Raising Australian Labradoodle Puppies for Your Family
History of the Australian Labradoodle
In 1988, Wally Cochran of The Royal Guide Dogs in Victoria Australia produced the first ever litter of Labradoodles. This litter came about in response to a request by a blind lady in Hawaii who needed a guide dog that wouldn’t aggravate her husband’s allergies. Hair and saliva samples from dozens of poodles were sent to the couple to see if they would cause an allergic reaction. Unfortunately, they all bothered him. With permission from the management of The Royal Guide Dogs, Wally crossed one of their labs with a Standard Poodle. This cross produced the first litter of Labradoodles. Three puppies were born, one of which didn’t bother the husband’s allergies. This pup went on to be a wonderful Guide Dog and companion for the couple.
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Parent Breeds
Interest in the Labradoodle began to spread and forward thinking breeders in Australia started to breed this dog with a specific plan in mind. The Australian breeders infused other breeds with the Labradoodle to help improve things like health, appearance, boning, etc. The infusion of new bloodlines has helped create the Australian Labradoodle that we know and love today.
There are 5 parent breeds in the Australian Labradoodle:
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Labrador
Poodle
Irish Water Spaniel
American Cocker Spaniel
English Cocker Spaniel |
In order for a dog to be considered an Australian Labradoodle, it must have poodle, Labrador and Spaniel bloodlines.
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Australian Labradoodle Foundation Dogs
The beginning of a new breed has always started with the crossing between other breeds. Dogs have always been bred for a specific purpose….we have hunting dogs, sporting dogs, retrieving dogs, herding dogs etc. The Australian Labradoodle is no different. It was bred to be an excellent family pet that is non-shedding and allergy friendly. This is a niche in our society that is needed today.
In order for the Australian Labradoodle to become an AKC recognized breed, there are several hurdles that need to be overcome. The International Labradoodle Association (ILA) is an organization dedicated to the development of the Australian Labradoodle. They have set up a structure to help this process.
A large genetic base is required to ensure the future of a new breed. Currently, most breeders in the USA are breeding what is called Australian Labradoodle Foundation (ALF) dogs. There must be 6 generations of ALF dogs before the dog is considered to be a purebred. So, when you see ALF4, it means that the dog is part of the Australian Labradoodle Foundation dogs to the 4th generation. Any generation at or above ALF3 would be considered a “Multigenerational Australian Labradoodle”.
Australian Labradoodle Abbreviations
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ALF 1-6 = Australian Labradoodle Foundation dogs, the number refers to the generation.
PAL = Purebred Australian Labradoodle, any numbers following PAL would refer to generation. Purebred occurs after ALF6.
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Australian Labradoodle vs Labradoodle
Is there a difference? Yes. As you’re learning about Labradoodles, you’ll certainly come across the term F1. This term refers to the puppy from a Labrador retriever parent and a Poodle parent. With a first generation cross, it is impossible to predict the results. You don’t know if the dog will take on the non-shedding coat qualities of the poodle or if it will shed like crazy. The appearance of the dog isn’t predictable either.
You’ll also run into the term, F1b, which means they’ve mated an F1 back to a poodle. With this cross there is more consistency in the coat, about an 8/10 chance that the puppy will be non-shedding if both the parents were non-shedding. This is due to the large amount of poodle genetics (3/4 poodle and ¼ lab).
| Labradoodle Abbreviations |
F1 = First cross between a Lab X Poodle
F1b = F1 X Poodle
LO = Labradoodle Origin: meaning there are only Labrador and poodle genes…so it is a Labradoodle. You may see numbers following the LO, these would refer to the generations. This abbreviation is also considered an American Labradoodle.
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Then there's the Australian Multigenerational Labradoodle. Remember, Australian Labradoodles have more than just Labrador and poodle bloodlines at work. When you purchase an Australian Labradoodle, you have a much better idea of exactly what you’re buying. The size, coat, temperament, look, allergy friendliness, and non-shedding qualities are a lot more predictable. It’s these qualities that have created the Australian Labradoodle that we now know and love.
| Australian Labradoodle Abbreviations |
ALF 1-6 = Australian Labradoodle Foundation dogs, the number refers to the generation.
PAL = Purebred Australian Labradoodle, any numbers following PAL would refer to generation. Purebred occurs after ALF6.
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Breed Standard
General Appearance
Must appear athletic and graceful with a compact body displaying substance with medium boning. Dog should not appear heavy or overly fine. A distinctive feature of this breed is their coat, which is non-shedding and easy to manage.
