Calling all dog experts! Hoping to get a Labradoodle, any information to be aware of, and do you recommend them?

[RosemaryDuck]

Just wanted to point this out, but if you're getting a Labradoodle, please make sure you have the time and money to put into grooming and taking it to a professional groomer frequently. I see so many horror stories of people not properly grooming these dogs and they become a giant mat. Groomers often have to shave them completely because people don't brush them out well enough.

They are also pretty high energy, so make sure you have time to commit to exercise and keeping the dog out of trouble. You may end up with a dog with a very high prey drive that goes after your other pets or birds.

Hope this helps and best of luck with whichever dog you choose!

 

[Thetinyfarm]

I may not be able to get one, but I am hoping to get a Labradoodle. I want a dog that is around 40-60 lbs, and I'm slightly allergic to dogs so I want one that is at least mostly hypoallergenic. I also have some mental health issues, so I'm hoping I could get it trained to be an ESA. So now for some questions:


I've talked to my parents in the past about getting a dog, and they've said no mostly because of how many pets we already have. Any suggestions on how to respectfully ask for one, but not seem ungrateful? (Starburst, my twin sister and I, have 16 chickens, some fish, and two parakeets, while my other siblings have 2 dogs (mini poodles), a hedgehog, and an axolotl (on the way.) The thing is that you can take you dog a lot more places than a chicken, and they're so sweet and cuddly (no offense to my chickens, but they've got sharp claws and don't like to live indoors)

Another question is, do you know of any reputable Labradoodle breeders? Our preference would be to get a female, color is preferably black (though the silver ones are also super cool) puppy.

Do you recommend them?

We put together a power point on why it would be beneficial, any other ideas on how to present our information?

Thank you so much for any information you can provide!

I’ve never met a well trained one. I’ve come across many a labra doodle and after talking to owners, they seem hard to train and if not neutered early enough can be aggressive. ( this could be said about any dog though)
Have you tried going to a rescue centre to see if they have any? Our rescue centres seem to have lots of “ froofroo” dogs available for adoption, once people get bored of them. Good luck

 

[agold23]

My advice is to stay away from doodles, especially if you’re looking for a hypoallergenic dog as that can’t be guaranteed. Doodles aren’t a breed, they’re mutts, there are no breeding standards or guidelines in place so this cannot guarantee consistency within the dogs. No consistency between the dogs means that that doodle breeders can go crazy on the parent combinations to try and maximize the desirable traits (once again that cannot be guaranteed when you’re breeding two different breeds together). Your number one priority before getting a dog should be researching. Researching what defines an ethical breeder, ethical breeders in your area, the best breeds for your lifestyle, training methods, puppy care and more. In my opinion there’s no such thing as an ethically bred mutt which means doodles shouldn’t be bred. Most doodle owners are doing it to make a quick buck and fit into the doodle trend. Every dog breed you see today has been bred for a purpose, all these designer “breeds” I can argue, do not have a purpose other than companionship role which almost every dog fills on top of their breed purpose.

Working at a dog kennel too I can first hand testify that doodles are not the dog you want. Almost every single doodle I’ve met have looked completely different, from size, stature, coat type and personality. Doodles have been advertised as the perfect dog and have had an immense (and undeserving) rise to popularity, and the only thing I can say now is just to do your research.

Other hypoallergenic dogs that from a reputable breeder can almost guarantee consistency are portuguese water dogs, poodles, lagottos and certain terriers.

 

[chickentrains]

My only question for you is, why a labradoodle over a poodle? Poodles are cheaper, easier to find, and you just described one in a labradoodle. I'm a poodle fancier myself and its way easier to find a reputable poodle breeder over a reputable labradoodle breeder.

you've done a good job finding breeders, and I'll continue to suggest the bearded retriever club if you continue thinking about a labradoodle.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

My only question for you is, why a labradoodle over a poodle? Poodles are cheaper, easier to find, and you just described one in a labradoodle. I'm a poodle fancier myself and its way easier to find a reputable poodle breeder over a reputable labradoodle breeder.

you've done a good job finding breeders, and I'll continue to suggest the bearded retriever club if you continue thinking about a labradoodle.

I guess I've always wanted a Labrador. My dad had a yellow lab when he was younger, and loved her, and I've met some amazing ones, but my sister is pretty allergic to them, (and I am slightly, too, though it almost seems like the more I'm around dogs the less they bother me) so I thought a Labradoodle would be a good in-between. Though from what I'm hearing, it seems like maybe not.

My sister might be moving out in the next year or two, but I could see if she would be ok with having a labrador, if I was diligent with vacuuming hair and such.

