About Labradoodles

Labradoodle size

Following is an indication of the varying sizes:

Labradoodle colours

• Black: Even colour throughout the coat, no white or silver. Black pigment
• Chalk: Very pale cream colour....off white.
• Cream: Darker than Chalk with slight Gold highlights.
• Gold: Solid yellow/golden colour over entire body. Pigment should be black or rose.
• Chocolate: Brown chocolate colour throughout some fading is allowed but uniform colour over entire body. Pigment should be Chocolate.
• Apricot: The colour of the inside of an Apricot. Pigment should be black or rose.
• Red: A solid colour or Mahogany or Burgundy. Pigment should be black.

Labradoodles,Our Puppies

Puppies that are bred and reared here have a great start to life. They have a wonderful environment to play, their kennels are clean and airy. Worming is carried out at two week intervals. Vaccinations, Microchipping and De-sexing of all non-breeding puppies is conducted at 7 weeks of age. Please be assured that the early de-sexing of puppies is in no way detrimental to their health or growth and is a completely ethical procedure on a puppy of this age, carried out by a veterinarian. Please visit the Labradoodle Association of Australia’s Web Site to view the LAA's Position on Early Spey and Neuter.

If your puppy is to be shipped we begin Crate training at around 6-7 weeks, in small intervals, to accustom him/her to the confines of the crate. This assures your puppy is not stressed during it's trip to you.

Care and maintenance for puppies and dogs

General maintenance does not require regular bathing, although we bath our inside dogs weekly. Grooming should be carried out regularly and we are happy to assist you on how best to carry out grooming your Labradoodle. You do need to maintain the Ears and keep them free of Hair and Odour. The Labradoodle's wonderful coat does not have a 'doggy' odour. Generally if there is an odour it will be a sign that the ears need attention. The inside of your dogs ear canal is actually numb so CAREFULLY removing the hair should not be painful if done correctly. We demonstrate this for you or alternatively you can ask your vet to demonstrate when you have your puppies vaccinations.

Many owners trim their dogs themselves, occasionally, just to keep them looking neat and clean. If you do take your Labradoodle to a dog salon you need to tell them not to clip your Labradoodle the same as you clip a poodle. Just a trim all over and neaten up the fringe a little, is generally enough.

After bathing, groom by brushing the hair up, or the wrong way, all over the body. This will fluff the hair and it will probably look frizzy but after you have removed any knots this can be corrected by spraying a light mist of water, or diluted conditioner in a spray bottle, lightly over the body. This will put the shaggy look back into the coat.

Dog obedience

Ideally you should begin training your dog when it is 8 - 10 weeks old. Gently correcting unwanted behaviours ensures that bad habits are addressed before they become an issue. Consistency is the key to training your dog. If you use the same command each time you show your dog how to do or not to do something then it will soon learn what that command means. Consistency is also needed when expecting certain behaviours from your dog. EG: If it is unacceptable for your puppy or dog to do something today and you allow that behaviour tomorrow the dog will be confused when it is chastised at a later time. I recommend that you attend an obedience course with you puppy if you have not trained a dog before. It is good socialisation for both you and the puppy/dog and you will learn skills that will stay with you for life. If you are having problems with certain behaviours that are unacceptable to you please contact us and we will do our best to assist you.

Puppies exercise

Limited exercise in the first year of your puppy's life is advised. Too much jumping or high impact exercise in the first year can be detrimental to bone growth in a young dog/puppy. Walking and normal running around is fine but I recommend you don't allow your puppy to jump from heights such as beds, or climb too many stairs, when young. After the bones have developed and grown properly with correct diet and exercise, you can begin to allow more impact and build the 'Bone density' slowly. This will ensure your puppy grows strong and healthy bones.

Note about dogs

It should be mentioned that Dogs are a Pack Animal that they rely on their owners to demonstrate leadership and acceptance toward them. A dog needs to have a pack (you and your family) for it to be well adjusted and socially stable. Behaviour problems arise when well intentioned people purchase a dog without considering the lifestyle they are able to offer their pet. I often see dogs that demonstrate behaviours that are directly related to the fact that the dog is left for most of its life, alone. If you have a lifestyle that keeps you and your family away from the home for much of your life, you perhaps need to consider if you have the time required to include interaction with a dog. If you are unable to spend at least some of each day interacting with your dog and walking/exercising it daily perhaps you need to consider sharing your lifestyle with a pet that requires less time. A dog that is not obedient, happy and well adjusted is not a pleasure to own so you need to be confident you have the time required to make your dog a pleasure to live with.

All about Australian labradoodle dogs