Labradoodle – Full Breed Profile

Breed Characteristics:

Labradoodle is one of the most famous cross breeds alive. This famous dog is a mix between a super-friendly Labrador Retriever and a super-smart Labradoodle.

Did you know that there are more than 50 different Poodle mixes at the moment?

Labradoodle got the best qualities of its parents: from the Labs side this breed is really friendly and easy going, while from the Poodle side they got super intelligence making them fast at learning.

Mastering any trick – from easy to hard – is something that this breed can master in no time, as long as you provide the right training and delicious treats.

Labradoodle usually comes with a shaggy or curly coat that requires regular maintenance.

Both parents, Labs and Poodle are huge water lovers, so you can expect your Labradoodle to run into the water whenever you walk nearby – to avoid additional swimming keep that lean on.

Let’s learn what else this affectionate dog loves.

Quick Facts

Real name: Labradoodle
Origin: Australia
Breed type: Hybrid Dogs
Weight: 50 to 65 pounds
Height: 21 to 24 inches at the shoulder
Lifespan: 12 to 14 years
Litter Size: 4 – 10 puppies
Color: Variety of colors, including gold, apricot, and blue
Coat: Three types of coat including hair coat, wool coat, and fleece coat

Labradoodle was originally developed to be a hypoallergenic guide dog.

It’s well-known that both Poodle and Labrador Retriever are often used as working dogs.

Dogs were bred to perform different tasks, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that they are busy working even today. These purebred parents are commonly used as therapy dogs, which is why breeders decided to cross them.

In fact, this cross was initially planned and arranged by the Royal Guide Dogs Association of Australia.

As result, the world got a new breed – adorable Labradoodle, who turn out to be smart, outgoing, highly social, packed with strong guiding instincts, and on top of that they had a low-shedding coat.

There is still a long road ahead for breeders to achieve consistent results in terms of the appearance and temperament of this breed, but that doesn’t stop them from being widely known and appreciated.

Labradoodle History

As mentioned above, the adorable Labradoodle was initially created by the Royal Guide Dogs Association of Australia, with the ultimate goal to create a super-guiding dog.

The first successful attempt at creating a Labradoodle was achieved back in 1989.

At the time, Wally Conron was responsible for the development of their breed and in charge of the breeding program for the Royal Guide Dogs Association of Australia, and he successfully conducted the first crossbreeding between a Standard Poodle and Labrador Retriever.

The first cross was named Sultan. In no time, this breed rose in popularity and has become one of the most lovable and popular ‘Doodle breeds.’

Labradoodle is not to be mistaken with Goldendoodle, although they are similar in appearance.

Now that we know more about how this breed was developed let’s see what you can expect from a Labradoodle in a term of appearance.

You may have heard about Australian Labradoodle as well? Know that is a separate breed, although they are highly similar.

Labradoodle Physical Appearance

Before you get a Labradoodle know that this breed comes with a moderate activity level. This means that next to regular pee walks, you will have to provide additional exercise time, to keep them satisfied.

If you miss providing the right physical care, your dog is most likely to become bored, and when bored dogs tend to become destructive.

Since both Standard Poodle and Labrador Retriever are considered to be large dogs, you should be well aware that the larger the dog larger the possible damage.

Learn about breeds’ parents as much as possible so you can know what to expect – or even better compare them by using this compare dog breeds tool and learn what you can expect from your Labradoodle.

Now that you know that you can expect your Labradoodle to be a larger size dog, let’s see how large your Fido might be actually.

As a general rule, Labradoodles tend to have 50 to 65 pounds and to have 21 to 24 inches at the shoulder, but this is just a general overview, as Labradoodle comes in three size variations.

Since Poodle comes in three different sizes, some breeders may decide not to use Standard Poodle for breeding with Lab, but use a Toy, or Miniature Poodle, which will result in Labradoodle coming in three different sizes.

Let’s see how big these three variations might get:

• Standard Labradoodle – 22 to 24 inches in height for a male and 21 to 23 inches in height for a female, while as for the weight both male and female can weight from 50 to 65 pounds
• Medium Labradoodle – 18 to 20 inches high for a male and 17 to 19 inches high for a female, while as for the weight both male and female can weight from 30 to 45 pounds
• Miniature Labradoodle – commonly have between 14 to 16 inches and 15 to 25 pounds

As for the coat, all three variations can have almost any coat type.

