Everything You Need For Your New Labradoodle

The Labradoodle is becoming more and more popular with people looking for a loyal and loving pet. The Poodle x Labrador retriever mix was originally bred to encourage hypoallergenic fur and a loving nature. As with all crossbreeds though, their traits can vary somewhat as the puppies will inherit some genes and not others from the pool of their parents. This means not all puppies will be hypoallergenic and sizes will vary. Shopping for a Labradoodle can therefore be more tricky than buying for a  pedigree puppy as you can’t always be sure what personality your pup will have. Here we will discuss the items we’d suggest and the things to consider when choosing your Labradoodle puppy’s shopping list.     The basics: All dogs need pretty much the same basics. Use this checklist to make sure you have all the essentials covered: 1. Dog bowls for food and water 2. Dog Food - ask your breeder what food they’ve been fed as a puppy and continue the same diet for the first few months. Any changes to diet should be made slowly over a week or so. 3. Puppy Bed - we’d suggest a small puppy bed to put inside your crate for the first few weeks. Puppy beds are soft and washable so any accidents can be cleaned easily. You can then upgrade to a full size bed once they are fully toilet trained and have grown in size. You’ll have a better idea of how big they are going to be as an adult.     Labradoodle Dog Crate and Bedding The size of the puppies can vary depending on the poodle parent and whether they are a standard, miniature or toy breed. No breeder will be able to tell exactly how big the puppies will grow, but they can discuss the puppies lineage to gauge a good estimate. With this in mind the size of crate you will need will depend on this. If your pup’s parent was a miniature poodle a large 36” crate is likely to be a good size, but if the parent was a standard poodle then a 42” will probably be best. The same goes for the dog bed you choose. Speak to your breeder and find out about the size of the parents to try to help judge how big the pup will grow.   Labradoodle Grooming Products There are three coat types associated with Labradoodles: straight coats shed the most and are less desirable; silky wavy coats are low shedding; and curly coats are dense, thick and non-shedding. When you know what kind of fur your pup has, you can choose a suitable shampoo for bath time as well as a series of combs for grooming time. A drying coat in a suitable size will also be great for drying after bath time, and also trips out to the beach! Shorter coats will only need a brush twice a week, whilst longer coats may need more regular brushing and a trim every six weeks.   Walking Accessories Labradoodles tend be intelligent dogs and need a fair amount of activity to keep their brains occupied. A harness and lead is great for training your pup as the harness is comfortable for little pup’s and allows for greater control. It’s best to measure your pup (or get your breeder to do so) to get the perfect fit. It’s important the harness fits snuggly so they don’t wriggle out of it - you may need to size up as they grow. We love the Front Range harness and lead set by Ruffwear - a super durable, premium quality set designed to last.   Toys For a Labradoodle Poodles are considered the second most intelligent dog breed and Labradors are renowned for their learning skills, so these are traits your Labradoodle will likely inherit. Keeping your dog entertained even when at home will be important and offering a variety of toys will keep their minds active. Buy a selection and rotate them so they don’t get bored and make sure to have all different types including chew toys, soft toys and interactive toys. We hope our guide was helpful. Remember to speak to your breeder when selecting your pup to best gauge the traits your particular puppy is likely to have. If you have any questions about our article, please do get in touch. We always love to hear from you. Send us your pictures too - we can't get enough of your pets!!  

By Zac Girdlestone