Labradoodle 101 – 10 Fast Facts to make you a Labradoodle expert
The Labradoodle is a super cute and incredibly popular Poodle mix dog.
The awesome and often non-shedding dogs are the royal family of the poodle mix breeds.
Search engine trends show that Labradoodles are consistently the most popular poodle mix dog. This has been true for over fourteen years now!
Other popular breeds like the Goldendoodle or Bernedoodle are growing and slowly catching the Labradoodles. However unless something changes Labradoodles are still a few years ahead.
You can probably guess why Labradoodles are so popular – they are are so cute!
This article lists the Labradoodle 101 – our ten best fast facts to make you a Labradoodle expert.
ONE: The Labradoodle Is a Crossbreed
The parents of a Labradoodle are playful and loyal Labrador, and a clever and soft coated Poodle.
Like most Poodle mix breeds, the Labradoodle inherits the awesome Poodle coat as well as their intelligence. Labradors are gentle with kids they know and are incredibly loyal.
A Goldendoodle is perhaps even friendlier than a Labradoodle! When comparing the two breeds their loyalty and ability to be trained are so similar.
TWO: Labradoodles have only deliberately existed since 1988
Labradoodles have only really been around for a little over 30 years.
A man named Wally decided to cross a Labrador with a Poodle to make a dog. He hoped to make a hypoallergenic dog . He wanted a dog that could live with people who had allergies (and work as an assistane dog).
Wally succeeded! Labradoodles can have very low shedding and very little skin cell dander. This means many allergy sufferers can tolerate Labradoodles
There is no such thing as a truly hypoallergenic dog but Poodle mixes like Labradoodles or Bernedoodles do not shed much.
THREE Labradoodles come in a BUNCH of different colours
Labradoodle puppies are famous for their super soft coat. This coat comes in a heap of different colours!
The variety goes from chocolate to white cream, red, apricot, golden, black, silver or even part colours.
The fur comes in three different types – from extra curly sheep-like fur right through to a loose straight coat.
Most Labradoodles have a kickass wavy coat. That is halfway between curly and straight.
FOUR: Labradoodles are WAY too friendly to be a guard dog
Labradoodles can get so excited when they meet strangers that they wag their tail so much they get unbalanced.
They might work well as an alarm system, because Labradoodles can be excited to see the intruder.
But for actual guards? There are far better choices for a guard dog.
A note: There are some Labradoodles who will act as excellent guard dogs – it is just not a common occurrence for Labradoodles. I would love to hear any stories Labradoodle owners have about their dog protecting their home. Comment or email if you have a Labradoodle home protection story to share.
FIVE: Labradoodles Dogs are NOT Lazy
Like many Poodle mix dogs – Labradoodles look like giant teddy bears. Just like teddy bears most Labradoodles love to cuddle!
You should know however that Labradoodles are ACTIVE dogs and require 30 minutes to an hour of active play every day.
Active time for Labradoodles can include
- Chasing toys
- Going for a walk
- Chasing tennis balls
- Playing with other dogs
- Swimming
These dogs cans do great in apartments, particularly the smaller Labradoodles (mini Labradoodles). They do still need that daily exercise so lace up the shoes, throw the tennis ball, or take them to a dog park.
SIX: There are Three different “sizes” of Labradoodle
The size of the Labradoodle is going to depend on the size of its parents. You can even get super tiny Labradoodles.
The Mini Labradoodle 101 is that miniatures stand as little as 13 inches high at the shoulder (which is around 30 centimetres) tall and weight about 15 pounds (which is 7 kilograms).
You can find out more about Labradoodle sizing in our article comparing Labradoodles and Goldendoodles.
My miniature Labradoodle Max is almost fully grown and weighs 7 kilograms (15 pounds).
This isn’t as tiny as say a Toy or Teacup Goldendoodle, but is still a fairly tiny dog!
SEVEN: Labradoodles are Used as Guide Dogs, Service Dogs, and Assistance dogs
Labradoodles are very loyal, caring and incredibly intelligent. They inherit these traits from both the Poodle and Labrador parent breeds.
They are also low to no shedding. This can mean no hair dropped at all for Labradoodles.
These traits make them excellent guide dogs and service dogs. In fact that is one of the original reasons the guy named Wally bred the Labradoodle!
EIGHT: Labradoodles Have Moustaches
The famous look of the Labradoodle is due to its doggy moustache. Labradoodles have a moustache that makes them look like a teddy bear.
This facial hair has a special name furnishings
You can actually get Labradoodle that do NOT have furnishings or moustaches, but they tend to just look like a Labrador or a Poodle.
Labradoodles that do not have furnishings typically have an ‘improper coat’. Such a coat is highly correlated with shedding.
How to tell what kind of coat a Labradoodle puppy will have as an adult.
NINE: Labradoodles LOVE to swim
Labradoodles love to hit the beach, pool or even play in the backyard with a hose.
They might be cautious at first but Labradoodles learn to love the water.
It is in their genetics! Labradors historically were used to hunt water birds, and Poodles were used to retrieve ducks and waterfowl. They take to water readily.
Labradors love lakes, Poodles prefer pools! (not really true, but good use of alliteration)
TEN: Labradoodles live for 10 to 15 years.
It is wonderful to know that Labradoodles can live a long time because of the smaller size introduced by the Poodle breed.
Author note: I met a sixteen year old Labradoodle at the dog park two days before I wrote this article! She was a miniature and still somewhat active. And of course, friendly and cute.
Labradoodles are generally healthy dogs (if given good nutrition). There are not many diseases to worry about. The larger Labradoodles do have a shorter lifespan than the smaller ones.
Labradoodle 101 Conclusions
Once you know these ten facts you can see what an amazing cross breed the Labradoodle can be. Low shedding dogs like the Labradoodle are in hot demand, and their excellent temperament helps.
The Mini Labradoodle 101 is that all of these great traits can safely be packaged into such a tiny dog! Our miniature Labradoodle Max has all of these awesome traits.
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