The Man Who ‘Invented’ the Labradoodle Called the Dog Crossbreed His Biggest Regret

Many inventors regret their most famous inventions: The scientists behind the atomic bomb, the creator of the AK-47, and, as he revealed in a 2019 interview, the dog breeder behind the Labradoodle.

“I opened a Pandora’s box and released a Frankenstein[’s] monster,” Wally Conron told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation when he was 90 years old, calling the designer dog breed his “life’s regret.”

According to the BBC, the Australian breeder created the Labradoodle in 1989 to meet the specific needs of one couple from Hawaii. The wife was blind and needed a guide dog, but her husband was allergic to the type of long hair often found on typical service dogs, such as labs. Conron’s solution was to crossbreed a poodle with a Labrador. That way, his clients would have a dog with the obedience and temperament of a Lab and the short, curly coat of a poodle.

The experiment produced some unintended consequences: Labradoodles are prone to a number of health problems, such as epilepsy and hip dysplasia. They’re also incredibly adorable, which has been enough to make them a popular pet breed despite their genetic baggage.

Since the inception of the Labradoodle, designer crossbreeds have become a hot trend in the dog world. Conron says that the practice has encouraged breeders to cross poodles with “inappropriate” breeds, prioritizing cuteness and novelty over the dogs’ wellbeing.

Health issues aren’t exclusive to Labradoodles. Many designer dogs are more vulnerable to hereditary diseases that make life harder for both the pooches and their owners. That’s one more reason to adopt instead of shop—even if it means the dog you take home doesn’t have a catchy breed name.

Read More Stories About Dogs Here: