Australian
labradoodles are characterized by their gentle good humour and
easy-going nature. Some will have a playful personality, some
will be more sedate, but all of them should be gentle and sweet
natured. However, a labradoodle puppy is a PUPPY,
after all, and will definitely require training if it is to be a
pleasure to be around! Even the best natured dog can be ruined by
abuse or lack of training. Australian Labradoodles are a breed
that thrive with people contact and they are not suited to families
that spend most of the day away from home, unless other alternatives
such as doggy day care are looked into.
How big do AustralianLabradoodles get?top
Australian Labradoodles come in three sizes. To
the right is a photo of three labradoodles, showing the size difference
between miniature, medium and standard. Click on the photo to see
a larger image.
Miniatures: 15 to17 inches, 20 to 30 pounds
Mediums: 18 to 21 inches, 30 to 45 pounds
Standards: over 21 inches, generally over 50 pounds
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Earlyspay/neuter is one of the
medical advances in the veterinary field that has had a huge impact on
the number of unplanned puppies and kittens filling the animal shelters
and SPCA's. Unless a person is showing a dog in the conformation
ring and/or breeding the dog, there is really no reason not to spay or
neuter pet puppies. Most dogs are altered at or before six months
of age, while they are still juvenile and have not had onset of adult
hormones (testosterone and progesterone). Thus, whether your puppy
has been altered at seven weeks or six months of age, really makes
little difference to the dog's development. But it does reduce the
risk of certain cancers and it does reducethe risk of unwanted or
unplanned puppies of uncertain parentage,and it guarantees that
none of our puppies will ever end up in puppy mills! Here is a
link to a site with more information about earlyspay/neuter, for those
who wish more specific info on it... click here
What is the difference between a fleece and a wool coat? back to the top
The main difference between the
two is the texture of the hair, not the amount of curl in the coat.
While a wool coat is never straight, many curly fleece dogs can
look as curly as a loose-textured wool coat, but the feel of the coat
is different. Wool coats are always curly and are warmer to the
touch and often slightly coarser feeling where fleece coats are soft to
the touch. When testing the feel of a coat, always 'sample' the
coat on the side rather than along the back, as the presence of kemp
fibres down thespine can trick one into thinking that a fleece coat is
really a wool coat!
Both coats should be
non-shedding and suitable for most people with allergies, but as
somepeople have differing degrees of allergies, it is always
recommended to meet a few labradoodles in person or to work with an
allergist. We are happy to provide hair and saliva samples if
severe allergies are a problem, and wool coats are often recommended
for severe allergies. Click on the gray wording to refer to
ourpage with photos of various coats as puppy and adult for visuals!
Which makes a better pet, a girlor a boy? back to the top
As our AustralianLabradoodles
are spayed or neutered while they are still very young, the differences
between the sexes is minimal. The girls do not experience
hormonal cycles and the boys never develop the testosterone-driven
behaviours such as marking territory, lifting legs to pee or wandering
in search of girl friends. Because these differences are
eliminated with spay/neutering before sexual maturation,
we recommend that families base their preference on personality
and activity level rather than sex. It is more important that you
have a dog that suits your lifestyle, which is why we ask about your
activity level (mellow, moderate, active) when you inquire about
purchasing a labradoodle puppy from us.
What is the difference between an Australian Labradoodle and other kinds of Labradoodles? back to the top
There are many different kinds
of labradoodles being bred to meet the demand generated by the
tremendous popularity of this new breed. The Austrralian
Labradoodle has had a lot of media attention, and has many wonderful
qualities. In order to meet this demand, there are many breeders
raising various types of crosses. There are two main differences
between the various types of poodle/lab crosses (sometimescalled
American Labradoodles) and the Australian Labradoodles:
predictability of coat/ body type/ temperament
paren tbreeds infused to create theAustralian Labradoodle as we know it today.
AustralianLabradoodles
have English and American cocker spaniel, Irish water spaniel and curly
coated retreiver infused into the original parent stock of lab/poodle.
These other breeds have conributed towards the coat, personality
and conformation of the Australian Labradoodle. The cocker spaniel
contributes a beautiful domed head, stocky body and appealing face with
a shorter muzzle, while the water spaniel contributed a softer, more
easily trained personality to the mix. The curly coated retriever
is not found a lot in the background as this infusion was not a common
one, but some of the chocolate lines hark back to the curly. American
Labradoodles do not have other breeds infused into them and are various
percentages of lab/poodle. Many American Labradoodle breeders do
not develop the breed past the first or second generations while others
are working to develop beyond early generations.
F1's
are a first generation cross between a lab and poodle. F1's will
have a fair bit of variability for coat quality and energy level.
Many F1's will shed and look much like a 'Benji dog'.
Somewill be easy to train, some will be boisterous and difficult
to train. The temperament of the poodle and lab parent is VERY important inhelping determine whether these will be nice dogs or not.
F1B's have an
F1 parent and a poodle parent; they are 3/4 poodle. They will tend
to have a better coat, although a few will shed very lightly,and may
have more of a poodle type build and nature. Onceagain, so much
depends on the breeder and how well trained their eye is regarding
which dogs to retain for a breeding program.
