Labs x Goldens, new breed...?

Lixx · 08-03-2005, 03:34 PM

I was just watching pet friends on the pet network (or rather it was on in the background) and I wasn't paying too much attention until a man said "we're actually breeding Labs and Golden Ret. together on purpose because they make excellent guide dogs". Now I can understand the need for good guide dogs, but I am sure not all of these puppies (maybe not even half?) turn into good guide dogs. Does anyone know if this is a real new breed someone is working on for this benifit, or are these simply more mutts being poured out into a world where there just aren't enough homes?

Ninja · 08-03-2005, 04:01 PM

Reminds me of the people who are breeding labradoodles, etc etc making more mutts and selling them as if they invented a new breed.
Goldens, labs, gsd have all proven to be great as guide dogs, why mix and match...

SIChins · 08-03-2005, 04:11 PM

I have met a few labradoodles, and well, I love them. They are so intelligent, and learn fast, it is amazing. But anyways, labradoodles are being bred to use as aids, etc. because like a poodle, they learn fast, but have the dedication and hardiness of a lab. I don't see the point in crossing the labs and golden retreivers though, since both dogs are retreivers, it doesn't make sense

velvetrabbit · 08-03-2005, 06:09 PM

Apparently the biggest trend in the dog world these days are "designer dogs"

Tim's mom recently bought such a mutt. A Shibo Inu crossed with a Spitz. Cute puppy, but Tim's mom bought a female with the intent to breed in the future. I menitoned how purposeless it truly is to breed crossbreeds unless you're attempting to work on creating a new breed, or using such breedings to improve a current breed. (Ie, if there are qualities that are lacking in one breed, using the occaisional breeding to another to improve those). But what do I know about breeding animals?

Sheesh, that woman tries my patience.

Solarsis · 08-03-2005, 06:43 PM

I've actually seen the golden labradors as guide dogs! There are a few people around my office building who use them. I'm not sure what the use of the cross breed is, but they sure make stunning guide dogs.

I just checked on dogbreedinfo.com and they say the golden labrador combines the qualities of both labs and goldens. When reading the golden retreiver temperament profile, it says the dog is easily distractable and can be overexhuberant. And for labs it says they can be very independent and dominant. I wonder if by mixing the two breeds, they get a better qualification rate for guide dogs as the good traits of one breed balance out the faults of the other? Maybe more of these mixed breed dogs end up actually becoming guide dogs as opposed to one of their pure breed counterparts?

SIChins · 08-03-2005, 06:50 PM

If they are being used as guide dogs, then there is usually a reason (as Sophie stated) why the two breeds are mixed. The labradoodle started when a person in Austraila needed a non shedding, hypo-allergenic guide dog.

jennawing · 08-03-2005, 07:04 PM

There are plenty of crosss puppies in shelters- and I know many of them have ben used for service dogs. The same principals they use to choose which of their mixed litters to put into the program can be applied to shelter pets. I don't get this intentional crossing of breeds. It doesn't make a new breed- it just makes mutts- which there are plenty of already that need homes.

willamettevalleychins · 08-04-2005, 01:37 AM

I have to agree with Jennawing, there are enough dogs in shelters that they can train as guide dogs why breed more into the world when there are not enough homes for the ones we have.

Lixx · 08-04-2005, 03:37 PM

I don't know if I've met a labradoodle, but I've met plenty of goldiepoos, and they are all NUTS! I really think that if they want to make better dogs then create a line of labs (or whatever) for that purpose. (Like working boarder collies and 'show' dogs). If they could guarantee that EVERY puppy produced from those pairings became a guide dog, then I could see it. But really all this does is create more cast offs.

rowan_zugpferd · 08-05-2005, 07:04 AM

The guy that I got Humpfree from crossbreds Anatolians and Great Pyrenees to get less aggressive than Anatolian and some what lighter than Great Pyr dogs. He uses them on his sheep farm, and claims that they are better dogs than either full bred. I personally think that the guy is out of his flippin' mind. There is no way to gaurantee when cross breeding that you will the desired characteristics of each bred. Half the dogs he ends up with aren't what he wants, so he sells them on the side of the road for $20, it is so sad. There is no need for that many unwanted crossbreds, especially since Pyr/Anatolian crosses don't always make good pets for the inexperienced dog owner.

Humpfree came about when he did not have his female Pyr properly contained, and the neighbours Pyr/Anatolian/Newfoundland cross male got out. The guy didn't want any of those puppies because of the Newfie in them, so he gave them away. All of his sisters went very quickly because they were friendly, playful, balls of white fluff. Humpf was shy and spotted, well frankly he was quite comical looking. The really didn't want him and was making jokes about taking a drive down a country road and dumping him, so I when I went to pick up hay, I came home with a puppy.

It is such a shame when people bred their pets for no other reason than to please themselves. That is why this world is filled with so many unwanted animals, People always put themselves first and not the wellfare of their animals. I think that it is just another form of animal abuse when people bred half knowing that the offspring will end up being dumped at a shelter.