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The Goldendoodle and Labradoodle get their name from their
mixed heritage
- Golden Retriever/Labrador and Poodle. Doodles are a
hybrid dog, a first generation cross, and as such they
exhibit
"hybrid vigor".
This is a phenomenon in animal breeding referring to
the fact that the first cross between two unrelated
purebred lines is healthier and grows better than either
parent line. The puppies take on the best traits of
both breeds.
In the late 1980's an
Australian breeder was asked to create an
allergy-friendly guide dog for a blind woman
living in Hawaii. The
woman's husband was allergic to dogs, thus
ruling out the standard Lab or German Shepherd
as an option. What this woman needed was a
hybrid of a trainable, easy-tempered dog and a
dog that was shed-free.
Doodles were first deliberately bred
in North America as a larger version of the popular
Cockapoo around the mid 1990s. Their non/light
shedding coats and ability to live with families with
allergies has made them very popular companions.
SIZES: (We only
breed Standards,
because most of the time the other sizes have to
be artificially bred (insemination) and we
believe it is better for the dogs and puppies to
be naturally bred.
We do not breed minis.)
Standard:
- Height 22–26"
- Female 45–65lbs.
- Male 50-70lbs.
Medium:
- Height 19 –22"
- Female 35–45lbs.
- Male 40-50lbs.
Miniature:
- Height 14 –18"
- Female 25–35lbs.
- Male 30-40lbs.
The AKC
has ranked dogs according to popularity
in
North America,
and the
Golden Retriever, Labrador and Poodle all ranked in the
top 5 out of 148 breeds.
The hybrid cross between these parent breeds are terrific family
dogs, friendly, intelligent, affectionate and easy to
train.
Many poodle crosses inherit the fur qualities
of the poodle, but not the texture. This means that
most don't shed, or shed lightly, and may not produce an
allergic reaction.
Fur Types:
The Doodle will inherit fur which looks retriever-like, or
poodle-like, but usually something in-between.
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1st
generation goldendoodle playing tug with her
dad - an AKC poodle |
A wavy
Doodle - 1st generation |
Reasons
for considering a Doodle:
1 . Temperament.
Labradors, Goldens
and Standard Poodles are known for their wonderful
temperament and ability to be trusted with children.
Doodles
are great with children and are easily
trainable. If properly socialized, they get
along exceptionally well with other dogs. Due to
their Labrador/Golden nature, they have the
ability to learn special tasks and can be of
assistance to persons with disabilities. Doodles
are not aggressive by nature and develop special
loving bonds with their family members.
Doodles LOVE water. They are
amazing swimmers and make great retrievers. A
tennis ball, a good throwing arm, and a body of
water is all you need for hours of fun. Doodles
make great hunting dogs and will go the extra
mile to make sure that whatever it is they are
supposed to fetch arrives in your hand as soon
as "caninely" possible.
2.
Health.
Inbreeding or line breeding, breeding within the same
breed type, can lead to immune system, fertility and
mental health problems.
Extremes of breed conformation lead to inherent health
problems which are not so much a defect as an inevitable
characteristic of that breed standard, For example:
·
Short legged long backed dogs - bad backs
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Short faced dogs - eye and respiratory problems
·
Long eared - ear infections
·
Loose skinned dogs – eye problems, skin infections
·
Thick skinned fighting breeds – skin infections
·
Large headed dogs – inability to breed naturally
Doodles, because of
the crossing of 2 breeds, have none of these issues, and
have the benefit of hybrid vigor,
that the first cross between two unrelated purebred
lines is healthier and grows better than either parent
line.
3. Size.
Doodles are
medium sized - again not extreme. Extremely large dogs
are prone to bone defects, a short life span and heat
intolerance. Extremely small dogs have mouth problems
and delicate bones and joints. On a more practical
level, toy dogs are usually not good with children who
they can find threatening, and anything over about 80
lbs eats a lot and is too big to fit in the car
comfortably.
4. Intelligence .
Although many people love their independent (a euphemism
for almost totally untrainable) terriers, beagles and
spaniels (apologies if you own one) there is no doubt
that an easily trained, responsive "willing" pup is very
rewarding to own.
By the same token a highly intelligent and extremely
active working dog can be totally unsuitable as a pet
unless you live on a farm.
Doodles are
trainable without having a strong working drive or being
overactive.
5. Coat type.
Wooly/Curly Coat
– Very similar to a Poodle's hair with tight
wooly curls along torso, head and legs. This
coat should be cut twice a year to keep it from
becoming too long. Longer coats take more
maintenance. This coat does not shed.
Fleece Coat – This coat
consists of long loopy curls over the torso,
head and legs. The coat should feel like soft
fleecy wool. The phase between 8 and 12 months
of age is a transition phase as the adult coat
comes in. During this time, brushing may be
needed to strip coat until adult phase is
reached. This coat does not shed.
Straight/Wavy Coat – The
most low-maintenance coat of the three. This
coat varies in length and often develops short
waves along the back with feather-like tufts of
hair on the ears, tail, and above the eyebrows.
This coat does shed.
WHY CROSSBREEDING?
Cross breeding is a way to produce healthy dogs in a
single generation and at the same time take advantage of
the opportunity to combine characteristic of different
breeds - as long as the parent breeds and individuals
are chosen with care.
 Labradoodles have been used by the Guide Dogs
Association in their efforts to breed a hypoallergenic
guide dog.
Poodle crosses make excellent pets. Labradors are the
archetypal family dog, renowned for their friendly
nature and trainability - as family pets they are hard
to beat and I have not been able to think of a better
crossbred combination than a Labrador Poodle cross.
Stanley
Cohen in his book "Intelligence
of Dogs” ranks 79 dog breeds in order of
intelligence. Dog trainers were asked to score all
breeds for various behavior traits. Poodles scored
second only to Border Collies for intelligence (without
the Borders need for space and work to do) and
Labrador Retrievers were 7th. Both breeds score low
for aggression. For "reactivity" (or excitability)
Labradors were among the lowest - Poodles scoring in the
middle. (In case you were wondering, the dog that rated
lowest for intelligence was the Afghan.)
In theory the cross would be a medium size, smart,
healthy, shaggy dog that is not too prone to obesity and
matures reasonably early .
A breeding program should select dogs on
health first. Then they should look for dogs that are
easily trained gentle and friendly without being too
excitable or too shy and which don't bark except when
disturbed. Any sign of dominance aggression should be
selected against.
EXPLAINING THE "GENERATIONS"
There are a few commonly used
genealogy names when referring to the
Labradoodle breed. These describe the basic
genetic make up of the litter of puppies and
often times can give you a general idea of
certain physical characteristics including coat
type.
F1 – or First Generation.
This is the result of breeding a Labrador
Retriever with a Standard Poodle (50% Lab and
50% Poodle). F1's typically have straight or
wavy coats and vary in their shedding
friendliness.
F1B – or Second Generation. This is the
result of breeding an F1 to a Standard Poodle
(25% Lab and 75% Poodle). Due to their genetic
make up being more along the lines of a Poodle,
they posses wavy, curly, or wooly coats and are
low/no shed and are allergy friendly.
Multi Gens – or
Multi-Generational. This is the result of
breeding and F1B to another F1B. Multi-Gens have
wooly or fleece coats and are allergy friendly.
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