Question about labradoodle puppies

[ncmommanc]

First this board is great. I'm glad I found it.

I have narrowed my family dog search down to a labradoodle (want mini to small medium 30-40 pounds) and still deciding between F1 and F1B.

I'm curious on how long puppyhood usually lasts. I realize it will vary from dog to dog and that the parents play a role from a genetic point of view.

I grew up with Golden Retrievers which are amazing dogs but bigger and more hair than I want. They tend to be puppies till around age 2. Is it the same for labradoodles? I have heard that smaller dogs tend to mature faster so wondering if maybe the smaller size and/or lab and poodle genes might impact how long the "puppiness" lasts.

I have young kids so I'm used to energy, but I'm hoping to avoid a hyper puppy dog for too long if that makes sense (not sure I'm saying it quite right and I know I'll have that behavior with puppies as part of them growing up).

I have not had a lot of exposure to labs or poodles to get a sense of their puppiness when young. My favorite lab ever was my mother's friend's retired guide dog - most laid back, sweet dog I've ever known but I met her as an older dog.

Thanks in advance for your advice as experienced labradoodle parents and breeders!

[blueteal]

Denver is an F1 annd he turned two in May
Although he has matured a lot he still has a lot of puppy in him
Maybe those with older Doodles can jump in here but from others
I know they are still puppies for quite a while.............
The other side is that if you keep them well occupied with lots
of excercise, they are quite laid back in the house..........

[MaxandMe]

even though our 2 calmed down at age 1 they were still VERY PUPPISH
Max hit 2 and is quite mature but has his puppy moments at times or what we call "comical antics" which we love

peanut calmed down tremendously at age 11mos

OB training and daily training is key but all dogs like kids are different and mature at different rates

some are fully mature at 2yrs old others 3 yrs old just like goldens
I have one goldendoodle and 1 labradoodle
mine are medium to large standard size so i can't help you out with the minis' or small std ld's

i really cannot see how the size affects maturity, rather it is the general makeup aka temperament of the dog and the training they receive along with attention/walks/love etc

i really don't know of any dogs being fully mature till at least 2yrs of age

IF puppyhood may be too much of a challenge due to kids, lifestyle etc perhaps an older puppy/dog may be of interest to you?

Maya at 14 mos is still very puppy although she is great and calm in the house and she is much quicker with completing her commands when asked. I am hoping by 2 she will be completely settled.

[sdrudge]

Cacao our Chocolate mini Labradoodle is more hyper then Beau our Red Goldendoodle. But Cacao is 8months old right now. And Beau is just a year old. I would say he has calmed down but still keeps up with Cacao and her puppyness. I will say they have their moments but over all they are great dogs. They are a ton of fun and my three boys (ages-7-6-5) love playing with them and just hanging around the house with them.


Cacao and Beau have been thur a training class. And both are going to go thur another one this fall. (NOT at the same time.) I work with them a bit each day. I believe a trained doodle is a good doodle.

A puppy is a lot of work but if you can do it. It is worth it. You can train them how you would like them to be. But a older doodle is nice 2 you can get one that has already been potty trained.

Good luck.

[lmtoth2]

Our doodles are both around 2 yrs old. Kirby (mix of irish setter and poodle) is pretty calm. He still likes to play, but he also likes to lay around a lot. Dexter (F1B labradoodle) is still a big goofy puppy...but...he does get tired much faster and sleeps much more now.

I think it depends on the dog and the parents and not so much F1 vs F1B. I would look for a mellow (but still happy/playful) puppy so that you may get the best of both worlds

[momoftwo]

Compared to the last dog I raised (Dalmation) my labradoodle has been an old soul right from the beginning! He does like to play and romp but only when appropriate. He is very quiet in the house even with my two young children who usually aren't quiet in the house. He is considered a medium I think - he is ~21 inches at the shoulder but is only 36lbs. I would say by 6 months he was easily out of most puppy behaviors. He has always been extremely focused for training.

I think 2 things helped with this. 1st I have put a lot of time into training and made sure undesireable behaviors were stopped quickly. Some things that are cute from a small puppy become not so cute when they get larger and the same behavior continues so we never let it start to begin with.

The other thing is genetics - I met both of his parents who were very laid back. The breeder had two females one who had show lines in the lab side and one who had field lines on the lab side. Knowing we were interested in a quieter house dog she pointed us to the litter from show lines whose mom was more laid back.

One thing I haven't asked other members on the board about is body awareness. At the dog park even when running full out my doodle won't run into anybody - I can't count the times I've had labs and goldens try and take my knee out by just not being in control enough to stop or maybe not caring. not sure if this a trait with all doodles or just mine.

Good luck on your search - what area of the country are you located in?


Heather

[David]

Bailey is a miniature F1B and is 21 months old.

She's still a bit of a spaz, but really only when people come over or she sees someone she hasn't seen for a while. She's always been manageable and I'd say once she hit 6 or 8 months she stopped being a PITA.

I'd think that having young kids around would do wonders for sapping "puppy energy".

[Tink]

I agree that a lot depends on the parents. I have 3 Purebred labs all close to the age of 2. One is an English type lab and is MUCH more mature and sedate than the other 2. One is average in her degree of silliness and the other is simply a huge puppy yet. The one that's the most puppyish is a field type lab, so was bred to be more energetic and driven.

My poodle stud is very mellow and has never acted like a wild puppy. The worst he'll do is to jump gently on people to give them a hug. He is just turning 1 this month.

I plan to use the same stud with all 3 dams, so it should be interesting to see how different their pups are.

[ikbensuus]

Our Australian Labradoodle Boef is 15 months of age now, and calmed down a lot!!! He still is a silly comical fellow, but in the house he's very calm. Every day he needs his playmoments, and if he runs outside, he always act very silly and energetic. This combination I really love!

To Momoftwo: Boef does run into you... Now not as often anymore (but we stay aware ), but when he was younger, he surtainly did! Our little clown! Aaahhhh, little...? He's 68 pounds now...

[MaxandMe]

ncmommanc
i was just thinking if a Goldendoodle might be really good for you as you already know the personalit of goldens.

Our GD is calm since 11mos old
been instinctually great with small kids and infants
and doesn't shed at all..........and still has the personality of a
golden kerplunking at your feet and always carrying a toy
in her mouth. You gently politely correct her as she is sensitive
but ever so sweet. They train very well too

beau another f1 GD is the same way as Sdrudge adopted him recently

Keep us posted on what you decide