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About Labradoodles...
  
Size Guide:
Standard Labradoodles can be 23 - 29 inches to the shoulder
Medium Labradoodles can be 18 - 22 inches to the shoulder
Miniature Labradoodles can be 14 - 21 inches to the shoulder
Weight Guide:
Standard/Medium Labradoodles can be 19 – 40kg
Miniature Labradoodles can be 12 – 22kg
A Labradoodle is a deliberate cross between a Poodle and Labrador. The first Labradoodles were bred in 1989 when a guy named Wally Conron , who worked as breeding and puppy manager for the Royal Guide Dogs Association in Kew, Victoria, came to hear of a blind woman in Hawaii who was in desperate need of a guide dog that wouldn't trigger her husband's allergies to dog hair. Conron came up with the idea of crossing one of their best Labrador bitches with a Standard Poodle. (Poodles have woolly coats that are hypoallergenic and they don't shed seasonally like other dogs).
From that first litter of three puppies, only one passed the allergy test after hair and saliva samples were sent to Hawaii. This still stands today, UK Labradoodles coats are very unpredictable, with many shedding to varying degrees and rarely hypoallergenic.
So is a labradoodle for you?
Labradoodles are known to possess the gentle, sweet disposition of the retrievers combined with the intelligence and aloofness of the poodles. Labradoodles are wonderful with children and people who have special needs. They are non-aggressive, highly intelligent dogs that are easy to train, but need plenty of mental and physical stimulation. Standard Labradoodles tend to be big dogs and can be boisterous and mischievous. Miniatures are becoming more popular, but still average around 18” in height. They want nothing more than to please their people, but if left on their own for long periods these intelligent dogs tend to find their own entertainment.
The coats of the UK Labradoodles vary dramatically. They can be anything from wiry to soft, straight, wavy, or curly, shed a little, a lot, or not at all, potentially matt and may require professional grooming. Almost all early generation Labradoodles will shed to some degree, and some further generations do too. Sibling pups can vary dramatically too, with some very curly fleecy coats, to smooth coated and wavy coats in the same litter. Colours vary, but the most common are Black, Cream and chocolate, and varying shades thereof.
  
Labradoodles have had an astronomical rise in popularity, in some ways the worst thing that can happen to a breed. The inevitable happened, and so called breeders have sprung up all over the country with questionable motives to make a fast buck. It is for this reason that we have set up the first UK Labradoodle Rescue. Often little thought is given to genetics, bloodlines, health testing, or temperament. Any Labrador and any Poodle will do.
Some new breeders who prefer to breed the F1’s (Labradoodle to Poodle) are entering the breeding arena with integrity. These breeders are health testing their breeding stock and are taking care to breed only the best examples of Lab and Poodle, with good temperament and sound healthy lines, but unfortunately there are far too many others who are not as conscientious. Because some (F1) Labradoodles can be non shedding, inexperienced or unscrupulous breeders sometimes claim that all of their puppies will be non shedding or allergy friendly, and this has led to sad stories, with some families having to give up the dog they have grown to love, because it causes their allergies to react, unfortunately these are usually the ones that tend to end up in rescue.
A large dog is not necessarily compatible with small children and in any case it is unwise to leave any dog with small children.
Most doodles love water and can be mud magnets, bringing in an enormous amount of dirt into your home. They are certainly not a breed for the house proud.
As with all dogs they need to be treated with respect and need to be given firm, fair training and handling from a very early age, or they will try to outsmart you. They can sometimes be too intelligent for their own good, but ask any Labradoodle owner - these dogs are worth their weight in gold.
If you still think these wonderful dogs are meant for you, then please download this check list and questions to ask the potential breeder.
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