Grooming Difference in Labradoodle vs Goldendoodle?

[Julie Robertson]

We are trying to decide between a goldendoodle and a labradoodle=both F1.  I grew up with and love labs, but our most recent beloved pet was a Golden Retriever who we lost tragically.  I've seen both pups in person and both were perfectly wonderful we just couldn't choose, also loved both sets of parents- the moms were full sisters standard apricot poodles, very calm and gentle.  I am leaning towards the labradoodle now because the one we saw was the color I wanted and had such a cute boxy face, etc.  They're only 3 weeks so it's hard to tell, but if we wait much longer the litters will be sold!  So, grooming wise- I prefer the shaggier look, not trimmed too close to the body like a poodle.  We live in the country and our dog will be getting walked in the bush- where there is so much fun to be had with sticks and twigs and burrs!  Would a labradoodle tend to be easier in the grooming department?   We have mild allergy issues,  I was thinking of taking both pups and rubbing them on my black shirt, see which sheds more and one on each cheek, leave it for the 30 minute drive home and see which cheek has me scratching more! ;)  Is this totally nuts?  Ideally I would just love to get one of each!   We have 3 children aged- 8, 6 and 2 who just cannot wait to get our new pup in about 5 weeks (me too!).  So, is a labradoodle easier to groom due to their shorter hair or does it totally depend on the type of fur- hair, wool or curl?  Thanks for any help!

[Adina P]

I have a question.  How do you know WHICH two puppies to try out?  Most breeders don't allocate puppies at 3 weeks.  And some pups will shed more or less later after their adult coat comes in.  I think trying out a 3 week old may not give you a good indication of what you'll get once the pup matures.  But I'm still stuck on how a breeder can CHOOSE what puppy you get at 3 weeks?  It's rarely done before 5 weeks and many wait until 7 weeks to determine which pup will go to which buyer.  It's a crapshoot to pick as early as 3 weeks.

[mimi alt]

hi, i have a 6 month old  Muli gene labradoodle  her grandparents and parents were Labradoodles..she looks exactly like the mom and dad, i reserched the parents and breeder, great puppies, she so far does not shed a bit,and so far with just once a week brushing she does fine .....she has wavy hair under her puppy coat...going to take her for a trim... hopefully they do a good job...

[Gail+Kathleen,(Sydney+Olivia:)]

Hi Julie,

Well my sister and I have 2 doodles. 1st doodle is a 7&9 generation Australian Labradoodle (looks like a mini golden and sheds alot) We got her from a breader who said she would be fleece/wool. Well she has about 80%hair 20%fleeece. Very easy to groom .BUT, my sister and I are neat freaks and the hair drives us crazy.

2nd doodle is 2nd&3rd generation Australian Labradoodle and is about 80 wool 20% fleece.No shedding but needs to be brushed and groomed regularly.If you are looking for no shedding a wool or fleece coat is the way to go.

A good breader will probably know the type of coat the dog will have and we're pretty sure our breeder had a good idea that Sydney was going to be a shedder.

[Julie Robertson]

Thank you all SO much!!!  I really do appreciate all the replies!  TBH, I'm not buying our doodle from an expensive home based breeder, I simply cannot afford that.  But we love dogs and have found a place that is a kennel run by a very nice, honest, hard working family.  I've been to the kennel several times, spoken with the owner and his family many times.  They take immaculate care of their dogs, they are fed an excellent diet, they are treated kindly and interacted with on a daily basis.  The facility is top of the line and very very clean.  I would love to get a pup from a home breeder who knows the breed in and out and can help me select my dog, but I simply cannot afford that.  So that is why I am doing my own research on this, it's up to me to choose the best pup.  They will allow me to choose my pup, I am not locked in to any one pup, and I can always switch to another if there are others available, until I take him home at 8 weeks.  I will be keeping an eye on the 2 litters (LD and GD)  to see which one may develop into our ideal pet.  The mamas are lovely standard apricot poodles, full sisters and they are so sweet tempered!  I'd like a darker pup, as I would prefer the dog not to change to white once he's older.  Both the pups we are looking at were an apricot-caramel color, with the lab being darker and the GD having just a couple white streaks on his face and white paw tips.  Can you tell anything about possible coat at 4-6 weeks old?  Neither of the pups had swirls on their snouts, but they had a few ripples on their ears, not much though- should I look for one with lots of ripples?  I'll try to figure out how to upload a pic!

Also, how often must the these dogs be groomed- I don't mean brushing, but actual clipping/shaving?  I'm going to try my hand at learning to do it myself, but have a friend who is a professional groomer who can clean up for me if I need help!  I don't like the shorn poodle-y cut on doodles personally, but is it necessary to go that route once in a while? 

 

As far as allergies, dh and I are both somewhat allergic.  But we didn't have hardly any problems with our golden retriever, he was a mix between a field GR and a show GR and shed very little.  He was jut perfect!  But my dh always reacts to my sister's chocolate lab.  Hmmm...  Would the poodle mixed in take care of this likely, or should we stick with the goldendoodle?

