Behavior Modification

Almost every day, someone on the street tells me that they don't understand how I get my dogs to be so well behaved. They also ask me why the dogs don't fight with one another. I think the second question is scary, and tells me that there are lots of dogs out there getting away with really bad and dangerous behavior.

I have only walked one truly dangerous dog, and eventually his owners had him euthanized because his behavior was so unpredictable. He would be fine with some people, and other times he would lunge at someone for no reason. He would walk past dogs a dozen times and ignore them, the next time he would be enraged at the sight of the same dog a block away. Walking him was not fun, mostly because he gave almost no cues. His posture/attitude wouldn't change until a split second before he acted - it was total defensive dogwalking, avoiding anything and everything that might set him off.

I watch my dogs all the time while I am walking them. I don't listen to music, and if I need to use my cellphone, I stop walking, make or take the call and then continue. Part of this is liability control - they are not my dogs and I am responsible for them when they are with me. Every day I see dog owners - and dog walkers - walking, oblivious to both the world around them and the dogs' behavior. They don't realize there is going to be a problem until it is happening, and by then it's too late to do much about it. They are constantly surprised by their dog's behavior because they don't see all the cues that occur beforehand. Any correction they make at that point is ineffective because it's too late.

Let's take a typical scenario: Mr. A is walking his dog, Brutus. Sometimes, Brutus lunges and barks at other dogs, surprising the hell out of Mr. A, who considers dogwalking time an opportunity for quiet contemplation of...whatever. Dogwalker, Ms. C, avoids Mr. A whenever possible because she knows he is completely oblivious to what his dog is doing. Brutus gives perfectly clear signals that he is going to lunge, by the way, obvious from the moment he spots another dog. He is okay with female dogs, but dislikes large male dogs a lot. Mr. A has stopped trying to correct the behavior because he doesn't see any improvement when he does make a correction.

Dog training, like comedy, relies heavily on timing.

When Brutus sees another dog, he assesses the dog's threat potential by scent, visual recognition and the attitude of the other dog. Depending on what he sees, he then either continues on his way or slows his pace and stiffens his whole body. (Some dogs will go into stalk mode, lowering their head and creeping toward the other dog.) Right then, when he slows and stiffens his posture, is when you need to redirect his attention. This is where you need to know your dog, and tailor your action to their personality. You can say their name, bump them with your leg, tug the leash or step into their path - or some combo of those - but the important thing is that the dog must look at you and not the other dog (or skateboard or whatever). When they look at you, then you can tell them either "no - leave it" or "I don't think so" or simply, "walk on". The important thing is to make clear what you want them to do - walk quietly and ignore the other dog. The more important thing is that you need to do this first time, every time, no excuses.

Lunging and barking at other dogs is the reward for the stalking behavior - which is the real "bad" behavior. Once the dog is barking and spraying spit at the other dog, he has already gotten what he wanted, and any correction or punishment at that point will be ineffective. You need to address the stalking/stiff posture/defensive pose by redirecting their attention to you, and encouraging and rewarding appropriate behavior.

Oh, here's an example of bad timing, by the way. I would see this guy walking a Benji-type dog all the time. At first, the dog was friendly, but very often the guy would pull the dog away and avoid other dogs for no apparent reason. Over time, Benji got suspicious of other dogs and began to bark as soon as he saw them. In an attempt to stop the behavior, as soon as Benji would get excited and bark the guy would give Benji a treat and ask him to sit. Are you with me so far? What happened was that Benji's barking frenzies got worse and worse - because the owner was rewarding the barking.

And my personal favorite is when I hear someone tell their dog, "Be nice!" in a conciliatory tone, as in "Oh, Brutus, be nice to the other doggy," while Brutus is doing his very best to get a piece of the other dog. This just makes me want to smack the person saying that. The dog does not understand what you are saying, and you've just made it clear to me that you are absofuckinglutely clueless and the dog's behavior is all your fault. Bad human!

This isn't a one-time deal. Behavior modification takes time, patience and attention to detail. So the next time you walk your dog, don't try to multitask, and pay attention to your dog's body language.

How to walk a dog, Part One

When I originally wrote this entry, I reread it a few days later and realized I sounded like a total hardass. Which wasn't my intention. Some of the problem, I think, is that I see people walking their dogs, getting dragged down the street or being bossed around by a ten pound hairball and I get pissed. So I decided to re-write this in a calmer moment.

