About Labradoodles

Since our mini Australian labradoodles are all microchipped, prospective owners never have to debate whether or not to microchip—but there are many good reasons to microchip a pet.  One of the first would be the ability some pets have to wiggle out of their collars.  Some pets just don’t like to wear collars all the time, despite the best efforts of their people.  If a pet becomes lost without her collar, the microchip that has been implanted increases exponentially the likelihood she will be returned to her rightful owner.  Be sure and keep the microchip company updated with your current address and phone numbers, as well as current contact information for a backup contact should your doodle become lost.

A microchip is only about the size of a grain of rice, and they do not need to be replaced once they have been implanted in your dog.  Until 2003, there were universal scanners for pet microchips, but as technology has developed, types of pet microchips were created that are incompatible with some scanners and vice versa.   As of this writing, development of a universal pet microchip scanner is pending, but even taking this into consideration, having your pet microchipped is an important safety measure.

Naming a puppy is one of the most fun things about getting one!  You can use a name book, surf the Web for pet name websites, name the dog after your favorite actor or musician, or just get to know the puppy and see what name comes to mind.  Of course, there is no rule how many middle names a dog can have (after all, he never has to get a passport!) and when it comes to nicknames, there are no rules, either.

If you want to nod to the Australian aspect of your mini Labradoodle’s heritage, here are some Australian words for your consideration:  Ace, Banger, Barbie, Barney, Battler, Billabong, Brekkie, Bizzo, Blotto, Boozer, Bushie, Buster, Cheerio, Chrissie, Clackers, Corker, Dag, Dero, Dingo, Fair Dinkum, Howzat, Humdinger, Jackaroo, Jillaroo, Joe Bloggs, Kaput, Kero, Kiwi, Matilda, Nipper, Outback, Ozzie, Pash, Plonk, Polly, Ridgy-Didge, Ripper, Rollie, Roo, Sanger, Sheila, Shonky, Smoko, Sooky, Squizz, Stickybeak, Tas, Troppo, Tucker, Wally, Woop Woop, Wowser, Yobbo or Zack?  You’ll have to look up the meanings, but they are all everyday words related to Australia or slang used there.  The possibilities are endless!

Happy Labor Day weekend!  Hopefully you have plans to have a great time and take your Labradoodle with you.  Here are a few tips to keep that darling doodle happy and safe over the holiday.  A common Labor Day outing is a picnic—who doesn’t love a picnic?  Be careful that your dog doesn’t follow her nose too enthusiastically and ingest chicken bones or pieces of aluminum foil used to wrap picnic foods.  Summer is the season for insects, so protect your dog against fleas, ticks and heartworm.  The warm weather also promotes allergies to pollen and plants.  If your dog is chewing on himself, seek veterinary attention.


The hot sun can dehydrate a dog or even result in heatstroke—be sure she has a source of fresh drinking water (consider a spill-proof water bowl), ventilated moving air, and shade.    A dog with a fresh water source is less likely to drink sea water, contaminated or chemically lake or pool water, or automobile chemicals on the ground, which can make him ill.  If your dog is in a pen, consider purchasing a fan or a dog cooling mat to keep her comfortable.  Some dog grooming sprays include a sunscreen, and you can apply hypoallergenic sunscreen suitable for babies (30 SPF or higher) on exposed skin areas.  Dog noses are especially prone to sunburn.    If your dog is not a swimmer, supervise him closely—even strong swimmers drown when exhausted.  Never leave your dog in a parked car, where temperatures can reach over 150 degrees Fahrenheit even with a window cracked. (It is a common misconception that this is sufficient prevention of heatstroke or even death in dogs.)  Limit exercise periods to the coolest parts of the day, avoiding surfaces such as sidewalks, asphalt or sand, which may absorb the heat and burn your dog’s paws.  The most common signs of heatstroke in a dog are rapid panting, twitching muscles, skin that feels hot to the touch, and a dazed look.  If any of these symptoms occur, contact a vet immediately and attempt to cool the dog by using towels soaked in cool (not cold) water, hosing her down, or giving him a cool bath. Allow her to lick ice cubes or sip cool water.  In the event of heatstroke, a trip to the vet may save your dog’s life.


 

Do you have to spell out “R-I-D-E” in front of your dog?   Many dogs love to take a car ride with their people—after all, a lot of drive-through places have dog biscuits these days.  Most people know that their Labradoodle can’t be left inside a parked car on a baking summer day, but many don’t know how high or how fast the temperature rises inside the vehicle.  Parking in the shade or cracking a window does little to alleviate this process, since the windows will absorb light.  For example, on an 85-degree day, the temperature inside a car with cracked windows can reach 102 degrees within a ten-minute period of time.    After thirty minutes, that possibility rises to 120 degrees.  Pets are at danger of heatstroke at 100 degrees.  The temperature in a car parked in direct sunlight may elevate more than 30 degrees per minute.  Dogs can suffer organ and brain damage after about 15 minutes in this situation, and it can prove lethal not long after.

