Affectionate, calm, and loveable are the three words we can use to describe the labradoodle. This hypoallergenic designer dog breed has risen to become one of the popular mixed dog breeds.
The Labradoodle is a crossbreed between a Labrador retriever and either a miniature, standard, or toy poodle. With the right breeding procedures followed, a labradoodle is a breed mix with a well-balanced temperament and physical features.
What Is A Labradoodle
The Labradoodle is a crossbreed between a Labrador retriever and a (toy, miniature or standard) poodle. This dog breed mix has become popular because of its low shedding capabilities.
However, like other designer dog breed mixes, this dog breed mix is not an officially recognized dog breed by the AKC.
Labradoodle is a friendly dog that is smart and serves as an excellent guide dog with minimal or no shedding. This dog is a bundle of affection that is all for you. He loves to share his company and love with his owner to be a source of mental satisfaction.
Labradoodles are one of the more hypoallergenic dogs, ideal for people who suffer from pet allergies and great for novice pet parents.
If you are looking for a family dog that can easily adapt to your lifestyle, the Labradoodle is a good option. This mix breed is good with other pets like cats and also enjoys the company of kids. These dogs are intelligent and easily trainable because of their eagerness to please.
Highlight: First-generation Labradoodles, denoted as F1, is the generation that comes forth after crossbreeding a Labrador and a standard poodle. These Labradoodles are half Labrador retriever and half poodle.
History of the Labradoodle
The first labradoodle was created by Wally Conron, the head of Australia’s Royal guide dogs association.
Wally Conron got the push to create this dog after receiving a letter from a blind lady in Hawaii who wanted a hypoallergenic dog breed fit for her husband, who suffered from allergies.
Highlight: This first labradoodle created was called Sultan.
Wally Conron says, even though he had good intentions when creating this dog breed mix, some breeders have ventured into such breeding practices in pursuit of money.
These breeders produce Labradoodles or other breed mixes that are genetically unhealthy, thus end up being euthanized.
Size and Appearance of Labradoodles
Labradoodles are available in three sizes that entirely depend upon the size of the first-generation parent breed, i.e., Poodle. Labradoodles have three sizes;
1. Standard Labradoodles
Standard Labradoodles have a height of 22-24 inches for male dogs and 21-23 inches for female Labradoodle. On the other hand, Standard Labradoodles weigh about 50-65 pounds.
2. Medium Labradoodles
For a male dog, the height is between 18-20 inches, whereas 17-19 inches is enough for female Labradoodles. As far as weight is concerned, it must be ranging from
3. Miniature Labradoodles
Miniature Labradoodles are 14-16 inches high with a slight variation. Furthermore, these dogs are the smallest amongst the Labradoodle breed; that’s why they weigh about 15-25 pounds.
Labradoodles Temperament and Personality
The Labradoodle is an ideal family dog. One of the most appealing characteristics of this breed is its friendly behavior with everyone.
These dogs are devoted to their owners and like to live an active life full of fun. Labradoodles are usually gentle dogs, but sometimes they show remark variation in their temperament by playing and jumping.
Labradoodles are well-known for their docile nature towards their family and even strangers. The major purpose of this breed was to create a dog that is free of aggressiveness.
On the contrary, some of them don’t fulfill this requirement and are a little bit aggressive. Luckily, you can avoid such behavior of your Labradoodle through proper training sessions.
Certain factors directly affect the temperament of the Labradoodle mix breed. Some of them are as follow;
- Heredity
- Training
- Socialization
The mix between a Labrador retriever and a poodle gives you a confident and eager-to-please dog breed mix. These dog breeds tend to be calm. They are not couch potato dogs. When bored, they will try to create fun from anything. These dogs also love interacting with children. However, supervision is important.
This dog breed mix’s calm and friendly nature makes it a poor protective dog. Thus don’t trust a labradoodle as your guard dog. Your dog will welcome anyone knocking on your door with a smile while wagging the tail.
The Labradoodle is also one of the best designer dog breeds for first-time owners. The reason being this dog is easy to handle and train.
Exercise Needs For Labradoodles
A Labradoodle needs moderate exercise sessions. Thus if you rarely spend your time at home, you will need a pet walker to exercise your dog.
Depending on your dog’s age and health status, 25- 45 minutes of play in a day may suffice. Important physical exercises include walking, playing fetch, or swimming.
