Labradoodle

Labrador Retriever X Standard Poodle

History
The Labradoodle was originally developed in Australia to be a hypoallergenic guide dog. In 1989, Wally Conron, who was in charge of the breeding program for the Royal Guide Dogs Association of Australia, conducted the first purposeful crossbreeding between a Standard Poodle and Labrador Retriever.

This first cross of Conron's produced a dog called Sultan, who not only had the hypoallergenic coat but also had the aptitude, intelligence, and personality to be an effective guide dog. Sultan went on to work with a woman in Hawaii and was a successful at his work. At that point, other breeders saw the merit of crossing these two breeds.

Like the Labrador Retriever parent, the Labradoodle quickly rose in popularity and has become one of the most sought-after "Doodle breeds." These dogs are often produced by crossing a Labrador Retriever with a Poodle, but multigenerational breeding has begun in an attempt to produce a viable and recognizable breed.

Both the Australian Labradoodle Association and the International Australian Labradoodle Association are taking steps in this direction, and they hope to move this designer breed into registered breed status in the next few years. These groups have made great efforts to bring breeders together so that they're working to achieve the same standards through multigenerational breeding.

Temperament
The Labradoodle is an intelligent dog who can make the ideal family pet if properly trained. They are friendly and accept and treat everyone like their best friend. They're devoted to their family and enjoy life as an energetic companion.

They can be gentle, but they can also be joyful, showing their happiness through exuberant jumping and playing. They also tend to be easygoing, since the Labradoodle was bred not to be aggressive. As is the case with any breed, some aren't all that friendly, but a well-trained Labradoodle with a characteristic temperament is a true joy.

Temperament is affected by a number of factors, including heredity, training, and socialisation. Puppies with nice temperaments are curious and playful, willing to approach people and be held by them. Choose the middle-of-the-road puppy, not the one who's beating up their littermates or the one who's hiding in the corner.

Always meet the dog you're interested in before bringing them home to ensure that they have nice temperaments that you're comfortable with. Meeting siblings, parents, or other relatives of the dog is also helpful for evaluating what a puppy will be like when they grow up.

Like every dog, the Labradoodle needs early socialization--exposure to many different people, sights, sounds, and experiences--when they're young. Socialization helps ensure that your Labradoodle puppy grows up to be a well-rounded dog.

Enrolling them in a puppy class is a great start. Inviting visitors over regularly, and taking them to busy parks, stores that allow dogs, and on leisurely strolls to meet neighbors will also help them polish their social skills.

Upkeep

Although a Labradoodle can have one of a range of coat types, the desired length is four to six inches. They have a single coat with hair ranging from straight to loose curls. The curls shouldn't be tight and the coat shouldn't be thick or fluffy.

Labradoodles are considered to be non- to low shedders, especially those with a Fleece or Wool coat. Hair coats tend to shed just as they do in other breeds, ranging from very low to average shedding.

Grooming requirements vary depending on the length and type of coat the dog has. Generally speaking, you can expect to brush a Labradoodle about once or twice per week. Some can be clipped or trimmed every six to eight weeks to keep the coat easy to maintain. A Labradoodle should only be bathed when necessary - which isn't often, as many of the coats don't have a noticeable doggy odor.

Labradoodles can adapt to just about any setting, but they're not recommended for apartments. They require about 30 to 60 minutes of exercise per day and would do better with a fenced yard in which to expel some energy. Some Labradoodles, especially in the first generation, can require even more exercise.

The Labradoodle makes an excellent jogging companion but also needs some time off-leash to burn off steam. In addition, they need to be intellectually stimulated; they're smart and energetic, so if they become bored, they can become a destruction machine.

The Labradoodle is an intelligent and eager-to-please dog. Training should be easy as long as consistency and positive reinforcement are the methods. They can make a good companion for first-time dog owners since they don't need an overly firm hand. Socialize them from puppyhood, since they tend to hurl themselves headlong into canine situations without regard to the feelings of other dogs. This can lead to some problems if the unknown dog is aggressive.

What should I consider when purchasing a cross-breed?

It is important to remember that a crossbreed is not as predictable as a purebred dog. You don’t know which characteristics it will inherit from each of its parents. In the case of the Labradoodle, this may mean that you get a puppy with a fleece, hair or wool coat or with a curly or a straight coat, depending on what they inherit from the Poodle and the Labrador. This also applies to the personality traits of the two breeds.

There have been an increasing number of health concerns about crossbreeds, not least because too many irresponsible breeders are cashing in on the crossbreed craze and selling the myth that crossbreeds are automatically healthier, so they don’t need to health test their dogs. This is not true. Whilst crossbreeds have a wider gene pool than pedigree dogs, any dog can become ill and it is important that you buy from a responsible breeder. If you buy a crossbreed you should check the health test results for both of the parents in the same way as you should for a pedigree dog.

You may also like…

• Spanish Water Dog

• Lagotto Romagnolo

• Portuguese Water Dog

Breed information sourced from: https://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/labradoodle#/slide/1 & https://www.preloved.co.uk/blog/animals/advice-buying-pedigree-crossbreed/
Images sourced from Google Images.
No copyright infringement intended.