Coat Types

Curly – A curly coat can vary much like a person with curly hair from looser curls to tight curls, this will vary based on parent curl types and genes. Often curly coat dogs tend to shed less. They also require daily brushing to avoid matting. Curly coats will rarely shed at all and are the most allergy friendly!

Wavy – A wavy coat is a less defined curl. This coat type is often low to no shed. This coat type requires brushing daily. Paying special attention to high friction areas like the ears, collar, and back of the legs to keep the doodle mat-free. Wavy coats will rarely shed at all and are very allergy friendly!

Straight- A straight coat doodle (usually and F1) is less wavy to straight hair but may have waves in some areas. Straight-coat doodles still require regular brushing and grooming. They are the least likely to mat as they have less curl. Straight coats will shed 80-90% less than most dog breeds. They are not recommended for families with allergies as they can still cause allergy issues.

What are Furnishings?

The term “Furnishings” refers to the long hair on the extremities of dogs including head and tail (ie, mustache, long eyebrows, etc). This is what gives the doodle the “doodle look” Furnished Doodles require regular brushing and grooming to maintain coat and prevent matting.

What does unfurnished mean?

Unfurnished is the absence of the furnishing gene. This creates a puppy who closely resembles their non-poodle parent. This is also referred to as “improper coat” or “flat coat”.

Why do we choose parents that produce them?

We breed for health and temperament first. Colors and coats are a bonus to us. Some people want a big, fluffy typical doodle coat and some people simply do not.

Unfurnished Doodles are the answer for those that like doodles (breeds/health benefits and temperament), but don’t like the grooming chores that come with all that coat! An Unfurnished Doodle does not frequent trips to the groomer. The Unfurnished doodle does have a higher risk to shed, generally shedding is much less than the grandparent breed however, some unfurnished doodles don’t shed at all. Our prior unfurnished puppy families report minimal shedding and say they only notice shed when brushing which may increase some at season change. For families with allergy concerns, we suggest visiting with the unfurnished puppy or a tee shirt test.

Let’s Discuss Coat Types Even Further…

Doodles have three broad coat types, namely, wool, fleece and hair. Each looks and feels very different, so it is important to understand the differences between them.

Doodles are known for being non-shedding and whilst most of them are due to their wool and fleece coats, the hair-coated dogs do shed to varying degrees, just like Early Generation Doodles. The good news is that any experienced breeder worth their salt will be able to tell you nice and early on if any of the litter have hair coats – it is usually pretty obvious by 4 weeks old. It is also worth noting here that we do not make any guarantee that any puppy will be non-shedding. We do our best to produce non-shedding dogs and we give our honest advice and opinion on our puppies coats, but we do not have a crystal ball and nature can do funny things. No breeder can genuinely guarantee that any dog will be non-shedding.

WOOL COAT
The wool coat is coarse in texture and very curly. It is sprung and therefore sits up off the dogs back giving the illusion the dog is bigger. This coat is very like that of the Poodle. It is non-shedding and is generally very compatible with allergy and asthma sufferers.

CURLY FLEECE COAT
The curly fleece coat is soft in texture with loose curls. It is not sprung, so it tends to straighten out a little when it grows longer. This coat type is what most people think of as the typical Australian Labradoodle look. It is non-shedding and is generally very compatible with allergy and asthma sufferers.

LOOSE/WAVY FLEECE COAT
The loose or wavy fleece coat is very soft in texture with a slight wave to it. It blows in the wind or when the dog runs! This coat type is what most people think of as the typical Australian Labradoodle look. It is non-shedding and is generally very compatible with allergy and asthma sufferers. HAIR COAT The hair is quite coarse in texture and feels like typical dog hair. It is usually short and flat and will not ever grow particularly long. It does shed to varying degrees and therefore is generally not compatible with allergy and asthma sufferers