How much did you pay for a labradoodle/golden doodle?

[Monkley]

They seem to be around £600-£700 here, that seems crazy! Is this the going rate?!

[clam]

Sounds about right, I'm afraid. Although I'd be talking about a cockapoo - but similar, I should imagine. Not sure that area makes a difference. If, for reference, you look on internet sites such as breedersonline, you can see at a glance what prices are quoted all around the country.

[wifeofsimoncowell]

Monkley - are we looking for the same breed? FAb! good luck

[bobbybearmummy]

These are not a breed and have no breed type.They are being bred for money ,not to improve a specific breed.There are many crossbreeds in shelters needing homes.
You can get a well bred poodle with health tested parents for less than this.

[AnEcumenicalMatter]

You could get a well bred Labrador or Poodle for that amount. With appropriate health tests, lifetime back-up from breeder and certainty of what your adult dog will look like, size, coat type etc.

[AnEcumenicalMatter]

And if you're happy enough to gamble on what your adult dog will be like, then why not consider a rescue. Shelters are full to bursting with dogs of all shapes and sizes. Bound to be something to suit everyone.

[clam]

But presumably the OP doesn't want a straight Lab or Poodle, or she would have asked about them instead.
And whenever I've looked at shelter sites, they're haven't got "something to suit everyone." Mainly seem to be Staffies actually.
I think most people are aware that crosses aren't "breeds."

[tumbleweedblowing]

There's a labradoodle rescue here

[wifeofsimoncowell]

actually Clam - I want your dog! lol

[clam]

[PersonalClown]

I paid about £400 for mine but that was 'mates rates' and it was to cover all vet costs, worming and his first jabs.

The Labradoodle trust is a good place to start if you are looking to rescue one. They get given up for all sorts of reasons from being far too hyper to not being non shedding etc.

[Methe]

We had one years ago and he cost us £20 but that was before people started charging silly money for mongrels.

He was an amazing dog though :)

[SpaghettiTwirlerAndProud]

If you buy one you are just supporting BYBs.

Rescue one instead, as mentioned above, from the doodle rescue!

[AnEcumenicalMatter]

Clam, but in buying a xbreed, you could be getting something that is very much like a Lab, or very much like a Poodle. Precious few xbreeds will be an exact split between the two parent breeds with equal traits of both...genetics just don't work that way. And the old chestnut about crossbreeds being healtier is bollocks, quite frankly. especially when you're talking about breeds that have genetic disorders in common like the Lab and Poodle do.

So, if you couldn't live with 'just' a Lab, or 'just' a Poodle, then why gamble on a cross of the two? You have no idea what the adult dog will be like.

If you don't mind a gamble, then there's plenty of crossbreeds in rescue desperately in need of homes that won't cost in excess of £600.

[wifeofsimoncowell]

clam - how big is your dog? Looks perfect size for us :-)

[SpaghettiTwirlerAndProud]

Ohhh yes, a good example. My MILs dog is a springer x CKCS, and he was the only one in his litter that was different. All the other puppies just looked like ordinary CKCS.

[clam]

Simon just typed a long reply and it disappeared!
Anyway, he's grown a bit since those pics - is 13mo now and, according to the vet, has probably finished growing. I'm a bit like Goldilocks - didn't want a massive dog, nor a rat-sized handbag one. He's just perfect for us - about 18" at the shoulder and weighs around 12-13kg. He has long legs and great fists for paws. BUT, as I think we've covered here, there can be quite a variation in the finished product. I have however seen a fair few out and about in the last year that look very similar to him. I haven't conducted a particularly scientific sample, but I've rarely seen two labradoodles that look the same.

ecumenical I've never extolled the virtues of xbreeds being healthier, although I've seen many on this site do so. I made sure mine had the relevant parental checks and certificates and will cross my fingers on the rest, as most people must do when they get a dog. I'm sorry if this is un-PC but I just didn't want a rescue xbreed/mongrel. And there may well be a doodle rescue but I've yet to see any cockerpoos available and that's what I wanted, just as others go for greyhounds, staffies, labs or collies. Different breeds appeal to different people.

