should I pay $2,500 for an Australian Laradoodle?

[newaustralianlab]

After having a dog for 2 years, we recently put her down after she bit my 10 year old on the face. She was 1 year old when we rescued her from a local pound. Despite how hard we tried, she really wasn't a good family pet. My husband only wants another dog if it doesn't shed, is hypoallergenic, has a super temperment and isn't more than 35-50 lbs. I discovered the Australian Labraddodle but I really want to save a puppy fom a reputable shelter. No one in our family has allergies and I know there are dogs that are "low shed".Why should I pay $2,500 for an AL?

[debbildog]

You would likely get all those traits in an American medium F1b or multi-gen for $800-$2000

[gracielou]

To answer one question I have never seen a mean Labradoodle, not saying somewhere out there one doesn't exsist but most reputable breeders will temperament and would never breed a dog with problems.

[gracielou]

And I should have said welcone to the forum enjoy ask questions share stories and post pictures of you new doodle when you find him/her.

[the1missp]

I agree with Debbildog an F1or F1b would have those traits and would also cost much less. Also I know there are breeders out there who have wonderful "older" puppies approx 16 weeks old who maybe would be willing to sell at a more affordable price as long as a loving forever home was guaranteed.
Welcome to the forum by the way!

[Jac]

Welcome!
I am sorry about the fate of your last pet and certainly for the terrible trauma of the bite to your daughter.
Since you have already experienced such a tragedy, for all involved, I strongly suggest that you look beyond the breed (whether or not you settle on an Australian Multigen) and look for a great breeder...one who selects the mating dogs based on temperament and intelligence...and that you commit to good and consistent training. With those combinations, you are most likely going to find the perfect pet for your home.
The price is relative...in my opinion, you can pay much less for a Labradoodle, finding a shelter dog is a good option, but you also risk the possibility of bad temperament and/or bad health. You may end up in a similar situation as you had, or you may get a dog where, although you only pay $500 to adopt, you could end up spending thousands more correcting bad hips, for instance. That, of course, is a possibility with a "tested" dog from a reputable breeder too, but at least you have the breeder standing behind the warranty of the dog and will reimburse the cost of the treatment, up to the price of the dog...you won't get that with a pet store, puppy mill, back yard breeder or shelter.
So, once you weigh all of the factors and decide what you want...THEN, and only then, start looking to those selected breeders to fall in love with the darling faces of the puppies. It is very easy to fall in love with them because they are adorable!
Also, be sure that you (and your husband) understand that all dogs may shed to some degree (even humans lose hair) so think carefully about how much shedding is acceptable to you. Most, but not all, F1 dogs will shed, but they are very easy to groom and they are so cute...F1Bs generally don't shed, but some do! Some are throwbacks to the parent breed and shed like mad...the same with multigen dogs. Of course, the higher the breeding generation, the better chance you have for low to non shedding...but no one (in their right mind) would guarantee a non-shedding dog!
As far as the price...$2500 is the going price for a good Australian Multigen...and as mentioned, many breeders will discount older pups, but many won't. You can usually find new breeders with a few older pups that they are willing to sell at a better price, so ask questions...lots of questions. And get a good contract!
Whew!

[evervescent]

One thing to keep in mind is that dogs that are fearful or submissive can bite just like aggressive dogs if they're not socialized properly. My Ginny was a very timid puppy and we were warned by both the vet and the trainer that she needed to be socialized. Dogs that aren't socialized will bite when they feel they're in a defensive situation.

[Maureen]

WELCOME!!

www.idog.biz is a connection you could make, if you want to consider a rehome/rescue Doodle. However, with children in the home, and with my bias obvious, since I'm a breeder, I think a reputable breeder might be a safer idea this time, for all of your family.

Jacque (for example) has puppies available NOW and for less than $2500 (I think) you could fly out, meet Jac, and choose a puppy and take him/her home! And you have a great puppy from a great breeder!!!!

I am in CO and have sold puppies to clients on the east coast, and I think it's GREAT that they can take advantage of lower regional prices than you find on Long Island, or in much of the east coast.

The truth is that if you are working with someone you talk to, and trust, then the puppy is the fruit of that working, trusted relationship, and it's even better than walking into someplace "cold" and looking at a litter and choosing a pup. or that's my opinion.

