LABRADOODLES

In 1989, the first litter of labradoodles was bred by the GDAV in Australia.  John Gosling, the manager for GDAV Guide Dog Services agreed to breed the litter in answer to a request by Pat Blum of Hawaii.  She was a vision impaired woman with a husband allergic to dogs.  The breeding manager for GDAV, Wally Conron, planned a mating between Harley and Brandy, a poodle and lab, and the first labradoodle litter resulted in three puppies.  Fur samples of the pups were sent to Pat as the pups matured, and one of the pups, Sultan, proved to be allergy friendly, as well as compatible for Pat as a guide dog.  The combination of Sultan's coat, temperament and trainability made him a perfect guide dog companion for Pat, and an allergy friendly addition to her home.  This was the official beginning of the labradoodle.        

The combination of the Labrador and the Poodle produced great puppies that were very smart and easy to train, which naturally led to people in the general public becoming interested in the labradoodle as family pets.  The desire for non-shedding, allergy friendly coats has also played a huge part in the success and desirability of the labradoodle.  

Many people continue to breed the Labradoodle as they did in the beginning years, by crossing a Labrador with a Poodle to produce first generation Labradoodles.  This method results in hybrid vigor, and dogs with a wide variety of looks and coats.  Some will be allergy friendly, some will not.  Some will shed, and some will not.

Others have gone on to try and “fix” the non-shedding, allergy friendly coat of the Labradoodle by breeding those first crosses back to Poodles.  Then, by selecting the best from their litters they breed those Labradoodles to other selected Labradoodles or to Poodles to go on to produce dogs that are more likely to not shed.  Also, it is interesting to note that the Australian breeders infused other breeds, like the Irish Water Spaniel, into their lines to bring in other desirable traits.

Labradoodles are not yet recognized as a breed by any club or organization, therefore no formal standard is in place yet.  However, breeders of multi-generation dogs are working towards a standard to be recognized if the Labradoodle is accepted as its own breed.   Please see www.ilainc.com for more information on developing breed standards. 

GOLDENDOODLES

Goldendoodles were first bred in the mid 1990's.  Many smaller poodle mixes had become very popular, and the Goldendoodle was bred to provide a larger version of an allergy friendly, light to non-shedding dog.   The popularity of the Goldendoodle grew quickly as the dogs became known for having the wonderful Golden temperament but not the same amount of shedding.  Some breeders went on to breed first cross Goldendoodles back to poodles to produce backcross Goldendoodle puppies for those who needed a definite non-shedder and definite allergy friendly coat.  Goldendoodles have not developed beyond this, but there are some who are pursuing developing a multi-gen Goldendoodle and hope to have it recognized some day as it's own breed.  There are now miniature Goldendoodles being bred as well.  

F1 or First cross labradoodles:  resulting from poodle bred to labrador or golden retreiver.

“They have a variety of coat types ranging from flat hairy coats that are not very long and are very easy care to a very woolly coat which looks a lot like a poodle especially after clipping.  The coats in between are various in length, thickness and texture. The coats can change quite dramatically as they grow….”  (Quote taken from Kate Schoeffel’s web-site: http://www.family-pets.com/   Also, it is important to know that first cross coats range from completely non-shedding if you are lucky, to full shedding like a lab.  An experienced breeder should be able to determine for you what the coat will be like. 

F1B:  pups resulting from first cross labradoodle or goldendoodle bred to a poodle.  

F1B's are the result of a first cross labradoodles bred back to a poodle in order to produce better coats in the puppies.  Many first cross dogs are slight to heavy shedders, with a variety of coat types and textures, so by breeding back to a poodle, you bring back in more of the non-shedding aspect and typically you end up with gorgeous, growing, beautiful coats.  F1B coats are typically no different than the Multi-gen coats.  The only real difference is the generation of the litter bred. 

Multi-Gen Labradoodle:  term typically used to describe Australian lines from RM and TP
 
Multi-gen labradoodles means one of two things.  Either they are those bred from lines stemming from Rutland Manor or Tegan Park in Australia, or Multi-gen lines developed in the U.S.  Most people using the term "Multi-gen" are referring to the Australian lines, although that does not encompass the complete technical aspect of the term, which would include any generation being bred beyond an F2.  Multi-gen coats, regardless of where the lines come from, are generally very similar.   Many people wanting a Multi-gen dog are desiring of this type because they want a dog that has come from the Australian lines at RM or TP.  At Spring Creek, we breed the Australian lines, and we have also developed our own Multi-gen lines.  
For more info about the developing standard for labradoodles, please visit: 
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/labradoodle.htm

SIZE CATEGORIES

Labradoodles & Goldendoodles come in three different sizes.  Measuring should take place from the floor to the top of the shoulder, not to the top of the head.

