Labradoodle - One of the Most Popular Mixed Dog Breed

The Labradoodle is a crossbreed dog created by crossing the Labrador Retriever and Standard, Miniature, or Toy poodle. These dogs were bred to be assistance dogs for people who suffered of dog-related allergies. First Labradoodle was created in Australia, in 1989, by a man named Wally Conron. He conducted the first crossbreeding between a Standard Poodle and Labrador Retriever because he needed a dog that has the coat of the Puddle and the working ability of the Labrador Retriever. The result of this crossbreeding was named Sultan. Sultan was smart, sweet, and most importantly, he had a hypoallergenic coat. Sultan was created with a specific purpose, to be a guide dog for a handicapped woman in Hawaii, who couldn't have any other guide dog because of her husband's allergies. This breed is still not an officially recognized breed so the standard hasn't been set.

Height:

21 - 24 in

Weight:

50 - 65 lb

Origin:

Australia

Life Expectancy:

12 -14 years

FUN FACT: Sultan faithfully served a woman in Hawaii for ten years.

Dog breed characteristic

The Labradoodle dog comes in three sizes – Standard, Medium, and Miniature. The Standard Labradoodle is 21-24 inches in height and weighs 50-65 pounds. The Medium Labradoodle is 17-19 inches high and weighs 30-45 pounds. The Miniature one is 14-16 inches high and weighs 15-25 pounds. The Labradoodle's coat can also come in more than one type. The coat can be long, and wavy (slightly wavy to extremely wavy) with a soft texture. A wool coat has tight curls and gives the dog a more „Poodle-like“ look. This coat doesn't shed at all. The third type is a coat that looks and feels like the coat of the Labrador Retriever which means they tend to shed profusely throughout the year. This type is the least popular. All these coats come in variety of colors, including gold, cream, chocolate, chalk (a chalky white), red, black, café, apricot, silver, caramel, parchment, and blue.

FUN FACT: The Labradoodle can be a result of crossing a Labrador with a Poodle, crossing two Labradoodles together, or even crossing a Labradoodle with a Poodle or a Labrador.

Grooming & care

Grooming needs depend on the type and the length of the coat. Brushing is needed about two times a week, in order to keep the coat clean and to prevent any knots from forming. Nails should be trimmed as needed, and teeth should be brushed two or three times a week to remove tartar buildup and bacteria. Labradoodles have trouble with frequent ear infections. Because of this, the Labradoodle's ears should be kept dry and clean. Check the dog's ears at least once a week for dirt, redness, or some other sign that can indicate an infection.

Labradoodle - energy level

The Labradoodle has a lot of energy and requires regular, daily exercise. Except for regular walks, take your Labradoodle somewhere where you can let him burn off the steam by running freely. Just like any other dog, the Labradoodle can also become destructive if not given enough exercise and mental stimulation. Excessive chewing and barking are often caused by boredom. Because of their high exercise needs, Labradoodles are not recommended for apartment living.

FUN FACT: Labradoodles love to swim.

Intelligence

The Labradoodle is an affectionate, highly intelligent, gentle, and good-natured dog with a great temperament. They love to be around people. They thrive on the attention of the family and make excellent family dogs. Labradoodles also make great service dogs, rescue dogs, and therapy dogs. Usually, the Labradoodles do well with other pets in the household, as well as with children of the family, if they are trained and properly socialized.

FUN FACT: Because of their excellent sense of smell, Labradoodles are brilliant trackers.

The Labradoodle - personality

Training the Labradoodle is not difficult. They are eager to please their human and thus highly trainable. Also, because of the fact that they are very intelligent, they are quick at catching commands. Labradoodles are sensitive by nature and don’t respond well to harsh treatment. Always use positive reinforcement while training the Labradoodle dog.

FUN FACT: Labradoodles are not good watchdogs.

Health

The Labradoodle has a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years. The important thing to know is that Labradoodles may be more predisposed to certain health issues because their parent breeds are known to suffer from them. These health issues include hip and elbow dysplasia (you can read more about hip dysplasia here), patellar luxation, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), epilepsy (you can read more about epilepsy here), diabetes mellitus (a disorder in which the dog’s body can’t regulate blood sugar levels), hypothyroidism (a disorder of the thyroid gland), ear issues, and allergies.

Labradoodle breeders

Because of the Labradoodle’s looks and characteristics, the breed became popular in no time. This rapid popularity caused Labradoodles to show up amongst irresponsible breeders and in puppy mills.

To get a healthy dog never buy one from a pet store or a puppy mill. Find a responsible and reputable breeder who only uses stud dogs that have been screened for any hereditary health issues. This way you can avoid some of those common health issues. Don’t be shy to ask questions about the puppy or the puppy’s parents and siblings.

Also, the average price of a well-bred Labradoodle puppy is between $900-$2,500 USD. The price depends on the genetic quality of the puppy, parental characteristics, popularity of the breeder, neonatal and postnatal care costs, etc.

If you are an official breeder, feel free to make a profile on the World Dog Finder website. Putting pictures and information about your kennel, dogs, puppies, current or upcoming litters, is completely free. By creating a profile on our page, people can find your kennel more easily, leave comments or reviews, and if they are interested in your dogs they can contact you. You can register here for free.

If you are looking to buy a dog, use the World Dog Finder website to get the best dog possible. World Dog Finder has a very strict policy about who is allowed to post dogs and sell them on a website. Also, World Dog Finder is easy to use. Search filters will show you all puppies/dogs available in an area that you pick within just a few seconds. You can search dogs here.

World Dog Finder team