Do you have a Labradoodle? If so, how long do you think he or she will live?
Many dog owners don’t realize that the average life span of a Labradoodle is just 10-12 years. However, with proper care and nutrition, your Labradoodle could potentially live much longer.
In this blog post, we will discuss some of the things you can do to help your Labradoodle live a long and healthy life. We’ll also take a look at some of the most common health problems that Labradoodles are susceptible to.
So, if you’re interested in learning more about the life expectancy of Labradoodles, keep reading!
How Long Do Labradoodles Live?
Labradoodles are one of the most lovable, gentle, and dedicated dog breeds. They are interbred of standard Poodles and Labradoodle Retrievers, and a lot of their longevity and health depends on the inherited biological and ancestral heritage of the parent races.
Labradoodles usually have between 13 – 15 year lifespans. Excellent veterinary care, a happy home life, and a healthy lifestyle can extend their life expectancy.
Labrador Retrievers General Information
The Labrador Retriever is America’s favorite dog breed. They are adaptable, loyal, and friendly dogs that make great companions or guide dogs.
Labrador retrievers are a healthy large dog breed. A healthy weight can reduce the risk of many age-related health issues, such as joint and eye problems. Older labs are also at risk for diabetes and heart disease.
Poodles General Information
Poodles come in various sizes, from Standard to Miniature to Toy. They have an average lifespan of 12 to 15 years and are considered a healthy dogs.
However, a labradoodle’s poodle parent may be smaller than average. This may cause additional labradoodle issues in both smaller (like the mini Labradoodle) and larger dogs.
However, Poodles, like Labrador retrievers, can develop hip joint issues and age-related vision loss. Standard poodles are more prone to blood vessel and skin cancers.
Does Crossbreeding (Genetic Diversity) Affect Life Span Of A Labradoodle?
There are numerous arguments in favor of and against intentionally crossing two different pedigrees. Crossbred dogs live longer than purebred dogs, which is one of the most compelling arguments in favor of crossbreeding.
Due to possible hybrid genetic variations that are not allowed or present in purebred dogs, crossbreeds such as Labradoodles tend to live longer than purebred dogs. This may offer your Labradoodle an advantage over either of their parents in terms of life expectancy.
Sadly, human selective breeding for purebred dogs has greatly reduced genetic diversity in many canine breeds. Inbreeding has increased the risk of health issues in purebred puppies, affecting both their behavior and physiology.
Allowing cross or mixed breeding among dogs can increase genetic diversity.
Yet, no one exactly knows a dog’s genetic makeup or predispositions to disease or other health issues.
But, if you buy labradoodle puppies from a reputable breeder, they will provide a health history and genetic report on request. This can help predict whether your puppy will inherit specific health issues or genetic issues.
What Are The Labradoodle Life Stages?
Your Labradoodle will go through five major life stages: puppy, adolescence, adulthood, middle age, and senior.
Whether a Labradoodle is a standard, miniature, or toy cross determines when they will repeat each stage. Smaller dogs mature faster but live longer. Larger dogs live shorter lives.
Stage 1: Puppy
They are categorized as pups for the first five months, and will go through many puppy stages because of their rapid growth.
0 – 7 Weeks
Puppyhood is characterized by pups being close to their mother, eating, sleeping and growing. During this stage, littermates will cuddle up and spend the day sleeping on top of one another.
They are more interested in their mother and siblings than in people. Later on, they’ll begin to learn that there is a broader world and starts exploring it.
7- 8 Weeks
This is when Labradoodle puppies start showing interest in people and forming ties with them. The mother would often refuse to nurse them because their teething causes her discomfort. Thus, they can start eating dog food.
8 -10 Weeks
Pups are starting to get playful and into everything. This is a critical moment because kids are impressionable, so negative life experiences can have a lasting impact on a dog’s personality.
Instilling dread and worry in pups this young can lead to bad adult behavior. But giving lots of love and praises can help develop their friendly and sweet characteristics.
10 -16 Weeks
As the saying goes, “Start them young,” now is the best time train them. At this stage, they are aware and engaged enough to understand what’s going on.
Training them now will teach them about action and reward, which will make training a lot easier later on.
They would already know that good behavior leads to nice things. You may also start introducing new individuals and experiences to the puppy now. This helps them understand what to do when faced with the unknown.
4 – 6 Months
During this period, your puppy will likely become more independent, interested in the world, and willing to explore new things. This is a terrific time to try and take the puppy around.
