Frequently asked questions

To toilet train your puppy, it is important to give it the opportunity to urinate outside regularly. While it varies per puppy, the following times are good benchmarks:

• Straight after waking up from sleep.
• Right after more energetic play.
• About 15 to 30 minutes after eating.

Otherwise, everyone and a half to two hours.

What training style benefits Australian Labradoodles?

The use of a crate and a run can be beneficial for your puppy's training.

A puppy needs more sleep than an adult dog. Aim for 16 to 20 hours of sleep and rest periods per day.

With every dog, regardless of age, it is advised to be cautious with physically demanding activities like climbing stairs. A healthy dog can walk up and down stairs occasionally, but not too often. Additionally, be careful with repetitive movements such as walking beside a bike or jogging, and avoid walking long distances on a pavement at a steady pace, as lack of variation can be physically demanding for your dog.

In any case, it is not recommended to throw balls or sticks for your dog. Physically, this can be very demanding due to the fast action followed by sudden stopping and turning, followed by fast movement again. Furthermore, throwing balls or sticks encourages addictive behavior and can lead to overstimulation. In particular, throwing sticks carries a significant risk as the stick could break off, potentially causing serious harm to a dog. If in doubt, consult an animal physiotherapist.

An energetic dog doesn't always need more exercise. Sometimes more rest or a consistent routine can make a difference. It's also essential to check whether your dog gets enough mental stimulation and whether the walks you take meet its needs.

An adult dog requires three to four walks a day, with at least one lasting longer than an hour. The quality of the walk is also crucial; the dog must have sufficient time to have a good sniff and explore, satisfying both its physical and mental needs.

The so-called 5-minute rule is a frequently heard guideline for walking a puppy. This rule suggests adding 5 minutes to the total walking time for every month of your puppy’s age. While this is a good starting point, it’s not the be-all and end-all. It is essential to consider the type of exercise; 5 minutes of vigorous play cannot be compared to 5 minutes of leisurely strolling through the park. Always use common sense and pay close attention to your puppy’s body language and demeanor.

Contrary to common belief, removing water does not help to toilet train your puppy more quickly. Depriving a dog of water can be harmful to both its physical and mental health. A lack of access to water, for example, has consequences for a dog’s intestines and kidneys. It causes stress, leading the dog to pant more, which in turn creates greater thirst.

Most puppies start with four meals a day after getting mother’s milk. This frequency is necessary because they cannot digest a large amount of food in one go yet. After a few months, you can reduce this to three meals a day, and around the age of one year, to two meals a day.

Chewing is a natural need for both puppies and adult dogs. Dogs chew for various reasons, including relaxation, enjoyment, or stimulation. Therefore, it’s good to ensure that your dog always has something to chew on, otherwise, it might start chewing something you would rather it didn’t. Puppies especially tend to chew more when they are teething as chewing can provide relief from the pain or discomfort.

Natural, meat-based snacks are preferable. Dogs often benefit more from snacks that are unprocessed and free from excessive fragrances, coloring, and flavoring agents. Pay attention to aspects like the salt content of snacks or the amount of carbohydrates due to grains. To clean the dog’s teeth, an unprocessed chew made from animal material is sufficient.

The most common types of food for Australian Labradoodles are fresh meat and kibble (pellets). Some breeders opt for one or the other, but a combination of both is also an option. Make sure to follow your breeder's advice and feed your puppy what it is used to getting from the breeder in the beginning to avoid upsetting its stomach too much after the move. You can also consult a nutritional expert for personalized advice.

Neutering (castrating and spaying) is the process of making a dog sterile (infertile). It can be performed on both male and female dogs, but we often refer to it as spaying for females. When a male is castrated, the testicles are removed, making him infertile. In spaying a female dog, the ovaries are removed, making her infertile. Sterilization involves cutting the vas deferens (in males) or fallopian tubes (in females), but not removing them, keeping the hormonal balance intact. For male dogs, there is also the option of chemical castration using a hormone implant, which renders the dog temporarily infertile and works for about six to twelve months.

Neutering has advantages as well as disadvantages for both the physical and mental health of a dog. Whether castration or spaying is an appropriate procedure depends on the individual dog. Always weigh up the pros and cons of the different options with the help of a vet and/or behavior specialist with expertise in this area.

While it varies from dog to dog, the first signs of puberty are often seen between six and nine months. Most dogs reach maturity somewhere between two and three years of age.

Microchipping and European pet passports Every dog in the Netherlands is required to be microchipped and have a European pet passport. A vet registers the dog’s microchip in a recognized database, ensuring that the dog’s owner can be traced if it goes missing. The European pet passport contains details such as the microchip number, the dog’s vaccinations, and findings from a general health check.

Deworming is the administration of a tablet that contains worm-killing components when your dog has a worm infestation. Using deworming tablets as a preventative measure has no effect, as these products are only effective if worms (or worm eggs) are already present in the body. It is advisable to have a stool examination carried out to check for the presence of worms (or worm eggs). For puppies, do this monthly until they reach the age of six months. After that, repeat the stool examination about four times a year.