[MaxandMe]

HI...F1b labradoodles are known to be non-shedders

One of doodles a f1 goldendoodle does NOT shed is 21 in tall and supposed to weigh 55lbs

max is a Labradoodle f1 and has a labby scruffy coat that does shed minmally other than that he's the best!

do your research and for me i find $2500 too expensive but then again everyone has a different budget and idea in mind

labradoodles and goldendoodles from a good breeder are known for their great temperament. HOWEVER socialization is important and training as well. I also have a rule in my house: once a doodle/dog is in their crate I never reach in to pet or touch them.....that is their "den" their domain
if there's an emergency that's different

Dogs are going to be dogs but with love, laughter, patience and training along with exercise they are GREAT dogs to have. Keep in mind though, they are very family/people oriented and need alot of attention as they are NOT the type of dog to be left outside in a kennel with a doghouse or left alone for long periods of time

[Jac]

Maureen, thank you so much! And, I absolutely agree that prices are set by region. We can only charge what the buyers in our area are willing to pay.

Wellll, one thing I'd like to add is that I breed F1Bs and for the most part they are low to non shedding HOWEVER I have about 20 percent of each litter with a less than perfect coat and they do shed. So, even though F1B is a good choice, you still want to select the coat carefully if you want a low to non shedding coat.
Also, just for the record...the only reason I am not breeding Australian Labadoodles (besides the fact that I have fallen in love with the Lab/Poodle mix without the extras) is because I could never have been able to afford the breeding stock.
You should know that the Australian doodles have been years in the making...generation and generation of trial and error...and I will agree that some of the breeders are not all that honorable...BUT some are excellent. So again, you have to get to know your dog and your breeder...I just wanted everyone to take into consideration that those breeding Australian Labradoodles have often FLOWN to Australia, or had their dog flown to them...and the breeding dogs are sometimes $30,000, and higher...add to that, the costs involved in testing and whelping and the fact that you can only get 3-6 litters from one "investment" (if you are lucky and nothing goes wrong) and I hope you can understand why the pricetag is so high.
It may not be your (or my) idea of a good use of money, but it is for others...some of whom are regulars on this forum. So, I really don't want to seem that we are trying to discourage anyone from buying an Australian Multigen if that is what they want.
Often people accuse all of us (doodle breeders) of being in this for the money because we charge so much...but if you only knew the expenses we incur in order to do this responsibly, I think you'd have a different point of view.
All I am saying is that we need to look into all sides of an issue...and that is why I am posting this particular point of view. (Sort of standing up for the silent minority... )

[annabelles mom]

Lots of good info

So much is personal preference and budget. As some of the breeders and pet owners have stated, there is no guarantee on a non shedder when you are mixing in a breed that sheds. We were fortunate that our F1B doesn't shed

Good luck in making your choice

[DebBrown]

Well, we did. I'm not sure if I can give it a hearty recommendation. Charlie is indeed a very expensive dog. I don't know if he is the norm but he is very mouthy. If your family has had a traumatic bite experience, you won't want a puppy with mouthy tendencies.

I agree with the others about choosing a good breeder. Make sure you interview the breeder and ask about the parents. Chewing, biting, mouthy behavior is common in puppies but you want to find one who only directs his mouth to his toys, not the children.

Deb

I am so sorry your family had to go thru the trauma of a face bite and then a difficult loss.
You might want to consider a North American Retriever. Jersey Doodles has a litter due soon and they have a good reputation. I think she has a litter of F1b due soon. The North American Retriever is a Goldendoodle/Labradoodle mix and I believe the father of her litter (Julius, a North American Retriever) came from Australian Labradoodle breeding. He is gorgeous!
http://www.jerseydoodles.com/
Make sure any breeder you consider knows exactly what is most important to you (which would probably be temperament at this point).
I think we all base our current decisions using our experience. I loved rescuing a puppy, but Bella did end up having terrible hips. I'm happy she is with us because she will get the best care, but I'm sad that I will have to watch her suffer in the future and she will need surgery. So, although I would not trade her for the world, if I was in the market for a second dog I would want to purchase from a breeder who did testing.
Good Luck and keep us posted!!!

[lmtoth2]

OMG I just went to the website for Jersey Doodles and those puppies are adorable! We looked there a bit when we were considering a 2nd puppy. I have spoken to people at our dog park who went there for their puppy and were very happy.

That's an interesting cross...NA Retriever back to poodle...I wonder what the puppies will wind up looking like - I've never heard of that cross before.

[movistar]

hi and welcome

if you have to be talked into buying a dog then perhaps thats not the right thing for you. and if children are a problem them perhaps google information on dog breeds that are children friendly. I would stay with a smaller dog as you mentioned. When purchasing a mixed dog be sure to research all breeds involved as they can have traits from every one. The AL's have terrier which tends to be not child friendly. On the other hand I know that people have been very happy with their AL's. Its going to take finding a breeder that has dogs with excellent temperment and good breeding to. Good Luck. I would still check the pound and check on petfinder or poo mix rescue as some dogs are in foster homes and that will give an excellent insight as to their behavious in a home setting! There are a lot of rescue happy endings here on this site!