Although there is less vigour in this crossing than in the original hybrid,  the first generation backcross still is close enough in the breeding tree to benefit from hybrid vigour.  With each successive generation vigour is lost.

• Coat Maintenance: moderate to high care
• Coat Description: Coat continues to grow in length and requires combing and occasional grooming.  It is usually thicker and curlier than a first generation Labradoodle with a wavy or curly coat.
• Shedding: very light to nonshed (see the stats in the Dood Database)
• Allergy Friendliness: Backcross Labradoodles are recommended for families with moderate to severe allergies.

The Second Generation Labradoodles (F2)

A second generation Labradoodle is the result of a Labradoodle bred to a Labradoodle – and there are very few of these actually bred as the second generation hybrid is genetically the most varied generation possible as you can see from the example image, the litter may contain puppies that look like either parent breed.  When breeding on, most Labradoodle breeders breed the second generation as a backcross instead.

The second generation is likely to be more variable and have less hybrid vigour than the F1 so breeding an F1 to an F1 is unwise unless the breeder is trying to create a new breed and doesn’t mind breeding a lot of funny looking , and possibly unsatisfactory, dogs on the way.

If an F1 is crossed with another F1 there would be many hundreds of possible combinations produced in the “F2″ generation. These offspring would range from almost the same as one grandparent to almost the same as the other, with every possible combination in between and while most of these would be more heterozygous than the grandparent generation most of them would be less heterozygous than the parent F1s.”

• Coat Description: The coat can be a hair coat, wavy coat, or curly coat.
• Shedding: varies greatly from shedders to nonshedders
• Allergy Friendliness: not recommended for families with allergies, due to the varying coat types.

The Second Generation Backcross (F2b) 

F2B= second generation backcross puppy = F1 bred to a F1b (hybrid backcross)

A second generation backcross pup (F2B) is the result of a Labradoodle (F1)  bred to a Labradoodle backcross (F1b).  Although three generations in the making, F2Bs are technically second generation dogs.
1st generation pup – Lab x Poodle  - F1
1st generation pup – Labradoodle x Poodle  - F1b
2nd generation pup – Labradoodle backcross x Labradoodle – F2B
Although there is less vigour in this generation than in the first,  the second generation backcross still is close enough in the breeding tree to the original hybrid to benefit  from hybrid vigour.  With each successive generation vigour is lost.

• Coat Maintenance: moderate to high care
• Coat Description: Coat continues to grow in length although similar in appearance to a first generation Labradoodle.  Coats are wavy or curly.
• Shedding: mostly nonshed
• Allergy Friendliness: recommended for families with moderate to severe allergies.

Multigeneration Labradoodle from ArcadiaLabradoodles.com

Multigenerational Labradoodle:

Technically a multigeneration Labradoodle should be the result of generations of Labradoodle to Labradoodle breeding, but in practice backcrosses and poodles are also used in the early generations for example the F1b Labradoodle is a Labradoodle bred back to a Poodle.

Coat Maintenance: moderate to high care
Coat Description: Coat continues to grow in length and requires combing and occasional grooming.  It is thicker  than a first generation Labradoodle and can have a curly, fleece or wavy coat type.
Shedding: almost all nonshed (see the stats in the Dood Database)
Allergy Friendliness: Multigeneration Labradoodles are recommended for families with moderate to severe allergies.

F1 labradoodle from onlylabsanddoodles.co.uk

• Labradoodle F1: the first cross of a purebred Labrador Retriever to a purebred Poodle
• Labradoodle F1B: the backcross of a first cross (Labradoodle F1) to a purebred Poodle
• Multigenerational Labradoodle (Multigen): The offspring of a Labradoodle (F1B, F1, or Multigen) bred to a Labradoodle (F1B, F1, or Multigen)

So it goes something like this…..

