- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
Welcome to Paws and Effect, a pet expert advice column penned by longtime Rover contributor and award-winning pet writer, Jen Reeder. From navigating squishy social scenarios and murky ethical territory to burning behavioral or moral questions about cats and dogs, Jen uses her years of experience and hard-earned instincts to find real solutions for real pet people. Got a question for Jen? Email: pawsandeffect@rover.com
Hi Jen,
I’ve been wanting to get my own dog forever and I’m finally ready for a Doodle, the breed I’ve had my heart set on for years. I’m excited that not only are they are supposed to be hypoallergenic, they are adorable. With that curly coat and those floppy ears, what’s not to love?
Unfortunately, a friend of mine says that Doodles aren’t actually a recognized breed by the professional breed associations. She says there aren’t any regulations around breeding Doodles, which means if I adopted one I would likely be getting one that’s inbred or from a puppy mill. Is this true? And, if so, does wanting a Doodle make me a bad person? Is there a way to find a reputable breeder in this scenario? And why is no one talking about this?!? Doodles have been popular for a long time and I had no idea they were a controversial type of dog.
Signed, Crazy for Doodles
Dear Crazy for Doodles,
Doodles are certainly adorable, but your friend is right: purposely bred hybrids like Labradoodles and Goldendoodles aren’t recognized by any major breed associations, like the American Kennel Club and United Kennel Club. So, people who breed so-called “designer dogs” have no health standards or guidelines to go on.
For over a decade, I’ve written articles encouraging people to adopt pets from animal shelters and rescue organizations whenever possible, or to acquire a dog from a reputable breeder. To be honest, the Doodle craze has made me feel like banging my head against the wall in frustration.
I’m not alone. Wally Conron, the man who “invented” Doodles by crossing a Labrador Retriever and Standard Poodle back in 1989, says his “Frankenstein” creation is his life’s greatest regret. He had good intentions cross breeding them for a guide dog organization, but laments that he paved the way for unethical people to breed them to make money.
You’re not a bad person for wanting a Doodle. One of my neighbors adopted a Goldendoodle named Benny as a puppy from a rescue group. That happy fuzzball helped me get through the death of my dog Peach earlier this year by squirming excitedly whenever we ran into each other for cuddles. I love him.
Plus, I must admit that my husband and I inadvertently adopted a “designer breed” from the 113-year-old nonprofit Dumb Friends League this summer.
The shelter team guessed Tux was a Shih Tzu mix, but I was curious, and the results of his Embark DNA test came back 50% Yorkshire Terrier, 42.3% Maltese, and 7.7% Havanese.
A quick Google search revealed there’s a goofy name for a Maltese crossed with a Yorkie.
We’d adopted a Morkie.
Tux is ridiculously cute—he even has a little “blep” with the tip of his tongue sticking out—and people ask me all the time what type of dog he is. Because I don’t want to contribute to the problem of people intentionally breeding Morkies, I usually say, “He’s a Yorkshire Terrier mix. We adopted him from the Dumb Friends League!”
The author and her husband adopted Tux, a 5-year-old Morkie who was relinquished to a Denver animal shelter for being an “escape artist.” from Photo credit: Jen Reeder
So here’s the good news for you: you can adopt a “designer breed” like a Morkie or a Labradoodle from your local shelter or rescue. In fact, they’re increasingly available at shelters across the country, according to a new survey from the nonprofit Shelter Animals Count, which maintains a national database of animal sheltering statistics.
In the survey, more than 60% of respondents—which included 314 participants from animal shelters and rescue organizations in 45 U.S. states—reported they’re receiving Doodles and other intentionally mixed breeds, according to Stephanie Filer, executive director of Shelter Animals Count.
“Anytime that dogs are popular family dogs, we see them represented in shelters. In Doodles, there’s been a sustained popularity,” she told me. “There are a lot of shelters that are receiving them, and we are still continuing to see major puppy mill busts involving them as well.”
For instance, this fall, nonprofits like the Humane Society for Boone County and Animal Rescue League of Iowa worked with the local sheriff’s department to rescue nearly 100 dogs (including many Doodles) from a puppy mill in Iowa.
Animal shelters are getting both designer breeds and purebreds from puppy mill busts as well as owner surrenders, leftover puppies breeders can’t sell, moms that arrive with nursing litters, accidental litters, and breeder dogs who are no longer wanted, Filer noted. The survey found nearly 90% of shelters and rescues are receiving puppies, and nearly 60% are receiving surrenders and surrender requests of dogs that people paid a lot of money for and now can’t afford, or otherwise don’t want, to keep.
Respondents cited 45 different hybrid breeds recently received, including Goldendoodle, Labradoodle, Bernedoodle, Aussiedoodle, Sheepadoodle, Huskydoodle, Schnoodle, Yorkipoo, Cockapoo, Puggle, Chiweenie…you get the picture.
Doodles are available for adoption at animal shelters and rescue organizations across the country. Adopting a dog saves their life as well as the dog who can then get into their empty kennel. Photo from AdoptAPet.com
So like Filer and rescue advocates across the country, I hope you’ll head to a shelter or rescue to find the Doodle of your dreams. She noted adoption is a more affordable option than buying from a breeder, and typically shelter pets are already up to date on vaccinations and spayed or neutered, so you save on veterinary care as well.
More importantly, shelters are in crisis right now and need our help.
Shelter Animals Count data shows shelters nationwide are in the third year of having too many animals and not enough adoptions.
“Currently shelters are inundated with too many dogs, and frankly, they’re having to make excruciating, heartbreaking decisions and euthanizing perfectly healthy dogs because they don’t have enough space,” she said. “And that is not the fault of the shelter. It’s a failure of the community—and that includes a decrease in popularity of people adopting dogs from shelters, simply put. Adopting from a shelter will literally save a life.”
Stephanie Filer, executive director of the nonprofit Shelter Animals Count, smiles alongside her rescue dogs (from left to right) Marley, Raz, Freedom, and Deuce. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Filer
On a lighter note, adopting a dog is fun! Shelters take their best breed guess based on a dog’s appearance, but when you do a DNA test, you can create your own breed name. A DNA test for one of Filer’s many rescues, Raz, came back as a Labrador, Husky, and Chow Chow mix. So she made up his breed name and told everyone he was a “Labrachowsky.”
“There’s a lot of fun surprises you can have when you adopt a pet from a shelter,” she said.
To help in your search, Filer suggests perusing pets on adoption sites like PetFinder.com or AdoptAPet.com, which also has the option of adopting directly from an owner looking to rehome their pet.
So Crazy for Doodles, I’m super grateful to you for being so thoughtful about how to welcome your first dog into your home. I hope you find the perfect fit, and that when you two head out for adventures together, you’ll proudly tell everyone, “I got her from a shelter!”
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