What do you know about the infamous Black Labradoodle? Do you care for one at home, or are you considering adopting one? What mysteries does this unique breed hold?
Black Labradoodle: Are They Rare?
When it comes to Labradoodle coat color, black is less common than golden but still relatively common. You can’t really consider it rare! The answer here is no, this coloring isn’t rare.
Black is thought of as a recessive trait, meaning the dominant golden trait would express itself if the dog carried alleles for both colors. Both parents would usually (not always) need to be a dark color.
When it comes to rarity, parti or merle coloring would be far more difficult or costly to find! At the same time, breeders risk health defects if not careful when they select for unnatural coloring. A dog with two copies of the merle color gene, for example, can suffer from more health issues.
Red is probably the rarest of the colorings!
How Much is a Black Labradoodle?
If you’re American, you might pay anywhere from $500 to $1,000 or more for these guys! This is assuming you’re going to a specific breeder.
On the one hand, designer mixed breeds like this are growing in popularity and might cost more than the average purebred dog. Then the price will depend upon the credibility of the breeder. Finally, you have supply and demand.
Black is a common color for both Labs and Poodles, so it would be a common color for this mixed breed also.
Credible breeders will genetically test their dams and sires prior to breeding, to ensure no hereditary disorders are passed on. This both costs money and narrows the possible breeding population, decreasing potential supply.
Then credible breeders won’t breed close relatives together, further narrowing potential candidates.
Shelter Adoption
If you’re lucky enough to find a Labradoodle in an American shelter or rescue, you shouldn’t pay more than a 250-350 USD adoption fee. This fee helps cover health care, feeding, shelter operation costs, etc.
Ethical shelters should never charge more simply because the stray dog breed in their care is popular.
Do Black Labradoodles Shed?
The answer here is yes and no. Most of them probably won’t shed much dander because these dogs are usually bred to be hypoallergenic. You shouldn’t have much trouble finding a non-shedding pup if you are serious about looking for one!
This all has to do with inherited traits. Let us explain!
Standard Poodles are single-coated and don’t shed much. Their hair won’t constantly fall out or be continuously replaced like a heavy shedding breed.
Labrador Retrievers are about the exact opposite! They will shed quite a bit all year round.
So, let’s say you have an F1 generation black Labradoodle. This means one parent was purebred Lab and the other purebred Poodle.
Your pup’s coat will ultimately depend on which traits were inherited from the mother, and which from the father. Your puppy will be “Hair coated” if dominant traits were inherited from the Labrador parent and will shed more than other coat types.
Most breeders will select for non-shedding coats because this mixed breed is popular for being hypoallergenic, so chances are your puppy won’t shed much.
Finally, all dogs will shed some degree of dander! Even hairless breeds, like the Chinese Crested, will shed skin cells. The term “hypo-allergenic” simply means your dog is less likely to cause an allergic reaction, not that he absolutely won’t.
Full Grown Black Labradoodles
The fully grown, adult Standard Poodle will probably weigh between 40-70 lbs. (18-32 kg). On average, males will weigh more than females.
A fully grown, adult Labrador Retriever will probably weigh between 55-80 lbs. (25-36 kg), though some healthy Labradors might weigh beyond 100 lbs!
Your fully grown mix will probably weigh between 40-80 lbs. with males likely weighing more than females. There is no set weight standard because this is a mixed breed and isn’t accepted by most major breed registries.
History
Sometimes called a designer breed, this is one of the very first mixed breeds purposefully developed for desired traits. It combined traits from a Labrador Retriever parent and a Standard Poodle parent.
As you’ll read below, this breed was first developed for work as a low-shedding guide dog!
The “Black” title simply refers to coloring. Not all Labradoodles need to be black.
Labrador Retriever History
Though he is the most popular dog breed in America today, the Labrador Retriever owes his ancestry to a small fishing village near Labrador, Canada!
Once known as the “St. John’s Water Dogs”, they were bred to work long hours, assisting Canadian fishermen among the turbulent waters of the Labrador Sea.
Labrador Retrievers are highly intelligent and very sociable! They tend to love swimming and retrieving almost as much as they love their humans.
Standard Poodle History
Poodles were originally bred for water retrieval work. Their title Poodle comes from the German words “pudel” or “pudelin,” meaning “to splash in water”! Poodles also originated in Germany, not France as many believe.
These guys would retrieve ducks, waterfowl, and other game for their handlers. They absolutely loved the work!
Poodles are high-energy dogs and extremely active! These guys will need a lot of attention to remain happy. Poodles make fantastic family dogs because they are so sociable. They are also thought to be the second most intelligent dog breed in the world!
Origin
Where in the world did this guy come from? Most designer mixes today are created out of convenience, the breeder thought the mix would be a popular idea or wanted to combine unique traits. This guy is different!
An Australian man named Wally was breeding Labrador guide dogs over a half-century ago. Labrador Retrievers were the obvious choice for this type of work even then! The highly intelligent, well-natured Labrador made an obvious choice for this extremely demanding work.
One day, a visually impaired Hawaiian woman approached the Royal Guide Dog Association of Australia. Of course, she was looking for a guide dog! There was one catch though, and it was a big one.
This woman’s husband was allergic to animal dander, and Labradors shed- a lot! What was Wally going to do? His client couldn’t live with a Labrador in her household.
Since Poodles were known to be hypoallergenic, Wally tried to breed the perfect Poodle guide dog for his Hawaiian client. Though highly intelligent, none of his Poodles presented the right kind of temperament for the extremely demanding work.
Wally decided to crossbreed a Labrador and a Poodle. Thus, the Labradoodle was born! Wally probably didn’t foresee the massive impact this first designer breed would have on the pet care world!
Grooming and General Care
Brushing will depend on your Labradoodle’s coat and whether he sheds much. Hypoallergenic dogs might need a brush every 4-6 weeks, while frequent shedders may need to be brushed at least once a week, if not twice.
You don’t want to bathe your pup more than 1-2 times every 4-6 weeks if possible. Bathing strips oils from the skin, and excessively frequent bathing can cause dry skin.
Training & Exercise
Both the Labrador & the Poodle are considered two of the most intelligent dog breeds on Earth! These breeds are also highly driven and very eager to please, two very important traits when it comes to dog training.
As far as capabilities, your mixed breed should catch on to new tasks and behaviors very quickly! This mix would be easier to train than most other purebred dogs.
There is still a catch!
Imagine teaching a classroom of extremely bright autistic children. A regular elementary school teacher is used to teaching children without autism and might struggle. It might even seem impossible!
Now, take a teacher that specializes in autistic children. This teacher is very experienced in this area and is able to accomplish much more! She understands her children are extraordinarily bright, but she needs to use the correct approach to get through to them.
Dog training is much more about the human handler and the approach they use. The most intelligent, trainable animal in the world would struggle with a poor handler. At the same time, nearly any dog alive today can become a world-class champion with the right kind of dog trainer!
Don’t assume you don’t have to do your research and devote time learning just because your dog is smart. You’ll still need to use the correct approach to get through to your dog!
Black Labradoodle Exercise Requirements
Both purebred parent breeds are very energetic. Your mixed pet is probably going to grow into a high-energy dog and will need plenty of exercises!
We’re talking preferably two walks a day, totaling at least an hour. Your mix will need to run and play outdoors. He’ll probably excel with retrieval tasks, and love to swim! “Fetch” will be a great came to teach your pup.
Enrichment activities, like mentally stimulating games (tracking, treat-puzzle games, hide & seek, etc.) and socialization activities (trip to the dog park, play dates with other dogs, puppy obedience classes, etc.) are all wonderful for your Black Labradoodle!