Precursor

What is the Labradoodle? Where does it come from? Well, the Labradoodle is part Labrador which by the way is the king of dogs! Ranking number 1 for the family!

The other part is a Poodles which if you are curious is ranked at number 7! In this article I will talk about both breeds, then I will talk about the Labradoodle, what are the pros and cons of owning a Labradoodle? So I hope this article sways you to get this wonderful mix breed!

Without any further ado here is the Labrador!

The Labrador

• Weight 50-80 pounds
• Height 22-24 inches
• Lifespan 10-12 years
• Temperament Loving, caring, loyal, playful

America’s favorite breed of dog, the Labrador Retriever, is an agreeable and friendly companion that is a popular choice for families. Labs are highly social and have a love for all people, children and animals alike, which explains their widespread popularity.

The Labrador was bred in Canada, to help fishermen and hunters retriever there catches. They needed a friendly dog that loved to go fetching and also enjoyed being in the water.

The Labrador was brought over to England by the 1800s by several English noblemen. Those breeds are now the English Labrador Retriever, they were bred more for being a show dog and companionship. Rather than there American cousins who were bred for work.

The English Labrador is shorter, stockier, thicker necked and more mellow than there American cousins. If you would like to know more about the differences between the English Labrador Vs the American Labrador we have that article here!

The Poodle

• Height 15-21 inches
• Weight 45-60 pounds
• Lifespan 12-18 years
• Temperament Watchful, loving, caring, playful

Poodles have three different siblings, there is the standard which is above 15 inches at the shoulder, the miniature poodles are 15 inches or bellow, and then there is the baby sister the Toy poodle 10 inches and bellow. Poodles are not dumb they are in fact brilliant, the Poodle is a very active dog. So they would go great with people who are out being active a lot of the time!

Poodles originally came from Germany as “duck dogs” but were brought over to France and became the thing to have! Due to its popularity, France made it, the national animal.

Finally the Labradoodle

• Weight-  45-65 pounds
• Height- 21-24 inches
• Lifespan- 12-15 years
• Major Health Concerns- Elbow & hip dysplasia, Hypothyroidism, and Epilepsy
• Grooming- A weekly brushing, and when you give the Labradoodle a bath use Shampoo for there fur is hair.
• Colors- Cream, Silver, Red, Brindle, Black
• Eye Color- Hazel
• Exercise- 50-60 minutes a day of walking, running, playing, training
• Training- 15 minutes a day while still a puppy, they learn very fast!
• Socialization- Take her to puppy classes
• Temperament- Eager to please, playful, cuddly, watchful, goofball, Loyal
• Good in an apartment?- yes

What are the Training and Socialization needs of the Labradoodle

The Labradoodle is pretty good for a first-time dog owner; they are very easy to train and follows your commands if he’s appropriately taught from a young age.

If you do not train your Labradoodle properly then he will be quite a handful, creating mischief where ever he can, so you need to be firm but loving with your training. Teach him the basics like sit, lay down, stay, down, and come, you should start teaching when you come home with your new pupper!

The Labradoodle needs to be socialized at an early age, I would take her to puppy classes this kills two birds with one stone. You get her trained by a great pet trainer, and you get her socialized with other puppies her own age.

You can take her to the city where she will get a nose full of different smells, sights, people, and noises. The thing that you should not do is take her out into the dog park. She is unvaccinated, and the dogs that are there can be very rude which could scar your pretty baby for life.

How much Exercise and Grooming does the Labradoodle need?

Labradors and Poodles are very active dogs, so if you are a couch potato that only wants to get home and watch tv. Then the Labradoodle is not the right type of dog for you.

They need at least an hour or more of exercise, and then some training to keep their sharp little mind active and aware. If you are not willing or capable, then please buy a smaller type of dog that loves to just relax.

Grooming for the Labradoodle is a must, the Labradoodle fur can become very tangled so you will need to give her a daily brushing.

The Labradoodle Health and Grooming

Well in order to know what types of health problems the Labradoodle has, we have to take a closer look at the parent’s health problems.

The Labrador

• Hip and Elbow Dysplasia
• Retinal Atrophy- PRA for short is a disease that causes blindness over time.
• Obesity- The Labrador is known to eat whenever he gets the opportunity
• Cold Tail-  Cold tail normally happens to sporting dogs. It is where the tail gives out due to overuse this can be very painful to a dog.

The Poodle

• Epilepsy
• Hip Dysplasia
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy- Which is a disease that aggressively attacks the eyes which eventually makes the dog go blind.
• Bloating, bloating is very dangerous, bloating happens when you exercise your dog right after eating. The stomach can twist itself into knots if this happens you need to take him to the vet immediately. There they will do open surgery to untwist the stomach.
• Thyroid issues

The Labradoodle

• Hip and Elbow Dysplasia
• Retinal Atrophy- PRA for short is a disease that causes blindness over time.
• Obesity- The Labradoodle is prone to overeating if given the opportunity
• Von Willebrand’s disease- It prevents the blood from clotting correctly, which means if your Labradoodle has a cut it will be very difficult for you to stop the bleeding.
• Epilepsy

The Labradoodles grooming needs is a bit on the “need to be brushed daily if you want a rock star look” But if not then a brushing every two to three days to make sure that the knots stay away, is all that is required in the brushing category.

In the washing category, the Labradoodle normally has human hair, and so instead of washing with regular dog soap. The Labradoodle needs human shampoo to keep there hair looking gorgeous and healthy-looking.

This concludes the Labradoodle article! I hope I have persuaded you to get the Labradoodle!

If you have any questions, comments or you have a Labradoodle, we would love to hear about it and see your photos. Just drop an email!

Also if you would like to see what other types of Lab Mix’s, then here is a link to 30 Lab Mix dogs. We also have an article on The English Labrador vs the American Labrador article here as well!