Temperament
Extremely clever, sociable, comical, joyful, energetic when free and soft and quiet when handled. They approach people in a happy friendly manner, are keen and easy to train. They display an intuition about their family members' or handler’s current emotional state or needs. This ability to “know” is what has made the Australian Labradoodle an excellent dog for individuals with special needs.
Head
Moderately broad with well-defined eyebrows. Stop should be moderate with eyes set well apart. The head should be of moderate width; developed but without exaggeration. Foreface is to appear shorter than skull. The head should be clean-cut and free from fleshy cheeks. The whole head must be in proportion to the size of the dog.
Eyes
Large, expressive and slightly rounded.
Ears
Set slightly above eye level and should lay flat against head in proportion with the skull. Leather should be of medium thickness, and leather should not hang below the lower lip line. Excessive hair in the ear canal is undesirable.
Mouth
Must be a scissor bite. Upper teeth are to just overlap the bottom teeth.
Nose
Should be large, of square appearance and fleshy.
Neck
Well proportioned of good strength, moderately long lending an air of elegance, slightly arched and flow into shoulders with no appearance of abruptness.
Forequarters
Shoulders blades and upper arms to be the same length, and shoulders should be well laid back. Elbows are set close to the body. Forelegs to be straight when viewed from the front. Toeing in or out is a fault.
Body
Height (to wither) as to length (from sternum to point of buttock) should appear square and compact. Deep chest and well sprung. There should be a good tuck up. Loins should be strong and muscular.
Hindquarters
In profile the croup is nearly flat, slight sloping of the croup is acceptable. Stifles should be moderately turned to propel forward movement, and hindquarters well muscled for power in movement. Hock to heel should be strong and short being perpendicular to the ground. View from the rear should be parallel to each other, must not be cow-hocked.
Feet
The feet are of medium size, round with well-arched toes having elastic and thick pads. The feet should not turn in or out.
Tail
The tail should follow the top line in repose or when in motion. It may be carried gaily, but should not curl completely over the back. Tip of tail should not touch the back nor curl upon itself.
Movement
Trotting gait is effortless, smooth, powerful and coordinated in mature dogs. Should have a good reach in front and drive from behind for forward motion. Sound free movement and a light gait are essential.
Australian Labradoodle Sizes
There are 3 sizes of the Australian Labradoodle:
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Standard: |
21-24 inches, 50-65 lbs |
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Medium: |
17-20 inches, 30-45 lbs |
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Miniature: |
14-16 inches, 15-25 lbs |
All Australian Labradoodles, no matter the size are indoor dogs. If you are interested in doing some serious physical activities with your dog such as running, agility, flyball or the like, stick with either a medium or a standard size. On the other hand, if you’re interested in the perfect small dog, the miniature Labradoodle is a great lap dog size.
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Australian Labradoodle Coats
There are 3 different coat types for the Australian Labradoodle:
Wool
This coat is the most allergy friendly. It’s soft, luxurious, thick and full. The curls are like that of a poodle and this coat is considered to be non-shedding. Wool coats are easy to care for; clipping 3x a year should do the trick.
Fleece
Fleece is very soft and silky, a sort of chenille feel. It’s absolutely gorgeous! A true fleece should not shed. The curliness of this coat can range anywhere from wavy to a tight spiral. This coat requires medium maintenance. It can be scissored or clipped to a 2” coat twice a year and then allowed to grow back to its long flowing length.
Hair
The hair coat is similar to that of a lab. It will shed. Normally, this coat occurs in the early generation Labradoodles such as the first cross of a lab X poodle, F1b and sometimes in F2b.
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Labradoodle Colors
Caramel
This is one of my favorites! The color's name speaks for itself. Ideally it should be the color of real caramel. The range of color can vary between gold and red. The key is in the nose pigment; caramel colored dogs need to have rose pigmentation.
Chocolate
Yummy! I love the chocolates! Pups that are truly chocolate are born almost black in color and they will retain their rich dark color throughout their lives. The color should be even and the nose pigment should be rose.
Cream
This color comes in a wide variety of shades but it should be creamy in appearance. It can have tinting of gold/apricot. The nose pigment can be black or rose.
Gold/Apricot
It’s as the name implies! The color has been referred to as “apricot” because the standard calls for the color to resemble the inside of a ripe apricot to varying shades of rich dark gold. The color should be even throughout and the roots should not be lighter. This beautiful color can fade as the dog grows older. The pigment for the nose is black.
