Below is a list of FAQs based on our personal experience, and also compiled and adopted from the most frequently asked questions at the first Australian labradoodle breeding centers, Rutland Manor and Tegan Park.

Q. I hear Australian Labradoodles are very smart. How soon can I start training my labradoodle puppy?
A. Right Away! Check out the video below of our puppy California Nikolas, now Vinnie, at just 9 weeks of age!

Q. What size will my Australian labradoodle be?
A. At this time California Labradoodles breeds both miniature and medium Australian labradoodles. We do not breed the standard size. Our miniature puppies will mature to between 14 and 16 inches tall and weigh between 15 and 30 pounds. Our medium pups will mature between 17 and 19 inches tall and weigh between 30 to 45 pounds.

Q. I’ve heard so much about the temperament of the Australian labradoodle? Is the temperament really as wonderful as it sounds?
A. Yes!!! Labradoodles are incredibly intelligent, affectionate, happy, confident, sociable, friendly, comical and extremely loving. They are amazingly intuitive, loyal and devoted family pets. They are completely non aggressive. They are very playful and are wonderful with children. They are well suited to work as therapy dogs, and have a history of working as guide dogs and assistance dogs. They are active and athletic when playing, but will happily spend all day snuggled up with you.

Q. Is the Australian Labradoodle right for me?
A.The Labradoodle is intuitive, sociable, loving, and easily trained. They are also exceptionally intelligent. Because they are so smart, they need to have their intelligence channeled the right way through early training. They crave family companionship and stimulation. It is important to teach your labradoodles the house rules early on. Labradoodles love their family, they long to serve and please and need to know they are a valued family member. It is important to note that dogs really have a sense of order in their pack. You will need to make them know his place in the pack, and that you are the leader.

With early training, your dog will become a superlative family member. If you are too busy to spend the time with your puppy early on, you should invest in a less intelligent breed. Their active mind needs stimulation, which comes from training. They love to learn.

Q. Are your puppies well socialized?
A. YES!
We have three teenage boys and their friends love to play with the puppies. In addition we have a steady stream of "Puppy Socialization Teams" ranging in age from Kingergarteners to College Students who come visit our pups and play with them. I have little kids calling me up all the time asking for a puppy playdate. My care family kids all share in the responsibility to socialize our pups.

In addition, we take our pups everywhere. To our kids football games, a tennis match, to the grocery store. We take them for drives in the car, to the vet, to friends houses. Our pups are exposed to all the sights and sounds of a busy household. We are an active family and our pups benefit from that!

Q. Please help me decide between a male or a female puppy?
A. We can attest personally to the fact that males make as sweet and loving a pet as females. Our male labradoodle Buddy is as affectionate and wonderful as a female. (Maybe even more so!) Because the protocol for labradoodle breeders is not to use dominant males as stud dogs in labradoodle breeding programs, Australian labradoodle programs have specifically bred for this gentle trait. We want to encourage you to consider adopting a male labradoodle. Both males and females make equally great companions!

At California Labradoodles, and all reputable breeders of Austraian labradoodles, all family companion puppies will be desexed before they leave our kennel, usually around 8 weeks old. As a result, the testosterone-related behavior usually associated with male dogs, such as frequent leg lifting to mark territory, etc. doesn't usually develop.

Q. Are all Australian Labradoodles bred by California Labradoodles non shedding and/or allergy friendly?
A. No. Most will be, but the labradoodle is still a developing breed and occasionally there will be a puppy who will shed later on. All of our California Labradoodle breeding stock have wool or fleece (non to low shedding) coats.

Q How much exercise does a Labradoodle need?
A. Labradoodles are athletic dogs and need moderate exercise. Exercising their minds is equally important. If you take your puppy for a short walk a few times a week and allow them some time playing out in the yard, they will be happy. Remember the platelettes of young puppies are still forming so you should avoid long walks on hard surfaces in the early months.

