Australian Labradoodles in Agility
To compete successfully in Agility the dog needs to be physically, mentally, and emotionally sound, with a strong play drive. An Australian Labradoodle has all these attributes plus they can maintain their competitive edge for many years not burning out at four or five.
Australian Labradoodles in Obedience
Australian Labradoodle are fun loving clowns. They are intelligent, want to please their owners (and themselves!), and are incurably inquisitive. If they don’t understand, or have yet to be taught, what is being asked of them, they can appear to be stubborn. All these traits work for and against training for Obedience.
This said, the Australian Labradoodle can perform exceptionally well in Obedience, often scoring at the top. One just has to realize that while he certainly wants to do the right thing and please his owner, the Australian Labradoodle also seldom loses his sense of humor and joie de vivere. These two facets are not always mutually acceptable traits in the Obedience ring.
Make sure when training your Australian Labradoodle for Obedience to keep your training sessions exciting and fun. Unlike many other breeds, a Australian Labradoodle cannot be drilled; repetition equals boredom. Harsh corrections, which could include the tone of your voice or the look on your face, are counterproductive; the goal of all training should be to build your Australian Labradoodle’s self-confidence. Indeed, there seems to be no limit to what a confident Australian Labradoodle can learn!
The road to obedience will be short if done in a positive manner. Your Australian Labradoodle will learn quicker than any other breed. Obedience is not to be dismissed, untrained dogs are unhappy dogs and make unhappy owners. In the long run you will be awarded with a great sense of pride, accomplishment, teamwork, and lots of interest in your dog from the crowd that will gather outside your ring.