Parchment
What beautiful highlights! This color is a creamy beige chocolate color. It has been described as a cup of coffee with a generous addition of milk. These dogs are born milk chocolate and will develop their parchment coloring over time. The nose pigment is rose.
Red
True reds should be rich and dark in color and the roots should be no lighter. Sadly, this coat color tends to fade over time. The nose color is to be black.
Café
This color can range between a light milk chocolate to an almost beige. This color develops over the first 1-3 years. Nose pigment should be rose.
Chalk
This color is a white looking color. However, if you were to compare it to a true white, it would appear to be more chalk-white in color. Nose pigment can be either black or rose.
Black
Black Labradoodles should be solid in color with no sprinklings of other colors throughout the coat. Their pigment color should be black.
Silver
These pups would start out black and their silver coloring develops over the first few years of their lives. The color range can be anywhere from a light pewter to a dark charcoal. Ideally, the color should be solid, but it’s acceptable to have uneven layering of color in the coat. Silver dogs need to have black pigmentation.
Blue
These pups are born black with blue/grey pigmentation. The blue coat will develop over the first few years. The color should be solid once they are full grown. It should be a dark-medium smoky blue.
Lavender
This color has a smoky lavender chocolate coloring that almost gives off a pink to lilac appearance. These pups are born chocolate and will come into their beautiful lavender coats over the first few years. Their pigmentation should be rose in color.
Parti
These dogs need to be at least fifty percent white, with spots or patches of any other above solid color. Full or partial saddles are acceptable, but are not preferred. Ticking in the white of the coat is acceptable but not preferred. The nose pigment needs to match the solid color.
Phantom
Phantom colored dogs have a solid base color with sharply defined markings of a second color appearing above each eye, on the sides of the muzzle, on the throat/ forechest, on all four legs and feet, and below the tail. Any combination of acceptable colors is allowed. Nose pigment should follow requirements listed above based on the solid base color.
Allergies
The Australian Labradoodle was specifically bred for allergy sufferers. If you or a member of your family has an allergy to dogs then the best way to find out if you are allergic to the Australian Labradoodle is to spend time with one.
For allergy sufferers, your best bet is to get an Australian Labradoodle with either a fleece or wool coat.
F1 = First cross between a lab and a poodle
This is not a safe choice for allergy sufferers or those who don’t want shedding because the ability to identify which puppy will or won’t increase allergy symptoms and/or shed as an adult is all but impossible.
F1B = F1 bred back to a Poodle
This is not the best choice for those concerned with allergies and/or shedding because there is only about an 8/10 chance that this dog won’t shed/be allergy friendly, depending on the previous generations.
Australian Labradoodle
If both the Australian Labradoodle parents are allergy friendly and non-shedding then the pup should be allergy friendly and non-shedding. This is the best bet for those families who are looking for a non-shedding and allergy friendly dog.
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Shedding
Not all Labradoodles are non-shedding.
The wool coats of the Australian Labradoodles are considered non-shedding. A true fleece coat should not shed, however, if you are seriously concerned about shedding, then an Australian Labradoodle with a wool coat may be your best bet.
See specific notes above in ‘Allergies’ section.
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Male or Female?
Here at ArborGate Labradoodles, we spay/neuter all our companion puppies before they go to their new homes. This is a requirement of all breeders who are registered with the International Labradoodle Association. This is to ensure that only top quality dogs are bred and that Australian Labradoodles are bred responsibly.
Having your puppy desexed early has a number of benefits for you as the new parent. Research has shown that early desexed puppies recover more quickly and have fewer complications than if spayed/neutered later in life. Not to mention that puppy gets to return home to its mommy and siblings post operation…this helps with their recovery.
Also, having the male desexed early doesn’t allow the testosterone to develop, thus all but eliminating the undesired behaviors associated will male dogs. Because of the early spay/neuter, Australian Labradoodle puppies are almost gender neutral.
The number one thing to consider is personality, not gender. Make sure to inform your breeder about what you are looking for in your dog. Do you have young children? Other pets? Are you active? All of this information will help your breeder match you up with the pup that would best suit you.
Male and female dogs make equally good family companions.
Please Click Here for more information on early spay/neuter.
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Australian Labradoodle Health
Here at ArborGate Labradoodles, your puppy’s health is of the utmost importance to us, therefore, we health test all of our breeding stock dogs. We will gladly show you your puppy's parents' health test results. We welcome any comments or questions!