Color-wise, they will range from black, over silver, to white, while the coating structure is much more complex.

Labradoodle comes with three types of coat texture:

• Hair coat. This coat type has a standard doggy odor. This is the least desirable coat in this breed and is very similar to fur in shedding breeds. Hair coat is commonly seen in the first generations.
• Wool coat. This coat is best described as lamb’s wool, hence the name. The wool coat comes with loose curls and isn’t known for being dense. This coat is desirable as it doesn’t shed and doesn’t have a doggy odor.
• Fleece coat. This is a silky-type coat, that can be straight or wavy, or in between. The fleece coat is also described as an Angora goat texture.

If you prefer having a breed of specific traits or known shedding levels, you might think about getting a non-mixed breed.

The beauty of mixed breeds is that you can never know for sure just what your Labradoodle might look like.

If you get a Labradoodle with a hair coat you should expect regular shedding but not a smell, with extra shedding in spring and autumn – this is when the shedding season occurs.

No matter which coat your Labradoodle comes with you will still have to provide the proper grooming practice.

Let’s see what grooming a Labradoodle should look like.

Labradoodle Grooming

If you want to have a healthy and happy Labradoodle you will have to invest in grooming.

Brushing is something that you should do weekly, but you should know that it isn’t enough to keep your Labradoodle looking sharp.

Before you run to invest in high-quality grooming tools, you need to wait for your puppy (or adult dog if you are adopting) and check for the coat.

Grooming requirements will depend on the dog’s coat. The coat length and type of the coat will play major roles in how easy or not the dog’s grooming will be.

Generally speaking, grooming should include:

• Weekly brushing with the right grooming tools
• Daily eye check for any sign of eye discharge
• Monthly nail trimming or grinding
• Ear cleaning when needed
• Bathing only when really necessary
• Teeth brushing if recommended
• Weekly gum check

If you decide to bathe your dog or brush his teeth, make sure that you use only products that are specially designed for dogs.

Now that dogs have different skin than humans do, they don’t need as frequent bathing as people do.

Do your best to make grooming a positive experience.

In general, dogs don’t like to be handled, so make sure that you start with grooming while your dog is a puppy.

Always reward good behavior with a delicious treat.

Dogs are especially sensitive when it comes to their paws, so put extra attention to handling that part of the body.

Pro tip: Provide additional paw care on harsh winter days, or during hot summer days. Always be mindful of the temperature, because you want to keep dogs’ paws healthy and strong.

Grooming Labradoodle may be time-consuming, especially if they turn to have a harsh and wavy coat, which is why many Labradoodle owners opt for professional groomer services.

This will save you a ton of money, although it may be a bit pricey.

If you decide to invest in a professional groomer service, still provide weekly brushing. This time should be used to bond more with your dog.

Plus, use brushing sessions to check the dog’s coat for any sign of fleas and flea dirt.

While you are there brushing, make sure that there are no signs of skin infection.

Will this breed be easy to handle when it comes to grooming? Are they easy-going, or more of a shy dog? Let’s discover.

Labradoodle Personality

With parents such as Poodle and Golden Retriever, it should be clear that Labradoodle will be a great dog. This is a smart dog who will thrive around people, as long as he is properly trained.

As a mix between Poodle and Golden Retriever, Labradoodle won’t tolerate being left along for too long, or too frequently.

These dogs are friendly, and nothing excited them like a walk with their human, or family activity.

Labradoodle is a great addition to families of any size. They are highly loyal, extremely devoted, and ultimate gentle dogs who will be extra careful with their movement around children.

The Labradoodle is often described as an easygoing dog who is never aggressive.

What if your Labradoodle shows some signs of aggression? Bear in mind that the temperament of every dog is affected by several factors, such as:

• Heredity
• Training
• Proper socialization

As puppies, Labradoodles will be curious, playful, and always ready for some sort of adventure.

Puppies tend to be mischievous – after all, they are exploring the exciting world around them.

To keep them safe, make sure that you puppy-proof your home, and if possible think about pawternity leave – this way you will run through the puppy phase at ease.

Be careful with puppies not to overwork them as their bones and joints are developing.

Overall, your Labradoodle should be an easy-going dog, with a sweet personality, and a tendency to be around people.

They are so gentle and affectionate that they are listed as the first choice dogs for children with autism.

