Labradoodle vs Labrador Retriever

A Labradoodle
Photo: Anton Porsche
A Labrador Retriever
Photo: SixtyWeb

Side by side

Labradoodle
Labrador Retriever
Adult weight
7–30 kg (15–66 lb) (breed club figure)1
Males 29–36 kg (65–80 lb); females 25–32 kg (55–70 lb) (breed club figure)2
Height
Males 35–63 cm; females 35–63 cm (registry figure)3
No sourced figure
Lifespan
No sourced figure
Median 13.1 years4
Fully grown
11 months, both sexes5
12 months, both sexes5
Group
Non-sporting (AKC)
Retrievers & water dogs6
Coat
No sourced figure
Short coat6
Shedding
No sourced figure
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
No sourced figure
A brush once a week
Exercise
No sourced figure
Plenty
Health
Addison's disease (much more likely); Mouth melanoma (more likely)7,8
Elbow joint disease (much more likely); Outward-drooping eyelid (much more likely)9,10
Class
Family
Family

Which suits you

Size
The Labradoodle comes in a wide range of sizes, 7–30 kg (15–66 lb) as an adult, against 25–36 kg (55–80 lb) for the Labrador Retriever.
Temperament
They differ most on activity (Labradoodle: a good daily walk and play; Labrador Retriever: needs lots of exercise) and on loyalty (Labradoodle: bonded to its family; Labrador Retriever: friendly with everyone).
Alike
Both are rated the same on affection: a lap or leaning dog.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

Labradoodle
Non-sporting · Medium

Labradoodles are typically friendly, energetic and sociable, often combining the Labrador's eagerness to please with the Poodle's quick wits.

Labrador Retriever
Retrievers & water dogs · Large

The breed is friendly, outgoing and keen to work alongside people. Its steady nature has made it a common choice as a guide dog for blind people.

The Labradoodle page →The Labrador Retriever page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Labradoodle
Labrador Retriever
Activity
Differs
A good daily walk and play
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Differs
Needs daily brain work
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Differs
Needs steady training
Suits a first-time owner
With people
Labradoodle
Labrador Retriever
Affection
A lap or leaning dog
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Differs
Bonded to its family
Friendly with everyone
Independence
Keen to work with you
Keen to work with you
Around the home
Labradoodle
Labrador Retriever
Sensitivity
Differs
Average
Hardy, takes a busy home in its stride
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Differs
Chases; needs managing
Usually fine with small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour11. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home12,13.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Labrador Retriever grows to the heavier adult, about 31 kg against the Labradoodle's 19 kg.
Labradoodle
Labrador Retriever
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More comparisons

Compare the Labradoodle with
Golden Retriever vs Labrador RetrieverLabradoodle vs Standard PoodleChesapeake Bay Retriever vs Labrador RetrieverGoldendoodle vs LabradoodleGerman Shepherd vs Labrador RetrieverLabrador Retriever vs Nova Scotia Duck Tolling RetrieverAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·