Labradoodle.
Ya gotta admit, it’s a pretty funny-sounding word.
The name Labradoodle was first mentioned in a book called “Into the Water Barrier” by Sir Donald Campbell in 1955.
But what we know today as the Labradoodle breed originated in Australia in the late 1980′s.
Wally Conron is an Australian dog breeder. One of his clients, a lady from Hawaii, was interested in breeding a dog that can be easily trained to be a guide dog for the vision impaired while not shedding like normal dogs (because her husband has problems with allergies.) Conron decided that a cross between the Labrador Retriever with the Standard Poodle and now would be ideal. And the first Labradoodle was born.
Given the Labradoodle’s Australian origins, it’s not surprising that today there are two varieties of the breed, the Australian Labradoodles and the American Labradoodles.
Labradoodles’ Special Skills
Labradoodles are known for being intelligent, easy to train, energetic, and eager to please. But remember that if you decide to get a puppy, you will need to be totally committed to it like you would be to your
own child. Even though they are easy to train and smart, they require proper training and exercises. (And one bonus that some people really like is that they typically don’t have that dreaded “doggy smell.”)
Due to their intelligence and their urge to please, Laradoodles are often chosen as therapy dogs. There are some specific qualities that the institutions look for in dogs that would become therapy dogs. They need to have an expert to determine the dogs’ personalities and behaviors. This will determine what kind of activities and trainings the dogs will take to naturally. This helps to train the dogs faster and easier for the therapeutic purposes.
The Association for the Blind of Western Australia finally introduced the breed to the dog training programs. The first dog to graduate from the program is Johnnie, a Labradoodle, in November 2010. The breed is popular around the world. They are good as a guide dog, assistant and therapy dog for the disabilities. They are friendly, easy going, energetic and very eager to please the owners. They also love to learn which is perfect for training as a guide dog. They can also be great family pets because they are great with children. They love water just like Labrador retrievers would jump into the water the first chance they get and they are very intelligent, which is the trait from both the Labrador retrievers and the Poodles. They have great temperaments and can be trained to help warn epilepsy patients or those who are physically impaired. The dogs can be easily trained for therapeutic reasons or as a companion dogs would be perfect. It is believed that various physical abilities with these animals will produce calming and healing effects to those who are disabled or impaired in many different ways. They can be the key to give the patients the will and the strength to fight with the diseases.
Grooming the Labradoodles
The Labradoodles are a hybrid or “designer dog” breed. This means that they show much more variety than the established breeds. They come in various sizes and colors. This can depend on the parents or the heritage of the parents. They have 3 main types of coat. The first one is the wool coat which is tight curls and soft like those of the Poodles. The second type is the fleece which is soft and free flow. The fleece coat can be a little wavy. The last type is the hair coat which can be wavy, straight or curly with the texture like those of the Labrador retriever’s coat.
They also come in many different colors like chocolate, black, blue, white, red, apricot, parti colors and many more. It is important to groom them properly to keep their coats clean and healthy. Their coats have the tendencies to get matted and tangled up if you don’t take care of them, it could become a big problem in the long run if neglected.
Personally, I use the services of a local groomer. But if you choose to groom your Labradoodles yourself, here are a few things you need to know.
First of all, you need to pick and choose the combs or brushes properly. They must not damage the coat. If you found that the coat of your dogs are matted, try to comb it out gently but if you really can’t comb out the matted areas, try shearing the area to thin down the coat.
Grooming a Labradoodle doesn’t sound too complicated since they already love water. But you will need to use both the shears and the clippers for their coats. You need to make sure that they are accustomed to the grooming and they are easy to handle during the process. It is best to start exposing the puppies to the grooming equipment and the sounds they would make when they are young to get them used to them.
Their coats will require gentle shampoo for bathing. You can let them to air dry their coat afterwards but you need to make sure to put some light conditioner in the coat and comb out thoroughly to prevent matting. You don’t have to bath them that often as long as you groom them once or twice a week, depending on how long the coat is.
Pay special attention to the ears, muzzles and the hair above the eyes. Make sure you trim the hair above the eyes as leveled as possible to keep them from getting into the dogs’ eyes. You need to be meticulous and careful when trimming the hair around their paws and trim their nails regularly as well.
Health Risks for Labradoodles
The Labradoodle breed is not yet a certified breed. Their characteristics and behaviors may vary depending on each dog. Make sure you consult the veterinarian or have DNA tests because they can be prone to certain diseases like hip dysplasia or the progressive retinal atrophy or PRA. The personalities of each dog may vary greatly because they are individuals and may not always conform to the breed.
They will need to have regular visits to the veterinarian just for their biannual or annual check up to determine their health.
Finally, if you should want to get a Labradoodle as a pet, please consider contacting a rescue group, as there are lots of great Labradoodles who need great homes.
Recent Comments