A multigenerational Australian Labradoodle’s coat requires a regular grooming and brushing routine. We feel that grooming goes much easier when puppies are familiar with various grooming activities before their adult coat comes in at about 8-12 months of age. Texas Australian Labradoodles breeders start introducing your puppy to vibrating toys, clippers and toothbrushes early on to make your job easier as an Australian Labradoodle parent. We offer individualized instruction at our Open House and again when you are picking up your puppy to ensure that you are as comfortable with these tasks as possible. Familiarity with grooming activities will also make your puppy more comfortable when the time comes for their first trim as they will understand that they are safe and the expectations. In addition to the basics of bathing, trimming nails, teeth brushing, and brushing their coat, a summer haircut two to three times a year allows you to inspect their skin and helps keep your Labradoodle coat look fantastic and feel their best. Your preference, the seasons, and your Labradoodle’s coat type will determine how often a haircut is necessary.
Before trimming or clipping your Labradoodle’s hair, it is important to know its coat type. Australian Labradoodles can have one of two coat types: wool and fleece coat. Each requires different trimming techniques. A matted or choppy looking haircut doesn’t make for an attractive Labradoodle and severe matting can cause discomfort and skin problems. With some practice, it is possible to do the trimming yourself but this requires patience from you and your Australian labradoodle.
If you are nervous about trimming your puppy’s coat, seek help from a professional grooming expert. The expert will focus on the clipping of hair around the muzzle, tail, paws, ear, groin area, back, and other areas that you probably would have overlooked if you did it yourself. However, make sure you inspect your Australian Labradoodle’s ears before you leave. Although we do not recommend that you pour any cleaners into the ear itself, we feel that removing excess ear hair by gentle plucking is the best solution to keep your dog’s ears healthy and help the ear breathe. Although this may sound intimidating, taking a few strands at a time should make the procedure uncomfortable but not painful. Also, the ear hair will come out much easier the next time you’re removing the ear hair.
Apart from their seasonal haircut, your multigenerational Australian Labradoodle will require weekly maintenance including tooth brushing, nail clipping, wiping the ear clean with damp gauze, and brushing. Proper weekly grooming is needed to keep your puppy’s nails from ripping or causing problems that may impact his ability to walk properly. They will also help your puppy avoid ear infections and skin problems down the road.
How to Properly Maintain Your Labradoodle’s Coat
Step 1: Use a detangling spray
Lightly spray some detangling spray evenly over your dog’s coat. As you do this, shield your dog’s eyes so he does not experience any irritation caused by the spray.
Step 2: Remove the dirt
Run a de-matting rake over your dog’s coat to pull out any dirt or debris trapped in your Labradoodle’s coat since the last brushing and grooming session.
Step 3: Use a comb with the Line Brushing technique
Line brushing is a basic method that lets you groom your dog’s coat through to the skin, in sections, layer by layer. Start in one area, such as at the back of the head or the feet. Separate your dog’s coat in a line, down to the skin and brush out one small section until it is completely smooth. Brush the coat well, Once that section is done, move to the next section over. Isolate an area in a line and brush through that. Continue brushing section by section, stopping to work out tangles.
Step 4: Use your scissors, if needed
You can use scissors to cut out stubborn areas carefully not to cut the skin. Cutting out small areas should not be visible and will make your dog more comfortable during the grooming process.
Multigenerational Australian Labradoodles, like other types of doodles, need a regular brushing and grooming routine. However, this does not have to be a chore. You can pay attention to different parts of your dog’s coat each day and then do a brush over once a week. This extra attention will make your pet happy and will work in your favor by increasing his comfort level with grooming tasks. For more helpful tips and tricks to taking care of your Labradoodle puppy, visit the Texas Australian Labradoodlesblog.
We all look for healthy snack choices for our beloved pets, but with so many choices out there, it is almost impossible to find what you’re looking for. Many of the snacks that claim they are healthy are not. Additives and preservatives can be found in almost all dog and puppy snacks available.
Texas Australian Labradoodles have tried hundreds of commercially available snacks and treats. Some of the snacks our dogs had refused to eat, and others did not look or smell naturally. Our journey took us to SugarBay Creations and we found that we shared their frustration of providing wholesome, healthy and natural products for our four-legged babies.
What makes SugarBay Creations different? Lets start with their motto. Simple ingredients for healthy and happy pups. We found that our dogs and puppies loved their snacks and training treats and that they contain no preservatives or artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners.
Have you ever bought “natural” treats thinking that they would be good for your labradoodle puppy only to find that he does not want to eat it? Well, SugarBay Creations offer two categories of snacks: Snack Treats and Training Treats. We find that these two categories are sufficient for any Australian Labradoodles owner.
