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History
The Labradoodle has an interesting history. A visually impaired woman in
Australia wanted a dog that will not cause her husband’s allergies to flare.
Wally Conron, a breeder, suggested crossing a Labrador Retriever and
Standard Poodle. The resultant breed, which he named as Labradoodle, had a
low shedding coat of a Standard Poodle, suitable for people with allergies
to fur and dander and the gentleness and trainability of a Labrador. Samples
of one of the three puppies from the first litter eventually passed the
allergy test.
Later, Conron crossed Labradoodle to Labradoodle (Double Doodles) and then
Double Doodles to Double Doodles (Tri Doodles). After he died, another
Australian named Kate Schoeffel crossed a Miniature Labradoodle with
Labrador Retriever and is still breeding first generation Labradoodles.
General Description
Labradoodles appear athletic and graceful. Most Labradoodles display
substance with medium boning. He is also not cloddy or heavy nor excessively
fine.
His body, from sternum to buttocks, is square and compact. He has a deep
chest that is well sprung. His loins are strong and muscular. His head is
fairly broad and in proportion to his body and has well defined eyebrows.
The eyes are large and expressive and slightly rounded. The ears are set
slightly above eye level.
The hair of Labradoodle may vary from wiry to soft and may be straight,
crinkled or curly. The coat is generally non-shedding and easy to manage.
However, some Labradoodles do shed. Hair shedding is rare but if it does it
is much less that of Labrador Retrievers. Labradoodles also have less dog
odor.
Temperament
The Labradoodle is clever, sociable, comical, joyful and energetic when
free. When handled he is soft and quiet. He approaches in a friendly manner,
is keen and easy to train. He is intuitive of his family member’s or his
handler’s emotional state and needs.
The Labradoodle inherits the best abilities of both his parent breeds. He
has an inherent affinity for water and a strong swimming ability. Like his
parent breeds he is also an intelligent dog and easy to train. He can be
taught to obey verbal and/or sign commands.
Some breeders have a case for first generation Labradoodles, which means
that a Labradoodle should originate from crossing of a Standard Poodle and
Labrador Retriever only and not from a Labradoodle and Labradoodle. However,
many breeders are breeding Labradoodle to Labradoodle in an effort to
develop a new breed.
Labradoodles generally live up to the age of 15 years without any major
health issues provided they are fed properly and cared for. However, they
are prone to hip dysplasia like their parent breeds. During the last couple
of years many Australian Labradoodles has been reported with progressive
retinal atrophy. This is an inherited disease that causes blindness. A small
number of Labradoodles have been found to suffer from Addison’s disease.
Basically, the Labradoodle is a developing breed and puppies do not have
consistently persistent characteristics. This is mostly due to the absence
of a consensus between breeders and propensity of random breeding.
Despite desirable traits in most dogs, the appearance and behavior of
Labradoodles is still considered to be unpredictable. Due to this opinion
differs between breeders whether Labradoodles should be recognized as a
breed or not.
Regardless of all this, the traits generally seen in most Labradoodles make
him an excellent dog for people having specific needs. Labradoodles are
commonly used around the world as guide dogs. Being one of the most
intelligent breeds they are very useful for the disabled or handicapped
individuals.
Pets4You offers listings of
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