Hi everyone
Me, my husband and our two children are trying to buy a standard sized boy chocolate labradoodle and finding the whole process a mine field!! We are based in the North East but willing to travel for the right breeder and puppy. I suffer from allergies so coat is important and we want a standard to large size dog. Please could anyone help us regarding what we should be looking for (e.g. F1b etc) and if anyone can recommend a reputable breeder? Thank you so much
Lindsay

Hi Lindsay - the first thing to look at is what are you allergic to? If it is the fur then the right doodle MAY be OK for you, but if it is the saliva or the dander then no dog will work. Next you need to be aware that there are no guarantees with regard to coat - some are less likely to shed, but they all may, and you can't always tell from a puppy if the adult coat will be different.

Australian labradoodles are the least likely to shed, but they are expensive (some breeder charge upwards of £2000 for them), and they are considerably smaller than the standard poodle x labrador doodles.

Of the Labradoodle Originals (i.e. the poodlexlabs) then yes, the F1b is the least likely to shed. These are the labradoodles backcrossed to a poodle so they are usually very poodley in looks (and behavoiur). They often do not drop their coats, but in reality, all dogs shed, and with these the dead hair needs to be brushed out very thoroughly (which will set off allergies). Many people clip these doodles short to make the grooming easier. They vary in size and it is unpredictable even within a litter. I have 3 standards - the smallest is 21" and 16kg, and the largest is 25" and 36kg!

I'm sorry if this sounds a bit negative, but with allergies it is better to know up front all the pitfalls, because it is heartbreaking to get a puppy, fall in love with it, only to find when the adult coat comes through at about a year old you are allergic to it and have to rehome.

I think that there is a facebook group for northern doodles
They have walks every other weekend somewhere in the Northeast
Stonecellar labradoodles might be worth a Google search, they might be some help to you.