Labdoodle

[Bonny]

Does anyone know what breed a Labadoodle is? I see this breed of dog advertised in the Des Moines Sunday Register. Is it a Lab Poodle X? I wonder what that would look like? LOL !?! Man once again messing with mother nature. Ugh!!!!

[GraciesMommy]

ACtually they are quite beautiful and they have had special on them on Animal Planet..I dont think its messing with MN at all..calling them the perfect breed for allergy type folks. The special I watched was a family who was finally able to have a dog after getting a Labradoodle, because the mother was not allergic to it..

[lute]

GraciesMommy, i saw that show also and ya know the whole time i was thinking if they wanted a non-shedding dog, there are plenty of other breeds that don't shed. for example: any size poodle, maltese, yorkshire terrier, bedlington terrier, afghan hound, ect. i think that if the people wanted a breed that didn't shed for their family,there were PLENTY of other breeds for them to choose from. i love your little gracie, and please don't think i'm putting you down because you have a poodle cross, because i'm not.

bonny,
labradoodles are beautiful dogs! yes, they are a cross of lab and standard poodle. some people say they are the best of both breeds. i think if you want both breeds....get both dogs. don't breed them together to make more homeless dogs.(just my 2 cents)

the labradoodle comes in two coat types. curley and kinda wirey. they have minimal shedding if any at all. they get to be kinda big and need plety of exercise. we have two at the petstore i work at right now and they eat like cows! they need to be brushed everyday to prevent knots.

i added a couple pics.

curley coats-
http://www.ozpets.com.au/dogs/review/media/labradoodle/labradoodle02.jpg
http://www.rompindoodlesusa.com/Images/Cody/labradoodle%205.gif

wirery coat-
http://labradoodle-dogs.net/pictures/Labradoodle.jpg
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/2004/__data/page/4029/labradoodle5.jpg
http://forestparklabradoodles.com/forestparkpuppies11.jpg

hope this helps.:D

[MaryJae]

Labradoodles are a mixed breed and alot of people think that this is an actual breed so they pay thosands of dollars for one which is ridculous.

They are pretty dogs, but there are plenty of Labs and Poodle mixes(plus, alot of other breeds) in shelters all over this country that need a home. Breeds like Labradoodles, Cockapoos, Yorkie Poos, Bugs, "Pocket" Beagles, "Teacup" Chihuahuas, etc., are all designer mutts bred by BYBs. Please remember that there is NO such thing as Pocket or Teacup breeds and there's NO need to buy an animal when you can adopt one from a shelter/rescue instead.

It doesn't really matter if a dog sheds alot or not and there really isn't such a thing as a hypoallergenic dog. What makes a person allergic to a dog is the dander in a dog's coat. Poodles, Malteses and some other breeds just have less dander, but that doesn't mean you won't be allergic to it.

[Bonny]

Oh my that is one big brown looking labadoddle in the picture you posted Lute. Thank you for sharing the info & pictures. Our son has a black lab., pup about 8 months old now & it eats like a horse & is the size of a small horse. LOL !!! That is why I was curious because I could not imagine what a labadoddle would even look like. Now I know. My husband thought it was ugly looking, I think it looks comical. :D

[Bonny]

I have another question? I also saw ads for Minature Australian Shepherds. I own an Australian Shepherd & was wondering how they came up with the minatures. Do they breed smaller dogs of this breed till they get them down to the minature size? Also how do they determine a new breed? Does the American Kennel Club have to accept it first? Some of the tea cup dogs that Mary Jae mentioned I don't think are accepted as a breed. They are kind of a novelty & to me look like little rodents. Just my humble opinion is all. :rolleyes:

[cali]

a mini aussie is another name for a north american sheperd, they are just called mini aussies because they look like a mini version of an aussie :) (a lady who owns 2 of Happys sibblings also have 2 mini aussies)

[MaryJae]

I don't think there really is such a thing as Mini Aussies...just another BYB breed. Backyard breeders breed Beagles with Chihuahuas and Dachshunds to make "Pocket" Beagles which is supposedly a new breed all on it's own. :rolleyes: The "designer" breeds usually have plently of health problems because of bad breeding and/or their small size.

I've seen some BYB bred dogs who smaller than guinea pigs and I feel really bad for those dogs because none of this is their faults. :( The breeders are the ones to blame for everything they have to go through.

