Any Advice on Labradoodles?

M.,

We had a Labradoodle. Look out! My husband always wanted a big dog and, like you, I wanted a doodle mix because I have allergies. We have an Eskapoo who is 13 and feared the worst last year, so we thought it would be nice to introduce a new puppy into our family with our 2 kids. We found an ad in a local paper and drove to meet the people. They were very nice and it turns out he was one of 9 in the litter. He came from their golden lab and a friend's standard poodle, so he was first descendent. This is important to note! I thought that he wouldn't shed too because he was mixed with a poodle. I was wrong. We had black wirey hairs everywhere.

We had the dog from about 9 weeks old until he was 9 months old. His head was taller than my waist (I'm 5'5) and we thought of him as a horse! He was a beautiful dog, sleek black, gorgeous eyes and a great personality. He was just too much puppy for us to handle. His bad habits like eating our socks, digging up the yard, etc. we learned were directly related to Labs in general. He looked like a lab with a curly tail. We found a very nice couple with no children who fell in love with him and have a farm. They are all very happy together. We all cried for a while, but we realized we didn't want to yell at him constantly for just being a puppy. We thought we were ready for his breed -- big, but we weren't ready for the BIG mess that came with the small puppy.

I would caution you to research and you might want to consider a 2 or 3 year old Labra instead of the puppy. I took our dog to obedience training and while some things stuck, most did not. It was very frustrating for us all. We loved him, but not the chaos. Best of Luck with your search and decision:)

K.

My aunt and uncle got a Labradoodle about 2 years ago when their children were about 3, 5 and 7. They already had one dog (who was getting older) and wanted to get a puppy so the older dog could help train the new one. Well.....that was one crazy dog they ended up getting. I know puppies chew (I have two dogs of my own) but this dog went above and beyond. And the energy level of this dog was VERY high. This was an active family and she was almost too much for them to handle. She also was a little rough and 'mouthy' with the 3 year old.

My advice is to research online about the breed. Even though its a mix, it doens't always mean you get the best qualities of each breed. Some are going to be more "poodle-like" while others are going to have a little more lab in them. But just like people, each dog is going to have their own personality so checking the temperment of any dog before you take it home will be important.

Honestly, we have a pitbull mix (we got her as a 9 week old puppy) who is a wonderful dog. She was VERY easy to obedience train, has a high tolerance for pain so she doesn't mind the occasional tug on the ear or tail (which is good when you have a very active 17 month old around). She also doesn't shed much either. I just recommend getting a puppy instead of rescuing an older dog (only because of having a young child and not knowing a rescued dogs history). We also have a siberian husky who is also incredible with my daughter but if you don't want the hair, thats not a dog for you.

Basically, research all the breeds out there. There are some "family" dogs that really aren't that great around kids and are very high energy, and other dogs (i.e. pitbulls) that you may not think are good family dogs but are wonderful family pets.

Good luck on your search!

I have a bit of experience when it comes to labs and doodles. I got a yellow lab puppy when I was pregnant with my 4th and my kids were 4,3,and 1. Crazy, I know - my reasoning was that three boys couldn't live without a dog! Well it turned out to be a horrible mix. The dog wound the kids up and the kids wound the dog up. They were so hyper and crazy together that I couldn't take it anymore. We decided to give the lab to a couple friend of ours that didn't have any kids. They loved him and he was truly a different dog for them.

Years went by and we planned to get another dog, but this time not a lab. We now are the very happy owners of a goldendoodle. Goldens are calmer than labs and much smarter. The AKC ranks them 4th in the intelligence charts with poodle being 3rd. So a goldendoodle is a very smart, highly trainable dog. A few recommendations: pick a puppy that is very calm, not the one that wants to play with you. Turn them on their back in your arms and see if they remain relaxed or try to wiggle. The more relaxed the better. Also insist that no one pet the dog unless he is sitting- even as a new puppy. We taught our dog to sit right away and he has been great about not jumping up on people. This breed is so happy to be with and around people that they can't contain their excitement really well. In our obedience class, we have quite a few dogs that jump up (our lab was a certified jumper). But our goldendoodle has been awesome in this regard - even with toddlers and my aging mother-in-law where a jump from the dog could be injurious.

Doodles are really a great choice for a family. We have had a few people over who are allergic to dogs and they haven't even noticed a dog in our house. And the shedding is VERY minimal. I tell people that I shed more than he does.

Hope this information helps you out.

I also had a Labradoodle...not much luck either, we ended up giving him away also! I love big dogs, but we now have a schnoodle. I have to be honest, I never thought I would like a small dog, but she is so much easier to take care of, and a lot easier to handle.

You do need to make sure that your Labradoodle is at least a second generation, or it WILL shedd. Our schnoodle does not, but both breeds are non shedders. After many years of owning dogs, I cannot tell you how nice it is to not have dog hair every where!

You should really consider a smaller dog, since your children are still very young. They will not be as intimidated as a large dog, and less likely to hurt during playing. Even a small dog will be a handful as a puppy, so be ready to deal with the "puppy" stage.

I guess I am a bit prejudise, but I really love our Schnoodle. Both the Schnowser, and the poodle are very intelligent dogs. She is always eager to please, and learns quickly. She also loves to be petted, and our lap, is her favorite place. Our kids, 13 & 15, aslo like having a dog they can "cuddle" with...much harder to do with a large dog!!

Good Luck...I hope you find the perfect puppy for your family!

I just notice that you are from Hershey...I am also. You may contact me at ____@____.com if you wish. I can tell you where we got our puppy. They also have many other poodle mixes. I will also be breeding our dog this fall...not a plug, just letting you know!!