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08-14-2008, 08:05 PM
Designer Dogs or Dogs of Good Design...
Edie MacKenzie, Star Tribune
Originally published in TC Dog in 2006.
For over 100,000 years dogs and humans have enjoyed a symbiotic and profitable relationship. That association began when early wolves would scavenge near human encampments and enjoy the warmth of their fires. As time went on, man expanded his relationship with wolves, beyond providing warning and protection, into joint hunting efforts. And as this relationship evolved, so did the wolf. Roughly 100,000 years ago, today's dog (Canis Familiaris) began to develop from Canis Lupus, the wolf.
From that time forward, man molded dogs for his own purposes. The first archeological evidence of selective breeding occurred around 7,000 BC in early Mesopotamia. The Mesopotamians recognized the Arabian Desert wolf as an impressive hunter since it was lighter and swifter than its relatives. So over time, and with selective breeding, the Mesopotamians developed from this animal the first example of a purebred dog. And that do! g still exists today and is known as the Saluki or Persian Greyhound.
Let's fast forward to the present day because all you need to do is stroll down any street to see all of the different breeds created to fill a special need for humans. For example, the giant Newfoundland was bred to pull nets for fishermen. The dachshund was bred to dig and hunt badgers. Poodles were originally bred as a water dog used to retrieve waterfowl. And even the original lapdog, the Tibetan spaniel, was bred to warm the bodies of the Buddhist monks while they prayed. One of the most important new jobs dogs perform is being guide dogs for the visually impaired. Johann Wilhelm Klein founded an institute for the blind in Vienna in 1819. There, he began training dogs as guides. Unfortunately, it was almost 100 years later before his program gained any attention outside of Austria. In Germany, Dr. Gerhard Stalling founded a school entirely dedicated to training guide dogs in response to the increasing number of soldiers blinded during World War I. The development of specific breeds continues into the 21st century. The Labradoodle, the first dog to be labeled a "designer dog," was developed in the late 1980s to fill a void in human/dog world, an allergy-friendly guide dog.
The Labradoodle is a unique dog with a fascinating history. Their story begins in Australia. It all started with an inquiry from a visually impaired woman in Hawaii, who wanted a guide dog that wouldn't cause her husband's allergies to flare. In response to the women's request, roughly 30 hair and saliva samples were sent to Hawaii to test for allergy friendliness over a two-year period of time. Unfortunately, none on those original samples proved successful. Following the failure of those samples, a man named Wally Conren suggested to the manager of the Australian Guide Dog Association to cross a Labrador retriever and a standard poodle. Approval was granted, and his first litter produced three puppies. Wally gave the resulting cross the name still in use today-Labradoodle. From those three puppies, hair and ! saliva samples were sent to Hawaii for testing once again. And this time, the samples from a puppy named Sultan were successful.
These were dogs bred with intent-developed as a specialized service dog. Their development was not some chic attempt to create a "designer dog." The development of the Labradoodle, and later the Goldendoodle (a golden retriever /poodle hybrid), allowed people needing a service dog, but who suffered from dog allergies, to finally get the help they needed to make life more manageable.
And like their cousins the Labrador retriever and golden retriever, and so many other dogs no longer performing the services for which they were bred, most Labradoodles and Goldendoodles live the life of a beloved pet while a few perform the work for which they were originally developed. However, that does not negate the importance and life changing benefits these dogs bring to those needing an allergy-friendly pet.
Unfortunately, most people don't realize how and why these dogs came to exist. Designer dogs actually began as dogs of good design.
However, this good design has be! en corrupted by people breeding hybrids purely to make money, not to create a healthy, useful dog. Their only creations are dogs with cute names, rather than dogs with a purpose. My happy accidents, Kayleigh and Sadie are/were both golden retriever/ lab mixes. Now known as Goldadors. The all-important intent has been sacrificed at the alter of human greed.
Unfortunately, the original intent and purpose of the Labradoodle and Goldendoodle hybrid development has been lost in the media hype over designer dogs.