The only PUREbred dogs are the ones recognized with the AKC/CKC.

[MaryJae]

Sorry, double post.

[cali]

The only PUREbred dogs are the ones recognized with the AKC/CKC

NOT true, that is not true at all, there are THOUSANDS of PUREbred dogs that are not recignized by either.

[MaryJae]

Originally posted by cali
NOT true, that is not true at all, there are THOUSANDS of PUREbred dogs that are not recignized by either.

Do you mean the dogs from shelters and rescues? There's thousands of animals being put to sleep everyday in shelters all over this world...most are purebred. I know that a dog doesn't have to have papers to be considered purebred, I was just trying to make a point. :)

[cali]

no I mean there are thousands of breeds that are indeed purebred just not recignized lol

[Bonny]

All right now the American Kennel Club has to register the breed & accept it before it can become a breed? Does this have to do with keeping a record of all the genetics & actually coming up with some special standards to make the breed acceptable? I know there are plenty of throw away dogs out there. I am beginning to think there are more dogs & cats out there then there are people.

[cali]

the only thing needed for a dog to be considered pur bred is to breed true. for example until you can breed two cockapoo's together and get cockapoo's they are considered mutts. KC registaration as nothing whatsoever to do with wheather or not a dog is purbred, it is nothing but a system to keep track of dogs.

[MaryJae]

I'm not sure how you would go about registering a new breed, but just to get the facts straight...there are NO such things as Labradoodles, Maltipoos, Yorkiepoos(practically anything mixed with a Poodle), Bugs, Pocket Beagles, Teacup breeds, etc. They're all mixed breeds and will never be considered purebred. You can find ANY kind of pet(mixed or purebred) at an animal shelter/rescue near you up for adoption. It's much better to adopt a pet and save it's life, rather than wasting money and supporting backyard breeders and puppymills.

[cali]

but just to get the facts straight...there are NO such things as Labradoodles, Maltipoos, Yorkiepoos(practically anything mixed with a Poodle), Bugs, Pocket Beagles, Teacup breeds, etc. They're all mixed breeds and will never be considered purebred

who is disputing this? lol although they could very well end up breeding true one day but IF that happens it wont be for years to come, and if they breed true one day then yes, they will be purbred.

[Pit Chick]

They look like Portugese Water Dogs. And there is already a Curly Coated Retriever. :rolleyes: So what makes them so unique? There's the claim that they have the best of both breeds, but they can also inherit the worst of both breeds so people buying these dogs could end up with a $2000 mess. (It's not always wise to mix certain breeds either.)
In order for these dogs to be recognized by a Kennel Club they have to have a purpose and a standard, (these dogs have neither) and there has to be a few generations of Labradoodles bred to Labradoodles.

But the way I see it, you can only get a Labradoodle once, then what is it?

There are more dogs and cats than people. For every person born, 8 puppies or 4 kittens are born. There's no point in spending a ton of money on a mutt when there are plenty of homeless and very useful mutts (and purebreds) sitting on death row in shelters everywhere. :mad:

[Suki Wingy]

Just so you guys know, I am TOTALY against breeding new breeds since there are already about 400 breeds "breeding true" I think you should either just pick one out or adopt a homeless mix. "breeds" are a thing new to the last 500 or so years. Up untill about 150 yrs ago, there were about 25 breeds "breeding true"
Now you guys know whawt I think about it.

[Bonny]

We did have a pound dog. She sadly passed away 2 years ago. Pound rescue dogs sometimes come with a lot of baggage & it takes so much time & patience. Rescue dogs should go to people that are really serious & are willing to deal with the many problems or else the poor dog will end up back at the pound again. It is so hard to get people to understand that. :(

[MaryJae]

I think it would be the same, but most dogs from shelters and rescues ARE healthy. Thousands of healthy animals are put to sleep EVERY single day in shelters all over this country. It's better to save a life, rather than buy because you're going to end up spending way more on a bought dog. Dogs from petstores and backyard breeds are prone to have MORE health problems and behavior issues.

If someone doesn't know how to properly care for a pet, then that's the only reason why they shouldn't get one because shelter pets are for anyone. Pound puppies(and any other kid of animal) make the best pets IMO.

