Sweet Breeze Labradoodle Information

What Is an Australian Labradoodle?

Australian Labradoodles are a mix of labrador retriever, poodle, and a splash of cocker. The breed was first developed in Australia in an attempt to provide service animals to those with allergies to dogs. They're friendly, non-aggressive, eager to please, smart, intuitive, affectionate, easy to train, and devoted to their family. They're often used as service and emotional support dogs. They make wonderful family pets.

Australian Labradoodles are adaptable and do well in rural or urban settings, in apartments or houses. They do great with children and other animals. They need social interaction with their people and they do best as indoor pets who get to consistently interact with their family.

Australian Labradoodles are generally very healthy and long-lived dogs.

 

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Coat

Historically, labradoodles were bred in an attempt to create a service dog with a low to non-shedding hypoallergenic coat. While no reputable breeder would ever guarantee a labradoodle's coat was 100% non-shedding or hypoallergenic, their coats tend to shed very little, if at all. Many people who suffer from dog allergies do fine with Australian Labradoodles.

The texture of a multi-gen labradoodle's coat can vary from a wool coat with tight curls like a lamb, to a wavy fleece coat that falls in loose ringlets. Australian Labradoodle coats tend to be very soft.

 

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Grooming

Labradoodle coats need care to ensure the dog stays free of mats. We keep our dogs' coats short and all they require is a quick comb through with a metal comb a couple times each week. We own clippers and cut their coats ourselves every couple months.

A lot of people like the long shaggy doodle look. To keep longer coats in good shape, they must be combed and brushed daily. They also require a professional groomer to cut and style every 6 weeks or so. If you haven't owned a dog before, please know that groomers can be expensive. If you want a very doodley looking doodle, be prepared for the grooming requirements and costs.

If you want to save money and groom your labradoodle yourself, here's a guide created by the WALA. Also, here's a great video and manual put together by the ALAA.

 

 

Sizes

Labradoodles come in three (3) sizes: Standard, Medium, and Miniature.

• The Standard has a height of 21 to 24 inches at the shoulder, and a weight range of 50-65 pounds.

• The Medium has a height of 17-20 inches at the shoulder, and a weight range of 30-45 pounds.

• The Miniature has a height of 14-16 inches at the shoulder, and a weight range of 15-25 pounds.

 

 

Health Issues

Australian Labradoodles benefit from "hybrid vigor". The available genetic pool includes all labrador retrievers, all poodles, and all Australian Labradoodles. Because this pool is so vast and varied, we tend to see less inherited genetic problems than in the parent breeds.

Having said that, there are conditions common in the parent breeds that do sometimes manifest themselves in Australian Labradoodles. At Sweet Breeze Doodles, we do everything in our power to ensure we produce puppies who will be healthy members of your family for years to come. All our parents are genetically tested for inheritable diseases to weed out any dogs who may pass on genetic disorders. They are also certified by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) against hip and elbow dysplasia, as well as by the Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) against eye defects. As part of our contract, we offer a two-year health guarantee with an extension to three years if you choose to feed your puppy Life's Abundance dog food.

Our breeding dogs are screened for these disorders to ensure they don't pass them on to their puppies.

• Hip Dysplasia: This occurs when the dog's thighbone doesn't fit correctly in the hip joint. This degenerative condition can lead to arthritis and lameness as the dog becomes older.

• Elbow Dysplasia: This manifests itself as malformed and weakened elbow joints. As with hip dysplasia, it can cause arthritis, pain, and lameness.

• Exercise-Induced Collapse: This is a condition of the muscles. After exercise, affected dogs will suffer from muscle weakness and sometimes collapse. Most dogs recover completely after each episode.

• Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA): PRA is a progressive degenerative eye disease. It can eventually cause a loss of sight.

• Hypothyroidism: Hypothyroidism can be treated with medication and diet. It causes obesity, lethargy, hair loss, epilepsy, hyperpigmentation and other skin conditions.

• Von Willebrand's Disease: This occurs when the dog's blood does not clot correctly. This disease can cause easy bruising and excessive bleeding from injuries.

 

There are currently no screens available for the following disorders, but our breeding dogs have not exhibited any symptoms of these disorders.

• Addison's Disease: This happens when a dog can't regulate their cortisol production, making it difficult to manage their stress levels. Symptoms of Addison's include bouts of weakness, high heart rate, excessive thirst and urination, improper food digestion and diarrhea.

• Diabetes: As with humans, dogs with diabetes have trouble regulating their blood sugar levels. If your dog drinks water to excess and urinates a lot, if it eats and eats and eats and still loses weight, please see your veterinarian. Your dog may need insulin.

• Epilepsy: Epilepsy is a neurological condition. Seizures in dogs can manifest as frantic running, staggering, falling down, rigid limbs, and losing consciousness. Most dogs with epilepsy actually have a great prognosis with veterinary care.