A titer test measures the antibodies in a dog’s blood, and it is possible for Distemper, Parvovirus, and Hepatitis. Re-vaccination is not necessary while a dog still has sufficient antibodies. You can also use a titer test to check whether a previous vaccination has taken effect. This is particularly useful during puppyhood because a vaccination is not always effective if a puppy still has sufficient maternal protection. The titer test can also be used to tailor the vaccination process, waiting until the antibody levels have dropped enough for the vaccination to take effect. Ask your breeder how they approach this.

In the Netherlands, vaccinations are available for the following diseases:

• Distemper
• Parvovirus
• Hepatitis
• Leptospirosis (also known as Weil’s disease)
• Rabies
• Kennel cough (also known as Parainfluenza + Bordetella)

Vaccinations against Distemper, Parvovirus, and Hepatitis are administered together in a ‘cocktail vaccine’ (DHP) and given several times during the dog’s life. Puppies receive it multiple times during their first months as their immunity is still developing. Leptospirosis is usually known as Weil’s disease, and a vaccination against this protects against four strains of the disease and is known as the L4 vaccine. Rabies is rare in the Netherlands, but the vaccine is mandatory for cross-border travel. Kennel cough can be bacterial (Bordetella) or viral (parainfluenza), and dogs can be protected against it with a standard vaccination or a nasal drop variant.

Vaccinations are not a legal requirement, except for the Rabies vaccination for cross-border travel. However, certain facilities like dog training schools, kennels, or dog walking services might require specific vaccinations. Consult the LICG website for more information about mandatory vaccinations for cross-border travel.

There are several options for covering the costs of your dog’s vet bills, with the most common being insurance and setting up a savings fund. Both have advantages and disadvantages. For example, insurance often only covers a certain percentage, and some conditions may be excluded. However, insurance provides the security of covering a significant proportion of the costs, particularly in emergencies. A savings fund is beneficial because you only spend it when you actually incur costs, but it might not be sufficient in an emergency or for surgery. Weigh up the options and inquire about the terms and exclusions from various providers.

Puppies require more frequent vet visits than adults, mainly due to vaccinations and/or titers. Later in life, a preventative check-up once a year on average is sufficient. Always consult your vet with questions about health or if you feel that something is not right. Scheduling visits when nothing unpleasant needs to be done, especially during puppyhood, can create a positive association with the vet.

That depends on your dog’s hair type and how accustomed it is to being groomed. Investing in this at a young age is essential for proper coat care later in life. Set aside an average of one to two hours a week for this, with the peak during the coat change period.

A few items are essential for caring for your dog’s coat, but there are also various tools that are very handy but not absolutely necessary. This depends partly on the dog’s coat type and whether you can trim yourself.

Essentials include:

• A brush with bristles (for example, Les Pooch or Activet) for general coat maintenance.
• A comb to deal with tangles.
• Blunt-tip scissors for trimming hair around the eyes and rear.
• A water blower for blowing out the coat when wet or lightly soiled.

Absolutely. Many groomers offer a day course or workshop on this. Make inquiries in your area or ask your breeder for recommendations.

A bath is necessary when the coat is visibly and extremely dirty, otherwise around every trimming session. A dirty coat is more prone to matting and is therefore not conducive to the tools you use for coat care. Always use dog shampoo for bathing and don’t forget to blow-dry the dog thoroughly afterward.

A puppy’s coat is more open and therefore less prone to matting. Somewhere between puppyhood and adulthood, the dog undergoes a period of coat change. The loose puppy coat then transforms into the normal, recognizable coat of the Australian Labradoodle. This period can involve (severe) matting, and it might be necessary to increase the frequency of brushing (and trimming). Ensure you are well-informed by your groomer in advance about how to manage this period.

On average, brushing your Australian Labradoodle once to twice a week is recommended, depending on the type and length of coat and the dog’s age.

On average, an Australian Labradoodle should go to the groomer once every eight to twelve weeks, depending on the type and length of coat and the amount of maintenance you perform between grooming sessions.

When choosing a breeder, consider factors such as their adherence to breeding rules and a Code of Ethics, proof of professional competence, and resources at their disposal for making healthy pairings.

See an example here. Refer to an example on the breeder's website.

Breeders consider factors such as the relationship between animals (inbreeding percentage), behavior, results of health and DNA tests, knowledge of lines and pedigree, and consultation with the Breeding Committee to ensure a healthy pairing of parent dogs.

To travel abroad, a puppy must be vaccinated against rabies. This vaccination can be given from the age of twelve weeks, followed by a three-week immunization period. A puppy is legally allowed to leave the country at fifteen weeks.

According to Dutch law, a puppy can go to its new owner from the age of seven weeks, but it's more common for puppies to leave at around eight to nine weeks, though ten to twelve weeks is also possible. Inquire with the breeder about their specific practices.

The average price of an Australian Labradoodle puppy is between €2000 and €3000.

ALAEU breeders have access to resources such as the Zooeasy database, the Breeding Committee, breeding rules, starter packs, and informative meetings to support their breeding activities.

ALAEU-member breeders must comply with breeding rules and a Code of Ethics annually, demonstrating a commitment to a healthy and stable dog breed. ALAEU also requires members to provide proof of professional competence.

View the available litters here.