[Uabassoon]

Bonny there are actually lots of wonderful dogs at shelters that have no problems at all. Sometimes wonderful dogs are dropped off because the owner is moving and no longer wants it, sometimes you'll see people turning in their dog because "it doesn't match the couch", or it sheds, or for other silly reason. If you find a good rescue they will work with you and find a dog that is exactly what you are looking for.

Yes, some do have issues but there are also plenty that don't.

[Suki Wingy]

I know that. :( We had 2 who didn't work out before Nino. I know you'll all ask, so here are the stories I typed for them on a website I don't keep anymore:

*** L a Y l A L a Y l A ***

(I wrote this quite a while ago, sorry if there are any spelling mistakes.)
We had Layla from late June to the day after Thanksgiving in November, 1999. She is a black and white Dalmatian, probably from a bad breeder, because she looks too much like a nice pure-breed dog to be from a puppy mill. Her left eye is brown, and her right eye is blue, which means she is odd-eyed! Both of her ears are pure black, and she doesn't have any spots on her upper right side of her face. Her tail is all white except for a couple of spots at the base of the tail. On her back she has a big cluster of spots, and a couple of small ones on top of it, so if you look hard enough, you can see a paw print.

We got her at the Anti Cruelty Society in Chicago, where we had come to look for a new dog shortly after giving Clark back. She was so scared and huddled in the corner of her cadge, which we now know is the first sign of a troubled dog. At that time, her being scared is what made us pick her, that and the people passing by her yelling things like " Hey look at that blind dog, I don't want IT!" But she wasn't blind, just odd-eyed, and maybe short of hearing, like a lot of Dals.

A couple months after we brought her home, Layla's problems started showing. She was a fear biter and had horrible separation anxiety.

She would bite everyone on the street because she was so afraid. I feel so bad for Layla, because the one thing she was so afraid of; being left somewhere, is what we did.

*** C l A r K ***
We had Clark, or "Clarkie Clue" for about three weeks in late May and June of 1999.He was eight months old, and we got him from a Great Dane rescue in Indiana, and were told that he was a Dane- boxer mix. He was a great dog, although the would get too exited and use his mouth to play. He even gave my mom a big bruise that changed colours! Against my will, he went back to the rescue for more training and a new home. My mom always says he would have been a great dog with a little bit of training.:( :( :(

[Bonny]

Susie the pound rescue dog had belonged to a man. She loved my husband. When she came to live with us to would run around the house 5 times she was so happy to be outdoors. She did leak urine at times the vet said there was nothing he could do about that. She hated going to the veterinary & would cry terribly was afraid of being left in another institution. She ate cat manure, cow manure, horse manure at first. Must of been lacking something in diet. She was eventually trained to lay on the rug by the door, she would smile (LOL), & liked to jump up on people & learned not to do that. She was very stubborn & had a mind of her own. Her tongue would stick out about 1/2 all the time. She like to ride in the uniloader hind paws on our legs & front paws braced on front frame. Her tail would stick in our face. She was a nut. LOL !!! Miss her to this very day :(

[chelsea]

Originally posted by cali
NOT true, that is not true at all, there are THOUSANDS of PUREbred dogs that are not recignized by either.

I think you mean registered, there are many unregistered purebreds however; there aren't any real purebred dogs that aren't reconigized by the kennel clubs. Dogs like mini beagles labadoodles and such are still mixed breeds, BYBers say that they are purebred to rip people off.

[cali]

again those are not the kind of dogs I am refering too. there are many purbred dogs that people want to keep OUT of the limelight and away from kennel clubs these people go to working registrys, and MANY people fight conformation registrys to keep there breeds from being turned into pretty dogs that cant work. I am refering to any breeds that BREEDS TRUE. not labradoodles, nt cockapoo's these are mutts, I am talking only about breeds that you can breed 2 of the same breed together and get that breed, breeda that have a working standerd. before border collies for example were registered were they not pur bred? of coarse they were! this person said its not a breed unless recignized by AKC or CKC neither are working registrys and neither recignize even half of the purbreed dogs out there.

[Karen]

Labradoodles were specifically bred for the size, temperament, stability and trainability factors of the Labrador, a breed that has long been used as a Guide Dog, and the non-shedding coat of the poodle.

Having known Wheatons, I cannot imagine one as a guide dog. They are great dogs, but complete terriers, really active and too short for most people to use. Same is true of many other non-shedding dogs. And while the dander is what causes people to react, not the shed fur, the dander stays close to the skin with non-shedding dogs, and many people with dog allergies can have a non-shedding breed with much less reaction.

