Hello! Newbie Here! :)

[New Member Introductions]

Hey guys, I'm Cassie!

My family (husband, and two daughters) and I are adopting our first labradoodle, and dog in general, Moose, and will be bringing him home next Sunday!

We chose a labradoodle because my 10 year old daughter has Cystic Fibrosis, and is allergic to dogs and cats. When we got her allergy panel done last year, we had to get rid of two cats (kept one that is mostly outdoors), and everyone was heartbroken :(

I have a question because all the generation stuff confuses me.. Mom is an F1B, and dad is an Australian labradoodle, so what does that make Moose? We were told he'd be non-shedding, and will have a wool coat. We're very new to this community, and I just wanna make sure we're making the right choice :)

Here's a picture of our sweet boy, taken about 2 weeks ago :)

[Amy and Annabelle]

Your pup is probably an Aussiedoodle. If it were me and with your daughters allergies, I wouldn't chance it by getting a doodle. I would either get a purebred poodle or other non-shedding dog or a mix of 2 non-shedding dogs. There is no guarantee your pup won't shed with that mix. The breeder(if they are the ones that told you this) shouldn't be telling you it won't. You don't want the heartbreak of rehoming another pet. Good Luck, he is a cutie.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think that Cassie means that the dad is an ALD, not an Australian Shepherd, which I believe makes the puppy an ALD, too, or at least a multigen labradoodle. 

However, I do agree that it is very risky to take a chance on any doodle or mixed breed dog for this family, because there is absolutely no way anyone can know for sure that the dog will be non-shedding or what kind of coat he will have as an adult. With purebreds, you do know. 

[Amy and Annabelle]

Ahh, I thought it was an f1b Labradoodle mom and an Australian Shepherd dad. But yea, it still doesn't change the shedding risk. Annabelle is an f1b and is non-shedding and my son-in-law has some slight allergies to her.

[Amy and Annabelle]

But seriously how did I miss the Labradoodle after Australian. It took me 3 times looking at it, for that to register.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think the OP edited the post, that wasn't there initially, it just said "Australian". 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I agree re: possible allergies. The pup would be ab f2 I think since you go with the lower generation. He does look very curly. There are no guarantees re: allergies. I have a friend who is allergic to my dogs. They are both multigenerational ALDs.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Hi Cassie ~ welcome to DK.  Would it be possible to test your daughter's reaction to this puppy prior to bringing it home - say several visits to breeder, etc?  I think it would be so heartbreaking to bring this sweet boy home and then have to rehome him, or worse yet keep him outside.  Yikes. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

That's right. His coat will change as he matures, and even though he doesn't affect her allergies now, he very well might later on. Giving him up after living with him and loving him for a year would be even more heartbreaking, IMO.

Some good information on this, from the Labradoodle Trust: http://www.doodletrust.com/education/doodle-alergy-myth

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

I understand your concern.  My daughter found a very tiny kitten near a bush on her way to work (about 15 years ago).  She took it to the vet and then home and nursed it back to health.  Six months later, she realized she was allergic to Jasmine but could not bring herself to rehome her.  She is still dealing with it, but has found some ways to make it bearable.  She also had a malamute for years (and they are off the chart shedders) and had no reaction to her.  Allergies can be weird.  Let's hope your little girl has no issues with Moose - that would be so fantastic!  In the back of mind, I am thinking if I were in your position and wanted a family dog - I would probably go with a standard poodle, but that being said, I suspect there could still be a possibility of a reaction.  I have 2 ALDs, neither sheds, but as I brush them I occasionally do notice a little dander certain times of the year and from what I have read it is the dander & saliva that can cause allergy problems for some people. I will be following your discussion.  I hope Moose works out for you and your family.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Two of my children are highly allergic to cats and horses but not to dogs. That doodles are hypoallergenic is marketing hype and no dog is truly hypoallergenic, but some (and they are the non-shedding ones) are more allergy friendly. I hope your Moose works out well for your family. He is adorable.