The reason I don't really want a poodle is because my sister (the one with allergies) has two miniature ones, but Finley (one of them) is super demanding and not very nice to Oliver (the other) and he still isn't potty trained (I just think he never got trained well as a pup)

Oliver, on the other hand, is super clumsy (but adorable) and he scratches at the door non-stop. He also has addisons, yeast infections, and degenerative disk disease. He also has "dietary indiscretion" which means he likes to eat the drywall and poisonous mushrooms in the yard.

I guess it could just be them... I love them, but they don't really seem to fit the poodle "smart and active" category.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Dogs will do what you (or their owner) let's them. Training goes a long way.

 

[black_cat]

I do not recommend getting a labradoodle. They are full of false promises, because they are crosses. Coat type varies from short to long to wirey to soft to curly to straight to a full double coat to an extremely thin coat. You don't know what you'll get. Doodles aren't actually a 'no shedding' cross. In reality, you either end up with a dog that sheds, or a dog that sheds, but because of coat texture, the shed hair gets caught, forming painful, dense mats. Most doodle coats are very, very high maintenance, a fact that many breeders lie about.

Similarly, with temperament- you won't necessarily get the 'best' of both breeds. You could get the snappiness of a miniature poodle and the extremely high energy of a lab. The chance of having a puppy with a whack temperament is made so much higher because no reputable breeders of labs or poodles will sell to a doodle breeder. Therefore the foundation dogs are likely poorly structured, unhealthy, and not temperament tested. It is SO easy to get a hyperactive dog, or a snappy dog, or a fearful dog, or a dog that has no will to please, or a dog with some combination of those traits. There IS NO WAY for breeders to test a dog's worth ethic or temperament in any official setting, because AKC canine partners registrations (what allow mixed breed dogs to compete) require the dog to be neutered.

My neighbors' labradoodle puppy is hyperactive and has no will to please whatsoever, making her an extremely difficult dog to manage.
Size is also not guaranteed- going back to the previous puppy, she was supposed to be 30 pounds and now weighs 60.

Many say that mixed breed dogs are healthier, but this could not be further from the truth. There's no reason that you couldn't end up with a dog that has cancer and joint problems from the lab line, and a skin condition and food allergies from the poodle line. The healthiest dog that you will get is from a breeder who has complete health testing going back generations. Also, with the foundation dogs being from poor breeders, they will likely not be correctly structured. Some things are cosmetic, like tailset, but, for example, a dog with straight, incorrect angles will have restricted movement and a higher chance of developing joint problems.

Finally, consider two things that don't affect the dog itself.


There are breeders that have dedicated their lives, their time, their money, their everything to bettering their chosen breed. In my eyes, buying a doodle is a huge slap in the face to those who have done their absolute best to improve and protect the breed that they care so deeply about.

The price- keeping this short and sweet. Would you pay $3000+ for a lab x husky? what about a lab x shiba inu? What about a lab x chow chow? What about a lab x great dane?

I hope that you read this through. I'm not going to debate this point beyond this post, but this is my honest opinion as someone who is involved in dog showing, training, and breeding.

 

[chickentrains]

I guess I've always wanted a Labrador. My dad had a yellow lab when he was younger, and loved her, and I've met some amazing ones, but my sister is pretty allergic to them, (and I am slightly, too, though it almost seems like the more I'm around dogs the less they bother me) so I thought a Labradoodle would be a good in-between. Though from what I'm hearing, it seems like maybe not.

My sister might be moving out in the next year or two, but I could see if she would be ok with having a labrador, if I was diligent with vacuuming hair and such.

The reason I don't really want a poodle is because my sister (the one with allergies) has two miniature ones, but Finley (one of them) is super demanding and not very nice to Oliver (the other) and he still isn't potty trained (I just think he never got trained well as a pup)

Oliver, on the other hand, is super clumsy (but adorable) and he scratches at the door non-stop. He also has addisons, yeast infections, and degenerative disk disease. He also has "dietary indiscretion" which means he likes to eat the drywall and poisonous mushrooms in the yard.

I guess it could just be them... I love them, but they don't really seem to fit the poodle "smart and active" category.

Seems like a handler error, and not the dogs fault. Poodles are extremely intelligent dogs and if they aren't trained its simply the owners fault (same goes for all breeds, actually). The health issues also probably stems from poor choice of breeder. No reputable breeder will produce a dog with such issues.

 

[black_cat]

Seems like a handler error, and not the dogs fault. Poodles are extremely intelligent dogs and if they aren't trained its simply the owners fault (same goes for all breeds, actually).

This!! Some dogs are more biddable than others, but you should NOT get any dog unless you can and will commit time to train the dog to at least a basic obedience level. It's not fair to the dog to do anything less, because the dog will be constantly stressed out. It won't know why you're punishing it for peeing on the floor, or chewing the chair, etc, and will be confused and live in a higher stress state.

 

[black_cat]

https://thecaninechasm.com/
Here is a blog that has an excellent series on reputable breeders, as well as great information on other dog topics.