What you are aiming for is a dog who walks next to you, on either side, without pulling. While this may sound like "heel", trust me, it's not.

First off, dog training is not about negotiation. I say "sit", you do it, end of story. It is not necessary for your dog to know the motivation for your asking them to sit. I stopped using treats because I found that they mask whether or not the dog understands what you are asking and why you are asking them to do it. Training with treats is faster and can be very effective, but you need to couple that with random reinforcement (rewarding the behavior on a random basis) in order to make it work permanently. I have a few dogs who get downright crazed if they think I have treats. Yes, they perform like manic circus animals, but it's all about the treat and not about actual obedience. You ask for sit and they do a down, on the principle that if sit is good, down is better. (Most people ask their dog to sit and then ask for down, and they don't get the treat until they're on the floor. Voila, sit is just something you do on the way to down.)

The walk actually starts before you even put the leash on the dog. Don't get the dog all pumped by asking in a squeaky, excited voice if it wants to go out. Of course they want to go out. Go, get the leash and call the dog to you. Better yet, go and put the leash on the dog. If the dog then tries to dash for the door, block them physically. Keep yourself between them and the door. Don't yell, don't plead; in fact, don't say anything. Once the dog calms down and looks at you for direction - and they will - walk to the door with the dog following you. Block them as many times as necessary - the idea is that you go out the door first and they follow you. The same thing goes for the elevator or the stairs. If you concentrate on not talking and just act out "no" you will be far more effective. If you absolutely must vocalize, limit yourself to non-words. A sharp "eh" or "hey" will get their attention, so will a sharp sideways tug on the leash.

All of this sets the stage for the actual walk. If you start out in charge, it's easier to stay in charge. Once you hit the street, keep the dog to one side and slightly behind you. If the dog tries to pass you, block them. Use your feet for small dogs, your whole leg or body for bigger ones.

Tailor your approach to the dog. Dogs that are already submissive will be relieved that you've taken charge. Other dogs, like a lot of terriers, will need more frequent reminders and will need to be convinced of your leadership qualities. Don't give up. In training, there is no such thing as a miracle cure.

Sure, I have taken strange dogs out for a walk and had them behave perfectly after less than five minutes of my making it clear who controls the walk. But I know that they will still be horrors for their owner. Why? Because mom and dad are there saying things like, "Oh sweetie, just be calm and walk nice." instead of actually doing something. Dogs do not understand English. What they understand is tone and body language.

Here's an example. You are in a room with a chair. Someone walks in, smiles, gestures to the chair and says "Asseyez-vous". You think about it, you sit. They look pleased. The next time someone says "Asseyez-vous", you sit. Does this mean you speak French? No. It means that you figure that those sounds indicate that you should sit. It's the same thing with dogs.

Use a four foot leash, a flat collar or a limited choke/greyhound collar. Use a Halti if you are dealing with a dog that needs "power-steering" or likes to vacuum the sidewalk . Don't use a harness. Be strict now about who's in charge and you can relax later. For now, be the Drill Sergeant - you can play Timmy and Lassie later.

A word about Halti's. I've been walking a Rat Terrier puppy, and she's a great little dog. When it's windy out, she goes berserk trying to snatch things out of the air - she's very predatory, and all the movement just overloads her circuits. In a harness, she's a terror; in a flat collar, she's good for maybe fifteen minutes of quiet walking in between bouts of serious pulling. I found myself having to remind her constantly to walk nicely; she's a puppy and a terrier - a lethal combination. I decided to use a Halti yesterday...what a difference. Yes, we had some thrashing for a minute when I put it on, but after that she was great. We had a very pleasant walk with absolutely no pulling. Woohoo!

Panting after her like she was a bitch in heat...

I will admit that I never thought that this phrase was really, well, true. I figured it was an exaggerated figure of speech. Call me silly.

Recently, a Rat Terrier puppy I walk went into heat just before her scheduled spay operation. Given her size, I figured I could just scoop her up if some canine Casanova got too friendly. The dog I was actually worried about was the only other Rat Terrier in the neighborhood - an intact male - whose owner routinely walks him without a leash.