 

Adina- thanks so much for the slide show.  Lovely doodles all!  It appeared to me like the GD's tended to have more curl than the the LD- of which some were smoother and lots were shaggy. 

 

[Adina P]

Hi Julie,

 

For what it's worth...I realize that doodles are pricey, but regardless of how 'nice' and 'clean' the facility what is of high importance is that the parent dogs have health testing behind them.  Without that you're really making a gamble on the health of your dog's hips, eyes, and other possible genetic problems.  That's the only thing that is making me worried about going for a lower cost doodle.  If they are not breeding to high standards even the nicest people with nice intentions can create more health issues in doodles than there need to be.  It's not just about how well the dogs are treated, but if they are actually breeding for health.  There's NO way to breed toward health without full health testing--genetic disease is not visible to the naked eye.  Now if the father of the litters happens to be older (4-10 years old) and going strong and if the mother is significantly past the 2 year mark...that would make me feel better about the health issues that can't be tested.  But you won't know if they both carry recessive genes for issues later for some health issues.  There was a member a year or two ago who was trying to decide about a nice 'family' breeder who didn't really health test.  They operated a nice, clean kennel. But again NO health testing or incomplete health testing.  But money was an issue.  Well less than a year after this member's pup joined the member's family it was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and I don't believe the breeder compensated the person in any way.  SO this member saved money early on...but it ended up costing her more in the long run. Just something to think about.  Hip testing, for instance, doesn't guarantee your dog will not get hip dysplasia...but having good hips in the pedigree really reduces the chances of your dog having problems with his/her hips. 

 

To me that is the POINT of buying from a breeder (versus adopting a rescued dog): To purchase a dog that has been bred to the highest standards of health, temperament, and be able to know this with accuracy based on health testing and being able to look up the ancestors' health testing and see that this was actually a breeding done for a purpose besides just making cute puppies.  Otherwise there is no reason to PAY someone $500+ because they allowed two dogs to mate.  As nice and kind and wonderful the 'breeders' may be, if they are not actually striving to breed with excellence and meeting quality breeding standards...well then they are shoddy breeders.  Why pay them anything for doing what two dogs can do on their own for free?

 

Anyway, that's my opinion and something I feel strongly about.  But it will be my last spiel on the health topic in this discussion.  I just want you to make a decision with full awareness and save you from heartache later.

 

On to grooming:

How often doodles need grooming REALLY depends on their coat.  Outside of baths which depends on YOUR preference for how clean you want your dogs, a non-matting, shedder may NEVER need a haircut.  The black doodles I've had (you can see them in the slide show on my page) are more like a lanky, scruffy lab--their hair doesn't keep on growing so they don't need haircuts.  On the other hand my red Rosco (who despite appearances does shed) does grow longer and does need face trimming every 2-3 months and sanitary trims around behind at about the same rate.  I think the last time he had a haircut all over, though, was March of 2010.  So he's been long for nearly 1 year.   But the doodles that mat or grow really long (non-shedders) usually need a trim every 6-8 weeks.  They don't NEED to be shaved really short, though, unless they've gotten really bad mats that are nearly impossible to brush out without pain and without hours of work.  So yes, some doodles occasionally DO need to be cut very short--it just depends on their coat.  So many variables there's no one answer.

 

The poodle mixed in only takes care of allergies if the resulting dog doesn't shed AND is low dander AND just happens to turn out right for you and DH.  There's no guarantee.

 

Good luck with your decision.  If you have photos on your computer it's really easy to pop them in to your discussion or into a response.  When you type into a box, right above where you type there are all sorts of buttons starting with one that says "LINK" -- next to it is a blue square that represents a photo.  Click on that photo and select the photo you want to include and follow the directions.

 

 

 

[Adina P]

Regarding coat...check the length of the coat. If one pup's coat is VERY short as well as not wavy compared to the rest that might mean more retriever in looks (esp for the LDs). The longer the strands of fur, the shinier, the softer and wavier...I think that indicates a less shedding more fleecy coat. Doesn't mean you won't be allergic but it would be a nicer coat.

[Julie Robertson]

Thank you. :)   Here are some pics:

 

Pic #1 is a 3 wk goldendoodle

Pic #2 is a 3 wk Labradoodle (only 3 days older than the GD!)

Pic #3 is both, GD on the left, LD on the right

 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Julie, I don't know where you are getting your puppy from, but if this family has lots of litters of different kinds of dogs, I would be very suspicious that you are in fact getting your dog from a puppy mill or back yard breeder. There is a group here for what to look for in a Doodle breeder and also a grooming group. Sometimes, what you pay down the road for these puppies will far exceed the initial cost of a pup from a reputable breeder.  As for the grooming, it is expensive.  I have two Labradoodles. One is a F1B and one is a F3. Fudge has the poodley hair and tends to get mats, but she does not shed at all. Because of the mats, we have had to do some shave downs. Vern, has a much easier coat, sheds a little, but he too has to be groomed on a regular basis. I am not brave enough to attempt to do this myself, but I am sure if you learned to do this yourself, it would save you money. Have you considered a poodle for the allergies? Poodles are wonderful dogs and do not have to have the typical poodle look. They look very much like LD and GD when their hair is kept longer.