4 tips to find out which coat your Labradoodle pup will get

[Wanda Klomp]

This question ‘pups’ up all the time in Facebook groups and the Labradoodle forums: what coat do you think my pup will get?

Will it grow to look Doodle-ish?

And I assume that when the owner says 'Doodle-ish', he/she refers to a fluffy fleece or curly fleece coat.

Now, with all those different Labradoodle types being bred, it's hard to determine beforehand what the coat will look like

(unless you have an Australian Doodle, in which case the odds are larger that the coat will be fluffy and fleece or curly fleece).

And yes, if you're allergic, you'll want your pup not to develop a coarse, shedding coat 
(but then you should play it safe and reconsider getting a Labradoodle, because if there's a Labrador or Golden Retriever in the 50/50 crossbreed,

the chances of a coarse coat are much larger than when both parents would be Australian Doodles).

But there are some things that do indeed allow for predicting the final coat.

1. At a very young age, you can tell how streamlined a pup's coat is; the wavier it is, the curlier it will be.

2. If a pup has a nice thick coat, it'll often stay that way.

3. A pup with a straight, coarse coat will not easily develop a fluffy coat.

4. Always look at the coats of both parents to get an idea of what your pup will end up as.

I sometimes see pictures of Labradoodle pups that make me go: "that's awfully like a Cocker Spaniel" or "Isn't that a

Bearded Collie crossbreed?". I see New Foundlander types and a lot of Flatcoated Terrier types.

Labradoodles that are too short on legs, or even too high, round like a barrel, or even with an overly athletic build, very long, narrow snouts, but also short, round heads and all kinds of ears. Those are often no "pure" breeds.

I also went to an Australian Labradoodle Day in Belgium a while ago, where I saw a dog that unmistakably resembled a Yorkshire Terrier, even with the owner claiming it to be an Australian Doodle.

Now there's a jaw-dropper.

I even read comments on Facebook that the nice thing about Labradoodles is that they all look so different, while really the whole point in creating a new breed should be consistency. Right?

I once attended a seminar by Pat Hastings, the author of the Puppy Puzzle (she's a dog expert and knows all

about shows, breeding, bone structures and what a dog should be built like to lead a healthy life and do what it's

bred for). She tells us that any product of breeding (so every dog) must look like the dog it was meant to be.

In other words, a poodle should look like a poodle, and so it shouldn't have the coat and build of a dachshund.

In other words: “if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck it must be a duck

My point being: if you want a 'real' Doodle, then try your hardest to get a real Doodle.

A few more interesting facts when it comes to choosing the right pup:

1. Light coloured coats are most susceptible to tangling, and to make it easier for yourself; just assume that your Doodle will be a dirty little thing, jumping and rolling about in mud pools and dirty ditches (this doesn't mean that you shouldn't buy a white or light coloured pup, just that the coat will likely be harder to maintain and that you should take that in to account (every coat has a remedy to keep it tangle free and healthy: I teach people what those are)

2. The thicker the coat, the more maintenance required (and the higher the grooming costs)

3. White coats have a tendency to become more cream-coloured and cream-coloured coats tend to become whiter.

4. Brown pups seldom stay brown, black pups can develop white hairs, get a brown hue over the coat or even turn grey entirely.

5. White or lighter-coloured spots in the coat will usually develop into white or light-coloured marbled spots in the

coat or a light underlayer fluff and FYI: white is susceptible to tangling!

The general adagio is: look at the coats of the parents. It needn't always be a yardstick (the lineage goes further than that), but it's your best shot at estimating the development of your pup's coat.

Personality remains the foremost thing, so always make sure that you choose a pup that matches the energy level of your family and yourself.

That's the foundation behind a stable, happy life with your Labradoodle.

And remember: You never get the dog you wanted, you always get the dog that you need the most in your life!

I hope I've provided you some insight into how you choose the pup that's perfect for you, and what your pup's coat might develop into (I say 'might', because I'm no Marty McFly).

If you want to know more about puppy care, coat shedding and puppy grooming accustomization, you're more than welcome to post your question on my DK page and I will respond as best as I can.

I'd love to see you soon and have fun with your puppy! (or soon, if you're about to get one).

See you in my next blog!

Lots of Doodle love, Wanda and Joy

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thanks for posting this.

[Shoney & Ruby]

This is great information. All holds true for Ruby as a puppy and the dog she has grown into. She is a non-shedding, curly, fluffy, sometimes "dirty little thing." Very lovable too-which is the important this.