F2's have TWO F1
parents and, while they are very valuable in a breeding program aimed
at increasing the gene pool, they will often show huge variability in
coat and body type within a litter. Some will have a poodle-type
body, some will be stockier like a lab, some will have an F1 benji coat
and some will have a curly non-shed coat.
F2B's, F3's, etc etc... There
are many variations, but in general, the farther along the generations
are, the more predictability there should be for coat type, body type
and temperament.
I have young children; is an Australian Labradoodle suitable for a young family?
Yes,the Australian Labradoodle is a gentle breed that is well suited to being a family pet... AND... very
young children are often rough with puppies/dogs and need constant
supervision, for the safety of the puppyas well as the child/children!
You are welcome to discusswith us your own family situation and
we can help you decide if now is a good timeto bring a new family
member home or not.
How should I train my Labradoodle? back to the top
With consistent loving
firmness! All labradoodles will want to know where their place
isin your family and they will be happiest if you teach them how
toplease you. Your puppy is old enough to learn to sit, lay
down,come when called and to not jump up when you get him or her home
at 8weeks of age. Praise and give your puppy a treat when he does
what you are looking for, and correct naughty behavior with a growl or
gentle shake of the scruff. What works for the mother dog will
work for us too!
We have observed the range of
disciplines the mother uses with her puppies and use the same methods
with our puppies and dogs. There is a current trend of "positive
dog training" that only uses rewards or praise while ignoring
undesirable behavior, and consistently, the families that call us with
puppy training problems have been trying to raise their puppy without
appropriate discipline. We believe that the same methods the
mother dog uses with her puppies are the most successful and that is
what we advocate. You want to reward good behavior (make it easy
for them to do the behaviors you want) and discourage bad behavior
(make it difficult or uncomfortable for them to do behaviours you don't
want). There is more detailed information on our Puppy TrainingTips page.
Do you recommend crate training? back to the top
Crate training is optional, but
we have crate trained all our dogs that live in our house. Dogs
should not spend their days in a crate, but they canspend a couple
hours in one while you are out doing errands! Crates become like
their 'den' and many dogs will seek out their crate when they want
quiet time or a secure place. Also, a dogthat is crated cannot
chew shoes or furniture while you are out!
How long do Labradoodles live? back to the top
Labradoodles are relatively
long lived as a breed and an average life expectancy is between 12 and
15 years. In general, smaller dogs live longer than larger dogs,
and there are many factors that affect lifespan, such as diet,
exercise, genetics, accidents and injury, etc.
How much exercise do Australian Labradoodles need? back to the top
Low to moderate. Your
labradoodle will need a walk once or twice a day and pee breaks at
least threetimes a day as an adult. They enjoy walking and being
out and about, but are not a high-energy dog that NEEDSto
havea 3 mile run. A 30 or 40 minute stroll around theneighborhood
will keep them happy. While they are well able to keep up if you
go on a hike,they don't require it.
Tip: walk
your dog in the morning before you leave for work and he will spend a
lot of the day resting and will be calmer and less prone to finding
their own amusements! If you can't fit the time in to do that,
consider training him to go for a walk on the treadmill while you have
your shower.
Some of the American
Labradoodles may require more exercise than the Australian
Labradoodles; there will be more variability for them with some being
low to moderate and some being quite active.
I live in a condo; is an Australian Labradoodle suited to that? back to the top
Yes, a miniature or asmaller
medium sized Labradoodle can do very well in a condo or apartment
lifestyle. Initial potty training will be a bit more work, as you
will have to make numerous trips a day to your designated potty spot
though, unless you choose to continue the litter box training that we
do with our Labradoodle puppies.
How should I groom our Labradoodle? back to the top
Labradoodles require occasional
brushing and infrequent baths. We use a slickerbrush with our
dogs and it is important to brush the coat right from the skin.
Most mats are formed closer to the skin, so if you just brush the
surface of the hair, you will miss the parts that really need
attention. Also, some coat textures may require more brushing
than others, and you will get to know what your own dog needs.
Ingeneral, longer coats require more brushing than shorter coats.
Frequent bathing will actually
remove the natural oils from the coat, and so we most often will bath
our dogs just with water unless they are really filthy from rolling in
mud. Very often, if you brush them out after their coat dries,
the dirt will just fall out without bathing.
The doodle clip is different
than a terrier, poodle or bichon cut. The tail is left long and
flowing, the coat is clipped to one length on the body and the head is
trimmed tidily but not 'pouffed' like a poodle. We shavethe bum,
inbetween the toes on the bottom of the feet, underneath the ears and
the bridge of the nose, extending to the inside corners of the eyes.
I generally use a half-inch blade on the cheeks and under the
chin, leaving the moustache area around the muzzle just a bit longer.
Usually I scissor the moustache area , ears and thebangs/top of
the head. Most people will trim them two to four times a year,
generally when the brushing becomes too much of a nuisance as the coat
becomes longer.
The one time you will likely
want to do a short clip is when your dog loses its' puppy coatand grows
in its' adult coat. It is the one time your pet labradoodle will
actually shed a coat and it generally happens between 9 and 14months of
age.