The first time these two met, about two months ago, the male growled and snapped at her, which was about par for the course with him. The one time his owner asked me to walk him when we she wasn't home, he was so menacing I couldn't get the leash on him. When I called her, the owner said - I kid you not - "oh, just put on the oven mitts and you'll be fine." Um, no? The owner thinks he's great, and he has actually sired a litter. I think he's too aggressive both to people and other dogs, but hey, that's just me.

My other problem was that one of the dogs I walk is an intact male - an Italian Spinone whose name shall be "Marco" for the purposes of this blog. And let's call the Rat Terrier girl "Alice". On the one hand, Marco has his balls. But he is about 10 times bigger than Alice, does have a lovely disposition, and is 12 years old, half-blind and a bit wobbly on his hind legs. Also on the plus side is that other male dogs tend to avoid him - he's big, and puts off that alpha-male vibe. I figured I would use him to protect Alice's virtue.

At first, it went well. She was in the early stages of estrus, and Marco found her only vaguely interesting and she could care less. By week two, he was beside himself. I admit I let him have a little fun, even though Alice ignored him (good girl). I figured that Marco has never had sex, and this probably the closest he'll ever get - and at age 12 1/2 he's not going to get many more chances. He walked around with a dazed look on his face, occaisonally licking her ears or her vulva, then walking around in a daze some more. He never got an erection or tried to mount her, in fact, he was much more interested in her urine than anything else. After she would pee, he would absolutely get lost in the aroma. Ain't love grand?

In contrast, I also walk a neutered male Jack Russell. On the two walks we had together last week, he gave Alice one sniff and that was it. He could care less.

Marco did manage to keep up with her (panting), and moved a hell of a lot faster than he manages on every day walks. He was steadier on his legs, and a lot more alert. He was waiting at the door for me instead of sacked out on his bed, and went up and down stairs a lot better. Not bad for an old dog.

By this Monday, she was no longer interesting. He gave her a quick sniff...and...nothing. We were back to our rambling pace. No panting. Phew. Her new appointment is the 28th - I can't wait.

I walk all of my dogs on 4 foot leashes, with either a plain flat collar or a limited-choke/"Greyhound" collar. I will use a Halti if the dogs are particularly awful or large enough to need power steering. (I prefer Halti's to the 'Gentle Leader' because I feel the Halti has a better design, and stays in place better.) I don't like choke collars and I really don't like those prong collars.

I understand that harnesses look like a great idea, but to me they just say that you've given up on ever being able to walk this dog without them pulling. And dogs are really good at pulling. Think Iditarod. For thousands of years, dogs were used to pull carts and sleds. They were smaller than horses, could live in your house, and doubled as an alarm system. Rottweilers, Bouviers, and a number of other large breeds were all used to pull small wagons. Sometime in the early 20th century this was made illegal, on the argument that it was cruel for dogs to work as beasts of burden. In any case, like a lot of quadrupeds, dogs find it very easy to pull things along behind them. Putting a harness on them just makes it easier. Those new harnesses, with the attachment point in the center of the chest just suck, by the way. I have yet to see one of them actually work. It looks like something designed by someone who has never actually walked a dog.

I see a woman in Soho who walks her Lab puppy with a prong collar and a Flexi-lead. This is very scary to me. I don't like prong collars because I don't see the point. You should be able to control the dog without having to resort to that level of discomfort to get their attention. There is this intact male Dalmation that's walked with a prong collar. Whenever he sees another male dog, he lunges at them, throwing himself to the end of the leash, snarling. This is with the prong collar. I suggested to his dogwalker that he try a Halti for the dog, since the prong collar didn't seem to be working. He did, and the dog stopped lunging because the Halti made it easier for the walker to prevent and correct the behavior. Not to mention that it was more difficult for the dog. Unfortunately, they have a new walker now, who has gone back to the prong collar. And guess what? The Dalmation is back to lunging at other male dogs. Advocates of prong collars will tell you that pain is not the point, and that in the hands of an experienced trainer a prong collar is an effective training device. Great. The problem is, any idiot can buy one of these 'effective training devices' at any pet store and use them on their four month old Boxer puppy.

