The Labradoodle is the Perfect Dog for non Dog People

golden labradoodle

Not too long after I married my husband, a bonafide dog lover, his dog, whom he often referred to as his ‘other woman’ passed away. He was simply heartbroken. I, however, didn’t really consider myself a dog person. They seemed to shed all the time, barked, yapped and generally made more work for me than I was really prepared for. Still, he seemed so sad so I relented.

I started looking around for a breed of dog that would meet our needs. I wanted a friendly, larger dog that was known as a ‘low-shedder’ and I found the perfect solution in the Labradoodle.

My hubby was, at first, skeptical. He couldn’t imagine that a dog with a name like Labradoodle was anything other than a ‘girly’ dog. I convinced him to visit a local breeder and he changed his mind. We settle on a ‘standard’ male labradoodle whom we named Caliber. He fit the bill perfectly. Because my husband insisted on a larger dog, the male labradoodle was perfect. As full-grown adults, standard labradoodles average between 55 and 75 pounds and can reach heights of 26 inches. Caliber’s size was just right.

labradoodle

Labradoodle Temperament

We soon learned his temperament was perfect as well. Labradoodles are known for their innate intelligence and my husband found that Caliber was easily trained. In no time at all they had a large repertoire of ‘tricks’ – Caliber even ‘dances’ with him. Our Labradoodle is by far the most even-tempered dog I have ever come across.

Labradoodle Grooming

Even better, Labradoodles are known to have little to no shedding throughout the course of the year. No ‘dog bunnies’ for me to clean up! Caliber’s coat has been easy to groom. The somewhat curly nature of his fur is attractive and we have managed to get by with only two trips to the groomers each year. Our breeder also explained that the Labradoodle is one of the best breeds for anyone concerned about mild allergies. This may be due to their lack of shedding. My mother-in-law is mildly allergic to pet dander and hasn’t had any trouble with Caliber.

Dark Labradoodle

My husband and I have both been ‘sold’ on the Labradoodle. Our local breeder has told us that many dogs of this breed are used as guide or therapy dogs because of their even temperament. We specifically asked about Labradoodles and children, as we are hoping to start a family soon. Our breeder explained that while each dog is different, the Labradoodle breed is one of the best breeds for families with children because of their temperament.

While no dog could ever replace the one my husband lost, our Labradoodle Caliber has come close. He and my husband are now good companions. Instead of having ‘another woman’ to hang out with, my husband now jokes that he and Caliber need ‘guy time.’ I would suggest this breed to anyone looking for a larger dog with an even temperament or to someone suffering from mild dog allergies that still wants to enjoy a dog. As for me, I think I have finally become a dog lover and am considering getting a miniature labradoodle for my own.

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Labradoodle Service Dogs – An Inspiring Story

Using labradoodles as service dogs is not a new idea, but I have definitely seen more interest in using them as such in recent years. I have seen some of the breeders here on this site convert their breeder business into labradoodle service dog businesses. I have seen TV reports about them and even saw this recent article about them.

The article talks about a labradoodle that will be given to a little boy named “Dante”. His family was given a check for over $4000 towards a labradoodle service dog by the Niagara Falls Lions Club and Knights of Columbus. Dante is six and is autistic, the new service dog will help Dante a great deal of things, especially his seizures. Autism service dogs are trained to keep children still, and stand on him/her if necessary. When they sense a seizure coming on, they will sit down to catch the parents’ attention. They will also calm a child down by diverting their attention from their surroundings

I personally think this is great. Labradoodles are a highly intelligent and a quick learning dog breed. The labradoodle breed was actually origionally conceived to be a service dog.

I will soon a new section talking about Labradoodles as Service Dogs.

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Famous Labradoodle Owners

Even though Barack Obama didn’t end up getting a Labradoodle for his family, there are plenty of other famous Labradoodle owners out there, below you will find some of the celebrities that own Labradoodles. As we are made aware of more famous Labradoodle owners, we will update the list as necessary.

• Jennifer Aniston – owns a Labradoodle, bought for her by Brad Pitt, her former husband.
• David Baldacci – Famous legal thriller author owns a Labradoodle is named Finn.
• Lance Bass – Singer, (formerley of the boyband 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.

If you know of other famous Labradoodle owners, please post a reply below and we will update our list.

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