Description

Part Labrador, part poodle, the Labradoodle is one of the most recent attempts at providing an amicable, highly affectionate family dog for those people who are dying to own a dog in spite of the allergic reactions standing in their way.

Since the Labradoodle is often the result of crossing Labradors and poodles over one or a few couple of generations, dogs that are the result of these crossings cannot be expected to adhere to a particular standard. One can only hope that the most desirable features belonging to the parents are passed down to their litters. Despite this, a labradoodle must inherit a couple of features to deserve its name: these being the Poodle’s hypoallergenic coat and the Labrador’s affectionate nature — features which can’t be guaranteed for every puppy in the litter. Different individuals in the same litter can look different, but they should all look somewhere in between a Labrador retriever and a Standard poodle. All Labradoodles should have floppy ears and a bright, joyful expression irrelevant of their fur and size.

Origin: Australia

Look

There is no set standard of how a Labradoodle should look like. A Labradoodle’s coat can vary from wavy to curly. Their coat colour also varies a lot in puppies of the same litter, with some being cream, various shades of red, chocolate and even brindle.

The hypoallergenic coat does come at a cost, since Labradoodles need to be brushed frequently in order to avoid their coat getting matted. Individuals with silky, fleecy coats do not need as much brushing as very curly individuals. Some busy families find this to be too demanding and opt to get their dog’s coat shaved in order to drastically decrease its maintenance requirements. One cannot say that all Labradoodles are light shedders, as this feature greatly depends on whether the dog has inherited this trait from its Poodle parent.

Health

The Labradoodle is considered to be a healthy mixed breed. However, this mutt still has certain conditions that are characteristic of its parent breeds. These are:

• Hip dysplasia.
• Heritable eye problems.

Like for any other dog, it is recommended that Labradoodles visit a veterinarian at least once yearly. It would be ideal for Labradoodles to have their hip scores evaluated, in order to implement strict management of the dog’s weight through diet and exercise. This helps against further deterioration of the hip joint. Taking your dog for a yearly check-up also helps monitor the condition of a Labradoodles eyes, allowing the veterinarian to take action at an early stage when it matters most.

At Newdoggy.com we promote puppies coming from reputable breeders, who use genetic testing and good breeding practices to remove genetic conditions from their breeding lines. Newdoggy.com’s Health Guarantee certifies that all promoted puppies are in good health.

Learning

Both the Labrador retriever and the Standard Poodle are very intelligent dog breeds and therefore it is no wonder that the Labradoodle is a highly trainable dog breed. Both of the Labradoodle’s parent breeds are primarily hunting dogs and therefore one shouldn’t be surprised that the dog is happiest when out and about in the field. Labradoodles do well in obedience training and many other dog sports. There is also the possibility of allergic hunters and Labradoodles forming a perfect combination, as these dogs shine in hunting field trials, where sometimes they exceed even the more established breeds.

Temperament

These dogs are primarily bred to be loyal and affectionate, although some individuals might be a little bit more reserved and sensitive as they take after their poodle parent. Therefore different Labradoodles might be fit for different types of families. These dogs are good with cats if brought up with them, and also live peacefully with other dogs. This dog is a high energy dog and needs a lot of exercise in order to keep its energy levels in check.

Living with

Keeping this dog in an apartment is challenging but not impossible as the dog needs to be provided with enough time to exercise off leash. It is ideal for a Labradoodle to be kept in a house with a sizeable garden where this dog can relieve its pent up energy when family members are not immediately available to take these dogs out for a jog or walk. Depending on the dog, some Labradoodles do well with families having young children while others fare better with more quiet, mature families.