Duration - 60 mins
A Labradoodle is a crossbred or hybrid dog created by crossing the Labrador Retriever and the Standard or Miniature Poodle.
With 'My Labradoodle' you will be taken step-by-step through all the stages of Labradoodle ownership covers everything you need to ensure your Labradoodle grows into a healthy, happy and much loved addition to your family.
The Labradoodle has a short but fascinating history, it starts in 1988 when John Gosling, the manager of the Australian Guide Dog Association, was on holiday in Hawaii. He met up with a visually impaired lady who was desperate to have a guide dog, but whose husband was allergic to dog hair. She had heard that Poodle's coats wouldn't aggravate her husbands allergies and so on John's return to Australia he asked breeder Wally Conran to combine the Poodle's low-shed coat with the gentleness and trainability of one of the more common seeing-eye dog breeds, the Labrador.
The first litter bred resulted in three puppies, one of which ended up with an allergy friendly coat. He was named Sultan. The other two dogs went on to lead useful lives as a Remedial Dog and a Guide Dog. Realizing the cross needed a name, Wally created the word "Labradoodle."
Of the 31 Labradoodles bred at Royal Guide Dogs, a staggering 29 became successful Guide Dogs.
When Guide Dogs held Open Days, people fell in love with the Labradoodles and besieged the Organization asking where they could get one. It wasn't long before a huge, demand arose.
Today their confident, clever, joyful temperament has insured they are fast becoming a family favorite.
Being a cross between the Labrador and the Poodle it's no surprise to find that the Labradoodle shares traits from both breeds. Both are descended from hunting dogs bred to work in water - the Labrador from the St. John's Newfoundland and the Poodle from the pan-European Water Spaniel, and so both are natural swimmers.
As puppies they are adaptable, remarkably unstressed and take new things in their stride.
They get on well with children and their calm loving temperament makes them good for older owners as well, so long as they get regular exercise. They also get on well with other dogs and other petsl. However, they don't like being left on their own for any length of time, and crave contact with their family.
Being very quick to learn, extremely intelligent and confident, these dogs can be very clever. Labradooddle's can easily become bored and must have sustained, structured training early in life, to which they respond with an eagerness to please and a high level of intelligence and trainability.
A lot of people think all Labradoodles have non-shedding and allergy friendly coats, but this is not always the case. So if you're looking for a Labradoodle specifically because you have an allergy problem it's best to talk to a reputable breeder and test the pup's hair to be on the safe side.
More information on Labradoodles is available at Wikipedia.org.