Labradoodle

Origin and History

The Labradoodle was developed in Australia by crossing the Labrador Retriever with the Poodle, originally to create a low-shedding guide dog. It combines the Labrador's friendliness with the Poodle's intelligence and coat type; because it is a crossbreed, its traits vary.

Appearance and Coat

It has a medium to large, athletic body. Its coat can be straight, wavy or curly and usually sheds little; it comes in a variety of colors. Depending on coat type, it needs regular grooming and clipping.

Temperament and Personality

The Labradoodle is friendly, intelligent and extremely sociable. It is devoted to people and gets along very well with children and other animals; it is not prone to aggression. It is playful, energetic and trainable; it does not like being left alone and needs attention.

Care, Exercise and Training

Depending on coat type, it needs regular brushing and periodic clipping; curly-coated dogs require more grooming. It requires moderate to high exercise. Intelligent and eager to please, it adapts superbly to reward-based training.

Health

As a crossbreed, it can carry the predispositions of its parent breeds: hip/elbow dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), ear infections and Addison's disease. Puppies from health-screened parents should be preferred. The Labradoodle suits active families looking for a friendly, intelligent and low-shedding family dog.