KQED's Forum How the Labradoodle Unleashed An Industry
Mar 27, 2026
Laurie Routhier, CEO of Muttville, brings shelter and adoption perspective. Danica Bannasch, UC Davis veterinary geneticist, explains breeding and coat genetics. John Seabrook, New Yorker staff writer, traces the cultural rise of doodles. They discuss how the labradoodle began, why doodles became a craze, ethical breeding versus mills, grooming and coat unpredictability, and adoption versus buying.
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Impulsive Adoption Led To Lasting Doodle Love
- John Seabrook impulsively adopted a doodle after seeing a neighbor's litter and quickly bonded with the puppy Herman in September 2024.
- He contrasted his comfort with mutts and rescue dogs to prior purebred experiences plagued by hereditary issues like deafness and hip dysplasia.
Labradoodle Origin Fueled A Marketing Phenomenon
- The modern doodle craze began with an Australian breeder crossing a Labrador and poodle to make a non-shedding guide dog for an allergic blind person in the late 1980s.
- The name 'labradoodle' and marketing around a hypoallergenic, therapeutic dog sparked wider crossbreeding into golden doodles, cavapoos, and more.
Social Media Turned Doodles Into An Easy Sell
- Doodles thrive on social media because their 'teddy bear' faces and groomed looks are highly shareable, making marketing central to their popularity.
- John Seabrook argues the very term 'labradoodle' is a marketing construct that helped scale demand.