[Adopt_One]

Pound rescue dogs sometimes come with a lot of baggage & it takes so much time & patience. Rescue dogs should go to people that are really serious & are willing to deal with the many problems or else the poor dog will end up back at the pound again. It is so hard to get people to understand that.

Really? Maybe someone should mention that to my dog.

Dogs are in shelter because of bad owners - plain and simple. The number one reason that a dog is surrendered is because the owners are moving. That's not the dog's fault - it's the fault of the owners for not caring enough about a life in their hands. Maybe there are adult dogs that need training - so does the puppy you buy. Every dog will have some issues that they will need specific training with, however if it's a dog from a shelter - people are quick to assume that that's the reason why they are misbehaving. "Oh, it's a shelter dog." But what about the purebred dog from a backyard breeder? What will you blame their problems on?


Labradoodles were specifically bred for the size, temperament, stability and trainability factors of the Labrador, a breed that has long been used as a Guide Dog, and the non-shedding coat of the poodle

How many labradoodle breeders are selling their dogs as guide dogs? Maybe that's the way the breed started out, but it ended up with everybody and their mother wanting one of these "new breeds".

[Shelteez2]

FYI.....

Interesting reads for those who keep their minds open....

http://www.laa.org.au/

http://www.namascusa.com/

http://www.ukcdogs.com/

(specifically this part.....
http://www.ukcdogs.com/breeds/breedlist.shtml )

http://www.arba.org/

[Suki Wingy]

Originally posted by Karen
Labradoodles were specifically bred for the size, temperament, stability and trainability factors of the Labrador, a breed that has long been used as a Guide Dog, and the non-shedding coat of the poodle.

What was wrong w/ the extremely loyal and intelegent dogs that are poodles? The Labradoodle started the whole "doodle" thing, and if the people who orriginally bred them used poodles, the whole "lets cross it and sell it for more" thing wouldn't have happened. I'm not saying the dogs are bad, it is not there fault.

[Karen]

Poodles tend to be a little too energetic to make good guide dogs. They are smart, but more independent-minded generally, and easily distracted. A good guide dog needs to be happy spending hours at a time staying very still, and staying focused. While there are exceptions to every breed stereotype, they are just that - exceptions.

Different breeds have different strengths, and different uses as assistance dogs. I met a JRT who naturally alerted people to epileptic seizures, an ability discovered when his human worked as an overnight counselor in a home for children. Many kinds of dogs are good "pet therapy" dogs. Terriers are often trained to be picker-uppers for people in wheelchairs or with limited mobility. The list can go on and on.

[Giselle]

I'm very much against breeding these Poodle mixes. In about two months, I've seen at least five Poodle mixes come in through our shelter. Ironically, I am in support of Silken Windhounds. Why, you ask? Because they're being bred responsibly. Their breeders OFA and CERF test their dogs. Silken breeders are all very close knit and keep track of one another. The breed is very exclusive and the best part is that the breed founder has closed the studbooks and is attempting to gain AKC recognition.

My question is why won't Labrador Poodle mix breeders do this? I've been to quite a few Poodle mix breeder's websites and they all tout the "hybrid vigor" junk. In fact, they DON'T want to be recognized because then the Labrador Poodle mix is no longer a mix, thus no longer retaining "hybrid vigor". That and the fact that many Lab Poodle mix breeders are people off the streets who found that breeding Fido and FiFi can make a profit is what ticks me off. They don't test and their own purebred dogs aren't even well bred to begin with. No reputable breeder of any purebred dog would knowingly sell a dog to a person intending to breed the dog to another breed. It violates all the code of ethics I'm familiar with (parent clubs), and the breeder would certainly go through a heckuva lecture from its peers. I also just learned that the organization that originally started the Labrador Poodle mix thing stopped breeding because it "wouldn't work". Don't have much knowledge to base that on, but I'm glad nonetheless.