Training Treats:
Oatmeal Liver Bites is a bite sized snack that is perfect for training. These little morsels are packed with natural flavors and elicits great motivation even from stubborn pets. It is a simple soft and chewy snack made from 100% real ingredients. These training treats do not contain unnecessary growth hormones, antibiotics, or vaccines. This wholesome snack contains only three simple ingredients, including liver, organic oats and a touch of organically grown pitted green olives, these provide the optimum nutritional value to your pets.
These treats are perfect as they will not fill up your labradoodle’s little belly, yet your puppy will work extra hard to get these high value rewards!
Snack Treats:
Tuna Wafers are great and nutritious. These snack treats are made with organic oats and eggs from free range chickens. This treat is made from Non GMO wild caught Albacore Tuna packed in water with no added salt, which provides a healthy, protein packed choice with all the taste and none of the smell of regular canned tuna. A bit of 100% real cheddar cheese, adds the taste that pups go crazy for!
Pumpkin Peanut Butter Bones offer not only great taste but also many health benefits that pumpkin offer. These Pumpkin Peanut Butter Bones are simply made of just that! Organically grown pumpkins, all-natural peanut butter with no artificial flavors or sweeteners, free range eggs, organic coconut oil, and organic oats.
Texas Australian Labradoodles have personally met and spoken with the devoted Weimaraner owner and creator of SugarBay Creations. She informed me that she was very frustrated with the expensive treats she was buying for her dogs only to have them refuse to eat them a couple of weeks after they were opened. Also, she was done spending money on snacks that smelled of chemicals after opening a sealed bag. She therefore was forced to look to other sources for natural snacks that contained no preservatives and no artificial flavorings. After a long journey researching health-benefits of common ingredients for pets, she created these training tidbits and snacks that are highly desired by all kinds of pets. For specific health benefits of ingredients used in SugarBay Creations’ puppy and dog snacks, please visit their website here.
Like all canine companions, Australian Labradoodle puppies need regular dental care. After yourAustralian Labradoodle adoption, we recommend brushing your doodle’s teeth as often as you groom them.
Poor Labradoodle dental care encourages tartar build-up which can cause swollen, inflamed gums and dental infections that can lead to serious health issues, such as heart and kidney disease.
Puppies between one and three years old should have their teeth brushed at least once a week, although more often is beneficial to have your puppy become comfortable with the task. Doodle over three years old should have their teeth brushed at least three times a week. Getting your young Labradoodle puppy used to toothbrushing will pay off when you have to brush more often.
We recommend that new dog owners start brushing their young puppy’s teeth daily to get them accustomed to teeth brushing. Here are some tips and tricks to ensure you maintain your doodle’s dental hygiene:
Buy and use a toothbrush specifically made for dogs
– canine toothbrushes have long handles that allow you to reach your doodle’s back teeth.
Use enzyme toothpaste
– never use human toothpaste to brush your dog’s teeth. We recommend using enzyme toothpaste, because they are specially made for dogs.
Use treated dental cleaning pads
– find dental cleaning pads that are specially treated to wipe puppy teeth surface. They have enzymes that do the cleaning for you. For dogs that do not tolerate toothbrushing, we recommend products by Dogs Are Kids Too and TrueDog (Spray Me: Doggy Dental Spray or Gel Me: Doggy Dental Gel). These products fight plaque and tartar with no brushing.
Reduce build-up with natural choices like chew toys and treats
– nylon or rubber chew toys are good options because they have rough, bumpy surfaces that keep the dog engaged. Consider giving him chew treats and crunchy foods that have been approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council. We don’t recommend commercial or rawhide dental chews due to the amount of artificial ingredients and preservatives used.
Slowly get your dog accustomed to brushing
– you can start by putting treats such as peanut butter on your finger and while he is attempting to lick it off your finger, gently rub his teeth and gums. We found that it is easiest to use a finger brush with young puppies as they are inquisitive and learn about their world through chewing.
Learn how to handle his muzzle
– many dogs are not used to teeth brushing, any may be uncomfortable with the task, making it difficult for you to do a thorough job brushing. To ensure successful teeth brushing, you need to know how to manage your doodle’s muzzle. Start by placing one hand on top and the other on the bottom and allow your hands to rest there for a few seconds. When he is used to having your hands on his mouth, try parting his lips and gently opening his jaw. Alternatively, your Labradoodle may lie down for toothbrushing. You can expose your labradoodle’s back teeth by lifting his cheek with a finger of your non-dominant hand while the other hand will brush his teeth. Have your doodle lie down on the other side and repeat the procedure for the other side. Keep in mind, that the more exposure your dog will have to toothbrushing, the easier it will be for you to successfully complete the task.
