Why a Labradoodle?

Labradoodles, also known as "Labrapoodles," first occurred in 1955, but they did not gain popularity until 1988, when the mix began to be used as a hypoallergenic guide dog.

Currently, they are not considered a breed by any major fancier and breeder organization. There are three distinct versions of Labradoodles which are determined by the ratio of Lab to Poodle mix. F1- 50/50 mix of lab & poodle. F1B- 75% Poodle 25% Lab. F1BB/F2- 85% Poodle 15% Lab. MultiGen- Breding two F1BB/F2 together. Australian Labradoodle- these are generally 80% Poodle, 10% Lab & 10% Cocker Spaniel or Irish Water Spaniel. One thing to note- dogs with a more diverse mix- more dogs in the breed- the lower the C.O.I- Coefficient of Inbreeding. A lower C.O.I is claimed to produce a better-quality dog, HOWEVER, this has nothing to do with genetic disease. The top priority's when looking for a QUALITY dog are 1- Is the dog clear of all genetic conditions & 2- Does the dog have solid orthopedics- hip & Elbows. These are the ONLY things that determine the QUALITY of a dog. A low C.O.I is the icing on the cake, so to speak, but a dog can have a low C.O.I & still carry genetic disease.

Not all Labradoodles are hypoallergenic. Generally, F1 Doodles-which are a 50/50 mix of Poodle and Labrador-are not hypoallergenic & do shed. However, this is greatly determined by the fullness of the dog's coat. The thicker and fuller the coat, the less likely the dog will be to shed, along with having less dander. Roughly 15% of F1 labradoodles will have a fleece coat & shed less. I do not recommend F1's for people with allergies. A puppy is less likely to exhibit signs of allergies to someone who has them due to the fact of much less surface area- it's a tiny puppy... but as the puppy grows, the coat will thicken, grow out & the dog will become larger- so much more surface area, or hair to present an allergy issue.