About Labradoodles

Myth #1—A yard is an absolute requirement for every Labradoodle. Dogs are pack animals who want to be with you.  The majority of the time a dog spends in the yard is hanging around the door, waiting to come back where you are.  Even in a huge house, the dog tends to be right under your feet.  A yard is not going to make a dog get his cardio!  His people need to be walking him, running with him, taking him to the beach or the dog park.  Activities like this make you both healthier, encourage socialization, and improve your bond, whether or not you share a yard. 

Myth #2—Avoid playing tug-of-war or your Labradoodle becomes overly aggressive.  As long as you have rules and boundaries when you play this game, the wild side of your dog has a healthy outlet.  This game represents the final stage of the hunt, when the pack leader ends up with the food and cements his position as leader.  As long as you end up with the toy, rope, or sock, tug-of-war is a fun way to establish yourself as the pack leader.

Myth #3—Never disturb a Labradoodle who is eating.  One of the most common situations that results in dog bites are when her food is disturbed, but that is because the dog sees people, even her own, as a threat.  Dogs should look forward to being interrupted while eating in the expectation of a treat.  To accomplish this, shift his bowl or food in some way, starting from above and working down until sticking your hand in her bowl.  That way, the dog will learn when the bowl is inadvertently bumped or reached into, she won’t respond as if her meal is threatened.

Myth #4—A wagging tail always means a friendly Labradoodle.   Dog tail wagging is actually a complicated system of communication, with three levels of height.  90 degrees high with small wags means the dog should be avoided, as he is trying to establish dominance and appear threatening.  If the tail is very low between the dog’s legs, the dog is afraid and feels defensive and should be given a wide berth.  A friendly dog’s tail is somewhere in the middle wagging loosely with a “smiling” face.  There are other canine body language cues to watch when meeting a dog—position of ears and head, hackles, and expression to name a few.  The safest thing to do is ask the dog’s person if it is okay before getting any closer than you have to!