The invention of the labradoodle - Witness History podcast, BBC World Service

In 1989, Australian dog breeder Wally Conron created one of the world’s most popular crossbreeds - the Labradoodle. Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM But the implications of what happens next is far more complicated than what Wally had in mind. Conron had been challenged to produce a guide dog suitable for a blind woman whose husband was severely allergic to long-haired breeds. After years of failed attempts with poodles, his idea to cross a Labrador with a poodle resulted in the world’s first Labradoodle a a dog called Sultan. But while Sultan thrived as a guide dog, the global explosion of Labradoodle breeding left Conron deeply uneasy. In this episode, he reflects on the unintended consequences of his creation and how a PR “gimmick” led to one of the world’s most sought-after breed. This video was visualised by 1UpMedia, with audio from BBC. 1UpMedia uses Gen-AI tools like Midjourney and Runway to assist in scene creation. All AI usage strictly follows BBC’s Guidance on the Use of Artificial Intelligence: https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/reports/policies/approach-to-ai/ To learn how 1UpMedia uses AI responsibly, visit: https://www.1upmedia.sg/ethics 00:00 Introduction 00:40 “I created a Frankenstein monster” 01:20 Naming the labradoodle 01:50 Wally’s early life & guide dog career 02:40 Why only wally could create the labradoodle 03:50 Two years of failure 04:15 The last chance solution 05:00 Sultan - the first labradoodle 05:45 How a PR gimmick created a global breed 06:45 The dark side of a popular breed Click to watch more episodes of Witness History 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4cfahLaE406BWHwYkYHqB57 ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #dogs #labradoodles #crossbreeding