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]

The doodles who shed are a breeze to groom.

The ones who don't shed CAN be very time consuming to groom.

 

I think overall, if I were to generalize, F1 goldendoodles are much more grooming intensive overall.  UNLESS they are the shedding type.

 

It's pretty rare for an F1 labradoodle to come out with a 'wool' coat.  If you look at the doodles on my page I have two F1 labradoodles.  Rosco is the big red one that looks curly and poofy and VERY doodley.  However, he's a shedder and probably would still provoke allergies in someone with allergies.  When he shakes and the sun is shining through the window just right...you see hair in the air.  He does require grooming or else his face hair ends up covering his eyes.  He also requires regular sanitary trims (trimming hair around butt and boy parts to prevent ickiness) and in the summer I have him cut shorter.  His hair is 4 inches right now but unlike some labradoodles, because he sheds, his coat will not grow and grow and grow forever. I will have him cut to about 1" all over in the next month or two.  He requires regular grooming, BUT he does not have a matting problem like some dogs do.  With some NON-shedding dogs the matting is horrendous. 

 

Boca, the black one, looks like a shedder and is a shedder.  On the other hand if you can find Adrianne Matzkin's page, she has a chocolate F1 labradoodle that LOOKS like a shedder but does not shed and has an easy care coat.  Just be prepared that it's going to be a huge gamble in what their coat looks like.

 

An experienced breeder will be able to give you a better idea of WHICH pup will meet your needs...but even experienced breeders can't predict with certainty.  That said it is VERY rare for a good breeder to assign puppies to families at the age of 3 weeks.  Usually that happens once their coats are more visible and their personalities come out more. 

 

Here is our recommendation for a good breeder.  Read through it at least and see if your breeder meets these criteria: http://www.doodlekisses.com/notes/What_To_Look_for_In_a_Breeder

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Luna doesn't have all of her coat in yet, but she is one of the "retriever-ish" goldendoodles and we don't even have to comb her (yet).  She does shed a bit, but my fiance is allergic to dogs and has no issues with her.

 

Your cheek test will probably be more effective than the shirt test, since it's not the hair that causes the allergies (it's the skin) and their adult coat will be different.

 

I agree with Adina and it's the coat type and not the mix type that will affect how easy the pup is to groom.  If you're looking for how to tell what the pup will probably look like fully grown, there is a "pup to adult" group here where I'm sure there is plenty of photo evidence for you to use :)

[Melissa & Porter]

I can't speak for LD vs GD, but low-allergy trigger mostly comes from no shed so grooming will be a big deal.

Yes, people are also allergic to saliva, but dander is usually the bigger issue and spreads more with shedding animals.  So you likely want to avoid a shedding dog, especially since any or all of your children could be allergic too dogs as well (genetic).

No shed requires grooming and is often curly but not always. My neighbor's f1b GD is no shed and wavy, BUT he still matts up...possibly more than my curly guy.

So, I guess what I am saying is I think in almost all cases, you should expect high grooming needs if you want reduced allergy triggering. I am sure there are exceptions, but not sure it is worth the risk with kids (respiratory illness) and the tension it would cause in your appreciation of your dog.

[Jennifer Tramell]

I don't know if this will help but here is my experience.  I have 1 goldendoodles, an f2 tight curly coat and an f? (still 50/50 mix) loose curly coat.  We live on 6 acres, full of brush, thorns, etc, and I keep them relatively short due to the tendency to collect everything in their coats.  Apparently I have been very fortunate and have not had any issues with matting and, to be perfectly honest, I don't brush them regularly.  I do trim them myself, about every 3 months, and around thier eyes whenever they need it.  My dogs have very little shedding but I find small hair tumbleweeds in corners and under the furniture.  We do not have any allergy issues but my daughter has a friend who is highly allergic to many things and she broke out when she came over our house.  I don't know what caused her break-out because she stays far away from the dogs.  She came over after Christmas & things were a mess - the live tree was still up, lots of dust, etc, so it's probably as likely that she had a reaction to something else.  GDs & LDs can change their coats a few times as they grow so I don't know if a reaction to the puppy will be a true indicator of allergy sensitivity to an adult coat.

Anyway, here are my 2 for your consideration :-)

[F, Calla & Luca]

Labradoodles do not have shorter hair. It just keeps growing if not cut. As to which is easier, I think they may be similar but I have only labradoodles. I think it mostly depends on the type of coat. Since you are looking at early generation pups it's hard to predict.