As long as you provide proper training and early socialization, your Labradoodle should be a well-behaved canine citizen.

Labradoodle With Children And Other Pets

Labradoodles love children. As long as children know how to behave around dogs, Labradoodles will behave nicely and in a safe manner.

Still, no matter how much love there might be between a dog and children, their interaction should be always supervised.

Educate your children on how to behave around dogs and what is allowed.

They should know not to pull the dog’s ears, tail, or hair, and not to disturb them while they are eating, resting, or drinking water.

Children should truly understand that dogs are territorial beings. As for other dogs and pets, Labradoodles tend to get along with them.

Like most dogs, they need a proper introduction to other animals next to proper training and socialization.

Labradoodle Training

No matter how friendly your Labradoodle is, he still needs proper training and socialization.

Training is what makes well-behaved canine citizens, while early socialization help dogs adjust much better to their surroundings.

Labradoodles are major people-pleasers and as such, they are easy to train.

To get the maximum out of training sessions, make them:

• Short
• Fun
• Consistent
• Reward-based
• Packed with treats

Dogs are food-driven beings. In practice, this means that training should be super easy if you use treats as a reward.

No dog should ever experience any harsh training methods.

If you feel like you could use additional support during the training session, think between these two options:

• Hire a professional dog trainer
• Enroll your puppy in puppy classes

These dogs are smart, and they enjoy learning. Since dogs can master basic commands as of eight weeks of age, make sure that you don’t miss this period to provide early socialization as well.

During this period your dog should learn the following:

• Basic commands such as ‘sit’ and ‘stay’
• House dog rules
• How to walk on a leash
• How to behave around house visitors
• What a backyard is
• How to use pee walk
• Which house areas are forbidden and which are allowed to go to
• If furniture is allowed to climb on or not

Once your veterinarian gives you a green light, you can take your Fido to the dog park. Meeting other dogs will be great for building his confidence, and for learning dog rules.

Labradoodle Exercise

To keep your Labradoodle happy and fit you should provide enough exercise time.

Dogs should go out, perfectly, three times per day to have a pee walk, while smaller size dogs need even frequent pee time.

Next to these walks dogs should have extra time that is used only for play and exercise.

By providing enough exercise you’re helping your dog to keep healthy and strong joints.

Regular exercise should help your dog reach his senior years without major health issues.

Think about running in the dog park, fetch, dog sports such as agility, or additional training sessions.

This way you will keep your Labradoodle’s brain stimulated and his body fit. That being said, how much exercise does Labradoodle needs?

As general rule, Labradoodles require about 30 to 60 minutes of exercise per day.

Labradoodle Health

Labradoodles are considered to be healthy dogs.

Like all breeds, Labradoodles may experience some health issues along the way.

You may provide the best care possible and your Labradoodle still may get sick.

Below you will find a short list of the most common health issues that Labradoodles may experience, but bear in mind that it doesn’t mean that your dog will experience any of these issues.

It just means that you should be aware of them and do your best to prevent them.

Here are health conditions to be aware of:

• Ear Infections
• Hip And Elbow Dysplasia
• Epilepsy
• Allergies
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
• Hypothyroidism

Also, Labradoodles may be susceptible to the health problems of Labrador Retrievers, Standard Poodles, or Miniature Poodles.

Again, knowing what the purebred side has to deal with can help tremendously in keeping your Labradoodle healthy.

If you want a healthy puppy, make sure that you deal with responsible dog breeders only. They will present you with medical documentation on the puppy, show you the facilities, and even let you meet the bitch.

On top of that, they will provide additional tips on grooming, training, and overall care.

Even if you trust the breeder completely and you get papers on the dog, you should still take him to your veterinarian for a full check-up.

Don’t forget that once you get a dog home, you are directly responsible for one of the biggest health issues in dogs today – obesity.

Provide the right nutrition, organize exercise time, and stick to regular veterinarian check-ups and your dog will reach his senior years without major issues.

Is Labradoodle For You?

Labradoodles are affectionate dogs who love to spend time with their humans.

They are energetic enough to keep you active, but peaceful enough to let you watch your favorite TV show.

Labradoodles are more than suitable for first time dog owners as long as there is proper training and socialization session in order.

If you want a larger size dog who does that much but loves spending time with people and mastering different tricks and commands this breed may be the right for you.

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