Have you heard of the labradoodle? These labrador-poodle mixes are increasing in popularity for their intelligence, non-shedding coats, and energetic, loyal nature. It might seem crazy, but these unique dogs would never have been a thing if it weren’t for a letter from a blind Hawaiian woman. In 1989, Wally Conron, an Australian dog trainer, was working to train guide dogs when he received a letter from a vision-impaired Hawaiian woman whose husband was allergic to dogs. In fulfilling her request, he created the labradoodle.
Wally Conron was a dog trainer from Australia. His job was to train guide dogs that would help people. One day, he received a letter. It was from a blind woman from Hawaii. She needed a guide dog, but her husband was allergic to dogs. Wally Conron needed to find them a suitable dog. First, he tried poodles. They were hypoallergenic, but didn’t have the necessary attributes to become a guide dog. His boss pressured him to make a risky move: Cross a poodle with a Labrador retriever. The Labrador’s intelligent, loyal, and dedicated personality mixed with the poodle’s hypoallergenic coat could create the perfect dog. It worked. One of the new puppies was the perfect dog and worked for the Hawaiian couple for many years.
After this success, Conron tried breeding more, but he faced challenges. The Kennel Club, the organization that manages the breeding, showing, and promotion of many breeds, refused to accept the labradoodle as a breed. They would not send him male poodles for breeding. Thankfully for Conron, he found a smaller breeder who agreed to give him poodles. That wasn’t the only challenge. Many people did not want a mixed breed and would not buy the labradoodle. Conron’s solution was to announce that he had created a new breed. Instantly, people changed their minds. They all wanted one of these new dogs. Wally Conron was succeeding in his creation.
Unfortunately, those weren’t the only challenges that Conron faced. Since the beginning, the Kennel Club was not the only opposition to the labradoodle. Many pure-bred breeders were also against Conron. They claimed that he was “corrupting” their work and taking customers away from them. The hate became too much for Conron, so he eventually retired his Labradoodle breeding program.
Other breeders continued his work and helped grow the breed. They even added other breeds, such as the Cocker Spaniel, into the mix. This created a new type of labradoodle: The Australian Labradoodle. Now, both the Labradoodle and the Australian Labradoodle are very popular and loved by millions.
Shockingly, Wally Conron is not one of those millions. In a 2019 interview, he revealed that he actually regrets what he did. “I opened a Pandora’s box and released a Frankenstein monster,” he said. He feels this way because “unethical, ruthless breeders” are breeding these dogs for money. He also says that many of these dogs are not well-behaved. “I find that the biggest majority are either crazy or have a hereditary problem.”
His words sparked controversy, some agreeing and some not. Many labradoodle owners say that their dogs are the opposite of what Conron had described them as. Despite Conron’s words, the labradoodle is a growing and popular breed.