• Miniatures range in size from 13" - 17" tall and weigh between 15 lbs and 30 lbs

• Mediums range from 18" - 21" tall and weigh between 30 lbs and 45 lbs

• Standards are 22" and taller, and weigh from 45 lbs on up to well over 90 lbs

COLORS OF THE LABRADOODLE & GOLDENDOODLE

There are a variety of colors available in these two developing breeds.  Solid colors, and even parti-colors are available.  There should be a color to suit just about anyone's preference.  Below are some pictures that show the colors being bred in our program.  There are many other color names being identified as their own category by some organizations and breeders.   There will always be slight variations in color that can occur, and some pups will fade and others will darken.  To attempt to identify every difference in color with it's own color name is not something I prefer to do.  If it is not a significant difference in color, then I personally prefer to simply utilize the basic colors and explain that there will be variations in the shades within each color.  Some of the other color names being identified are:  Cafe, gold, caramel, and buff.  Cafe and buff dogs are those that are born chocolate and then fade.  Gold is a variation of cream, and caramel is in the apricot range of color.  

	Chalk or White The chalk color is not quite white, but not quite cream.  When you see this color, you would typically think of it as being white, until you see it against something that is stark white.
	Cream or Gold Creams are a richer color than chalk or white, with subtle hints of golden color in their coat.  If the coat is a bit richer in the gold tones, then that coat could be called gold.  Even though the cream colored dog can have hints of golden coloring on the ears or throughout the coat, it should not be confused with the apricot coat.  Many breeders will mistakenly call a dark cream colored pup an apricot.
	Apricot This color should be like that of the flesh on the inside of a peach.  Many apricots will fade over time, although some will darken.  Apricots should have a slight tinge of reddish highlights or undertones to their coat.  Many breeders are mistakenly calling this color "RED".
	Red  A true red will be very dark and very red, not the peachy/orange color of an apricot like the puppy above.  Red is dark and beautiful and should have an even tone throughout the coat.  Some reds may fade to an apricot color, but the ideal red should retain it's color.
	Chocolate - dark or fading Chocolate colors can stay rich and dark, or fade.  They should always remain a chocolate color ranging from a milk chocolate to dark chocolate shade.
	Black Blacks should remain a solid, dark black color without fading or turning to silver.  If the line carries recessive genes for silver or blue, the pup can fade to silver like the dog pictured below, or will be born with a bluish tint to the coat and have blue-grey colored pigment.
	Silver Black dogs that carry the silver gene, will many times begin showing the signs of turning silver by 7 weeks of age.  This girl began her transition at a very young age and by 11 months was a true silver color over her entire body. Picture courtesy of Sierra Vista Labradoodles

ALLERGIES

Around 15% of people suffer from pet allergies.  Symptoms are caused by a reaction to a specific protein found in a pet's saliva, urine, or dander.  People are allergic to the allergen that clings to the pet fur or to the dander that floats in the air, not to the pet fur itself. 

Some individual dogs and dog breeds may produce less allergen than others, but they all produce some.  Many Labradoodles have been found to not cause people to have allergy symptoms. 

Dogs with non-shedding coats are the most commonly recommended breeds for allergy sufferers. However, it is important to note that there are some people who can't tolerate these dogs either. When a dog's coat does not shed, there are less allergens released in the air. This is provided that the coat is kept clean and clipped; a Poodle with a corded coat could drag in as much dust and allergens as a shedding Samoyed.

Puppies often have different coats than dogs do, it's important to check that you are not allergic to either puppies or adults of the breeds you are considering.   An experienced breeder can help you in choosing the right dog for you and your family if you suffer from allergies.

SHEDDING

Shedding occurs as a natural way for a dog’s body to allow for a new coat to come in.  All dogs shed, some more than others, unless you have a completely hairless dog.  Some breeds shed seasonally, while others seem to never stop shedding. 

For more information about coat types please read  COATS, TERMINOLOGY & YOU 

Labrador Retrievers:  http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/labrador.htm

Golden Retrievers:  http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/goldenretriever.htm

A general resource of breeders, rescues, and clubs, including a selection of pictures of Labradoodles 
and informational links can be found at: http://www.labradoodle-dogs.com/labradoodle-dogs-breeders-rescues.htm