A dog’s natural design conserves heat.  The sweat glands on their noses and foot pads do not provide adequate cooling for a hot summer day inside a vehicle.  Panting and drinking water does help them, but not if they are only breathing overheated air in a confined space.   Short-nosed breeds such as pugs and bulldogs, puppies, senior pets, and pets with health problems are particularly vulnerable in hot weather.

There are three varieties of Labradoodles being produced today.  The first variety is the American Labradoodle. Considered a hybrid dog, the American is also called a first generation or standard Labradoodle and is the result of crossing a Labrador Retriever and a poodle.   The Australian Labradoodle that is often bred in the United States is a second variety, using the Labrador, poodle, Labradoodle and sometimes cocker spaniel to create a multi-generational cross.

The third variety is the Australian Labradoodle, bred and recognized in Australia with the express goal of creating a quality purebred dog without undue health issues.  Cascade Mountain Labradoodles has the third variety of the third Labradoodle variety, but in miniature.  Breeding stock has been thoroughly tested (and loved, and nurtured).  These are adorable, active, occasionally comical dogs, quick to learn special tricks and tasks.

It is essential to dog-proof your home before adopting a labradoodle or any other dog.  Whether puppy or adult, an energetic dog can have catastrophic effects on any home.  The first, most basic dog-proofing step is to completely remove anything you don’t want chewed or swallowed from the floor, including clothing and shoes, particularly ones that have been worn recently.  Move all trash cans out of reach or close them securely, as the contents of a garbage can are a smorgasbord from heaven for any dog.

Wrap exposed electrical cords and tie up any window treatment cords.  Put all toxic chemicals in an area your dog cannot reach.  The same safety latches and gates used to restrict access to children work well to keep pets out as well.  Remove all toxic plants from your home and yard, and isolate foods that are harmful to dogs, which include onions, raisins, and chocolate.   Gum and nicotine patches, while not food items, can also be extremely harmful to an overzealous dog or puppy. 

Labradoodles seem to be absolutely everywhere right now.  Celebrity owners such as Tiger Woods, Jennifer Aniston, and Barbara Eden have made the breed very visible.    Other trends illustrating the popularity of the Labradoodle are the inclusion of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary, a Labradoodle game piece in the ‘Here and Now’ Monopoly game, and the award-winning ‘Lucky the Incredible Wonder Pup’ animated toy.

The labradoodle was originally created in Australia in the late 1980s to be a hypoallergenic service dog, and many labradoodles have indeed proven to be outstanding service dogs. However, due to the speedy propagation of the breed by people who wanted to cash in on this idea, labradoodles that are available today cannot reliably be expected to be hypoallergenic, and they do require some regular grooming.  Doodles, as they are fondly called by their fans, are available in a range of sizes.  There is little uniformity in their appearance–some favor the poodle portion of their ancestry, while others resemble a shaggier Labrador.  Doodles are clever, energetic, funny, and intelligent.  Eager to please, doodles are generally straightforward to train and are ultimately capable of learning many unusual tricks.  They are too friendly and nonaggressive to be reliable watchdogs, and can be mischievous if not kept in check by their people, who they love dearly but may occasionally try to outsmart.

Adopting a labradoodle puppy is not as simple as hearing some labradoodle puppies might be available and going to pick one up immediately.  It is best to do as much research as possible to make sure the labradoodle breed will be the best fit for your family.

Contact the breeder, fill out an application, and put down a deposit to hold the puppy.  Many breeders will want to observe the puppies for their first six to eight weeks of life, ensuring there are no health problems, and there will usually be an additional veterinary checkup immediately prior to travel to the new home.  Enjoy your new family member!

Since Labradoodles began as a hybrid of a miniature or standard poodle and a Labrador Retriever, there has been no universal push to have Labradoodles recognized as a breed.  Some breeders prefer to mate a poodle and a Labrador rather than two established Labradoodles. This method is thought to maximize the genetic diversity in the resulting offspring and avoid some of the inherited health problems that have been exacerbated by inbreeding in other dog breeds.

Other breeders combine Labradoodle with Labradoodle over successive generations in an attempt to establish a breed.  These dogs are usually referred to as Australian Labradoodles.  Australian Labradoodles differ from some other Labradoodle varieties because they may have other breeds in their ancestry such as cockapoos, two Irish Water Spaniels, soft-coated Wheaten Terriers, and a Curly-Coated Retriever.