The Full Story
What is an Australian Labradoodle?
The Australian Labradoodle is a hybrid breed that was created by using a purebred Labrador retriever and crossing it with Poodles, Curly Coated Retrievers, English and American Cocker Spaniels, and Irish Water Spaniels.
Breeding History
Although first created in 1955, the Labradoodle was made popular in the 1980s. Wally Conron was a breeder working for Australian Guide Dog Services. A client needed a sight dog, but he also suffered terribly from pet allergies. Now, the Labrador retriever had long been used as the go-to dog for visually impaired people, but these dogs are not hypoallergenic.
Although every dog sheds dander, which causes allergies in sensitive people, Poodles shed much less than other breeds. So, Conron came up with the idea to cross a Labrador with a Poodle and thus created the first modern Labradoodle.
Australian Labradoodle vs. American Labradoodle
Like other Doodle crossbreeds, Labradoodles have one pure Labrador parent and one pure Poodle parent. These dogs are referred to as first-generation or F1 Labradoodles. All American Labradoodles are bred using a blend of Labrador Retriever and Poodle genes.
​
In contrast, Australian Labradoodles can be made up of a mixture of up to six different breeds, including:
-
Labrador
-
Poodle
-
Cocker Spaniel
-
Irish Water Spaniel
-
Curly Coated Retriever
​
These different dog breeds were blended together to create a pup that had an excellent temperament, as well as a low to non-shedding coat.
The Australian Labradoodle breed standard was introduced in 1997, and many fans of this breed hope that these dogs will be recognized one day as a breed in their own right.