• F1 parent x F1 parent = F2 puppy (take care when considering an F2 from this paring as there can be a higher likelyhood of “throw-back” pups who will be more like the original parent than what we have come to expect as a Labradoodle)
• F1b parent x F1 parent = F2 puppy
• F1 parent x F2 parent = F2 puppy (it is my understanding that the generation can only advance ONE NUMBER beyond the LOWEST number either parent)
• F2 parent x F2 parent = F3 puppy
• F3 parent x F3 parent = F4 puppy
• F4 parent x F4 parent = F5 puppy

Australian Multi-Gen Labradoodles 

Australian Multi-Gen Labradoodle

An Australian Mult-Gen Labradoodle litter has Australian lines from Tegan Park or Rutland Manor and  litters bred combining both Australian and American lines are also designated the Australian Multi-gen term.  Multi-gen coats, regardless of where the lines come from, are generally very similar. Non shedding coats, great for people with allergies. Come in both the standard and the smaller “mini” sizes.

Labradoodle Colors

There are also several different colors of  Labradoodles depending on the color of the parents. Some of the colors available include Black, Silver, Cream, Apricot Cream, Chalk, Gold, Red, Apricot, Chocolate, and Café.. Usually, the coat of a Labradoodle is a solid color, although there may be some that have multi-color coats.

Australian Labradoodle with Phantom coloring

Labradoodle Sizes

Three sizes of Labradoodles are currently distinguished.

• The Standards – 21 – 24 inches tall.
• The Mediums – 17 – 20 inches tall.
• The Miniatures – 14 – 16 inches tall.

Standard standing with a Medium

Standard standing with a Miniature (14inches)

Labradoodle Weight

A general rule of thumb is to add both the parents weights together and divide by 2 to get an average adult weight on the puppies.  Within any litter there may be puppies that fall above or below the projected adult weights. Some Standard sized have grown to over 100 pounds.

• The Standards: Females – 45-60 pounds; Males – 55-77 pounds.
• The Mediums: 30-45 pounds, Males being the larger.
• The Miniatures: 15-30 pounds, Males being the larger.

Labradoodle Life Expectancy

When provided with regular checkups, proper care and a healthy diet, this breed will usually have an average life expectancy of between 12 and 15 years.

General Health

HD, PRA, VonWillebrand’s, Elbow and patella disorders.
The Labradoodle is a new breed for the most part and as a result, there is not a lot known at this time about their overall health and problems which they may suffer from. The breed itself, like most designer breeds was bred to produce the best of both the Poodle and the Labrador breeds. As a result, many of the health issues that these breeds may suffer from have been minimized in the Labradoodle breed. Still, prospective owners should be prepared for possible problems such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy, eye disorders and hip dyslpasia. Owners who are concerned about possible problems should thoroughly research the parentage.
Some Labradoodles may have problems with their ears. If the dog has Poodle ears you need to clean them often so they do not get a yeast infection.

F1b Reece at 12 weeks

Labradoodle Care and Maintenance

The Labradoodle will require daily exercise as well as play time in order to be happy and healthy. Dogs that are not provided with sufficient play and exercise time are likely to become bored. The exact grooming needs of a Labradoodle will depend on the type of coat that the dog has.

A dog that has more a poodle type coat may need grooming and trimming on a more frequent basis than a dog that takes more after the Labrador side. It is important to make sure that the ears are checked on a regular basis in order to prevent yeast infections. In the event that burrs become embedded in the dog’s hair, then it will need to be plucked out, especially around the paws

Labradoodles Ideal Environment

The best environment for a Labradoodle is one in which it will have plenty of opportunity to play and exercise. This is a dog that does enjoy human companionship and should not be left alone for long periods of time.

Discuss Labradoodles in our Labradoodle Discussion Forums!

What is the difference between the Australian Labradoodle and The Labradoodle?