[bochead]

Sadly so many of these are turning up in rescue as it's too unpredicatable what the adult dogs will be like. A couple more years and they will be rivalling the poor staff in pound population figures & this upsets me.

People get them cos they think they won't shed and the puppy doesn't shed. Adult coat comes in and sheds to the max. (The hypo-allergenic myth needs to be squashed to my mind FAST).
People think the dog will behave like a poodle but it acts like a lab and vica versa, The adult is bigger than envisaged with double the excercise requirements. (crosses end up bigger than both parents for some reason).

The whole doodle phemomena has become a puppy farmers wet dream & I've noticed many reputable poodle stud owners are starting to put their foot down firmly against this. This makes it increasingly harder for reputable doodle breeders to obtain good genetic stock for their breeding programmes.

I wouldn't personally get any sort of doodle dog under a year old - just so as I'd know exactly what I'd be taking on. To my mind a large part of the pedigree puppy price tag is for the predictability of the finished product so to speak.

[pinkbraces]

My gorgeous doodle is currently laying at the foot of my bed, snoring quite loudly

She is 2.5 yrs old, cost us £400, doesn't shed, but that's pure luck not breeding. We did lots of research, went to a reputable breeder, and thought we had done lots of homework!

Our gorgeous girl was diagnosed with hip dysplacia at 9 months and a few weeks ago she was diagnosed with Addisons disease and will be on medication for life. She is as bouncy and happy as a pup and is back to her normal self!

If I knew then what I know now, I would do even more research and would have got all relevant from her parents. We did meet her parents, who seemed fine. Breeder says none of her other dogs have any problems.

Saying all that we wouldn't swap her for the world, she had the most wonderful temperament and is just gorgeous

[AnEcumenicalMatter]

Clam, sorry...I wasn't suggesting that you were claiming that crossbreeds are healthier. Just making the point for OPs benefit. I should have been clearer in my post.

It's interesting that the person responsible for creating the Labradoodle which spawned the myriad other poodle crosses regrets it

[Smellslikeweensprits]

I always link to this article when I read Labradoodle posts

£700

[clam]

OK, so if you buy a lab puppy, or any purebreed for that matter, you can be fairly sure what it will look like as an adult. But that's the least of it really. There will still be variations in size and personality. And that's before we even start on training. I've met gorgeous, laid-back, chilled labs and others that'd snap your hand off - particularly if you got between it and its food.
There are too many generalisations about breeds. Training and environment play a larger part.

[multipoodles]

There will still be variations in size and personality. And that's before we even start on training. I've met gorgeous, laid-back, chilled labs and others that'd snap your hand off - particularly if you got between it and its food.

With pure bred dogs good breeders will know the personality traits of certain lines, in my breed, standard poodles, in our first girl everyone who meet her who knew their poodles would say 'oh she's a Charlie dog' and they were right. You'd be surprised just how much goes into good breeding, it's definitely not just looks, the fundamentals in all pups is from their genes, the training is up the the owners, but even trainability comes down to genes. Which is why there are so many variations in cross breeds.

[horseylady]

Agree!!! I've got curlies and the number (ESP labradoodle owners) who 'wanted coats like my dogs' are astounding!! Also the number of people who ask if thats what they are!! They also moult but I love them :)

[CakeMeIAmYours]

We paid £750 for our pup - I think the only way to go into 'doodle ownership is to have no expectations as to what you are going to end up with.

We did, and have been 'lucky' in that our now 13 month old dog is just perfect for our family. Crucially though, if he had turned out to be bigger/smaller/sheddier than he is, it wouldn't have been a problem for us.

If you want/need a dog that fits exactly to your requirements, go for a purebreed, as a pp said, you pay the premium for predictability.

I will say though, poodle crosses are by a long way the most represented 'breed' in our area and I've not yet met one who wasn't a complete delight to meet.

[clam]

Ditto, cake. It was quite exciting wondering how my cockerpoo was going to look at the end - as I've said before on here somewhere, he's way bigger than we thought, but it doesn't matter.