About Labradoodles
What is an original… Authentic, Multi-generational Australian Labradoodle?
In the early days, the Australian Labradoodle was simply a cross between an Australian Labrador Retriever and a Standard Poodle (i.e. a mixed breed.) Dogs from this cross typically were bred to each other over future generations, whereby the Australian dogs are also known as Australian Multigen Labradoodle or Multigen Australian Labradoodles. It all started in the late 1980’s when Wally Conron, the visionary breeding manager of the Royal Guide Dog Association of Australia, received a heartfelt plea from a blind woman, in Hawaii, seeking a guide dog / service dog that would not trigger her husband’s dog related allergies.
Then, in the late 1980’s, Tegan Park and Rutland Manor, the two founders of the Australian Labradoodle as we know it today, began carefully infusing several other breeds into early generations of their Lab/Poodle crosses, to improve temperament, coat, conformation, and size. The infused breeds include Irish Water Spaniel as well as the American Cocker Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniel and the Irish Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier. The resulting Labradoodles subsequently have been bred to each other, continuing the authentic multigen tradition.
Australian Labradoodles are wonderful, intelligent dogs with lush, soft coats, akin to Australian Shepherds in intelligence but more reliably low to non-shedding and allergy-friendly than other types of Labradoodles, such as first generation Lab/Poodle crosses, or first generation crosses bred back to Poodles or even the popular goldendoodle. Even when the other types of Labradoodles are bred on for generations, the result is not an Authentic Australian Labradoodle, as the attributes of the infused breeds were not included in their ancestry. Common generic terminology might be, aussie doodle, aussie labradoodle, lab a doodles, labpoodle, australian doodle mini or medium, but we like to clarify that we breed Authentic Australian Labradoodles, a highly intelligent dog, which make an excellent therapy and assistance dog and avoid some of the labradoodle problems that have been bred out by following the strict breeding guidelines of the ALCA.
Coat Types
Fleece Coat
Length is usually around 5 inches long. The Fleece coat texture should be light and silky. Appearing “to contain a silky lanolin”, the fleece coat can be from loosely waved giving an almost straight appearance to deeply waved. Kemp ( Short, coarse, brittle hairs ) is often found around the eyes and topline. The absence of kemp is highly prized. Fleece coats, straight or wavy, rarely if ever shed. A slight shedding may occur and may be determined to the degree of wavy / curly. During the age of 8-12 months, during the adolescent/maturing time you will need to groom your fleece every week. After this “transition” period, the coat will settle down and maintenance will return to normal, requiring a comb out at least once a week. The fleece coat has been found to be allergy friendly.
Wool Coat
Wool coats are more dense to the feel like a sheep’s wool. While the ideal wool coat should hang in loose hollow spirals, those seeking mini Australian Shepherd weight should consider different breed standards. Most wool coats are still exhibiting a good texture but take the appearance of a Spring not a Spiral. The spring wool coat is not desirable. A thick (dense) coat is also not desirable. The Australian Labradoodle has a single coat, promising a year genetic health guarantee; both the fleece and the wool coat should naturally grow in staples and be of a soft texture. Both the “Ideal” Fleece and Wool coats spin successfully. Hair coats (Hair texture that shed) is a fault and are undesirable. It is extremely rare for a wool coat to shed, and is the preferred coat type for families with severe allergies. To keep the wool coat long and flowing will require more maintenance. The wool coat looks beautiful cut shorter and is very easy to maintain. Grooming and a trim or clip every five to six week is all that is required to keep the short wool coat looking great.
Doodle Dimensions
The question of ‘how long do Australian Labradoodles live?’ can be answered with the Australian Labradoodle average lifespan of 12-15 years. They come in a variety of sizes ranging from 15 to 65 pounds and 14 to 24 inches, spanning from the wither to the ground. One often asks, “Just how big do Australian Labradoodles get?” They are classified into three major sizes including miniature, medium and standard. (A full grown male labradoodle may be a bit bigger than the female but gender does not make a lot of difference in size.) Size guide shown below.