Besides physical exercises, your dog will need lots of mental stimulation exercises. Find some puzzle toys or trick games that will challenge your dog’s intelligence.
Labradoodle Coat Color
The desired coat length for Labradoodle is between 4 to 6 inches. This dog comes with a shaggy coat that can present with varying textures— here are some of the textures of the coat your labradoodle can have.
- Hair coat texture– occurs in first-generation Labradoodles – these types of Labradoodles shed a lot.
- Wool coat– this coat texture is wooly– Labradoodles with this type of coat rarely shed.
- Fleece coat– this type of coat is wavy.
Labradoodles Colors Include
- Caramel
- Apricot
- Gold
- Black
- White
- Blue
- Chocolate
- Chalk
- Red
- Café
- Silver
- Cream
- Parchment
Labradoodles are also available in a particolored coat like phantom, brindles, dark colors, and patched.
Grooming Your Labradoodle
The labradoodle is a low to moderate shedder. However, that doesn’t mean that the duties of grooming this dog will be off your shoulders.
At least brush this dog’s coat twice weekly. Use a fine-toothed comb and brush in the direction of hair growth. When grooming your dog, check for inflammation or ulcerations in the dog’s coat — This is one of the benefits of grooming your dog.
Bathing the labradoodle can be done once every five months. Use a dog shampoo, not yours.
Besides maintaining the coat’s health, ensure your dog’s teeth are well brushed using a veterinary-approved brush and toothpaste. The best routine is brushing your Labrador retriever and poodle mix teeth twice weekly.
Also, remember to clean the dog’s ears twice weekly, with 50 to 50 parts of lukewarm water and apple cider vinegar. And when cleaning each ear, use a different cloth.
Also, check for any discharge or inflammation inside the dog’s ears. Lastly, cut the dog’s nails using a pet-friendly clipper.
Labradoodle Diet and Nutrition
A labradoodle should be fed high quality and balanced diet, nursing the nutritional requirements of your dog. Opt for dry food as you will need a small quantity to give your dog the much-needed calories—1 to 2 cups of balanced dry food per day.
Also, dry food will help clean your dog’s teeth. However, if you have a picky dog, you can mix wet or dry food.
A Labradoodle’s age, size, metabolism, and activity level will determine how many calories the dog needs. Often high-energy dogs will require more calories than less active dogs.
Provide food to your Labradoodle in two portions per day and avoid fulling the dog’s bowl to the brim. This may lead to causing indigestion in Labradoodle and may increase the risk of developing obesity in dogs.
You should consult with a veterinarian or a canine nutritionist to ensure the best diet for your Labradoodle.
Labradoodle Training and Socializing
Training and socializing this dog will be paramount. Start training sessions around seven to eight weeks. You can seek a dog trainer or buy dog online training guides.
Remember, it will be your responsibility to potty train your puppy. Let the dog know where it’s appropriate to potty. Worth noting, remember to use a reward-based form of training. Only reward your dog when it does something good and follows commands.
Socializing is key for your dog. Let your dog come across lots of sounds and sights that will mold its behaviors. A dog who is not socialized is hard to handle.
You can also enroll your labradoodle in an obedience class where it will learn basic interaction and socialization skills. Make sure your dog is vaccinated before he joins any socialization class.
Health Issues of Labradoodles
Labradoodles are generally considered healthy dogs, but there are certain conditions, just like other mix-breeds, to which these dogs are prone. A Labradoodle may not get any of these disease conditions, but it’s good to be aware of the conditions in these dogs.
1. Patellar luxation
2. Cataracts
3. Bloat
4. Kidney issues
5. Cancer
6. Ear Infection
Labradoodles may get ear infections due to the dog’s floppy ears; moisture and wax get trapped in the ears. The major effect is seen in the form of inflammation. That’s why there is a need for regular cleaning of Labradoodle’s ears.
7. Hip Dysplasia
Hip dysplasia is a genetic disorder in which, due to structural deformities of either hip bone or thigh bone, they don’t fit into one another. Resultantly, the dog feels pain in the hindquarter and becomes unable to walk properly. Some dogs don’t show these signs.
Therefore, there is the need to perform X-ray screening tests to avoid the breeding of such dogs. In later stages, this condition progresses to develop the signs of arthritis in dogs which are fatal.