[Adina P]

Labradors have shorter hair than golden retrievers...so in an F1 litter you are more likely to get a shorter hair, shedding labradoodle than you are to get a shorter hair shedding goldendoodle since most goldens have longer hair than labs do.  You have australian labradoodles which don't come with the same variation that F1's do--and this person wanted to know about F1's.

[Leslie J]

I can share my experience with a non-shedding labradoodle.  Someone with more knowledge can chime in if I'm incorrect... 

 

Cocoa doesn't shed at all.  But hair still comes loose (just like human hair comes out in the brush).  Cocoa's hair is so soft that the hair that comes out stays in the fur instead of shedding.  If I don't comb her out regularly, making sure to get the comb down to the skin, the fur collects near the skin and creates a mat.  If I comb her thoroughly (which takes about 45 minutes) every 5 days I get very little hair.  But if I miss a few times the mats begin- and once they begin they grow big time,  I'm hoping that she's still shedding her puppy coat and won't mat so much later (she's about 18 months old).  Cocoa's soft fur is also like velcro and picks up all kinds of burrs and other prickly things growing in wild grass.

 

So... I had no idea before I got Cocoa that low/ no shedding meant high-maintenance grooming!  My theory now is that you can sweep up or vaccuum the fur OR comb it out meticulously from the dog herself... but there will be fur somewhere.  But Cocoa truly has amazing soft puffy fur and we are often stopped by people who can't resist petting that wonderful fur. so it is well worth the trouble.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Just to re-iterate the fact that even a well-seasoned breeder cannot fully predict coat type:  when Peri (F1 goldendoodle) was 6 weeks old, our breeder had officially "assigned" her to us.  The breeder said "she is likely to lightly shed, but probably not much".  I had picked Peri for many reasons, but didn't even concentrate on a few of her littermates because they had the tighter curl coat that our breeder thought would make them not shed (and she was reserving those for families that had allergies).  Fast forward to today:  Peri is almost 2 and has a very fleecy coat. She does not shed at ALL.  She is difficult to groom, but not as difficult as the doodles with a curly "wool" coat.  We have to have her cut down at times because the matting makes it very time consuming to groom her. 

That being said, of course we feel "lucky" that she doesn't shed because we expected that she would!  However, we spend more time and $$$ on grooming!

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

I agree with Allyson.  Take a look at our Sydney.  She is a 7 and 9 generaltion Australian Labradoodle.  The papers from the breeder state that Sydney has a wool and fleece coat.  Hindsite is 20/20.  We should have known why the breeder's face was bright red when we went to pick Sydney up (the breeder has severe allergies).  She was anxious for us to get going once the transaction ($$$$) was complete.  Well, Sydney does not look anthing like an ALD and everyone is shocked when we tell them she is a Doodle.  Sydney has a flat coat muzzle, is 80 - 90% hair the rest is fleece and she sheds alot.  She started shedding at about 5 to 6 months old.  We were devestated and Sydney is intuitive enough to have known we were disappointed.  Now we have some behavioral issues with her but are working through them.  And, we vacuum alot!  We love her dearly and immediately bonded with her on our drive home from York, PA which was four hour trip.  She's our problem child but we work with her every day.

[Adina P]

Here's an example of the variation in looks for both F1 GDs and F1 LDs:

 

First a slide show of F1 Labradoodles:

 

Now a slide show of F1 Goldendoodles:

[Arron (Shadow)]

those slide shows are great Adina! Learning more every time I come here....

[Lynda Kamrath]

I have had both and now have a black goldendoodle and a brown ALD.  I had a brown labradoodle and he was the best dog I have ever had.  He died in Sept. and I replaced him with the ALD.  I would say the labradoodle is easier to groom and we have always done all of our own grooming.  Take a look at my photos on my page and you can see all of our dogs.  I would not suggest taking two puppies and rubbing them on your clothes.  It would be better to ask the breeder about the shedding and the allergies.  The ALDs have been bred to not be allergenic but some of the American doodles may have more allergy issues and also shed a little more.  All doodles, however, are nothing compared to the shedding of other breeds.  Problem with taking two pups home - you will not be able to take one pup back!  Doodles are also very addicting.