Q. How do I care for the coat of a labradoodle? Can you explain the differences in the types of labradoodle coats?
A. With regular brushing it is easy to take care of the labradoodle coat. They should be groomed thoroughly at least once a month, and brushed more regularly. I brush my dogs every day after we come in from a walk. Labradoodles love to romp and as I like to keep the coats on my dogs more on the long side, sticks and burrs and other things can get stuck in the coat. Regular brushing prevents them from becoming bigger problems. Also, it is important to remember to brush your dog well before bathing or swimming. If not, any existing mats will "set" and be much harder to comb out later.

HAIR coats are the easiest coats to maintain. They don't need much grooming, except for a little trimming around the eyes and chin. Most hair coats do shed.

CURLY or WOOL coats do not usually shed. But they will look best if cut or trimmed a few times a year. They also need to be groomed thoroughly about once each week or so. They are the 'safest' coat type around people who have dog related allergies or asthma. Please note that allergies can be transferred in the saliva of a dog and not just the hair. Wool coats are generally thicker and require more brushing than fleece coats. Regular brushing is recommended to prevent matting.

California Labradoodles is very proud of it's wool coats. We are breeding a gorgeous soft loose curl wool. I have seen many breeders label these coats fleece, but they are not, they are wool. Some of our wool coats are as silky and soft as our fleece. Peanut's coat is an excellent example of a soft as silk wool coat. We are not producing tight coarse curls like poodles. Our coats are pretty soft and wonderful. Also a lot depends on how the coat is cut. The shorter the coat, the more curly it appears. But even our coats that appear very curly are soft and silky.

FLEECE COATS (formerly referred to as a borderline coat.) This is a beautiful allergy-friendly, non to low shedding coat with a soft fleece feel. Fleece coats require practically no maintenance until the puppy is between eight and fourteen months old. At that time the adult coat starts to grow through the puppy coat. You will need to brush the puppy coat weekly at this time until the new coat grows in completely. The coat will require more upkeep as the new soft undercoat is growing in. During that time the coat will matt much more easily. Regular brushing is recommended to prevent matting. We have had fabulous success placing our fleece coat pups with families with severe allergies as well as our wools.

It should be noted that there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog...of any breed, including a poodle!!! This is marketing hype!!! That being said, we have had fabulous success producing allergy friendly pups.

Q. Are Labradoodles good with young children?
A.. Yes, they are fabulous with children. But please remember that young puppies need to chew and mouth everything. Early training in this area is critical. I use a bitter apple spray that is safe for the dogs, but they don't like it. I spray it on anything I don't want them to chew when they are little. I have my children spray it on their fingers and hands so puppies learn not to nip. They are smart dogs, and if corrected immediately will quickly learn what is safe to chew. I also have plenty of rawhides available so I can give them something that is appropriate to chew. Young children should be supervised when playing with the puppy, both for the puppy's sake and for the sake of the children. Puppies need lots of time to rest, and a crate is a wonderful and safe place for them to relax. Teach your children early on that the crate is the puppy's safe place and they shouldn't reach in to the crate when a pup is resting. Rather if they want the pup, they should sit outside the crate, open the door and gently speak the puppy's name. The puppy should come out of the crate when they are ready. Children need to be taught to be gentle with a pup. Until a pup is a year old, his or her little platelets are still growing, and children need to be taught not to drop pups or let pups jump from high places. I tell the youngest kids to sit on their bottoms when they hold a pup.

Q. What are the health problems most commonly found in the Labradoodle?
A. Like other floppy eared dogs, labradoodles have a tendency to ear infections. It is important to keep hair out of the ears if possible. This means cleaning them regularly with a cotton swab. It is helpful to pluck the hair that grows inside their ears. You can help prevent your Labradoodle from re-occurring ear infections with the maintenance above.