Stage 2: Adolescence
The Labradoodle should be fully housebroken, past the biting phase, and paying more attention to you. During this stage, they seem to be constantly eating or sleeping to keep up with their rapid growth. This usually lasts from five to six months to two years.
But, hormones make them more unpredictable. They get bored easily and like to be active when they aren’t sleeping. Expect them to constantly play, jump, and push your boundaries.
Around this age, they are also less awkward and more coordinated. They will start to show strength and agility, and bite off anything with their adult, chewy teeth.
So, it’ll be best if you can have plenty of chew toys to divert their destructive chewing.
Territorial behavior tends to emerge during adolescence. A protective dog will bark at strangers and guard their possessions. It’s critical to properly socialize them now so that problems don’t persist into adulthood.
Also, be aware that your dog will become sexually mature at some point during adolescence. So, if your dog isn’t neutered or spayed, keep an eye out!
Stage 3: Adulthood
Maturity comes between two and three years of age.
At this point, they should be fully grown by now – physically and mentally.
While it is normal for them to gain weight in their early adulthood, it is critical to monitor their weight and diet. You can use this advantage to train them as a working or a service dog.
But, this doesn’t mean Labradoodles can’t grow and learn. Training Labradors and Labradoodles are simple and can be done at any age.
Stage 4: Middle Age
Around the age of seven, your dog will start entering the later stages of life. During this time of transition, it’s important to keep an eye on their diet and avoid gaining too much weight as they may start to slow down
The teeth of your Labradoodle are particularly vulnerable as well. Cleaning and checking their teeth more frequently is advised as an unidentified tooth issue can cause significant pain.
Moreover, their joints may become stiff and develop more serious joint problems. As an owner, it’s your responsibility to give them joint supplements, and have their health monitored regularly.
Stage 5: Senior
When your Labradoodle reaches 9 or 10 years old, they are truly senior and will require extra care and attention.
Labradoodles are prone to joint pain, so you may need to modify your home to accommodate them. Invest in a bed that doesn’t require stepping up into, and a ramp for their car.
Labradoodles also tend to age slower and feel the cold more intensely. Their appetite and metabolism may also change at this time. So again, keep an eye on their weight and diet. This is especially important if they have joint issues, as excess weight makes mobility difficult.
Common Labradoodle Health Problems Affecting Their Lifespan
Health issues are the only thing that may shorten your Labradoodle’s lifespan. Labradoodles inherit health issues from both their Labrador and Poodle parents, and these are:
- Allergies
- Cancer
- Hip Dysplasia
- Ear Infections
- Eye Disease
- Epilepsy
- Bloat
- Joint Issues
- Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism
- Addison’s Disease
- Von Willebrand Disease
Cancer
Don’t panic if you find lumps on your dog but take your dog to the vet. Tumors in Labradors are common, but not usually aggressive or cancerous. It’s best to be careful and catch it early.
Allergies
Food allergies are common in Labradoodles, usually occurring before the age of two. Overeating certain foods during these formative months can cause this. Don’t overfeed your dog as a puppy or adolescent to avoid a lifelong chicken allergy.
If the Labradoodles develop allergies later in life, and suddenly reacting to something they’ve eaten their whole lives, call your vet to find out what’s wrong.
Hip Dysplasia
An abnormal hip socket causes hip dysplasia. It causes arthritis or difficulty to walk for other dog breeds like Labradoodles.
While it’s not fatal, severe hip dysplasia can cause considerable discomfort and loss of quality of life. At this point, euthanasia becomes the most humane option.
But in order to avoid this, only get a Labradoodle puppy from healthy parents with good hip scores.
Ear Infections
Their floppy ears conceal their ear canals.
Ear infections thrive in moist, dark environments, and their curly hair and floppy ears that can conceal their ear canals can retain moisture and foreign things, making this an issue for Labradoodles.
You can resort to washing to prevent ear infections. But, if they already have itchy ears or odors emanating from them, this means something’s wrong. A trip to the vet to diagnose and treat the ear infection is the best thing to do.
Eye Disease
Cataracts and Retinal Dysplasia are rare, but the most common is Progressive Retinal Atrophy – a part of the eye degenerates, eventually causing blindness.
This occurs frequently in Labradoodles and causes blindness in both eyes. It is known to occur in puppies as well. Unfortunately, there is no known cure. Yet, a diet rich in antioxidants may help reduce the disease’s course.
Epilepsy
Seizures are a common symptom of epilepsy, and labradoodles are prone to this disease.
Sadly, there is no cure for this disease, and therapy depends on the severity and frequency of seizures.
