Tuesday Talks

Today, let's answer some of the most asked questions in regard to Australian Labradoodles.

1. Do Australian Labradoodles Shed?

There is no hard and fast rule here, but, generally speaking, well-bred multi-generational Australian Labradoodles shed very minimally to not at all (the same cannot be said of first crosses and early generations). They actually drop hair in the way that humans do, when you brush it, you'll see some hairs in the brush. They may also drop hair when under extreme stress, or during hormonal surges (like a heat cycle).

2. Do Australian Labradoodles Bark a Lot?

The simple answer is, not by nature. A good breeder is going to do what they can to discourage barking while they are raising your pup, but it's up to you to carry that on. No one minds a dog that alert barks, many times that is part of the draw to have a dog - the peace of mind that your dog will let you know if there is something to check out. But more than alert barking gets annoying fast. Excessive barking does come down to a training issue and one where prevention is worth it's weight in gold!

3. Do Australian Labradoodles Smell?

Again, the simple answer is no, however, there are exceptions. Typically, Australian Labradoodles are very low odour dogs. You should expect to bath your Doodle approximately every 6-8 weeks, and that is just because they spend a lot of time outside. They get dirty just like any breed of dog. But they never have that "dog" smell that most people think of. Sometimes though, and this is not an issue limited to Australian Labradoodles, but you could experience a Frito type smell coming from your Doodle, particularly around the feet and ears. This is caused by Yeast and is it's own issue with it's own remedies.

4. Do Australian Labradoodles Like to Swim

This is totally depending on the dog. Some love it, Some hate it, and some only like to get their feet wet. The long and short of it, if you want your Doodle to be a swimming and/or enjoy the water...introduce them to water before they are four months old. It also helps to have another dog along that loves the water so that your pup can do as they do. There is only so much you can do, however, if your Doodle really doesn't like the water, you are unlikely going to be able to change that. They are all different and unique in their personalities. It's what makes them so special!

5. Can Australian Labradoodles be Left Alone?

Again, there is no one simple answer for this. Yes, of course they can, BUT you also have to put the work into making that so. Starting off right means crate training training your puppy. Here at Big Rock Labradoodles, we take care of the night time crate training process for you. When your pups comes home from us, he or she will be sleeping quietly through the night from the start, but day time crate training will still be up to you. You may get a puppy that never really bats an eye at going into the crate during the day, and you may get one that cries and carries on for the whole 2 hours. You MUST hang in there and still it out! Each day will get easier and easier, until your pup loves the crate. You must also leave the house without your puppy! You don't have to leave every time they are in their crate, nor should you while you are in the training stages, but you must leave sometimes, so that your pup can learn to be on their own and learn to self-moderate during that time. This is an issue that has been created through the COVID stay-at-home orders. Everyone is working from home, no where to go, home all the time....our dogs got used to this great deal! When it's time to go back to work....the dog is not amused and you may see behavior issues come up that were never there before all this started. Time to reintroduce the crate and leave the house!

6. Do Australian Labradoodles Change Colour

Often they do, but not always. It depends on the genetics of the breeding pair. Doodles can either darken, or fade over time. Interestingly, it can take 3 full years for the coats to finish changing. The responsible gene for coats darkening is the Rufus Gene and, in the case of fading, it's the dilute gene which comes from Poodles and Silver Labrador Retrievers. To know what you should expect in the case of your puppy, you would need to ask your breeder, as they should know what to expect with their pairings.

7. Is the Australian Labradoodle a Breed

The short answer is No. It is a mixed breed dog. This is very much by choice. Our Breed Clubs, The World Australian Labradoodle Association (WALA) and The Australian Labradoodle Association of America (ALAA) could pursue making the Australian Labradoodle a breed, but we do not want to. The breeding practices of the American Kennel Club and the Canadian Kennel Clubs are flawed in that they close their stud books within each breed. This is practice that dates way back in time. Without going into huge detail, the end result of closed stud books is that you end up breeding into a circle until all the dogs within the breed are related/inbred.