[chelsea]

Surprise, surprise, Labradoodles are already ending up in animal shelters.

http://www.petfinder.com/fotos/MD27/MD27.3542487-1-pn.jpg
http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?action=2&pet=3542487

http://www.petfinder.com/fotos/MD65/MD65.3936234-1-pn.jpg
http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?action=2&pet=3936234


http://www.petfinder.com/fotos/VA129/VA129.3894245-1-pn.jpg
http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?action=2&pet=3894245


http://www.petfinder.com/fotos/MI139/MI139.3931406-1-pn.jpg
http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?action=2&pet=3931406


http://www.petfinder.com/fotos/SC27/SC27.3895435-1-pn.jpg
http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?action=2&pet=3895435


http://www.petfinder.com/fotos/SC84/SC84.3815368-1-pn.jpg
http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?action=2&pet=3815368


Yeah, let's keep breeding more animals. :rolleyes:

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by MaryJae

The only PUREbred dogs are the ones recognized with the AKC/CKC.
So my catahoula won't be a purebred? I can register him with UKC, NALC, ARF, SKC, OREBA, APRI, The Canadian Rare Breed Club, etc, but because I can't register him with AKC or CKC, he won't be purebred?

AKC and CKC are not the only kennel clubs out there. There are thousands of kennel clubs. CKC and AKC represent a very minimal amount of breeds out there. And personally, I don't like either of the registries.

About the mini aussie question, they are actually called North American miniature Australian shepherds. Aka North American shepherd or miniature Australian shepherd. They were made by breeding small (runt) Aussies together to produce smaller pups. Once in a while a large one will still pop up because they are still fairly recent (1960's). They are exactly like an Aussie in miniature.

I think it is stupid that Labradoodles are now accepted with CKC (continental). I don't believe in breeding seperate breeds, and I certainly don't believe in calling their puppies purebred.

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by MaryJae
I think it would be the same, but most dogs from shelters and rescues ARE healthy. Dogs from petstores and backyard breeds are prone to have MORE health problems and behavior issues.

Dogs in shelters ARE from backyard breeders and petshops...

[GraciesMommy]

Gracie is a BYB baby....got her from a petstore...she is a mix...and she is perfectly healthy...well trained....very smart...and very much loved...as I said lmonths ago......I bought her at a pet store...on consignment...for $500...WAY before I knew a single thing about BYBers...before her, I had a schnauzer for 16 years that was also from a BYB...well behaved, smart as a whip, very healthy...lived to be 16 years old... I hate the fact that there are people who make a living selling animals...and I contributed to this myself..because of not being well informed....BUT I would not want to miss one single day of all those 16 years with Mercedes and I sure wouldn't want to NOT have Gracie now..I would pay those big bucks all over again to have her.
and that is all I have to say about it~

[Bonny]

The person I got my Australian Shepherd from was a back yard breeder. She was crossing two blue merles. That is a no no. There is a resessive gene. I bought my dog from her. He was a blue merle mostly white. He had a dudley nose ( mostly all pink with some black on it. I took him to the Veterinary had him checked over. His right eye was smaller then his left & we found a claw growing in the pad of his hind foot. We got him home he was 10 weeks old & discovered he could not see out the the smaller right eye. I did some research & went back & told the back yard breeder about the resessive gene & the dog I purchased from her. I told her not to breed her two dogs again, did she listen, hell no.:confused: I don't know if she didn't care or was plain dumb?

[Pit Chick]

Originally posted by wolfsoul
I think it is stupid that Labradoodles are now accepted with CKC (continental).

They'll recognize anything, they are such a big joke.


I don't know if she didn't care or was plain dumb?

Both.

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by Bonny
There is a resessive gene.

I'm confused about the recessive gene part...merle is not recessive, it is dominant. And Microphthalmia can only show up in homozygous merle Australian shepherds, meaning that in the Aussie breed it is probably not recessive, but the result of a double merle breeding.

[Bonny]

the homozygous state MM produces excessive dilution resulting in nearly completely white individuals often accompanied by eye & ear defects probably as the result of pleitropic effects of the gene. Merele & merle crosses result in one-fourth of the offspring being homozyous mereles & they recmmend these individuals be euthanatized at birth. So to avoid that, breeding the merele female to a tri or bi colored male would be the thing to do.:)

[tomkatzid]

One of the most beautiful black dogs we have seen was a lab cocker cross. Looked like a lab, tall and black, but with cocker face and hair.
There is a brownish labD that is a seeing eye dog in our neighborhood.
Katz

