Crossing two breeds to dogs in pursuit of more desirable traits has been done throughout history, but these days seems to have hit critical mass as an outright trend.  My family even had a peek-a-poo for a while (Pekingese-Poodle mix) before we moved him to a friend's home where he could be the one-and-only puppy.

The dual-breed that first broke out as an all-over popular pet though, is the now extremely well known Labradoodle.  Like the name suggests, its a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle.  They were first bred by Wally Conron of the Australian Guide Dog Association in 1989 in the hopes of crossing the hypoallergenic coat of the Poodle with the temperament and willingness of a Labrador to create a low-shedding hypoallergenic guide dog.  Genetics aren't consistent enough to accomplish that goal in a single stretch, but the pets caught on in popularity both in Australia and back here in the United States.

Labradoodles are known for being highly trainable and affectionate family dogs.  They come in a variety of sizes, partially based on the breed of Poodle in the parentage line, but the genetics are still inconsistent, so there's no way to truly guarantee one way or the other when you take a pup home if it'll be in the size range you were expecting.  Breeders are still working to refine the traits of this breed by taking the puppies with the best qualities out of each litter to raise and later breed with other dogs that possess desirable traits.  But just because size and coats can't be guaranteed yet by genetics, their reputation as intelligent and friendly is well-deserved.

Whether or not they might make the worlds perfect hypoallergenic guide dog a few doggy generations down the line, is up for debate.  But this mixed breed pup took the world by storm and probably won't be going anywhere any time soon.