Find a time when your Labradoodle is calm
– only bring out your brushing supplies when your dog is comfortable with you touching his mouth. Find a time when he is quiet and relaxed. We found that the best times to brush your doodle’s teeth are when your dog is relaxed and ready to take a nap.
In the same way you put time aside to groom your puppy’s coat, and check their eyes and ears, you should do the same with their dental health. Like humans, dental issues can become painful for doodles if left untreated. For additional resources to help you care for your puppy after you complete your Australian Labradoodle adoption, visit theTexas Australian Labradoodleblog.
In the 1080’s, Wally Conron created the Labradoodle as allergy and asthma friendly breed with service dog temperament. Since its creation, the Labradoodle breed has gained in the popularity and has become admired for its intelligence, affection, excellent temperament as well as their non-shedding and hypoallergenic qualities. However, Washington Post reported Mr. Conron stating that despite his best intentions, inadvertently his Labradoodle turned into a “Frankenstein’s monster”.
As owners and breeders of multigenerational Australian Labradoodles, we wondered why the creator of such incredible breed would ever call them “monsters.” According to Conron, he felt that the breed was exploited by breeders that not only started crossing the labradoodle with other breeds but did so without any regard for the dogs’ or puppies’ health. We understand Mr. Conron sentiment and feel that backyard breeders frequently undermine the integrity of any breed through unregulated and unethical breeding practices.
In their quest to make easy money fast, backyard breeders didn’t properly test the health of their dogs and resorted to inbreeding or using easily accessible dogs. These factors had detrimental effects on the health and disposition of the resulting puppies that ultimately ended up unwanted, abused or abandoned. We feel that breeders that disregard years of research, science, and genetic testing are responsible for creating the “Frankenstein’s monsters” that Conron was referring to.
Disparity between backyard Labradoodles and multigenerational Australian Labradoodles
Backyard breeders do not spend the time or resources to test their breeding stock, which result in low quality puppies. They may try cutting cost by overbreeding the same mother dog and providing low quality food to lack of vaccinations/vet checkups for the mother dog and the puppies.
Though unethical and unscrupulous breeding, promises of well-behaved, non-shedding and hypoallergenic first-generation Labradoodles went unfulfilled. Families end up feeling betrayed and frustrated as their expectations of healthy and well-behaved four-legged friend dissipated by costly vet bills and behavioral problems.
The Australian Labradoodle community agrees that health testing of parent dogs is crucial to produce healthy puppies. Reputable breeders employ research, genetic testing and proper breeding practices to eliminate undesirable traits, such as coat shedding or temperament issues and diligently works to improve the Labradoodle breed standard. In addition to investing in healthy parent dogs, reputable Australian Labradoodle Breeders also invest significant amount of time and effort to properly raise and train their puppies. Endless time is spent on researching benchmarks for best practices in potty training, impulse control, bite inhibition, and other basic training. They take the time to develop each puppy and employ temperament testing to ensure that the placed puppy meets the family’s expectations and is agreeable with the family’s lifestyle.
Australian Labradoodles Clubs work to improve the breed standard
Reputable Australian Labradoodle breeders don’t acquire adult dogs ready for breeding but instead they work with their dogs since they were pups. Most will invest many years of health testing and training to produce a perfect parent dog. Most will also become members of Australian Labradoodle Clubs, such as WALA or ALCA, as these Clubs are committed to protect the Labradoodle breed through rigorous health and DNA testing requirements. Breeders are unable to register their dogs that have flawed health scores. In addition to setting forth health testing requirements, WALA and ALCA provide a formal Pedigree document for all registered dogs after carefully scrutinizing provided information for accuracy. You can rest assured that you will never receive a homemade pedigree from a reputable breeder!
Reputable Australian Labradoodle breeders vs backyard breeders
Reputable multigenerational Australian Breeders have invested years in learning how to improve the Australian Labradoodle breed and have spent thousands of dollars on proper nutrition, supplementation, and health and genetic testing. For reputable breeders, litters don’t just happen. Successful litter of healthy puppies start with scrutinizing pedigrees and analyzing generations of health and DNA testing for each of the potential parent dog. This ensures that the resulting puppies have the best possible start in life and the families have the best possible chance of adopting healthy pets. Families can rest assured that breeders accredited with WALA and ALCA use adult dogs that have passed all of the required health and generic testing to assure the puppies’ health and longevity.
Are Australian Labradoodles Bad?