8. Elbow Dysplasia
Just like hip dysplasia, it is also a degenerative disease of the skeletal system. A major contributing factor of this disease includes abnormal development and growth of the elbow joint. The ultimate effect causes weakened and malformed joint formation. Elbow dysplasia either progresses to arthritis or lameness.
9. Epilepsy
This condition manifests itself by developing abnormal seizures and unusual behavior in affected dogs. The common symptoms of this disease include frantically running, hiding, staggering, or even falling while walking, the rigidity of limbs, and loss of consciousness.
10. Allergies
One of the most common ailments in dogs is allergies. Mostly three types of allergies are evident in dogs. These are;
- Food Allergies
- Contact Allergies
- Inhalant Allergies
Veterinarians recommend medications, dietary restrictions, and environmental changes to avoid the chances of allergies occurrence.
11. Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is also a common condition in mixed breeds like Labradoodle. There is a disturbance of the glucose regulatory system in a dog’s body.
In such cases, there is no availability of glucose to the cells for an energy source. Dogs tend to consume more and more food to get energy. Diabetic dogs gradually lose their body weight.
How Long Do Labradoodles Live
The lifespan of a labradoodle is 11-15 years. The care you give this dog will determine how long your dog lives.
Pros and Cons of The Labradoodle Dog Breed
Pros
- Labradoodles manifest an excellent temperament towards people and other pets
- They are good at enjoying their social nature
- Shedding is not a major problem with this dog breed
- They are generally healthy dogs with few exceptions
- Three coat options are available in the Labradoodle breed; you can choose of your choice
- These dogs are quite intelligent, so they are easy to train
Cons
- There is an element of superiority in Labradoodles over the other members of the pack
- They are energetic dogs that’s why you need to spare time for arranging exercise sessions for them
- They are expensive dogs; thus, their maintenance and caring may be expensive
- They are easily prone to separation anxiety
How Much Do Labradoodles Cost
Labradoodle is among the most expensive dogs due to its high demand. A labradoodle from a breeder can cost you $1500-$5000. Price variation depends upon the color type and the parent breeders.
Where To Get a Labradoodle
Breeders: Check with a breeding center in your locality and ask about the possibilities of getting this breed mix. When doing so, do your research on any online breeders to avoid being scammed. Also, avoid breeders who will have puppies on discount every time.
Furthermore, avoid any breeders who are pushy with selling their dogs or a breeder who hides any crucial information about the puppies.
A reputable breeder is always ready to show all the health documents of the puppy and parents. The breeding center will look clean, and puppies should look healthy.
Rescue Center: Your pursuit of a labradoodle can lead you to a rescue center. Puppies here are low priced, and as a bonus, they are well-fed, dewormed, and microchipped.
You can find Labradoodles for adoption from Petfinder, ASPCA, or Adoptapet.
Do Labradoodles Make Great Pets
Labradoodles make great pets. They are gentle in everything they do, and they tend to be great dogs for first-time dog owners. However, Labradoodles are not protection dogs as they are very welcoming.
Do Labradoodles Bark A Lot
A labradoodle is a calm dog who doesn’t usually bark a lot. However, if you don’t meet this dog’s need, then it won’t hesitate to bark at you.
Are Labradoodles High Maintenance
Labradoodles have moderate maintenance needs. You may spend between $1000-$2500 per year to maintain your dog.
The maintenance cost is high because you’ll have to feed your dog, pay for vet visits, buy feeding bowls, harness/ leash, and toys. The price can also shoot up if you opt to take your dog to a groomer rather than home grooming your dog.
Can Labradoodles Be Left Alone
A labradoodle loves being close to people— If left alone, your dog may be prone to separation anxiety. If you have to leave, seek a pet sitter or walker to keep your dog busy.
Is A Labradoodle Hypoallergenic
A labradoodle is considered a hypoallergenic breed. The reason being it produce less dander and fur than long-haired dogs. Did you know that it’s the dander and not the hair on the dog’s coat that makes one suffer from allergies?
Fun fact: The labradoodle is a popular dog breed—here are some celebrities who have owned this dog breed; Christie Brinkley, Jennifer Aniston, Tiger Woods, and Neil Young.
Labradoodle Summary
The labradoodle will remain to be one of the top designer dog breeds because of its unmatchable personality.
Labradoodle are excellent family dogs with polite and devoted temperaments.
They are one of the best choices for novice pet parents and those allergic to shedding. We try our best to convey all the necessary information about the Labradoodle. We hope you found it helpful.