What is the character of an Australian Labradoodle,
and is that breed for me?

Australian Labradoodles are easygoing, sociable, with clowney nature. They mentally do not grow to adulthood and stay in the puppy phase even as adults.

Trainable – easy to train. It is very satisfactory for the new family to be such a proud puppy owner at the dog school. Because most of the time they learn quickly and are very eager to work with their families. However, as quick as they learn desirable things from our perspective – they can also learn undesirable ones. If you leave your puppy to do his things outside alone – he will quickly learn to dig, and bark – just because he is bored. 

They are very concentrated on their family members – you will notice they want to follow you everywhere you go. This might be funny in the beginning but actually, there is a catch. If you do not teach them to spend some time on their own they will develop separation anxiety which is not fun for you, nor for your dog. 

They have a soft and intuitive nature. They know very well what mood you are in and know very well who needs support. However because they are mentally soft, proper socialization is a must. Therefore you must look for a breeder that does early stimulation and is able to prove it. It is wise to ask your breeder for pictures of the litter so you can see how they are raised. 

Breeders should introduce different sounds, toys, different surroundings, surfaces to walk on, and different people. A litter who spends their time in a crate for the first 8 weeks and has not much to do,  will not be well socialized and you will have a lot of work with such a puppy. 

The second part of socialization is up to you, therefore you must prepare well before you get a puppy. Ask your breeder for advice on books you have to read, and how to prepare yourself for a puppy. There are breeders who prepare new families themselves through training courses. It is wise to communicate with your breeder especially if you are an inexperienced pet owner. You must attend puppy training in order to lead your puppy right. Remember only good socialization makes a good and stable adult. Sometimes mistakes are unforgivable therefore it is wise to have proper knowledge before you get a puppy. 

Australian Labradoodles are dogs that will not appreciate staying by themselves for long hours during the day. Therefore if you are away from home for 10 hours or so this dog is not meant for you. 

They have a retrieving instinct and like to carry something in their mouth especially when they are very happy to see you. Most of the time it is your shoe or sock. If this is something you do not like, you have to offer them something to carry instead. Punishing what is a natural instinct will cause behavioral problems in your dog. 

Australian Labradoodles respond very well to positive training – they learn very fast and are very eager to work with their humans. After all – attention is what they crave. On the other hand, they will not respond well to punishment training (so-called traditional training). Because they are the mentally soft, very dominating owner will cause excessive submission in a dog.   

Taking into account of what you red here not only you have to answer yourself: if Australian Labradoodle is really what you want but will the dog be happy to live a life you can offer. 

 

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