In response to a question asked – this post is going touch on breeding and genetics in the dog world. The question asked was; “are Labradoodles (and other designer cross-breeds) infertile? – like a mule is.”
The short answer is no.
Two Labradoodles can have puppies – the argument these days is whether or not the offspring of two Labradoodles is still a Labradoodle, or just a mongrel… but that’s a different issue altogether!
A Labradoodle is the offspring of a Labrador crossed with a Poodle (miniature, small, or standard).
A Labradoodle is genetically different, and genetically the same as your little Dachshund, your beautiful Bulldog, and your fluffy Akita. They are also genetically the same, and genetically different to the Wolf and other wild Canid species.
The family Canidae is broken down into the genus Canis – Wolves, dogs and Jackals; and the genus Vulpues – foxes. The Wolf is its own species within this genus – Canis lupus; the domestic dog is its own species – Canis familiaris.
Canis lupus is divided into subspecies, such as; Grey Wolves and Red Wolves.
Canis familiaris has lots of breeds within the species, but these are not scientifically classified as subspecies. Scientifically the Springer Spaniel and the Irish Wolfhound are the same.
Domestic dogs, Wolves, and Jackals all have 39 pairs of chromosomes. If two dogs breed, the offspring has 39 pairs of chromosomes. If two Wolves breed, the offspring has 39 pairs of chromosomes. If a domestic dog and a Wolf breed, the offspring has 39 pairs of chromosomes. This means that the offspring of any mix are all fertile.
A mule is infertile because a donkey has 31 pairs of chromosomes, and a horse has 32 pairs of chromosomes – the offspring of the two does not have an equal amount of chromosomes; there is not enough to for all to be paired. Therefore, the offspring cannot reproduce. The donkey is a different species to the horse, hence the genetic difference.
A Labradoodle is just the same as a mongrel – it’s a dog. Therefore, it can breed and successfully reproduce with other dogs; no matter what breed. As a cute example, see the image below – she is the adorable offspring of a Chocolate Labrador (Dad) and a Labrador x Springer Spaniel (Mum). Just a cute, little, baby dog!