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by Bonny
the homozygous state MM produces excessive dilution resulting in nearly completely white individuals often accompanied by eye & ear defects probably as the result of pleitropic effects of the gene. Merele & merle crosses result in one-fourth of the offspring being homozyous mereles & they recmmend these individuals be euthanatized at birth. So to avoid that, breeding the merele female to a tri or bi colored male would be the thing to do.:)
Yes, I know this, but you said something about a recessive gene. :confused: I didn't understand that, because double merle is a homozygous trait and Microphthalmia is not recessive. So what is the recessive gene you were talking about? :confused:

[Bonny]

Good question? Got Me ???????? All I know is you shouldn't be breeding two merle's. Call it dominant then & also call it wrong to breed two merle's.:eek:

[vinjashira]

you are quite right I think, here is something I quote from www.sheltie.nl


When we mate two merles with each other we have a 25% chance to get a double merle (“MM”). The coat color will be diluted twice. Quite often these dogs are almost white, but also could be defective in sight and/or hearing. So it's not recommended to mate merle to merle.

[wolfsoul]

There are some breeds you can breed two merles in, such as the Louisiana catahoula leopard dog. Merle to merle breedings are the most common, and for the rate of those breedings, excessive white puppies are very uncommon.

[Bonny]

You are right about the Shelties. I have a friend that raises Shelties for pets & show. :D

[davehatfield]

I'm suprised that nobody has mentioned that the labradoodle was originally bred in South Aftrica for use as a guide dog for the blind.
At least that's what I have been told by a marvelous English dog trainer who spent a lot of time there. Lionel trained guide dogs, police & army dogs as well as just plain pets. He was truely wonderful with all sorts of dogs. He trained us to train our first standard poodle.
Anyway the idea was to combine the intelligence of the poodle with the personality of the labrador to make an ideal guide dog.

Seemed to work in South Africa.

[wolfsoul]

I believe you mean Australia and yes, some people did mention it. However, most people mentioned that you can get these traits from a curly-coated retriever. Although one would need more exersise than a labrador, a poodle needs alot of exersise too, and you can never tell which breed will dominate the pup when he is older -- maybe the lab, maybe the poodle. Personally I would like to see more curlies out there. They are very eager to please, but they know how to take control of a situation, being independant thinkers. If something were to happen, I have no doubt a curlie would know what to do.

If a labradoodle is only meant to be a guide dog, why are so many of them ending up in shelters? Because most of them are not guide dogs. They go to regular pet homes. If labradoodles were bred for guide dogs only, and the puppies immediatly given to a guide dog training facility, I wouldn't have that much of a problem with it. But the fact is, hardly any of these dogs turn out to be guide dogs.

[wolfsoul]

This is an unfortunate case. Labradoodles were made to combine the personality of the lab with the non-shedding trait of the poodle.

http://www.fpv.com/rescuedogs.html
http://www.fpv.com/graphics/rescuedogs/OH209.3900315-1-pn.jpeg

Well, folks, we cannot stress it to you enough.....Labradoodles DO SHED - contrary to popular belief...... 10 months old...male.....very cute...GREAT with other dogs, will benefit from obedience training (as all dogs do) and very sweet. He was given up by his 1st family as they thought he wouldn't shed and his 2nd family was not told the entire truth about his exhuberant personality and they did not expect him to be so energetic (it would be the lab part!) Buffet is a typical labbie w/a perm and we think he is great for an experienced Lab family! Since the "Labradoodle" is not really a purebred dog, rather it is a mixed breed between a Labrador and a Standard Poodle, you get some that look like Labs and some that look like badly bred poodles. Then they breed the poodlish ones back to their parents so there is only 1/4 Lab in them, curly hair and a better chance of not shedding. No one can guarantee that a Labradoodle or any other doodle dog is not going to shed. The so called breeders of these mixes cannot predict which genetics they will get and therefore, many of these mixes are now being given up by their owners due to the so-called breeders telling buyers that they do not shed..... very sad. We took Buffet because he acts like a Labrador. He sheds and, quite frankly, we don't care. Labradors shed and that is part of the breed, and a little dog hair never hurt anyone! Eventually you pick their hair out of your own food like it's nothing. or, that after a quick look in the mirror with 20 hairs or so on you, that's good enough to go to work. or that when you go to restaurants and you see a black hair on your plate, you are afraid to complain b/c it most likely came from your own shirt. ;) May we give you some exerpts from their own website, which we find comical: Our favorite part is in the "Temperament" section: good with children, easy to train, get along well with other dogs, non-aggressive FAULTS: Yappy, highly strung, dominance / aggression, fearful/timid, aggressive toward other animals So....are they are non-aggressively aggressive...or aggressive in a non-aggressive way?!?! They also state that NON SHEDDING is NOT a fixed tribute of this mixed breed dog. http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/labradoodle.htm We will continue to assess Buffet to understand his total personality! We certainly hope he has a LABRADOR temperament instead of a Labradoodle one!!! If you are concerned about "allergies", may we suggest you get a poodle. If you are still interested in Buffet, then ....... For an application to adopt Buffet...www.rescuealab.com More info and photos on this shedding Labradoodle soon......

