There are responsible, recognised breeders of these dogs who keep records and do health tests, so it is not inconceivable that they will become a recognised breed in the not too distant future. All breeds started with some kind of crossing:D

The pit bull should indeed be kept on a lead and muzzled while in ROI, but as EGAR points out, what the man said, was totally wrong, they are illegal in NI, so he wouldn't have to muzzle the dog there!

Graces7

ISDW wrote: »

To be fair (and I also hate the designer crossbreeds with stupid names) the Labradoodles have been around for a while now. They are an intentional breeding, originating from Australia where as a previous poster said, they were looking for a non-shedding guide dog. There are responsible, recognised breeders of these dogs who keep records and do health tests, so it is not inconceivable that they will become a recognised breed in the not too distant future. All breeds started with some kind of crossing:D

The pit bull should indeed be kept on a lead and muzzled while in ROI, but as EGAR points out, what the man said, was totally wrong, they are illegal in NI, so he wouldn't have to muzzle the dog there!

Interesting; saw the man and Bruno again on Sunday morning and noticed he was driving a ROI van...

Bruno was neither muzzled nor on a lead in a public place; right opposite the Garda barracks too.

He did ask us for a plastic bag when Bruno pooped... did not have one himself

As we are from Canada, involved in dog breeding, our "take" on labradoodles is a little different.. We are concerned with the indiscirmiminate beeding that is happening.

pwd

Kev M wrote: »

Haha.. You obviously know very little about standard poodles.

This is true. However, I know they look prissy, and I've read they are very intelligent. What's funny?

ISDW

Graces7 wrote: »

Interesting; saw the man and Bruno again on Sunday morning and noticed he was driving a ROI van...

Bruno was neither muzzled nor on a lead in a public place; right opposite the Garda barracks too.

He did ask us for a plastic bag when Bruno pooped... did not have one himself

As we are from Canada, involved in dog breeding, our "take" on labradoodles is a little different.. We are concerned with the indiscirmiminate beeding that is happening.

I don't quite understand what being from Canada has to do with anything, obviously I'm missing something:D but there is indiscriminate breeding in all breeds unfortunately. I see nothing wrong with people wanting a breed for a specific reason and being responsible about how they get that breed, i.e. by keeping breed records, doing health checks etc, and then getting the breed recognised by KCs. However, an excellent book to read on dogs is Dogs, a new understanding of canine origin, behaviour and evolution by Ray and Lorna Coppinger, where the topic of assistance dogs is discussed in a way I'd never considered before:)

EGAR

Graces7 wrote: »

are from Canada, involved in dog breeding, our "take" on labradoodles is a little different.. We are concerned with the indiscirmiminate beeding that is happening.

Being "fairly" new to dogs,

Perhaps I misunderstand but which is it? Or both?

Graces7

EGAR wrote: »

Perhaps I misunderstand but which is it? Or both?

lol

Both; family breeders, myself fairly new to dogs,, learning fast though. I can now identify most breeds I see accurately. My forte was Siamese cats, before I decided to put something back by taking in rescues.

Graces7

ISDW wrote: »

I don't quite understand what being from Canada has to do with anything, obviously I'm missing something:D but there is indiscriminate breeding in all breeds unfortunately. I see nothing wrong with people wanting a breed for a specific reason and being responsible about how they get that breed, i.e. by keeping breed records, doing health checks etc, and then getting the breed recognised by KCs. However, an excellent book to read on dogs is Dogs, a new understanding of canine origin, behaviour and evolution by Ray and Lorna Coppinger, where the topic of assistance dogs is discussed in a way I'd never considered before:)

Simply that what we are seeing in Canada is breeding with no consideration for bloodlines, genetics etc. Which of course you know can spell disaster. What are called "back yard breeders " there. Someone who has a labrador and someone else who has a poodle so wouldn't it be nice to let them mate and..

Kev M

pwd wrote: »

I know they look prissy, What's funny?

That is. I have a standard poodle (and a pitbull so kinda ironic in this thread lol) and have every person that sees him say 'is he a kerry blue?'.. that's because of the way his coat is cut. Obviously if you cut the coat like you see in show rings or like the classic french image of the big pink poodle then maybe i can see where prissy comes from .
In a sporting cut, without the facial hair taken in too short, the standard poodle doesn't look very prissy at all. They're very athletic and strong dogs also... Next time you see a big black terrier, look closer and it might in fact be a standard poodle.