I use a four-foot leash because it makes sense. Watch someone with a six-foot leash, and chances are they either have it all doubled up or wrapped around their hand. If not, the dog is six feet in front of them, free to scavenge whatever tidbits come their way. The dog is too far away for you to grab, and if they charge forward they can jerk you off your feet. At four feet away, I can easily get the dog if I have to, and I can hold the loop end of the leash. In NYC, there is no reason for your dog to be six feet away from you while walking. Why? So they'll think they're free? They know perfectly well they're on a leash, please. I do not use Flexi-leads because for one thing, NYC law says that leashes may not be longer than 6 feet, and Flexi-leads usually start at 10 feet. Second, the hard case is difficult to hold when walking multiple dogs. It's not easy to hold with one dog. And finally, the dog does not need to be 10 feet away from me on a NYC sidewalk.

I believe that those chain leashes (you know the ones) should be outlawed. Only absolute idiots think these are a good idea. These are people who like to tie their dogs up outside while the go to the store, and worry that the dog will chew through the leash. Leave the dog home if you need to run errands like that. Or make sure you have current photos for the 'Lost Dog' posters you'll be making up. Wrap one of those leashes around your hand and I guarantee that you'll end up with broken fingers at some point. If you have the chain pulled through your hand, it will hurt. A lot.

I found I can get the same results, training-wise, with a limited-choke collar, without the risks of a chain choke. You need to be able to administer an effective correction without worrying that you'll hurt the dog. Plus, regular choke collars are normally put on the dog so that the collar only works when the dog is on your left side. If you're doing on-leash obedience work, great. I need my dogs to walk on either side of me, not just the left. So I need a collar that works no matter which side they are on.

When first walking a dog, I am very strict about where they walk (behind me) and I insist that they pay attention to me - not the other dogs, not the enticing smells in the gutter, not the skateboarder - me. I'm in charge of the show. If this means I spend the whole walk correcting them, fine. Once they have the idea, I can back off and let the rest of the pack be their guide.

Most dog owners do it the other way - they go easy in the beginning. Then they wonder why the dog ignores them on the leash. Duh. The dog is only following the rules you set. Begin as you mean to go on.

Snip!

The other day I was at a pet mega-store, and on the way out I encountered not just one, but two intact adult male boxers. The owners were conversing from about 12 feet away while the one dog strained mightily to get to the other (calm) dog. Neither one of them were show dogs - they weren't nice enough looking for that - and I found myself thinking: why aren't these dogs neutered?

Every rescue, vets' office, and shelter displays or somehow tries to convey the "Spay or Neuter Your Pets" message...and sometimes I think it's not working. Granted, a lot of times the people trying to deliver this message come across as shrill, so you tune them out.

Case in point: Back in '94 I was walking two Bulldogs, one a retired (intact) male show dog and the other a female puppy destined for the show ring (she later got her Championship). Personally, I think conformation classes are just big beauty contests with lots of backstabbing thrown in, but that's just me. Watch Best in Show if you think otherwise. Anyway, I'm walking down the street with these two dogs, and a woman approaches me to ask about them. Then she starts a rant about how come they're not fixed, and don't I know how many unwanted dogs end up in shelters and don't I care? I point to the dogs and tell her "they're not my dogs," whereupon she starts berating me for being a heartless bitch and not caring about the fate of these shelter dogs. Eventually, I got away from her, but she really pissed me off - at the time we had a dog and two cats and all three were fixed, as well as being rescues. Even our two horses were gelded. She was so focussed on getting her message across that she didn't listen to me at all.

Friday, I saw a dog that looked to be a Chow/Corgi cross. She seems friendly, but man, who let that happen? To a certain extent, urban dogs who spend their lives leashed or indoors, rather than unattended in backyards, seem less at risk for unintended breeding. I have heard of dogs getting it on at dog runs - some moron brings his bitch in (I thought she was too young to come into season!) and the obligatory intact male dog gets to her before their oblivious owners have a clue. Female dogs in heat are pretty obvious, both physically and behavior-wise.

People still believe the myth that speutering (spaying + neutering = get it?) young will stunt their dogs growth. How big your dog will get is determined by genetics and influenced by nutrition. Stuffing your puppy with high-protein food in an attempt to make them bigger will most likely result in a fat puppy with joint problems later on in life, but isn't going to make them any taller than they are destined to be. Conversely, a puppy who doesn't get all the nutrients they need at a very young age may be stunted - but we're talking starvation here, not which brand of kibble.