[Bonny]

Thanks for posting the Labadoodle web page. That is what I was looking for in the first place. It also said that most shed little to no hair & are POSSIBLY non-allergenic. So someone that needs a guide dog & they are allergic to dog dander need to beware of that fact. There should be some way to tell if the dog will be a shedder. There was a couple that were deaf & expecting a baby & the labadoodle was used to tell the parents when the baby was crying. I guess beware the buyer & do your homework. Any kind of dog needs to learn what is expected of them. That is probably why the rescues & dog pounds are full of dogs, because people don't realize it takes a lot of time to train a dog.

[Suki Wingy]

Originally posted by Bonny
tea cup dogs......
look like little rodents.
I agree!

[davehatfield]

I heard that they started in South Africa, but it doesn't really matter.
I do think that with GOOD CAREFUL KNOWLEDGABLE BREEDING the labradoodle COULD be an interesting hybrid breed. Unfortubately from the various posts it sounds as if that's not happening & that people are buying who don't know what they're getting in for. A pity.
We can tell you from personal experience that standard poodles are a handfull to raise. We havour 3rd now, Rupert. He's just 5 months old & weighs just over 50 lbs already. Very smart, loving, curious, likes every person & dof that he meets, so full of energy he can hardly contain it. Needs lots of exercise; Roop gets a long one hour walk most mornings & a shorter one late afternoon plus lots of very active play. (ball & frisbee chasing & the like) IF you have the time to do this kind of regime with your standard poodle your reward will be to have one of the most beautiful & wonderful dogs in existence.
They are, or at least ours have been, very intelligent. Easily trainable. Naughtly & questioning during the puppy & adolescence stages (2 years unfortunately) but super after that. They learn quickly, but question why. Why should I stay? I know perfectly well what you mean, but I'd really rather follow along. Great fun as they mature. Good hunters if you want that; our 1st mail caught all kinds of things including a skunk once. Dead skunk, smelly dog.

As you can tell I'm a lover of standard poodles. BUT, to own one you HAVE to be ready for the committment.

Picture of Roop at 4 months attached

[GraciesMommy]

Originally posted by Bonny
tea cup dogs......
look like little rodents.

Pretty sad remark imo

[Pit Chick]

Not if you think rodents are cute. ;)

[Bonny]

I do think rodents are cute. We have deer mice with large brown eyes & they a really cute. I use to have pet squirrels & they are rodents with bushy tails. The baby squirrels would fall out of the trees & we would rescue them & feed them with baby bottles. I use to rescue striped gophers from cats. The tea cup dogs with their large eyes & ears do remind me of rodents. They are so small & can be so easily stepped or sat on. Didn't mean comment to sound rude though. Sorry, if I insulted anyone in any way.

[GraciesMommy]

Well when you put it like that, you are right..they are cute..lol..I thought you meant it derogatory..but yes, rodents are cute, too..Most anyway..I wouldnt call the sewer rats THAT cute..lol..

didn't mean to sound touchy..
I apologize as well~

[Pit Chick]

I rescued a baby rat. It was cold out and we had pulled up to the Bank and saw it laying on the ground, it must have fallen out of a tree or been dropped by it's mom. It was the size of a gerbal but it's eyes weren't open yet. So I cupped it in my hands and tried warming it by blowing warm breathes on it as we took it to the wildlife rescue. Since then, word has spread around the wildlife rehab community that I was kissing a baby rat to keep it warm. :rolleyes:

[GraciesMommy]

Well I think that is commendable...I could kiss a baby rat to save its life too..gotta admit they are cute when they are babies...now the 2 ft rats they say are in the Texas sewers...hmmmmmmmmm
someone else would have to give the mouth to mouth, me thinks..