Labradoodles can get any of the health issues found in their parent stock. It is important for breeders to continue health testing their breeding stock so as to maintain the well bred Labradoodle's current vibrant health status. Please note that all animals can develop health issues no matter what the breed. Labradoodles are generally a healthy breed, but they are not immune to hip dysplasia or other health related diseases. At California Labradoodles we will perform extensive health testing on our dogs. We will test hips, elbows, eyes, thyroid, full CBCs, screen for a number of inherited diseases, as well as doing DNA profiles and genetic color testing on all our breeding stock dogs and will make our breeding selections based on the results of these tests.

Q. I hear there are 6 breeds of dogs that the founders of the Australian Labradoodle infused into the Australian Labradoodle lines. What are they?
A. Lab, Poodle, English Cocker Spaniel, American Cocker Spaniel, Curly Coat Retriever and Irish Water Spaniel.

It's important to note that there isn't a single recognized breed of dog today, including labs and poodles that only have two breeds of dogs in them. When a line is being created, dogs are infused into the lines to correct certain faults. At California Labradoodles we are breeding multigenerational Australian Labradoodle to multigenerational Australian Labradoodle.

Q. Should we crate our puppy when we take it home?
A. If you get a puppy from California Labradoodles, we will do the initial crate training for you! Your puppy will arrive to you crate trained and sleeping through the night. We don't want the first night a puppy is in a new home to be the first time they are in the crate. We want the crate to feel like home, to be a safe and comforting place for the pup. We highly recommend crate training your puppy. Dogs are used to living in dens, and if used properly, the crate serves as the puppies den. They will learn to love their crate, and will find it to be a safe place for them to be. Crate training is also especially helpful with potty training. Puppies and/or dogs should never be left all day in their crates. They will need breaks every few hours so they can eat, drink, play, train or get some exercise. We also highly recommend that you teach your puppy to sleep in his or her crate overnight. This is a wonderful way to keep your puppy safe, and it is also very helpful in potty training. In the morning, if you take them out immediately to the place you want them to go potty, they will quickly learn to come to this spot to eliminate. Puppies will almost never soil their own crates, so will be very ready to potty in the morning. We have found this to be an extremely effective method of potty training.

Q . What colors do our Labradoodles come in?
A. Reds, Apricots, Apricot Creams, Chocolate, Caramel, Cafe, Silver, Blue, Chalk, Gold, and Phantom. Reds, apricots and caramels are the rarest and most prized colors currently. Please be aware that many reds, chocolates, blacks, actually any color can fade over time, although they will remain beautiful. Apricot creams can lighten or darken. The adult coat of a labradoodle will come in around the time your pup turns a year old. It will likely be a different texture than the puppy coat.

Q. What kind of nature does a Labradoodle have?
A. Labradoodles have the most incredible temperaments I've ever seen in a dog. (And yes, I'm biased!) They are so loving and loyal and intelligent, it is hard to find a more devoted companion. Labradoodles have a great sense of fun and humor. They love to make you laugh. They are as happy lying close to you as they are running and playing outside. They are wonderful jogging or hiking companions and are very good in both agility and dog training programs. Our dog Buddy was "top of his class" in dog training according to our wonderful dog trainer. Labradoodles often do exceeding well in agility shows. They are wonderful companions on the hiking or jogging trails as well.

Q. How long do Labradoodles live?

A. The labradoodle lifespan is generally 14 to 16 years.

Q. Does the Labradoodle like water?
A. Yes they generally love the water. Early training and acclimation to water is essential. When introducing your labradoodle to water always make sure they know where to exit. Starting with a shallow kids type swimming pool works best.

Q. Are there any foods I should avoid feeding my dog?
A. Yes. Please don't feed them chocolate or cooked chicken bones. Raw meaty bones and thin, flat rib bones from lamb, beef or chicken are highly recommended.

Q. I have heard that Labradoodles don't need to be bathed much. Is this true?
A. Well, this is somewhat true. The coats of Australian Labradoodles have natural oils that can get stripped away with too frequent bathing. However, Labradoodles love to romp and play and often get dirty and will need to be bathed.