Faithful Doodles
Santa Clarita, CA 661-702-7955 faithfuldoodles@hotmail.com
ORIGIN OF THE LABRADOODLE:
The origin of Labradoodles began in 1988 where a blind woman in Hawaii needed a guide dog that would not aggravate her husband’s allergies. She requested help from a breeder in Australia, Mr. Conran, who tried different hair & saliva sample from various dogs. None of the samples worked out. A couple of years passed when Mr. Conran suggested to the manager of the Royal Guide Dogs of Australia that they try crossing a Labrador Retriever with a Standard Poodle. The Labrador was a commonly used guide dog, adored for being highly trainable, eager to please and having a gentle, warm temperament. The Poodle was also popular for being highly intelligent, as well as their lack of shedding and allergy-friendly coat. The first litter produced only three puppies. Samples of hair and saliva were once again sent to Hawaii and the samples from one of the three puppies were successful. This puppy was named was ‘Sultan’ and he was sent to Hawaii where he became a successful guide dog.
The news about the “Labradoodle” was aired on an Australian television station and the interest in this new breed began to spread. In these early years a vet in Australia (Kate Shoeffel) began breeding this first generation Labradoodle and still continues to do so today. Now the Labradoodle is a much sought after companion and family member. They are very intelligent, easily trained family dogs with low to non-shedding, allergy friendly coats (although not all are; please continue to read for further explanation). There are genetic advantages when you cross two healthy breeds. The unrelated gene pool creates “hybrid-vigor” which means that genetic defects, such as hip dysplasia or eye problems, are less likely to occur, but you will also see a variety of different looks and coat types, especially in this first crossing, and some may be non-shedding and/or allergy friendly while others may not.
TYPES OF LABRADOODLES & COATS:
There are 3 types of Labradoodles, commonly called F1, F1B and Multi-Gen and 3 types of coats, commonly called hair coat, fleece coat or wool coat.
· An “F1" is the first generation cross between a Labrador and a Poodle (50% x 50%). F1’s tend to have straight, borderline wavy or wavy coats ("hair" coat) and vary as to their degree of shedding & allergy friendliness . Very low maintenance in terms of grooming.
Doodle Info.....
When I first began learning about Doodles, I was so overwhelmed by all the terminology and the breed itself. F1, multi-gen.... My head was spinning! It seemed so complex! It wasn't like picking out a Lab, where I just had to choose from 3 colors.
Doodles can vary so much in looks from the different coat types to how their owners groom them. That makes the job of a being a breeder difficult! Below is a summary of things that will hopefully help you out. There's so much to write and I've tried not to get TOO wordy. Keep in mind that this is a generalization. The looks can vary, even among the same type of coat. Please contact me if you have more questions or need more clarification!
A NOTE ABOUT SHEDDING & ALLERGIES:
I think it’s important to note that allergies can be caused from a variety of things and there is no true 100% allergy friendly dog. One may be allergic to the dog saliva and will therefore be allergic to all dogs! On the other hand, many allergy sufferers have found that they are allergic to dog dander and have a high tolerance to certain breeds of dogs, such as the Labradoodle and the Poodle.
Remember ALL dogs shed. We shed! It’s natures way of replacing the coat. However, specific breeds have been found to shed a lot less than others, which is why the Labradoodle is a popular choice (and for SO many more reaons!).
You need also need to keep in mind a couple of things:
* It is common for a doodle with a hair coat (usually an F1) that sheds to still shed considerably less than a lab (although there have been reports of some that shed as much as a lab).
* Different people have different definitions of what it means to shed and be allergy friendly
* There is no total guarantee on Doodles in terms of shedding, although as breeders, we do our very, very best to give you our best educated opinion based on our knowledge and experience.
* Some dogs can have a combination of hair coats
* The coat can change tremendously as the puppy grows into adulthood, from the colors changing (fading, etc) to how much they shed (although the higher the generation, the less this is seen). All puppies will shed their puppy coat.
SIZES:
Labradoodles come in 3 sizes-
· Standard: Height=21-24 inches; Approx Weight Range=50-75 pounds (with males being the larger)
· Medium: Height=17-20 inches; Approx Weight Range=30-45 pounds (with males being the larger)
· Mini: Height=14-16 inches; Approx Weight Range=15-25 pounds (with males being the larger)
COLORS:
Labradoodles are available in a variety of colors. Several colors are just slight variations of one another and can be difficult to distinguish, especially since the color can change or develop over time! The choices range from red, apricot, chocolate, caramel, phantom, silver and different variations of cream, cafe and black.
· An “F1B” is the cross between an F1 Labradoodle back to a Poodle. They tend to have coats that are wavy, curly (called a "fleece" coat) or wooly and are usually low to non-shedding and generally allergy friendly. Moderate time required for grooming.
· A “Multi-Gen” can vary slightly in meaning depending on who you are speaking with, but refers to Doodles that have resulted from the Australian lines of Rutland Manor and Tegan Park or have been bred in the US. Either way, the result is from breeding Doodles for several (more than 3) generations (at least an F1B to another F1B). The mulit-gen doodles have a wooly or fleece coat and are the most allergy-friendly out the 3 types of doodles, although they do require the most maintenance in terms of grooming and come with the biggest price tag.
Lilly, F1, Daisy's 2007 Litter
Klamath-Chica's F1B puppy
Maggie-Australian Multi-Gen Labradoodle w/Fleece Coat
Molly-Australian Multi-Gen w/Wool Coat