What is the difference between a Labradoodle and an “Australian Labradoodle”? The short answer is that the Australian labradoodle has other dog breeds infused into their blood lines, in addition to Labrador and Poodle. For example, when introducing the brown colour into the Australian labradoodle breeders in Australia used a brown Irish Water Spaniel. This is where our philosophy at Dreamydoodles differs. At  Dreamydoodles, we have access to high quality, health tested, brown Standard Poodles and we feel the Labradoodle should stay a breed of just two dogs, as in the original idea, and we breed chocolate F1b Labradoodles using our beautiful chocolate Standard Poodle and only the highest quality first generation Labradoodle as studs.

In the late 1980′s, Tegan Park and Rutland Manor, the two founders of the Australian Labradoodle as we know it today, began infusing several other breeds into early generations of their Lab/Poodle crosses, in an attempt to improve temperament, coat, confirmation, and size.  The infused breeds included Irish Water Spaniel as well as the American and English Cocker Spaniel.  The resulting labradoodles subsequently have been bred to each other, continuing the multi-generational tradition.
Now the Australian Labradoodle is considered a Lab, Poodle and Cocker Spaniel cross.

As such, ALCA registers only the Original Australian Labradoodle, allowing only one Poodle infusion within three generations and does not allow any Wheaton Terrier infusion.

ALAA LABRADOODLE TRAITS AND STANDARDS

More info on the Australian Labradoodle generation and general info can be found here: The ALAA – Ilainc.com

• Coat Maintenance: moderate to high care
• Coat Description: Coat continues to grow in length and requires combing and occasional grooming.  It is thicker  than a first generation Labradoodle and can have a curly, fleece or wavy coat type.
• Shedding: almost all non-shed (see the stats in the Dood Database)
• Allergy Friendliness: Multigeneration Labradoodles are recommended for families with moderate to severe allergies.

The Confirmed and Approved Parent Breeds of this dog are: Poodle (Standard, Miniature, Toy), Labrador Retriever, Irish Water Spaniel, Curly Coat Retriever, American Cocker Spaniel, and English Cocker Spaniel. However most breeders are just breeding ALD’s to ALD’s at this point.

Recently, in 2004, the name Australian Labradoodle was used to describe the lines of multigeneration Labradoodles with long pedigrees, some dating back to the two kennels in Australia who started breeding them in the early 1990′s.

It was later announced was that there were in fact six breeds used in the original ALD (Australian Labradoodle) breeding program; Poodle, Labrador Retriever, Irish Water Spaniel, Curly Coat Retriever, American Cocker Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniel.

The Curly Coated Retriever experiment was a failure and those lines were abandoned. Only two Irish Water Spaniels were used, and only one time each. This left the main contributors as : Labrador, Poodle and American & English Cocker Spaniels.

Above Australian Labradoodles are from Alpinelabradoodles.com

Visit the Australianlabradoodleclub.us for more information and a list of breeders who have met the requirements set forth by the Australian Labradoodle Club of America to qualify for Breeder Membership.

Below are links from the the ALAA (Australian Labradoodle Associations of America) Website:

• Labradoodle Breed Standard (revised 2007)
• Grading Scheme (voted in by membership March 2008)