Below are details regarding the health tests that we perform:
OFA
We do a Hip and Elbow test prior to breeding specifically to address: Carpal subluxation, Elbow dysplasia, Epiphyseal dysplasia, Fragmented coronoid process, Hip dysplasia, Hypertrophic osteodystrophy, Multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, Muscular dystrophy, Osteochondrosis, Osteogenesis imperfecta, Patella luxation, and Shoulder dysplasia.
We only breed dogs that achieve an OFA Good or Excellent and Elbows Normal.
For more information Click Here
CERF Eye Exams
We do a CERF eye exam prior to breeding. This one eye exam is used to identify 20 possible disorders including: Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), Cataract, Coloboma, Dacryocystitis, Distichiasis, Ectropion, Entropion, Epiphora, Glaucoma, Hemeralopia, Iris atrophy, Lacrimal duct atresia, Lens luxation, Microphthalmia, Optic nerve hypoplasia, Pannus, Persistent hyaloid artery, Persistent pupillary membrane, Retinal detachment, Retinal dysplasia.
We only breed dogs that pass this test with a result of normal.
CERF – Canine Eye Registry Foundation
PRA
PRA is a hereditary group of diseases that cause the retina to degenerate slowly over time. The disease results in declining vision and eventual blindness. “prcd” stands for “progressive rod-cone degeneration” which is the type of PRA known in several breeds.
This is a hereditary disease, therefore, we pay careful attention to be sure that we only breed dogs that won't produce PRA affected puppies.
For more information Click Here
Complete Blood Chemistry (CBC) and Thyroid
We do a Blood Chemistry Panel (CBC) and a thyroid panel to screen for initial signs of: Addison's disease, Chronic progressive hepatitis, Diabetes mellitus, Factor VIII deficiency or hemophilia A, Factor IX deficiency or hemophilia B, Factor XII deficiency, Hemolytic anemia, Hemophilia A, Hemophilia B, Hyperadrenocorticism or Cushing's disease, Hypoadrenocorticism, Hypoglycemia, Hypothyroidism, Lymphocytic thyroiditis, Thyroiditis, von Willebrand's disease.
For more information on CBC and Thyroid – Click Here
OFA Cardiac Heart Screening
Canine congenital heart diseases are malformations of the heart or great vessels. The lesions characterizing congenital heart defects are present at birth and may develop more fully over time. Many congenital heart defects are thought to be genetically transmitted; however, the exact modes of inheritance have not been determined for all cardiovascular malformations.
For more information on OFA Cardiac – Click Here
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Grooming
Ears
Labradoodles are prone to ear infections because the hair in the ear canals doesn’t shed on its own and labradoodle ears are waxy. In order to keep air flowing beneath the ear, owners should trim the hair underneath the ear flaps and pluck the hair in the canal. Labradoodles should also have their ears cleaned weekly with an ear cleaning solution that you can get from your vet.
Feet
Trim their nails, including the dew claw located a bit further up the leg. A dog's vein system ends in their nails, it is referred to as the “quick”. If you cut the nail too short it is possible to hit the quick and the dog can bleed severely. Styptic powder works well to stop any bleeding so be sure to have some on hand. Ask your vet to teach you how to clip your puppy’s’ nails properly before doing it yourself. Black toenails are especially hard to judge where the vein is; whereas, in clear nails you can see where the quick ends. Be careful.
The hair between their foot pads will need to be trimmed. Remember to check between their pads regularly for any debris that might have gotten lodged. During the winter months when there is salt on the road, be sure to clean off their feet after a walk.
Coat
The different coats will require different amounts of care and grooming.
Hair: will need a quick brushing every few weeks depending on the density and length. A light trimming might be required with scissors.
Fleece: This coat requires medium maintenance. It can be scissored or clipped to a 2” length twice a year and then allowed to grow back to its long flowing length.
Wool: is easy to care for. It will need a brushing every few weeks and will need to be clipped 3 times per year.
Fleece and Wool – the adult coat comes in around 10-14 months old. Because the puppy coat doesn’t shed on its own, it will need to be stripped out or it will cause severe matting. During this time of coat change, which could take anywhere from 1 to several weeks, it is recommended that the puppy receive daily grooming.
Teeth
Buy a toothbrush and some doggy toothpaste and brush away! If you start this routine when they are young, they’ll grow up to enjoy it. You can also use a Dental Ring by Omega Paw, Greenies or just raw bones. Keeping your dogs’ teeth clean is important for their health so find something that works for you and stick with it.
Eyes
Some Labradoodles have goopy eyes. I find that using non-alcoholic wipes (baby wipes) works great for cleaning under their eyes.
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