Labradoodles
Origin of the Labradoodle
The first recognized specimen of labradoodle was registered in 1955. However, it was not until 1988 that the Australian breeder Wally Conron made this hybrid breed known to the entire world in his association called “Guide Dogs Victoria”, to be guide dogs. of blind people. Thus, the objective of this crossing was none other than to obtain a hypoallergenic, affectionate, loyal dog with great learning skills. From then on, this mix between Labrador Retriever and Standard Poodle or Poodle began to be known and admired worldwide.
Currently, there is no unified breed standard; One of the main reasons is the lack of consensus regarding the crossings to be made. Many breeders advocate making only first-generation crosses, that is, only between Labradors and poodles, while others cross Labradoodles with each other. This has caused them to begin to differentiate, with the latter being known as Australian Labradoodle or multigenerational.
Over the years, many breeders have attempted to develop the breed improperly, without taking into account the genetics of the parents, hereditary diseases or family ties. This fact caused the Labradoodle to experience a huge crisis, since many of the puppies had congetic diseases or nervousness problems due to improper breeding. However, other breeders, such as Mellodie Woodlye, did keep all these criteria in mind and decided to develop the breed in a more respectful way, baptizing it with another name to get away from the fame that the bad practices of others had given to the Labradorol. This new name was Australian cobberdog or Australian cobberdog.
Little by little the breed was consolidated and, currently, the Australian Cobberdog is a breed officially recognized by the Australian MDBA Association.
Are the Labradoodle and the Australian Cobberdog the same dog?
Although many people believe that we are talking about the same hybrid dog, the truth is that we are not. The Labradoodle is the cross between a poodle and a Labrador that, after years of development, gave rise to the Australian Cobberdog. In this way, the labradoodle is a mixed breed dog, while the cobberdog is a recognized breed, although not by all cynological organizations.
Labradoodle Characteristics
The Labradoodle is a breed resulting from crossbreeding between standard poodles and Labrador retrievers, which explains many of its characteristics. As for its size, it can vary significantly, distinguishing three types:
Toy Labradoodle, which measures between 35 and 50 centimeters.
Medium Labradoodle, with a size of 45 to 51 centimeters.
Standard or large Labradoodle, measuring 53 to 63 centimeters.
Their weight is usually in the range between 20 and 35 kilograms. Their life expectancy is between 9 and 15 years. Their morphology is very different from one another, as there are some that are more similar to Labrador Retrievers, others to standard poodles and others are true amalgams between traits of both breeds. Some of the characteristics they usually share are their rounded and hairy legs, an equally rounded and long tail, and dark eyes and nose. On the contrary, the shape of its snout, ears and the morphology of the rest of the body is not predictable.
In addition to the differences in size, there are great differences in their appearance. For example, if we talk about their fur, it can be either curly or straight, rough or soft, short or long, and there are also all the respective combinations. Despite these differences, all Labradoodles typically have dense, thick hair and longer, thicker hair on the torso, face, and paws. Likewise, another trait that is usually met in all dogs is that, due to their genetics, they are hypoallergenic dogs.
Labradoodle puppy
One of the peculiarities of this breed is that the puppies do not follow a specific standard, there being immense variability from one to another. Even talking about puppies from the same litter and the same sex, there can be tremendous differences. Furthermore, the development and morphology of this hybrid dog breed depends largely on the care and conditions in which it has been raised, so its food, diet and the exercise it performs will be some of the factors that will most determine its appearance. of adults.
In general, it can be said that Labradoodle puppies are friendly, active and playful, affectionate and, above all, very familiar. Since they were little, they tend to show great curiosity and affinity for water, which is why they love to bathe and swim in it. In this sense, if you have just adopted a Labradoodle puppy and want to start socializing it with these environments, you can consult the beaches to take it to in this list: "Beaches for dogs in Spain".
Labradoodle Colors
Due to the absence of an official breed standard, there are no limitations on what colors are allowed and what are not. Some of the possibilities are: red, black, cream, coffee, chocolate, blue, gray or chalk, there are many more. In fact, it is possible to find a white, black, or spotted Labradoodle.
mini labradoodle
As we have said, a Labradoodle arises from the mix between a Labrador Retriever and a Standard Poodle, but what happens if the cross is between a Labrador Retriever and a Mini Poodle? Well, without a doubt, we will have an adorable miniature labradoodle, one of those considered "designer dogs."
In this mix, the general characteristics correspond to those of the Labradoodle in general, so that the only difference lies in the size, which is much smaller than that of its medium and large congeners. In general, they are active, happy and very affectionate, loving the company and attention of their family.