CONT. IN NEXT POST
Edie MacKenzie, Star Tribune
Originally published in TC Dog in 2006.
For over 100,000 years dogs and humans have enjoyed a symbiotic and profitable relationship. That association began when early wolves would scavenge near human encampments and enjoy the warmth of their fires. As time went on, man expanded his relationship with wolves, beyond providing warning and protection, into joint hunting efforts. And as this relationship evolved, so did the wolf. Roughly 100,000 years ago, today's dog (Canis Familiaris) began to develop from Canis Lupus, the wolf.
From that time forward, man molded dogs for his own purposes. The first archeological evidence of selective breeding occurred around 7,000 BC in early Mesopotamia. The Mesopotamians recognized the Arabian Desert wolf as an impressive hunter since it was lighter and swifter than its relatives. So over time, and with selective breeding, the Mesopotamians developed from this animal the first example of a purebred dog. And that do! g still exists today and is known as the Saluki or Persian Greyhound.
Let's fast forward to the present day because all you need to do is stroll down any street to see all of the different breeds created to fill a special need for humans. For example, the giant Newfoundland was bred to pull nets for fishermen. The dachshund was bred to dig and hunt badgers. Poodles were originally bred as a water dog used to retrieve waterfowl. And even the original lapdog, the Tibetan spaniel, was bred to warm the bodies of the Buddhist monks while they prayed. One of the most important new jobs dogs perform is being guide dogs for the visually impaired. Johann Wilhelm Klein founded an institute for the blind in Vienna in 1819. There, he began training dogs as guides. Unfortunately, it was almost 100 years later before his program gained any attention outside of Austria. In Germany, Dr. Gerhard Stalling founded a school entirely dedicated to training guide dogs in response to the increasing number of soldiers blinded during World War I. The development of specific breeds continues into the 21st century. The Labradoodle, the first dog to be labeled a "designer dog," was developed in the late 1980s to fill a void in human/dog world, an allergy-friendly guide dog.
The Labradoodle is a unique dog with a fascinating history. Their story begins in Australia. It all started with an inquiry from a visually impaired woman in Hawaii, who wanted a guide dog that wouldn't cause her husband's allergies to flare. In response to the women's request, roughly 30 hair and saliva samples were sent to Hawaii to test for allergy friendliness over a two-year period of time. Unfortunately, none on those original samples proved successful. Following the failure of those samples, a man named Wally Conren suggested to the manager of the Australian Guide Dog Association to cross a Labrador retriever and a standard poodle. Approval was granted, and his first litter produced three puppies. Wally gave the resulting cross the name still in use today-Labradoodle. From those three puppies, hair and ! saliva samples were sent to Hawaii for testing once again. And this time, the samples from a puppy named Sultan were successful.
These were dogs bred with intent-developed as a specialized service dog. Their development was not some chic attempt to create a "designer dog." The development of the Labradoodle, and later the Goldendoodle (a golden retriever /poodle hybrid), allowed people needing a service dog, but who suffered from dog allergies, to finally get the help they needed to make life more manageable.
And like their cousins the Labrador retriever and golden retriever, and so many other dogs no longer performing the services for which they were bred, most Labradoodles and Goldendoodles live the life of a beloved pet while a few perform the work for which they were originally developed. However, that does not negate the importance and life changing benefits these dogs bring to those needing an allergy-friendly pet.
Unfortunately, most people don't realize how and why these dogs came to exist. Designer dogs actually began as dogs of good design.
However, this good design has be! en corrupted by people breeding hybrids purely to make money, not to create a healthy, useful dog. Their only creations are dogs with cute names, rather than dogs with a purpose. My happy accidents, Kayleigh and Sadie are/were both golden retriever/ lab mixes. Now known as Goldadors. The all-important intent has been sacrificed at the alter of human greed.
Unfortunately, the original intent and purpose of the Labradoodle and Goldendoodle hybrid development has been lost in the media hype over designer dogs.
CONT. IN NEXT POST