I see an intact male Dalmation around on a regular basis, and more intact Labradors than Westminster. Why? It's not like this is a rare breed, and they can't all be show dogs. I know the Dalmation isn't. Jack Russells, too, and considering that many of those are hyper-agressive to start with, why aren't they neutered? Because they're little? Spare me. I see an Otterhound too, and oddly enough, I believe he is neutered. There are fewer than 40 intact male Ottterhounds worldwide, and only around 1000 Otterhounds altogether. That's a rare breed.

I believe that a lot of this has to do with human notions of freedom. Most people seem to think that it is their right to breed, and I know very few people who would consider having themselves and their partner genetically tested before having a baby. I loathe people who mortgage their lives to the hilt to afford some exotic form of AI resulting in quintuplets - while living in a two bedroom house and barely getting by on two salaries. The mutiple mouths that they can't afford to feed and clothe are invariably referred to as "God's precious gifts" - no, I think you had a teensy bit of medical help. How is it that it wasn't "God's will" that you not get pregnant? Phew, got off on a bit of a rant there.

There are still people who believe that speutering is unnatural, unneccesary and expensive, whether through ignorance or arrogance. The result is the same. Dogs do not understand the concept of abstinence when it comes to sex, and I don't think they ever will.

Unwanted dogs (and cats) end up dead, one way or another. We need to either prevent unwanted puppies and kittens from happening or make their exit from this world as humane as possible. No-Kill shelters are a lovely idea, but they do nothing to address the problem of animals that are too aggressive or too damaged one way or another to ever live with people again. I have a huge problem with rescues who spend thousands of dollars on a crippled/severely physically damaged animal with the idea that all life is sacred, when that money could have been used to save twenty other healthy animals.

My husband and I adopted a cat from a shelter in NJ several years ago. Our much-loved cat, Jack, had to be euthanized when his vocal-fold tumors could no longer be managed by medication and surgery was not a viable option. So, we adopted this handsome 10 year old Maine Coon, and named him Simon. Once we got him home, we discovered that he was incontinent, and at some earlier point in his life had a perineal urethrostomy (my spelling might be a bit off, but google it anyway). Our vet was unable to explain the reason for the urine dribbling, other than stress, and by that point we were committed to keeping him. Over the next four years, our lives became a nightmare of trying to prevent Simon from leaking all over everything we owned. One night he began bleeding rectally (or so we thought), and as a result, we changed vet practices. Our new vets were, eventually, able to determine that the original PU surgery was badly done, and bacteria from his feces was causing constant urinary tract infections. Over the years, this had caused scarring, which contributed to the incontinence - which would have been present since the surgery. (Imagine, if you will, the pain Simon was in for years with chronic UTI's.) We tried about 6 months of drug therapy, and in the end decided to have him euthanized. His original owners had to have realized he was incontinent, and in fact, he was surrendered to the shelter with the understanding that he would be euthanized. If we had known his problems, we would not have adopted him, plain and simple. His owners should have had the guts to make it clear to the shelter what his problems were, and the shelter should have noticed that he leaked urine. More simply, his owners should have taken him to a vet and had him euthanized. Loving an animal also means that you do your absolute best to keep them free of pain, and that you have the courage to realize when that pain is chronic and unmanageable.

I got a little off track here, but the message is the same. Be responsible. Think.

He doesn't mean it. Really?

Several years ago I was walking a St. Bernard along Prince Street when a small Dachshund came flying out of nowhere. No leash, no human. This kamikaze dog went right for the St.B's face, snarling and barking. Now the St.B was a nice dog with people, but unpredictable with other dogs, especially yappy ones. I did a quick dance step to push the St.B out of the line of fire and block the trajectory of the weiner dog, who continued to snarl and bark. A woman appeared, and assured me that the dog "didn't mean anything," and scooped up the irate little sausage. I asked her if it would be OK if I let the St. Bernard do the same thing to her dog. She scurried off.

People dismiss behavior from small dogs that would have a large dog sent to the animal shelter faster than you can say "bad dog". And the excuses are endless.

"He doesn't mean it," is my personal favorite, followed by, "Big dogs make him nervous." Imagine the uproar if an 85 pound Labrador started barking and spraying spit while lunging at a Maltese. Saying, "Small dogs make him nervous," would sound exactly like the lame ass excuse it actually is. I really don't care if the dog is 5 pounds, 15 pounds or 150 pounds, the standards of behavior should be exactly the same - it's a dog. Treat it like one.

