Labradoodle

The labradoodle is a crossbreed dog, a mix of a Labrador Retriever and a Standard or Miniature Poodle. It is not a pure breed in its own right, so its looks and character vary quite a bit from dog to dog.

Size usually follows the Poodle size names: miniature, medium and standard. Miniature labradoodles typically weigh around 18-28 lbs, medium around 26-45 lbs, and standard from 45-75 lbs.

The coat can be wiry to soft and straight, wavy or curly. Coats are grouped as wool, fleece or hair, and colours include chocolate, cafe, parchment, cream, gold, apricot, red, black, silver, chalk, lavender and blueish grey. Patterns can be solid, parti, phantom, tri-coloured or have white abstract markings.

Labradoodles are popular family dogs, and they are also widely used around the world as guide, assistance and therapy dogs.

The labradoodle comes from Australia. Breeder Wally Conron, who is credited with creating it, introduced the cross to the Royal Guide Dog Association of Australia in Victoria. He hoped to combine the Poodle's low-shedding coat with the Labrador's gentleness and trainability, to give a guide dog suitable for people with allergies to fur and dander.

A catchy name and the allergy claims were meant to offset the stigma of mixed breeds and help sell his litter. One dog from that litter, Sultan, worked as a guide dog for a woman in Hawaii for ten years.

Popularity later exploded, and without kennel club recognition or breed standards the dogs quickly lost consistency. Conron has said he regrets starting the trend, blaming himself for unethical breeders running puppy farms and for problems being bred into dogs.

Major kennel clubs do not treat labradoodles as a breed, but as a hybrid of two pure breeds. Guide Dogs Victoria no longer breeds them, though other guide and assistance organisations do. Separate Australian programmes later tried to standardise the dog, producing the Australian Labradoodle, which is not recognised as a pure breed by independent kennel clubs, and the Australian Cobberdog, accepted in 2012 as a breed in development by the Master Dog Breeders and Associates registry.

Because the labradoodle is a cross, early-generation puppies do not have consistently predictable traits. Appearance, size, coat and temperament all vary widely.

Like most Labradors and Poodles, labradoodles are generally friendly, energetic and good with families and children. They often show an affinity for water and strong swimming ability from their parent breeds.

Labradoodles are now widely used around the world as guide, assistance and therapy dogs.

Labradoodles can have problems common to their parent breeds. Hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia are common, and elbow problems become more prevalent with rapid growth in puppyhood.

Eye disease is another concern. One study found UK labradoodles had a higher rate of multifocal retinal dysplasia (4.6%) than Labradors, and cataracts were common (3.7%), at a rate similar to Labradors.

There is some evidence of Addison's disease in the Australian labradoodle. Their long floppy ears also make them very prone to ear infections.

Breeders' groups call them generally healthy, but Conron has said healthy labradoodles are few and far between. No reliable lifespan figure is given for labradoodles themselves.

This is general awareness only, not veterinary advice. Always consult a vet about your pet's health.

What is a labradoodle?

It is a crossbreed dog from Australia, made by crossing a Labrador Retriever with a Standard or Miniature Poodle. It is a hybrid rather than a recognised breed.

Is a labradoodle hypoallergenic?

They were created in the hope of suiting people allergic to dog dander, but that claim was partly a selling point. Coats vary from dog to dog, so results are not guaranteed.

Are labradoodles good family dogs?

They are generally friendly, energetic and good with families and children. They are popular family pets, though temperament varies between individuals.

How big do labradoodles get?

It depends on the parents. Miniatures typically weigh around 18-28 lbs, mediums 26-45 lbs and standards 45-75 lbs.

Are labradoodles healthy?

They can inherit problems from both parent breeds, including joint dysplasia, eye disease and ear infections. Health varies widely between dogs.

Sultan, a dog from Conron's litter, worked as a guide dog for a woman in Hawaii for ten years.

The breed was once unpopular and was rebranded with the catchy name that we know today.

Labradoodles often have a love of water and are strong swimmers.

Their coats come in colours with names like parchment, chalk, lavender and cafe.