They are the current pet of choice for celebrities, with chat show host Graham Norton and golf hero Tiger Woods among their owners. Now a centre in Hull is training one of the sought-after labradoodles - a cross between a Labrador and a poodle - as an aid for a blind or partially sighted person.
Guide Dogs Hull in Hall Road, north Hull, is training Opal, an 18-month-old bitch, who will be one of the first labradoodle guide dogs in the UK. District team manager Eddy McCabe said: "Using dogs like this will help us broaden the range we offer, as we usually use Labradors or retrievers. "But labradoodles are very useful for people who have allergies or difficulties with grooming, because they don't shed in the same way as other dogs."
The first labradoodle was bred 17 years ago in Australia by the Royal Guide Dog Association in Victoria. But their use as guide dogs in the UK is a relatively new idea.
A litter, the result of an accident, was given to the national Guide Dogs Centre a few years ago. The centre agreed to train them and three out of the four have since become guide dogs.
Following this success, the charity decided to start breeding labradoodles on a regular basis. The group's breeding centre now has a standard poodle stud dog, called Paddy. Opal is one of nine pups in the first litter to be sired by Paddy. The litter was born in May and the pups are now in training at centres around the UK.
The dogs need to be trained to a high standard so they can get their owners safely across roads and eventually learn to recognise familiar places. Opal is being trained by 24-year-old Alison Booth, who is training as a guide dog coach. Ms Booth said: "She is a very bright dog and she's into everything, so her head can sometimes be in the clouds. "But I haven't had her very long and I'm sure she'll settle down. "At the moment I'm trying to keep her focused on the task in hand."
s.harrison@hdmp.co.ukCreated on ... December 19, 2006