A Multi-gen labradoodle or a multi-gen Australian labradoodle might be my best bet but?

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

Ive looked around and Found that a multi-gen labradoodle or a multi-gen Australian labradoodle might be my best bet as far as my allergies go.I think the multi-gen Australian labradoodle is an even better bet than the Multi-gen labradoodle but i know there are no guarntees for my allergies.I think i have a better chance with these labradoodles than any other though.My question is.                                                                                      Why did they use the cocker spaniel in the making of the Australian labradoodle?.They can have a lot of health issues.What did they contribute to the Australian labradoodle.What was the benefit of using the cocker spaniel?

[Adina P]

No breeder breeds FOR wools exclusively.  It's the non-shedding fleece that has the biggest demand.  But either way a wool coat is like any other -- you pick a good breeder, pick the litter you want to buy from and then your breeder will help you pick the puppy with the wool coat.  They don't ALL come out wool or ALL fleece every time.

[Diana Erhart]

If you have severe allergies, you are correct to go for the wool coat.  My husband has very severe allergies.  He ended up in the hospital in anaphalactic (sp?) shock several times from being exposed to dander over a period of time.  We got our Charlie, who has a very wooly coat, 5 years ago.  At first we kept him off the furniture, bed, etc., and made sure to wash our hands every time we touched him.  My husband would take a claritin every once in awhile if he started to feel a bit itchy, but never had a reaction to him.  Now it is 5 years later and Charlie sleeps with us and cuddles with my husband all the time and there has never been a reaction.  Not to guarantee that it will be fine for you, but I think that the wool coat is your best bet.

[Stella]

You have to remember that the wool coat is a lot higher maintainance though!!  My ALD x multi-gen has a wool coat and it is a lot of work to keep it matt free.

[Diana Erhart]

I really haven't had that much trouble with Charlie's coat.  His ears and tail (because they are more fleecy than wool) must be brushed alot, but the rest of him doesn't mat very easily.  My groomer said she tended to see that more with the curlier coats than the fleece ones.  I however keep him between 3/4 and 1 1/2 inches so maybe that makes a difference.  

[Diana Erhart]

If you go to my page and look at my pictures of Charlie, you will see about how long I keep his coat.  I would say usually about 1 inch or a little more.  I brush his ears and tail about 3 times a week or whenever I notice a matt in them.  The rest of him doesn't really get matted.  Now when he was a puppy, until and especially when the puppy coat came out, I did have to brush him all over several times a week.  But now that he is older the rest of his body doesn't really matt at all.  I still check him every week but haven't found any serious matts in a long time.  One thing I do recommend is that I take his collar off when we go to bed at night.  Otherwise the hair around his neck gets extremely matted.

[Lynda Kamrath]

My opinion is that the cocker spaniel was bred into the Australian Labradoodle for size.  The multigenerational labradoodles out of Tegan and Rutlands breeders in Australia has been tested and are 25% poodle, 25% cocker spaniel, 25% puli, and who knows what the other 25% consists of.  However, this makes a smaller dog and that is why I went with the Multi-Gen ALD.  The F1 Labradoodles tend to be larger, and I had two of the larger doodles and they were hard to handle for me.  Remember that the labs were bred into the original labradoodles for them to be service dogs.  Service dogs are not little couch potatoes.  They needed to be of the right personality to do service tasks and that was not the makeup of a poodle.  So, you can find exactly what you want if you just search around and it is so easy to do these days with everything on line.  Good luck.  My suggestion for you would be the F1b goldendoodle.  Just make sure the F1b goes in the right direction (the poodle) this time.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Lynda, I haven't ever heard about Puli intentionally being infused into the ALD line. I would love to know where you found that info because you might recall that when we had Tara genetically tested Puli DID show up on her test! I would like to know more about it!  I found this info on the Rutland Manor web site:

 

The Australian Labradoodle has been developed using infusions of four Pure Breeds past the original Labrador Retriever x Standard Poodle.

This means that the term 'authentic' Australian Labradoodle has of necessity changed its definition over time, as each new infusion was done. For instance when the first infusion was done, that of the Irish Water Spaniel, progeny from that time on became 'the authentic Australian Labradoodle' because it was the next stage in the evolution of the new breed. 
 
When the next two infusions were done some time later, that of the American and English Cocker Spaniel, 'the Authentic Australian Labradoodle' was a dog who comprised  Labrador Retriever x Standard Poodle parent breeds, plus Irish Water Spaniel, plus American and English Cocker Spaniel - BUT- the pure Cockers were introduced solely for the purpose of reducing size so as to create a miniature version of what was at that time a very large dog.  So common sense dictates that seeing as the Cocker infusions were not done in ALL bloodlines, so as to preserve the large Standard size, "some" of the authentic Australian Labradoodles carried the Cocker infusions and others did not.  Did that make them any less than authentic Australian Labradoodle?  Absolutely not!

Similarly, once the final infusion of the Irish Soft Coated Wheaten was done, using one Irish bloodline for the Miniatures and a different Irish bloodline for the Standards and Mediums,  'the Authentic Australian Labradoodle' in its completion, was the combination of all six pure breeds.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Jared I don't think you will find a detectable difference in intelligence between the GR and the Lab. That being said, when I had Tara genetically tested there was no longer any evidence of Lab in her genetic makeup.

 

Ranks 1 to 10
Brightest Dogs

Understanding of New Commands: Less than 5 repetitions.

Obey First Command: 95% of the time or better.

 

Rank	Breed
1	Border Collie
2	Poodle
3	German Shepherd
4	Golden Retriever
5	Doberman Pinscher
6	Shetland Sheepdog
7	Labrador Retriever
8	Papillon
9	Rottweiler
10	Australian Cattle Dog

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Wow, you got a lot of usefel information I hope it all works out for you. I have allergies also so would love to hear how it all works out for you.

[Stella]

Our breeder tells everyone that if you want a truely allergy friendly dog, then you should get a poodle.  I think it is so individual.  I have asthma, allergies, hayfever, exzema etc etc.  We have two doodles - an F1 LD and a Australian LD x multi-gen LD.  I can't stroke either of them and then touch my face, and I can't let them lick me - break out in hives.  My asthma meds have been increased, and I take a nasal corticosteroid all year round now, instead of seasonlly like I used to.  The doods are worth it!!  But, I am more allergic to the Australian LD x  multi-gen than the F1 - and the F1 is one that sheds!!  Go figure that one out!!  Maybe you might want to consider looking at an adult dog that has already been through its coat change - you might get a quicker idea if it is going to affect your allergies?

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Funny thing is whenever Riley (medium ALD) meets either an American or English Cocker Spaniel he is delighted with himself.  I wonder if he knows he is related at some deep level?

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

LOL Nicky! He probably thinks they are long lost relatives!! Or maybe they really ARE!!!