The man who created the first labradoodle, a now popular crossbreed of dog, says that the decision was his “life’s regret.”
Wally Conron, 90, who bred the first labrador-poodle mix in 1989, said that his creation got out of hand. He lamented that the pooches have become a “fashion accessory.”
“I opened a Pandora box and released a Frankenstein monster,” Conron said on a recent podcast by the Australian Broadcasting Association.
Conron said he didn’t originally breed the dog for aesthetic purposes, but rather for a blind person who was allergic to dogs. He worked with Guide Dogs Victoria in Australia at the time of the creation.
“I bred the labradoodle for a blind lady whose husband was allergic to dog hair,” he said. “Why people are breeding them today, I haven’t got a clue.”
Conron is credited with starting a frenzied craze of crossbred canines, with breeders now shilling puggles, cockapoos, shih poos, and goldendoodles.
He said that he felt bad for blazing the trail for people more concerned with profit than the well-being of the pets they breed and noted that many of the crossbreeds suffer from health problems.
“I find that the biggest majority are either crazy or have a hereditary problem,” Conron said.
Amy Murphy, president of the Australian Labradoodle Club of America, said she does not share Conron’s sentiments at all.
“All dogs are crazy,” Murphy said, adding that labradoodles are “quirky and fun-loving.”
