Labradoodles - the good, the bad and the ugly!

[WonderIfThingsWillChange]

Hello! I'm about to look after a rescue labradoodle, I've not had much to do with them in the past, could anyone share their experienced of them please? I'm wondering about likes/dislikes, training etc. I realise all dogs are different but just wondered if there was a general consensus on them :-)

[Jenny70]

Our labradoodle is very calm at home, and very energetic at the park - loves to socialise with dogs and owners, will only chase the ball if noone else is there.

She does have a sensitive stomach, finding the right food that she will eat (fussy) and doesn't give her the runs is tricky.... treats are especially bad for giving runs (pigs ears, dental sticks etc all now banned!). Any leftovers/fatty foods go straight through her, but she loves them.

Overall she is a loving quiet thing, happy to hang with the family.

[PeachPearPotato]

So sorry you've been asked to rescue a monster hybrid. I've heard they can be completely loopy - off the scale of any dog behaviour known to mankind. Be very careful. I hope you are OK OP [hugs]


ours are fucking lovely

[CornflakeHomunculus]

I got doodle number one because I love labs but didn't want to go through the skin/hip conditions again.

Poodles and labradors can both be affected by a number of the same health conditions (hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, Degenerative Myelopathy, Macrothrombocytopenia, prcd-PRA and hereditary cataracts for example) so simply crossing the two is not a guarantee they're going to avoid any of these issues.

A first cross between and labrador and a standard poodle is no more or less likely to suffer from any of these particular health issues than a pedigree of either breed with the same level of health testing.

[fessmess]

Here's my labradoodle when I was making livercake. Greedy git.

[Bubble2bubble]

Congratulations on your failure wonderif

[dapperdog]

Labradoodles are wonderful dogs, we have had two and they are amazing, you will be very pleasantly surprised

[dapperdog]

Hi

[punygod]

I've got two labradoodles.

The first is a F1 black, shedding, soppy thing.

The second is a F4 chocolate, curly, non-shedding soppy thing.

They are the nicest, kindest, funniest, daftest, sweetest dogs I've ever owned, and I've owned dogs all my life.

I was brought up with pedigrees (labs and westies) and have owned pedigrees of my own (retriever and KC spaniel). They've all had health issues, which has put me off pedigrees for life.

I got doodle number one because I love labs but didn't want to go through the skin/hip conditions again.

I got doodle number two because I adore doodle one.

They really are the most fantastic dogs

[mrslaughan]

LOL- pubes

I walk with someone who has a labradoodle - complete labrador coat - no poodle in it at all.....

[VanessaShanesa]

A Labradoodle owner I met out walking fell for the non-shedding tale spun by the breeder..... she said her dog was fine until about 9 months when his coat changed and he morphed into the heaviest shedding dog she'd ever had.

Worse still the hair he dropped was curly which is far more noticeable than straight hairs. She said if she doesn't Hoover 3 times a day the carpet looks as if it's covered in pubes.

[ILikeToClean]

Gorgeous! They're irresistible so I can see why you couldn't let him go!

[WonderIfThingsWillChange]

Here he is!

[WonderIfThingsWillChange]

Well....we failed. I always said my next dog would be a female lurcher but we have just signed the paperwork to keep the great big, bouncy boy who bounded into our lives, turned it upside down (destroying a few things in the process!) and he's now here to stay. I will keep fostering though as love being able to help dogs find new homes. Thanks for all the advice and interesting discussions on this thread

[mistlethrush]

Someone else will also fall for that and you'll be able to help another dog that needs a foster home to blossom and become more homeable?

Glad he's settling in though - must be quite a change for him.

[WonderIfThingsWillChange]

Well labradoodle is settling in well, he's quite naughty in a cheeky way in lots of ways. This morning I found him in the garden with a melon in his mouth

The main problem is that we are all falling for is cheekiness and daft as a brush says!! Please talk some sense into me!!

[tabulahrasa]

Labradors, poodles and labradoodles all have the same health problems...you don't get healthier puppies by breeding then to a different breed that has the the same health issues.