Anyone contemplating acquiring a Labradoodle, should do their diligence in learning as much about the breed as possible. Finding conflicting information on line? No time to do the research? We encourage you to pick up the phone and call the breeder. Call many breeders. Ask questions and clarify information. Consider which generation and the kind of the Labradoodle you are interested in. If you need low-shedding and hypoallergenic pet, you would know that only the multigenerational Australian Labradoodle would work for you. Consider WHAT you are looking for in a four-legged companion. What type of coat are you looking for? Hair? Wool? Fleece? Learning all you can prior to making decisions about a puppy is imperative for a long and happy relationship. have improved the quality of life for many families and continue to do so.
Ensuring that you are getting a high-quality puppy
When you decide to adopt WALA/ALCA registered puppy, you will get a dog from ethically conscious breeder who is required to maintain stringent breed standards. Your puppy’s lineage will also be free on hereditary diseases and temperament problems, minimizing the risk of passing on of diseases or undesirable traits.
Multigenerational Australian Labradoodles are hypoallergenic and non-shedding, which makes them great choice for allergy sufferers. However, their intelligence and adaptability make them stand out from all other breeds and a great choice for busy families. Texas Australian Labradoodles are proud members of the WALA and ALCA and produce puppies that uphold the expectation of healthy and happy in their new homes. The care we provide is geared toward upholding the breed standards and improving the outcomes for our dogs and puppies. Therefore, we urge you to consider investing in your four-legged companion from WALA/ALCA registered breeder.
What is the Best Age to Neuter or Spay your Australian Labradoodle Puppy?
People frequently ask, at what age should they neuter/spay their puppy? According the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association), in recent times, the common practice has been to spay/neuter your puppy as soon as it is safe for the puppy to tolerate the anesthesia. However, there is renewed interest in the question of age-appropriate spay and neuter of puppies, in view numerous scientific studies that found significant health implications related to this common procedure.
When looking at the canine health authority, AAHA recommends that puppies be spayed/neutered between 5-15 months of age. As a guide, 5-6 months for puppies that will weigh under 45 lbs when adults and between 9-15 months of age for puppies that will weigh over 45 lbs when adults. Larger dogs take longer to grow, and the age difference is mainly to do with the growth cycle.
Are there risks and benefits to spaying and neutering?
Risks: Research shows that there are many reasons why pet owners do not spay/neuter their dogs. Some of these include fear of anesthesia, anesthesia complication and financial constraints.
Benefits: Pet owners should know that while there are some risks involved, spay/neuter caries benefits of fending off cancers and infections. Some benefits include a decreases in the risk of mammary and testicular cancers, uterine infections, prevents pet overpopulation, and prevents undesirable behaviors.
Risks and benefits of early spaying and neutering
Risks: University of California, Davis, performed a study on golden retrievers in 2013 that suggested while early sterilization prevented many diseases, it may have increased the risk of other problems (cranial cruciate ligament rupture, hemangiosarcoma, mast cell tumors, lymphosarcoma, and orthopedic issues). Despite these findings, the study stressed that more studies on the link between sterilization age and the onset of certain diseases are needed to help understand the implications. Multiple health implications on early spayed/neutered dogs were voiced in the 2017 article “Spay-neuter considerations to maximize health.” The article was published by Innovative Veterinary Care that indicated that early sterilization leads to “orthopedics, cancer, behavior and other health issues” for the dogs.
Risks: Unwanted pregnancies, financial obligations and ethical dilemmas regarding the newborn puppies. Many people simply either do not know that their female dog is pregnant or the dog experiences complications that lead to costly medical interventions. Some people are also not equipped to deal with newborn puppies and the many demands that come with raising socialized and healthy puppies. These puppies can die from either inadequate care or diseases. Other adverse effects of late sterilization include obesity, stunted growth, joint dysplasia, and musculoskeletal disorders, to name a few.
Every dog owner must eventually deal with the issues of spaying or neutering their pet as clearly, there are health advantages and disadvantages for both early and late spay/neuter. Despite many scientific studies and guidelines, it remains a complex question that encompass many factors that each pet owner needs to carefully consider. The decision should be made on objective findings, such as your dog’s disease risk and your lifestyle.
Based on our experience and the research, there seems to be an overwhelming evidence that early spay/neuter is adverse to the health and long-term well-being of dogs. Therefore, we recommend that you delay spaying/neutering until 9 months of your puppy’s age.
We also recommend that you consult with your veterinarian to help figure out best timing for this procedure. Spend some time with your veterinarian discussing your goals for your pet and your personal concerns. Do not be afraid to ask questions. We believe that sharing the most accurate and current information with your veterinarian is the best plan to figure out the best timing for spaying and neutering of your pets. While you cannot predict when your dog is going to get sick or injured, you can protect yourself from expensive veterinary bills. Familiarizing yourself with the evidence-based research regarding the risks and benefits, may enable you to make an educated choice regarding your pet.
