LABRADOODLE INFORMATION

A Labradoodle is a cross between a Poodle and a Labrador. The first Labradoodles were bred in 1989 when Wally Conron, who worked as a Breeding Manager for the Royal Guide Dogs Association in Victoria, Australia bred one of his best Labradors with a Standard Poodle in order to try and produce a guide dog for a sight inpaired lady that wouldn't trigger her husband's allergies. The mating produced a litter of three puppies only one puppy of which did not trigger the husband's allergies.

Hypoallergenic dogs

Unfortunately there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. However it is possible to breed dogs who have a reduced allergic reaction amongst allergy sufferers. Dog allergens can come from a dog's  hair, skin (dander), its saliva, or its urine. Some dog breeds produce less allergens than others, Poodles, Airedales & Schnauzers are just three examples that shed their skin on a 21 day cycle; other breeds can shed every three to four day thereby generating more allergens. Dogs with long hair can also trap other unwanted irritants such as pollen, dust etc. . Therefore, anyone giving a home to a Labradoodle should not assume that it will not trigger an allergic response.

Labradoodles today

Labradoodles are now widely bred in Australia, America and the UK. The aim of breeders is to produce a puppy with either a curly or wavy coat which sheds little if at all; it goes without saying that they should of course have a wonderful temperament and good health. The best result from the breeding of labradoodles, so far as we are concerned at DivaDoodles, is their wonderful temperament. They are wonderful family dogs being affectionate, loyal, clever and easy to train. The temperament of labradoodles is not gender specific, therefore both males and females make excellent family members.

Who should own a Labradoodle

Prospective owners should be aware that, unlike pure bred Labrador Retriever or Poodle litters, a Labradoodle litter may produce puppies which vary in colour, size and coat. The coat type can include the hair, fleece or woolly coat. The hair coats are easier to maintain but are likely to shed. The fleece and wooly will need a lot more grooming and possibly clipping but are less likely to shed. Doodles thrive on routine and must be given time for training to stimulate them. Training and early socialisation is the key to avoiding a dog with behavioural issues and active families/people are most suited to owning this breed.

Health

Although crossbreed dogs are said to demonstrate the hybrid vigour it is also possible for a crossbred dog to inherit all the diseases that occur in their bloodline Labradoodles can inherit Hip Dysplasia ( HD )and Elbow Dysplasia (ED) malformations of the hip or elbow joint. HD and ED cannot always be detected by watching the dog move which is why all of my breeding stock have their hips and elbows scored. This test only needs to be done once in a dog's lifetime and the results are issued on a green form for hips and a yellow form for elbows by the British Veterinary Association. Hips are scored on a scale of 0 -106 with an average score of 13 for labradoodles. Elbows are scored on a scale of 0 to 3 with 0 being the best and 3 being the most severe. Only the highest grade of the two elbows is taken as the elbow grade for that dog. Rupert and my girls have also been DNA tested clear for a whole range of genetic diseases know to occur in labradoodles and also have a annual BVA eye test.

Australian Labradoodle

Labradoodle breeding terminology

Puppies from a first generation cross i.e. a Labrador crossed with a poodle are described as F1 or LO1( F denoting the word Filial/LO denoting Labradoodle Origin and 1 indicates that the puppies are the result of the first cross mating of two different breeds). The following generations are worked out by adding one number up from the lowest parent number. Eg F1 x F1 = F2; F2 x F2 = F3 . It is incorrect to just add the numbers together eg: F3 x F4 = F7. If a F1/LO1 labradoodle is mated with a poodle the puppies are described as F1b or LO1pp (b denoting backcross/pp denoting poodle parent).

Australian Labradoodles are denoted by the prefix ALF (Australian Labradoodle Foundation).

A first cross of Australian Labradoodle to a Labradoodle Origin is called a 50/50.