Everyone always thinks of the curly teddy bear Labradoodle. But did you know that there is also straight haired Labradoodle? These adorable little puppies have the cutest faces and beautiful personalities. You might be wondering what the difference between the curly and straight hair is, and which is better. Let’s look at the straight hair Labradoodle pros and cons.
Pros Of Straight Hair Labradoodles
We are going to dive right in and tell you all the fantastic things about straight hair. Straight hair Labradoodle pros and cons aren’t about what they act like or that they have superior genetics, but more about your likes and dislikes. You might find that you prefer some of these pros over the pros of a curly coat.
Same Benefits Of Curly-Coated Personalities
When most people think about Labradoodles, they think about mild temperaments, intelligence, energy levels, and gentle natures. You can get all of this and more in well-bred straight hair Labradoodles. The type of coat that your dog has won’t diminish any of this no matter what myths some breeders will tell you. No matter the coat type of your Doodle, they will all still have the same characteristics since they are the same breed. Having straight hair won’t make them prone to different medical diseases or take away from their personalities.
Look Like Labs
Having a Labradoodle has so many pros for their temperaments alone. But having a Labradoodle with straight hair gives you this, in a dog that looks like a Lab. Curly dogs have the stigma of being Fru Fru and spoiled. Though this might not always be true, it can be hard to convince the manliest man of this. So why not compromise and get a straight haired Labradoodle?
It’s also about personal preference. Some people don’t find the curly/wavy look as cute as the straight hair Labradoodles. So if you want the Labradoodle but with a coat that is more to your liking, you can get it.
Cheaper
Most breeders only try to breed for curly coats. These coat types are the most popular and known for their hypoallergenic properties. And when breeders accidentally produce straight hair, they have a harder time selling the puppies. Because it is hard to sell them, breeders usually put them up for less than $1,000. Once it is known that a breeding pair only produces straight coats, they typically aren’t bred again.
No Hair Cuts
Another way that Labradoodles with straight hair are cheaper is that you don’t have to groom them as much. They still need brushing and baths to keep them clean and from shedding too much. But since straight hair sheds, they don’t need a trim every 6-8 weeks like curly coats. This can save you anywhere from $400-$550 a year, depending on your local grooming rates. It also saves you the time and hassle of taking your dog to and from the groomers so often. Who doesn’t love that?
Color Variations
Because Labradoodles come in any color variation, you can also get straight hair Labradoodles in any color. The most common is the straight hair chocolate Labradoodle. Mostly because chocolate Labradoodles are becoming more popular over others, but you can also get them in black, cream, apricot, golden, or even a mixture of colors. Having more choices is a great option, but having so many makes it hard to choose only one.
Sizes
The most common straight haired Labradoodles are the standard. But it is sometimes possible to find them in smaller sizes. The reason for this has to do with their generational lines. Standard Labradoodles are 50% Lab and 50% Poodle. But smaller Labradoodles are often bred back to the Toy Poodle. These are considered the F1B generation that is 75% Poodle. That much Poodle in your Doodle doesn’t give much room for the straight hair gene to present itself.
But a straight hair mini Labradoodle is possible if it is multigenerational. That is because genetics isn’t an exact science. When you breed two Labradoodles together, there isn’t a guarantee of what genetics is passed on to the pups. It is possible that both parents only pass genetics from the Lab’s side, or entirely from the Poodle. So if you are looking for a mini, you might want to look specifically for multigenerational litters.
Cute
And let’s not forget how adorable these puppies are. Their wisps of wiry hair go in every direction. It gives them a somewhat puppy look for their entire lives. You can’t resist looking into the face of these straight hair puppies. Some people find them even cuter than their curly-haired brothers and sisters.
Cons Of Straight Hair Labradoodles
While there aren’t many cons to owning a straight hair Labradoodle, there are a few. Some of these cons might be a deal-breaker for you, and that’s ok. It is best to see the downside before going out and buying a puppy that doesn’t fit your family. There are plenty of other Doodles on this website that might fit your needs better.
Not Hypoallergenic
Most people love Doodles because they don’t shed. But when you get a straight haired Labradoodle, be prepared for all the shedding. In some cases, it might not be as bad as a Lab. But in other cases, it can be just as bad, if not worse. Worse shedding is a strong possibility if your puppy also inherits food allergies or skin conditions that make dandruff an issue.
Shedding means more dander, dust, and cleaning around the house. Many people don’t mind or notice, but if you or anyone in your home has asthma or allergies, they will.
Brushing
We mentioned before that your straight coated Doodle wouldn’t need as much grooming. This is true, but you still need to brush your dog several times a week. Brushing a straight coated dog is slightly different than curly coats, though.
For one, you aren’t brushing to remove mats. So you will need other tools for straight hair. You will need de-shedding brushes and a slicker comb to get the job done. And another slight change is that you won’t brush all over like with curly dogs. You will focus mainly on the back and around the head to get all of the loose fur.
Hard To Find
The world loves Doodles because of its hypoallergenic coats. Reputable breeders are very good at predicting which pairs will make the best hypoallergenic coats. Some even have their Doodles genetically tested to verify that all puppies will have the curly-haired gene.
That means that finding a well-bred straight haired Labradoodle is harder to find than most. If you are lucky, your state will have a breeder that breeds explicitly for them. Otherwise, you might have to spend more money on shipping costs to get your dream dog.
Backyard Breeding
Our last note on straight hair Labradoodle pros and cons is about breeding. We mentioned that most reputable breeders specifically breed for curly coats that shed as little as possible. Most breeders even go as far as to only breed F1 or F1B generations to ensure these coats’ predictability.
If you find a breeder that seems to have many straight hair Labradoodle puppies for sale, you need to be cautious. This frequent breeding is a good indicator that the breeder might not know what they are doing. A few in a litter now and then isn’t a red flag, but always be cautious. Don’t let a breeder overcharge without guarantees, DNA testing, and health records of their puppies.
So How Is Straight Hair Possible?
You might be wondering if straight hair is so rare, how does it happen? Dog genetics is very similar to how people get curly or straight hair. Let’s say your dad has curly hair, and your mom straight. Your dad has a gene that restricts keratin in the hair follicle, causing it to curl. Your mom’s hair absorbs the keratin evenly, giving it a straight look.
Now think back to high school biology and Punnett Squares. If your dad only has the gene for curly hair, all of his kids will have curly/wavy hair. But let’s say he has the curly and straight genetics. His hair is still curly, but he carries the recessive straight hair gene. That means there is a 50/50 chance that his children will have curly or straight hair.
The same thing happens with dogs, which is why straight hair is more common in multigenerational dogs. The more mixed the genetics are, the more unpredictable they get. And that is why straight coats aren’t usually bred for. They are more of a happy accident. There is nothing wrong with them genetically; they just have a different coat type.
What Do You Think?
There are certainly a lot of straight hair Labradoodle pros and cons. They are everything you love about a Doodle, but with a unique and cute coat. These straight haired Doodles can be challenging to find, but they are worth the wait when you finally bring them home. While they aren’t the traditional Labradoodle the world has come to know and love, you will appreciate them differently.
Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. so you can pin it to your Doodle Board!
