The Miniature Labradoodle…The facts behind the Breed

HISTORY 

The Labradoodle was first bred in Australia as a Guide Dog for people with allergies in the 1970s. Wally Cochran is the person credited with their initial development during the 1980s. Wide television coverage of this new breed of dog instigated a large response from the general public and the Labradoodle quickly gaining popularity as a family pet.

CROSS-BREEDING 

The Labradoodle is a cross breed and confronts many problems of pedigree dog breeding, it does this in the most effective way … as the breed steps away from pedigree dogs and the their breed problems by actively widening the gene pool, which is exactly what cross-breeding achieves.  Cross-breeding should be a deliberate and carefully considered mating of two first class representatives of their respective breeds to ensure the best possible combination. Crossing any old Labrador with any old Poodle would not produce the quality of first generation puppies we strive for, as we only breed from champion lines with the greatest conformation and type.

OUR F1 AND F1b MINI DOODLES 

We specialise in miniature Labradoodles, we breed first generation puppies (Labrador X Miniature Poodle)  these have the best ‘hybrid vigour’ and these are referred to as F1 Labradoodles and we also breed F1B Miniature Labradoodles (Miniature Labradoodle X Miniature Poodle).  Both F1 and F1b Miniature Labradoodles have a fantastic temperament and love to be loved.  Although not recognised as pure breeds our miniature Labradoodles have the quality and an exceptional temperament that would excel against any other breed.

OUR COAT TYPES

Labradoodle breeding starts with a Labrador (short, straight, hair coat) and a Poodle (long, curly, woolly coat). One sheds a lot, one not at all. In fact, total opposites. It is this dissimilarity in genes that possibly makes them such excellent candidates for the benefits of cross breeding.  The worst coat shedding of a Labradoodle is much less compared to a Labrador …and we celebrate this diversity as a visible sign of hybrid vigour.

A Mini Doodles F1 Labradoodle Coat      A Mini Doodles F1b Labradoodle Coat type.

               

Scruffy/Wavy Coat                                Wavy/Fleece Coat

Both the F1 and F1b coats need to be brushed/combed thoroughly about every one-two weeks. The F1b coat usually requires trimming one-two times a year

PLEASE NOTE: the information provided on this website is to give you a guide, coat types and colours do differ within litters and once puppies reach maturity, as Labradoodles are a cross breed, puppies do differ within litters, all information on this page was collected from past puppies we have bred.

OUR MINI DOODLE COAT COLOURS

These days you can find the Labradoodles in a number of different and beautiful colours.

CHOCOLATE BROWN

Chocolate  starts off in puppies as a rich dark chocolate brown.   Weather and age tips the coat with bronze/gold highlights.  The Pigment (nose, eye & mouth rims and foot pads) must be rose  [liver] coloured.  Dogs can have a sprinkling of  silver through them as they mature.

 

CREAM/APRICOT/GOLD

These colours can either fade, or deepen with maturity. They are a package of delightful surprises as some who fade, can return to an even more vibrant richer colour when the adult coat comes through.  Pigment is always black and eyes are shades of hazel to brown. 

 

The Gold dog will have slightly darker ears and the featherings will be of a lighter shade to the rest of the body.  Where Creams range through a variety of shades

 

BLACK

Black is the most under appreciated colour of all, this stunning glossy shinning colour is possibly the most beautiful, seeing the light reflect off the black's coats is amazing, however this under appreciation may occur because they do not photograph as well as the lighter colours.  But in the flesh there beauty really does shin through.  There is something magical about the way the light catches the glossy black waves as the dogs move about.  The pigment must be black and eyes dark brown to a gentle black brilliance.

PLEASE NOTE: It is normal that all colours may show bleaching and discolouration over the topcoat, referred to as sunning, this is quite expected and acceptable.

TEMPERAMENT

The Labradoodle temperament is, without doubt, as good as it gets in the dog world and is a particularly strong feature of first generation puppies.  Constantly described as confident, clever, loving and loveable, vivacious, loyal, affectionate, joyful, sociable, friendly, comical, intuitive, totally non-aggressive and devoted to their family, they clearly have everything going for them!

They are excellent with children, love water (both Labradors and Poodles are descended from hunting dogs bred to work in water – the Labrador from the St. John’s Newfoundland and the Poodle from the European Water Spaniel) and are natural swimmers.  I read a particularly good description on one of the Labradoodle web sites about how they ‘melt into mellowness when touched by human hand’.  This is very true!

As puppies they are adaptable, remarkably unstressed and just seem to take new things in their stride.  They do not like being left on their own for any length of time and feel rejection keenly and crave contact with their ‘family’. They can easily become bored and must have sustained, structured training in their early life.

Labradoodles are very intelligent dogs and need lots of social interaction and mental stimulation. Deprived of this environment, as with other breeds renowned for their intelligence, their frustration and unhappiness could lead to behaviour problems. If your lifestyle would mean frequently leaving a dog on its own for lengthy periods, it is unlikely that the Labradoodle is the dog for you.

 WE RECOMMEND...

We strongly recommend that you join local puppy socialisation and training classes. Your veterinary surgeon will have details of these – indeed they may be organised by the surgery.  Once basic training is completed it would be entirely up to you how far you go. Given their temperament, intelligence and agility, going on to more advanced Obedience and Agility training should be an extremely enjoyable and rewarding experience for both you and the dog. We would expect Labradoodles to excel at this kind of activity.

Labradoodles are a joy to have around and can fill your life with fun and laughter, love your puppy and it will love you and be your greatest fan.