Friday, November 12, 2010

Getting To Know Some Facts About Labradoodles

By Calvin Wood

Labradoodles refer to dogs which are bred from a Labrador retriever parent and a standard poodle parent. But these days, many now simply produce puppies by breeding together two of them, which are called "second generation dogs". The goal of doing so is more than just simply come up with a different-looking dog. It's about bringing together the positive traits of their parents, and they're now widely used as guide and family dogs.

The original objective of breeding them is to come up with canines more suitable as guides for visually impaired individuals. A Labrador is friendly and highly trainable. A poodle, on the other hand, has a coat that's low-shedding, making it suitable for those with allergic reactions to dogs. But since then, there are still breeds that pose a problem for those with allergies to dog saliva or dander.

It was in 1988 in Australia when they were deliberately bred for the first time. It was the work of the training manager for Melbourne's Royal Guide Dog Association, Wally Conran. But the word "labradoodle" was first used in a book written by Sir Donald Campbell, "Into the Water Barrier", released way back in 1955. Campbell used the term to refer to a dog with labrador and poodle parents.

Because the breed is still considered as new, it may take some time before the full characteristics and health issues become more evident. For instance, progressive retinal atrophy, a condition which can lead to blindness, may be present when the poodle parent is of the miniature kind. But such has been found only on those from Australia.

Both labradors and poodles are susceptible to hip dysplasia, so it's not unlikely for their offspring to be susceptible to it as well. Canine hypoadrenocorticism or Addison's disease has also been found on them. However, those first generation ones - with purebred labrador and purebred poodle parents - seem to be impervious to it. But all in all, this breed carries with it more of the good traits of its parents than the bad ones.

In general, they are highly trainable and have good temperament. Compared to their labrador parents, their coats don't produce as much dander. Additionally, they can come in an assortment of types and colors. Wool has tight curls that are much softer to touch than a poodle's. Hair resembles that of a labrador's. But fleece, wavy and soft, is something not found on any other breed. These coats can come in colors like red, apricot, gold, chalk, cafe, chocolate, black and cream.

The size basically depends on the type of poodle used as parents. Miniatures are those which are 14 to 17 inches tall, and weigh 26 to 55 pounds. Medium ones stand 18 to 21 inches tall and tip the scale at 40 to 55 pounds. Standard ones are those anywhere from 23 to 26 inches tall. Females weigh 45 to 60 pounds, while males weigh 55 to 77 pounds.

Nowadays, some breeders use miniature poodles in order to control the size of labradoodles. Once popular in Australia only, they're now also popular in the USA. They're ideally used as guide dogs for visually impaired persons, as well as pets for people with mild allergy to dogs.

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