New Member, soon to be Australian Mini Lab-Doodle Mom-What will he look like?

[CHRISTINE]

Hello and thanks for having me in this group. 

My husband and I are in our late fifties and haven't had a puppy in 26 years.  The Labradoodle seemed like a good choice for us because of their temperament, keeping their hair to themselves and a lot of other obvious reasons.

We visited our Breeder once and went in thinking we wanted a girl but the mini litter is a tiny one of 3 they're all boys and had just been born the day before by c-section so Mom and puppies were resting in a bedroom.  I'll visit again in a few weeks to meet them, hold them and try to see which one picks me - we have 2nd pick out of the 3.  

I know I'm in for some cold nights standing in the back yard muttering "go potty" in my PJ's and I hope there's not too much snow to stand in.  I hope to give him the exercise he needs, certainly will walk him daily and I know we'll love and care for him with all our hearts.  

We currently have 4 cats but will introduce them slowly, we're experts as far as that piece goes.

I'm a little nervous, excited, happy, anxious.  Here they are at one week old.  Any thoughts around how they'll change?  Do they get much darker and can you tell at this early stage if they'll be more curly or straight?  

Thanks again,

Chris

[F, Calla & Luca]

Enjoy your pup.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I hope someone else chimes in about how they might look. I have no clue, but I just wanted to say welcome to DK and enjoy your puppy. I didn't get my Doodles until I was in my early 50's and hadn't had a puppy in 15 years. It is so much better this time around, because I have the time for them. I cannot imagine my life without Fudge and Vern. Enjoy the ride :)

[CHRISTINE]

Thank you so much Laurie!!! :) Are they boys?

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Fudge is a female and Vern is a male. Vern was our first ever male dog and we just love him. He is big and goofy and slightly undersmart. He adores all of his family equally. Fudge is the perfect counter to Vern's personality. She is independent, smart, brave, quirky, and a take charge kind of dog and puts up with a lot from her oversized brother :) She is my dog, but loves every member of our family.  If it were me when it came time for picking, I would listen to what the breeder says would be the best fit for your family. I would choose based on temperament and not sex (although they are all boys in this case, so that made that part easier). I just bet you will know when you get there. Good luck!!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I can't help you at all. Since doodles are a mixed breed dog, the genes can fall in lots of scenarios. Predicting can be dicey. However,  those that have seen their or others' puppies from birth might be able to give you some fairly accurate thoughts. What generation is this little one.  BTW - I thought I wanted a female - that was 5 dogs ago - all have been male. I love my boys.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Oh how exciting.  We got Guinness (mini ALD) after several years without a dog, and it was the best decision ever.  He is such a joy.  Here's a photo of my two guys....one mini ALD and one standard.  They do all look a little different, but it will give you an idea.

[CHRISTINE]

Thanks so much Jane!  These two are totally adorable, especially the little one (I think I'm partial to the smaller love bugs).... :)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I felt the same way you did about male dogs. We had only had females and I didn't want all the peeing on everything and humping that I was sure a male dog did. We got Fudge first and she was a female, so when we added another dog, I thought it should be male. We have many people on DK who have all dogs of the same sex that get along great, but I am old and remember those days before dogs were neutered, and always thought more trouble happened when you put dogs together of the same sex. Of course, I have nothing to base that on other than my opinion...LOL...but that has never stopped me before.

Well, when we added Vern, he just won me over. He is not very bright, huge, goofy, and lovable. He didn't start peeing like a boy until age 3 and the one and only time he humped Fudge she let him know that was not going to fly with her. Based on my experience with my female and male Doodle...and I now consider myself an expert....NOT....here is how I would pick my next dog. I want absolutely NO PREY DRIVE and a not so bright dog. I am not sure how the breeder could test for that, unless he could throw a squirrel into the middle of the yard and see which dog reacted, and organize a "find your way out of the box" test :)  The dog that failed both tests, male or female, would be my dog.

Fudge is the smartest dog I ever had and her prey drive gets her into such trouble. Is it because she is female?...who knows...but we all form opinions based on what we know.  Meanwhile, Vern is very undersmart and has a prey drive, but I really think it is Fudge who revs him up. 

I agree that you should not compromise in what you want. I am so glad that you got the dog you wanted. I am so partial to those chocolate girls. I have one myself and I wouldn't trade her for all the money in the world. We had the same thing happen when we chose our Lab, Hershey. My daughter only wanted a chocolate Lab and there was only one in the litter. Thankfully, she had the personality to go with the coloring and turned out to be a blessing and a really great dog. I just think, sometimes, the right dog finds you. Look at you...10 boys in the litter and 2 girls...what are the odds the one dog who fit your criteria would be the right dog. It was meant to be. 

[Lynda Kamrath]

I don't really understand what a mini Australian labradoodle would be.  Labs only come in the one size, but you can get a smaller pup by breeding with a miniature poodle.  I don't think they did any of this in Australia.  Sounds very American to me.  So assuming that your puppy is a Australian labradoodle/miniature poodle mix, it should be an interesting puppy.  The Australian labradoodles are around 50 pounds and the miniature poodles are around 30-40 pounds, so you should get a middle-sized dog and as cute as a bug's ear.  But I would question the breeding and make sure that the dogs (parents) have had all the tests recommended for breeders.  Labradoodles are great dogs and I have had all kinds (take a look at my photos), but this sounds like a F1b ALD to me.  Introduced early, he should get along well with the cats.  And your question was??

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Lynda, Ned is a 7th generation miniature Australian labradoodle.  He is 16 1/2" tall and weighs 28 pounds. I have his bloodlines.  Charlie is a rescue but he is most definitely an Australian Labradoodle - generation unknown because we don't have his background paperwork; size medium.

[Lynda Kamrath]

By the way, welcome to DoodleKisses - the best website around for doodles lovers everywhere.  I'm sure we will be seeing plenty of you as your puppy matures and grows.