Celebrity Doodle Owners

• Jennifer Aniston – owns a Labradoodle, bought for her by Brad Pitt, her former husband.
• David Baldacci – Famous legal thriller author owns a Labradoodle named Finn.
• Lance Bass – Singer, (formerley of the boy-band N’Sync) has a black Labradoodle.
• Joe Biden – Current US Vice President, owns a Labradoodle named Brother.
• Billy Bragg – Political folk/rocker owns a Labradoodle.
• Christie Brinkley – owns a Labradoodle named Maple Sugar.
• Dustin Brown – Professional basketball player owns Milo, a Chocolate Labradoodle.
• Sir Donald Campbell – Sir Campbell broke land speed records in the 1950s, was one of the first Labradoodle owners.
• Jeremy Clarkson – Top Gear presenter has a Labradoodle named Dodger.
• Barbara Eden – The former actress has a Labradoodle named Djinn Djinn (named after her invisible dog in the TV show I Dream of Jeannie).
• Carolyn B. Ellis – The writer and her three children own a Labradoodle.
• Mark Gearan – Hobart and William Smith Colleges President has a Labradoodle named Dublin.
• Tom Griswold – of The Bob and Tom Show in Indiana has a Labradoodle named Tazzie.
• Richard Hammond – Top Gear Presenter owns a Labradoodle called TG (often referred to as “Top Gear Dog”) which occasionally appears on the BBC show.
• Lynn Hoffman – Author and activist has a Labradoodle named Lola.
• Jeremy Irons – Actor, has two black Labradoodles.
• Pam Krueger – PBS Television investment program MoneyTrack producer has a Labradoodle named Chloe, who sometimes appears on the show as an “unofficial co-host”.
• Rory McIlroy – Irish Golfer, winner of the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic has a Labradoodle named Theo.
• Graham Norton – Actor and TV presenter has a Labradoodle named Bailey.
• Hugh Panaro – Actor/singer has a Labradoodle named Soot.
• Courtney Peldon and Ashley Peldon – Actresses and sisters have two Labradoodles named Odysseus and Calypso.
• Oliver Platt – Actor, owns a labradoodle named Noodle.
• Rodman Primack – Chairman of the London auction house Phillips de Pury & Company, has a chocolate Labradoodle named Theo.
• Garth Stein – Author, owns a Labradoodle.
• Andrew Taylor – The Middlesbrough F.C. (UK) player has a Labradoodle named Sonny.
• Susan Rebecca White – Novelist, has a Labradoodle named Raney.
• Henry Winkler – has a Labradoodle named Charlotte.
• Tiger Woods – The famous golfer has two Labradoodles named Yogi and Riley.
• Neil Young – The singer/songwriter has a Doodle named Carl.

Perez Hilton in his Doodle Shirt

Tiger Woods and his Doodle

Barbara Eden and her Labradoodle

Doodle Rescue, Rehome and Resources

IDOG Rescue/Rehome Resources (IDOG RRR): is a program of the International Doodle Owners Group, Inc. IDOG is a not for profit 501(c)(3) public charity devoted to educating and supporting Labradoodle and Goldendoodle Owners and committed to protecting doodles in need.

Visit: IDOG Rescue

The Poo-Mix Rescue Website was created in 2001 to assist shelters and individuals placing poodle-mix dogs in homes throughout the USA and Canada over the internet. With over 1,000,000 hits since inception, this site has become known as the premier source of information about poodle-mix dogs available in rescue. Poo-Mix Rescue is a virtual rescue operation so they don’t have a physical shelter nor a rescue facility. They list poodles and poodles mixes in need across the country in shelters and rescue facilities. This is a good place to start if your looking for a poodle mix dog to adopt.

Visit: PooMix Rescue

RESCUE COLLECTIVE – RESCUE / REHOME / COMMUNITY

Doodlerescuecollective.com – Oodles of Doodles-RESCUE/REHOME RESOURCE for Poodle-mixes, Doodles, Labradoodle & Goldendoodle for adoption/rescue/rehome & Forum-Since 2009

Visit & Join: The Doodlerescuecollective.com Community
CLICK HERE TO JOIN IN DISCUSSING DOODLE BEHAVIOR ISSUES AND MUCH MORE..

Sources

Information and Generation Descriptions: Some of the best doodle generation descriptions that I could find online came from Australian Labradoodle Club of America, Goldendoodle.com and Doodlerescuecollective.com

RECOMMENDED READING & SOURCE FOR THIS PAGE:

• What is a Doodle

FOOTNOTE: Wally Conran has recently openly expressed his regret for being the founder of what has now become a fashionable trend. His regret is based on the now huge numbers of irresponsible breeders crossing every breed imaginable with poodles without any consideration of the health and well being of carrying mothers, pups and future doodle generations. He also regrets that this has now become a very lucrative back yard industry.

Australian Labradoodle Breeders: http://www.ilainc.com/guest/MemberBreederlist.aspx