"The response is wild. It's crazy," she said.
Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People newspaper in Washington, says the doodle craze reflects the public's rediscovery of the virtues of mutts. He notes that the number of dogs killed in U.S. shelters is down from 23 million a year in 1970 to 5 million a year in 2004.
In a Google search, "labradoodle" yields more than 130,000 Web pages. Goldendoodle brings up another 23,000. Interest in the labradoodle has recently "exploded" as no other dog breed has done in the history of man's best friend, National Geographic reported, especially among people with allergy and asthma problems.
The demand is, in part, why doodles are so pricey. They can fetch as much as $3,000.
Doodles often are genetically tested to ensure they're healthy. Mixing breeds is supposed to cut back on illnesses and attitude problems inherent with purebred practices that emphasize appearance first, some say.
That's why Blanchard decided to get into doodles several years ago. She says she was heartbroken after her 12-year-old golden died, and she hopes a little poodle in the blood will keep her newest pet, Paris, alive longer.
"My daughter thinks I'm crazy, but Paris is the perfect dog," Blanchard says. "She's so agile. She climbs a tree or a fence — that's the poodle. I've never seen a retriever do that."
As for Mahorski, she's not yet sure if she'd call Rocky perfect.
"You know he's trying, though," she says. "I'll let you know in two years."
Contact Camera Staff Writer Aimee Heckel at (303) 473-1359 or heckela@dailycamera.com.