Im getting a labradoodle. whoever has one please share stories, tips, facts... and do they really not shed?

Answer 1

The neighbours across the street have a labrador / poodle mix. They call him Buddy, and he is the sweetest little brat that you could ever want...well not so little anymore, as he has more than doubled in size since they got him, and he still has quite a bit of growing to do (I think he is just over 6 months old now, and about 45 lbs).

Buddy has light golden coloured eyes, and a very light beige coat--not quite curly--more like a loose, thick afro. And a beige nose. From the beginning he has liked to chew on people's fingers, and his owner has had a really hard time breaking him of this habit, although I think she has finally succeeded. Now she has to start working on his need to jump up on people when he gets close enough.

And getting him to learn commands has been a real challenge. Although he does sit now, he still can't heel. And he is either trying to run ahead, or dropping far behind and needing to be pulled along...not at all co-operative when walking when he doesn't WANT to!

But he just loves roughhousing with the neighbourhood kids, and apart from chewing on people's fingers, and slobbering them to death if you give him the chance, he does just fine with young exuberant children who pull ears and tails.

My neighbour payed $1000 for Buddy from a breeder. And it wasn't a puppy mill, she says, but a person who raises several breeds of dog and breeds them as a living. Buddy and his littermates were the result of the ingenuity of a male poodle who climbed two fences to get to a young labrador in heat, whom they were not going to breed this season.

I have petted Buddy a LOT since he was very little. I don't remember noticing any hairs coming out on my hands. I'm inclined to think that if they aren't quite non-shedders, that they shed very little.

Just remember that your puppy's fur is going to be supremely thick and probably hard for him to handle in the heat. Please consider getting him clipped for the season (and NOT in a classic poodle cut!)?!

Answer 2

Labradoodles are mix bred dogs. They do not breed "true" as to size, coat type, body type etc. To be a breed you must breed dogs for 7 generations...it takes many years and dogs to get a new"true" breed. If the two dogs that are being bred are not health checked for PRA (eye problems in both breeds), OFAed for hips, elbows and hearts(hips and heart problems in both breeds, and elbows in Labs), tested for sebaceous andenitis (poodle skin problem) etc the pups could get any of these inherited problems. Just because it isn't two of the same breed being bred doesn't mean the pups will have less problems. Also because it is two different breeds you have no idea what type of coats the pups will have. I have seen some that resemble Airedale coats, some that are like Poodles, some like Labs, and some that have a coat straight like a Lab but thick and long like a Poodle, And YES some do shed!! Labs are big shedders and just breeding them to a Poodle won't make all the pups not shed. Also most of these pups are extemely active. If you can't stand a dog that is on the move all the time don't get one. Labs usually don't settle until they are around 3-5 yrs old and Poodles can be just as active. If you don't want to deal with grooming, shedding or take the dog to a groomer every 4-6 wks don't get one. If you really want one make sure the breeder has bred from conformationally sound dogs with all health screening and can show you the same with each dogs ancestry (most Labradoodle breeders can't because they are breeding them for $$-designer dogs). Get a sales contract with a health guarantee. One last thing the original Labradoodle was a Lab bred with a Standard Poodle-they can get larger than a Lab. Also if they are trying to sell smaller dogs don't buy one. Breeding a Miniature or Toy Poodle (female) to a Lab is dangerous to the smaller dog and should not be done. You may not be getting a "Doodle" but some other mix they are passing off. I had a 6 mos old Doodle puppy come in for grooming that had "papers" (just junk there is no legitimate registry for them) and the pup was only about 4 lbs! maybe a poodle mix but not with a Lab. And don't spend anything more than it would cost to get a mix from the SPCA (maybe a little more if they are doing all the above testing).

Answer 3

A Labradoodle is a mix between a Poodle and A Labrador. Some shed a lot like Labs, some shed minimally like Poodles and others are somewhere between the two.
It is very hard to say exactly what one wil lbel ike because they are a mix so there is no standard of type, temperament, etc..some are more Poodle like some more Lab like and still others are middle of the road..some are very hyper, some very stubborn.

Answer 4

No such breed - you are getting a mutt - a mixed breed, no registration with AKC.
I hope you are not paying some back yard breeder for this con game - and you will not have any idea how this mixed breed will turn out.
Could have any of the genetic traits of either parent, the best or the worst - no way to know.

Go rescue an adult dog at the pound, then you will know what you are getting and save a life too.

Don't give money to someone who is telling you this is actually a breed - it itsn't, it's just a mutt.

Answer 5

I don't own one but I worked in a pet store that had them and yes they did shed. But if this one is a second or third generation labradoodle the shouldn't shed much.by the 2nd and 3rd generation there should be more poodle than lab. I do not support mix breeding like what is going on anymore (designer breeds) but it is happening. Anyways that is what I have learned about this breed and its shedding

Answer 6

Just wanted to address Natalie. Labradoodles are real dogs. They are a cross between Poodles and Labs. The two breeds were crossed with the hopes of limiting dander for the sake of those who suffer from allergies. A lot of breeders aren't real happy with all of these different mixes of dogs that are out here but the fact is a lot of people are experimenting with them and the dogs are gaining popularity.

Answer 7

Labradoodles are beautiful dogs and for those of you that have previously answered this question saying it is not a 'real' breed are ignorant. As long as the dog is bred from good lines and with a standard poodle they are a great dog and live a long life. In fact many don't have the hip and eye issues common with pure bred Labradors. Traditionally Labradoodles were bred for those of us who have allergies to traditional fur and you're right, they don't shed. Their woolly coats are just divine. I think you will love your Labradoodle at first sight! Good choice! :-)

Answer 8

Who knows if your will or not.. They are not real purebreds, they are mixed breed dogs.. They can have characteristics of one or the other or an awful mix of the 2... You don't know what they will be like, look like, act like how big they will be or anything.. They are mutts.. Not special dogs, nothing rare, merely a dog that has been bred to make money!

Answer 9

i have never owned one but i have had two different one when i was working in a kennel very happy and hyper dogs train you baby as quick as you can they re are very smart and trainable i am giving you some website on poodles and labs and hope they help. one of the story's i can tell you is one was a male name Clyde perfect name for/ from the movie bonnie and Clyde he learned with in twenty minutes how to open the run he was in and we were doing dinner he opened 2 swinging doors and came into where we were out and just looked at us like ha ha i got out so we had to put a snap on his cage he was 6 months old and he weighed about 45 sending a few website hope they help.

Answer 10

A labradoodle is not a real dog....???
Do you mean a Lab???