True, the Maltese can't jerk you off your feet if it lunges at something. Which brings me to the other idiotic-small-dog-owner thing: picking the dog up when it misbehaves. This wrong on so many levels, it's scary.

First off, if you have a small breed dog, it will always be a small breed dog. The sooner it gets used to that idea, the better. As a puppy, it should be introduced to large (friendly) dogs as much as possible. If you, as the owner, freak out and snatch them to your breast at the first glimpse of another dog, pretty soon your little bundle of fluff is going to think that other dogs are an occaison for fear and not fun. Growling and barking will follow.

Now that you're clutching Fluffball and glaring at the big scary dog, I bet you're petting them, too. All the while crooning something like, "It's all right, Fluffball, don't be scared, that's a nice doggy, " in a high-pitched voice. You may think you're being reassuring and kind. What you are actually doing is telling Fluffball that yes, the big dog is scary, and being afraid is exactly the right thing to do.

Chances are also pretty good that Fluffball never gets any discipline ("but he's so small!"), and believes that he is the king of all he surveys - including you. If you are afraid of the big dog, Fluffball needs to protect the pack and drive this monster away. Cue barking and growling. Now before you start saying, "Aww, he's trying to protect me, how cute," think about this: Would you think that it would be OK for a midget to hit you with a bat if they felt threatened by you in any way? I don't think so.

As to whether or not Fluffball "means it," of course he does. Dogs are capable of deception while playing - feinting right and running left - but not emotional deception. A dog will not "pretend" to be happy to see you. If Fluffball is growling, snarling and snapping at the other dog he means exactly what he's saying: Back off or this will get ugly. If the other dog is your average Fido, they'll keep going and ignore the theatrics, which just reinforces the notion in Fluffball's head that he has driven them off.

However. Fluffball's luck may run out. One day, he might pull this stunt with the wrong dog and end up seriously hurt or dead. I'm not saying that would be right, but there are lots of badly behaved dogs out there of all sizes, and a tiny Maltese or Yorkie can be mauled just as easily by a Jack Russell or Cocker Spaniel as a German Shepherd or Golden Retriever.

Nothing makes me happier than when my pack cruises past some spitting, snarling bundle of rage without so much as a sideways glance. Good dogs!

I'm OK with Labradoodles...sort of.

Up until a week ago, I lumped Labradoodles in with all the other idiotic designer dogs. Ads for "Labadoodles" and "Labbadoodels" just reinforced my distaste. While walking a Portuguese Water Dog, people would ask me if it was a Labradoodle, and Wheaten Terriers were mistaken for mini goldendoodles. WTF?

Granted, John and Jane Doe usually can't tell the difference between a Golden Retriever and an Irish Setter, and ask me if that Weimaraner is a Greyhound. Well, it's grey (sort of) and hound-like (sort of but not), but it's not a Greyhound. Next contestant, please.

After doing a bit of research, I discovered that Labradoodles were first bred in Australia by a guy trying to come up with a hypoallergenic guide/service dog for a blind woman whose husband was allergic to dogs. That makes sense to me. Most dogs touted as being non-shedding and hypoallergenic are too small to be a guide dog, and I wonder if standard Poodles are steady enough to do the job. While he was trying to find good breeding stock to cross, he was told by the various breed clubs that any dogs he used would be struck from their registries. This made absolutely no sense, I mean, it's not like the dogs would be contaminated in any way. So the Poodle got knocked up by a Lab. That doesn't mean her next batch of puppies by a Poodle will be affected. Seems kind of harsh, to me.

Anyway, the idea of a guide dog for people with pet allergies is a great idea. Unfortunately, people will take an idea and turn it to their own purposes, churning out "Labadoodels". Don't have a handy Labrador? No problem, how about Goldendoodles? Or mini Goldendoodles for those of you with less room. And what really pisses me off is that most of the people who buy these crosses have absolutely no freaking idea that there are breeds already out there that would satisfy their need for a non-shedding, hypoallergenic, family-friendly dog. They are perfectly willing to spend $750 (and up) on a mixed breed dog but seem to have done no research on dog breeds. How likely is it that someone who can't spell "Labrador" has had their dog tested for hip dysplasia or any of the other problems you find in Labs? Or Poodles?

I'm sure that there are reputable breeders out there producing marvelous, healthy Labradoodle puppies from genetically tested, OFA certified parents. I just think that they are probably the exception. And I bet they can spell "Labrador".