If your dog has seizures seldom, your vet will likely avoid medication due to the risk. Make your home safer for your dog so they don’t damage themselves if they have a seizure.
Bloat
Food and gas become trapped in the stomach, causing bloating. This is extremely serious and requires surgical intervention. Your dog will die if bloating is not handled.
Joint Issues
Labradoodles typically have joint difficulties, especially in the hips. What started as a minor ache can turn into severe discomfort, arthritis, and even lameness.
Treatment varies on the condition. Joint supplements can help your dog in certain circumstances, but in others, they may need strong pain medicine.
Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism
Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism occur when the thyroid gland produces insufficient or excessive thyroid hormone. When this issue hits your labradoodle, their metabolism is affected as well.
If left untreated, it can lead to other life-threatening illnesses.
Von Willebrand Disease
The absence of a component known as the Von Willebrand factor causes the blood to not clot normally. Excessive bleeding and bruising from injuries, but also spontaneous bleeds, such as nosebleeds, or blood in urine or stool are signs of the condition.
Throughout their life, Labradoodle may need to avoid some medications that thins the blood, as well as activities that put them in danger of injury. If they need surgery, such as neutering, they will likely need a platelet transfusion before the surgery.
Addison’s Disease
Adrenal glands don’t produce enough cortisol in dogs with Addison’s. Untreated, it can cause kidney failure and finally death in middle-aged female canines.
Fortunately, it is readily treated and has no effect on the overall lifetime.
How To Extend the Life of Your Labradoodle
Sadly, your Labradoodle is not immortal. Like people, we age and experience health problems. While you can never totally guarantee your Labradoodle will live to its full potential, there are some things you can do to help them along.
Along with basic necessities and frequent exercise, keeping an eye on your dog every day is beneficial to their health.
A change in behavior is sometimes one of the first indicators. If your dog becomes less active, doesn’t eat, or acts strangely, take them to the doctor for a checkup.
Again, you won’t notice any difference unless you pay attention!
Ensure Vaccinations Are Up-to-Date
Vaccine antigens cannot give your dog the disease, but they prepare his immune system to fight it if it occurs. Your dog’s immune system will know how to destroy any ailment he has been immunized against.
Health Care & Grooming
Proper grooming and health care can extend your Labradoodle’s life.
Ear infections are common in Labradoodles. If not cleaned and trimmed frequently, their ear hair can cause infections.
Dental care, exercise, and grooming can also improve your Labradoodle’s life. We advise for Labradoodle regular grooming, brushing, and trimming to prevent matted fur and tangles that cause discomfort.
Always Go for Premium Food Products
You might be tempted to buy cheaper food for your Labradoodle, but that is usually a mistake. Choosing an organic premium food for your Labradoodle can make a big difference.
Labradoodles are already predisposed to cancer, so there’s no reason to increase the danger by buying cheap food products.
Proper Diet
Healthy eating habits and a balanced diet are key to overall health. Look for foods high in protein, fiber, fruits, and vegetables. Remember that your dog’s nutrition is nearly entirely dependent on the food you provide them.
An overweight dog lives 2.5 years compared to a healthy dog. We advise against free-feeding your dog because it doesn’t ensure a nutritious diet but weight gain instead.
You should feed them regularly and consistently. Measuring their meals helps prevent overeating and overweight Labradoodles.
If you modify or try new meals, keep an eye on your Labradoodle to make sure they don’t have an adverse response.
A healthy diet is vital.
You don’t have to use grain-free dog food, but you should use natural ingredients and whole grains. Labradoodles might be prone to food allergies and skin issues, so keep an eye out for any symptoms like itching and licking.
Avoid dog foods that contain wheat, maize, soy, or other fillers, and other preservatives and additives that has no nutritional value.
Ensure That Your Labradoodle Has Physical Activities
Your Labradoodle’s health and lifespan may be affected by your workout practices.
Your Labradoodles can get daily exercise. This should involve hikes and playtime, but also time spent in the backyard.
These dogs are naturally active and need to be allowed to run and play to stay healthy. Getting enough exercise can extend their lives. They need exercise not only to be fit but also to avoid boredom.
Final Thoughts
Labradoodles are adorable, lovable dogs that have become increasingly popular in recent years. As their popularity grown, so too has the interest in their health and lifespan.
We’ve looked at some of the potential health problems that Labradoodles may face as they age, as well as ways to extend their life. We hope you found this information helpful and will keep it in mind when caring for your beloved Labradoodle.