You get puppies with good hips by breeding dogs with good hips.

[oohdaddypig]

vet pure bred dogs aren't more natural. They have been overbred for years and most pedigrees have tendencies to health issues. Breeders are either responsible, or not, and this is not breed dependent.

If you watch my labradoodle run (lab/poodle) cross run, you will see a beautiful healthy thing. Many Labradors I know are crippled at 3 due to hip issues.

I wanted a healthy cross- breed and, as was explained above, was forced into the puppy route. I have a happy, thus far healthy, mutt who is very loved.

There clearly is a need..mine has been very satisfied.

[VetNurse]

I don't agree with a lot of dog breeds. Pugs, bulldogs, shar peis etc are all examples of dogs gone very wrong!

I work at a large university referral hospital and I don't know of anyone there who thinks the breeding of designer cross breeds is a good idea. There is absolutely no need for it.

[jonicomelately]

Vetnurse What are your feelings about designer, I mean pedigree dogs, that have physical characteristics bred into puppies because it's desirable for the breed? I'm talking about weak back legs, flat faces etc?
And incidentally, we've had two sets of vets (we moved areas) who've both said how much they like doodles and commented on how healthy our dog is. One of our dog's sisters was bought by a nurse at the local vet's practice!
I respect your right to express your opinion and no doubt it's shared by many of your fellow nurses, but you don't represent the entire vet community.

[WonderIfThingsWillChange]

He's been lots of fun today, pretty non stop for most of the day and is only settling now as its bedtime and there is nothing fun left out for him to play with

He enjoyed a walk earlier and paddled in the water but didn't launch himself in - I guess he made need to build confidence up after being confined for so long. We have found several chewed things and our house will certainly be a little bit more dull when he moves on. I'm getting very attached already and keep reminding myself not to and that he will find a great home which will give me chance to help the next foster but when I see him getting on so well with mine it's hard to rationalise it all the time!

He's definite big, bouncy, full of life, excellent temperament etc....all the things I was told about on this thread really!!

[elastamum]

Not all labradoodle breeders are bad. Our re homed one came to us from the breeder, who took her back from her owners and then rang me looking for a home for her as he remembered we had lots of room, fields etc and two other dogs. He thought she needed an outdoors lifestyle with other dogs - she did. He had her spayed and gave her to me for free offering to take her back if she didn't settle, She did settle - but it took about two years

OP, how is your labradoodle doing?

[MoominKoalaAndMiniMoom]

I hate labradoodle breeders, because it's a cruel industry. But these dogs have already been bred, they exist, so they need rescuing as much as any other dog.

They get such a raw deal on here; on half of the threads it's 'why would you get a labradoodle, get a KC registered pedigree instead!'. On the other half, it's 'there's so many other crossbreeds in rescue, why not get one of those?'.

Our labradoodle is lovely daft as a brush but so so so lovely, fantastic with kids, fantastic with everyone actually.

[tabulahrasa]

I don't hate labradoodles...my next dog will be another rescue dog because one puppy in a lifetime of owning dogs was more than enough to put me off tiny puppies, lol.

I'd quite happily get a labradoodle, I like labs, I like poodles and I don't need a certain coat type so, yep, I'd be happy enough with one.

I wouldn't however, even if I was looking for a puppy, reward somebody for indiscriminately breeding by giving them my money.

That's why threads about labradoodles take off into that direction, because there is a huge issue with bad breeders.

[mistlethrush]

Sweep - no one here is a doodle hater. They're lovely dogs. But there are lots of other lovely dogs that equally nice.

[VetNurse]

The thread title is the good, bad and ugly. Good - any dog with a lab or poodle in it is likely to be a nice dog seeing as both breeds are nice. Bad - they are a crossbreed so you really don't know what they will come out like. The ugly - crossbreeds are being bred on purpose for money with no thought to all the crossbreeds sat in rescue centres.

I don't hate crossbreeds. I adore all dogs. I do hate that people think they have something special and seeing people being ripped off by backyard breeders. But hey I am a vet nurse and part of my job is to educate people. So that's what I am doing.