the breed
In 1988, the Royal Guide Dogs Association in Australia were approached by a blind woman living in Hawaii in need of a guide dog that would be suitable with her husband's allergies to dog fur and dander. The R.G.D.A.A. decided to mate a standard Poodle to a Labrador Retriever aiming to produce a guide dog with a non shedding coat to overcome the couples problem. The result was successful with just one of the puppies from the mating not causing an allergic reaction with the lady’s husband and the dog went on to serve her as a guide dog for ten years.
A Labrador crossed with a Poodle is usually referred to as first generation (or F1) Labradoodle. By breeding a first generation (F1) Labradoodle with another first generation (F1) Labradoodle the puppies will be then referred to as second generation (F2) Labradoodles and so on. In the UK these dogs would be referred to as Early Generation Labradoodles or more commonly, English or British Labradoodles.
The current Australian Labradoodle, however, is very different to the Labradoodles mentioned above and have more than just Labrador and Poodle lines in their history. Although an Australian Labradoodle is a cross breed dog it can still be referred to as a pedigree as breeding takes place within the same breed and the breeding history and lineage is recorded. You may also see the term ASD given to the breed which refers to 'Australian Service Dog'. To ensure a more consistent non-shedding coat and to influence the size and conformation of the new breed, two breeders in Australia, Rutland Manor and Tegan Park carefully selected the following additional breeds which have resulted in the beautiful aesthetic and temperament we see today.
- Soft Coated Irish Wheaten Terrier
- Working Cocker Spaniel
- Portuguese Water Dog
Early Generation Labradoodles may have very little consistency in the puppies produced with variations in size, body shape, temperament and coat type. There could also be further throwback physical characteristics with ear length and the shape of the face. Australian Labradoodle litters are very recognisable and throw backs to parent breeds are very rare with coats that have been developed for nearly 40 years that rarely shed, making the ideal dog for asthma and allergy suffers. The Australian Labradoodle is particularly intelligent, very easily trained and make fantastic family dogs, being amazing with young children.
Australian Labradoodles are generally categorised into three sizes:
- Miniature – 14-17 inches
- Medium – 18-21 inches
- Standard – 22-26 inches