What is an Australian Labradoodle?

Our spayed pet ALD, Piper

A breed in development..

Often confused with the usual poodle mix, the Australian labradoodle is of its own category. The Australian Labradoodle (ALD) began in the 80’s in Australia after Wally Conran began crossing Poodles and Labrador Retrievers. These crosses were inconsistent and unpredictable in coat type, temperament, and conformation as they still are today. Tegan Park and Rutland Manor were the first creators of the breed we have now, crossing Poodles, Labradors, American Cocker Spaniels, English Cockers, and Irish Water Spaniels (and rumored to include other breeds) together until the “breed” began to produce offspring of consistent type. After several generations of crossbreeding, they began to breed the early versions of the ALDs together, making them multigenerational. After several decades of careful multigenerational breeding, today’s ALD is extremely consistent and predictable in temperament, size, coat type and conformation.

Australian Labradoodle Breed Standard

Taken from the ALAA website

General Appearance:

Athletic and graceful with a compact, medium-boned body. Should not appear heavyset nor overly fine. Coat is non-shedding and easy to manage.

Temperament:

Extremely clever, sociable, comical and joyful. Energetic when free and quiet when handled. Should approach people in a happy, friendly manner. Keen and easy to train.

Should display an intuition about 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.

Size:

Between 14 and 24 inches (35 to 63 centimeters) in height at wither, but not more than 25 inches. Weighs between 15 and 65 pounds (7 to 30 kilograms).

At this stage in the breed’s development, the Australian Labradoodle comes in three size ranges. Inter-size breeding is acceptable and expected at the moment.

Miniature range: Between 14 and 16 inches (35 to 42 centimeters) in height at wither, but not more than 17 inches.

Medium range: Between 17 and 20 inches (43 to 52 centimeters) in height at wither, but not more than 21. Ideal size for a female is 17 to19 inches; for a male, 18 to 20 inches.

Standard range: Between 21 and 24 inches (53 to 63 centimeters) in height at wither, but not more than 25 inches.

Head:

Moderately broad with well-defined eyebrows. Stop should be moderate, with eyes set well-apart. Head should be of moderate width, developed but without exaggeration. Foreface should appear shorter than skull.

Head should be clean-cut and free from fleshy cheeks. The whole head proportionate in size to the rest of the dog.

Eyes:

Large, expressive and slightly rounded.

Ears:

Should be set slightly above eye level and lay flat against head in proportion with the skull. Leather should be of medium thickness and should not hang below the lower lip line. Excessive hair in the ear canal is undesirable.

Mouth:

Must be a scissor bite. Upper teeth to just overlap the bottom teeth.

Nose:

Should be large, of square appearance and fleshy.

Neck:

Well-proportioned, of good strength and moderately long, lending an air of elegance. Slightly arched and flows into shoulders with no appearance of abruptness.

Forequarters:

Shoulders blades and upper arms should be the same length. Shoulders should be laid well back, and elbows should be set close to the body. Forelegs should be straight when viewed from the front. Out-toeing is a fault.

Body:

Frame (bounded by height [to wither] and length [from sternum to point of buttocks] should appear square and compact, with a deep chest and well-sprung ribs. There should be a good tuck up, and the loins should be strong and muscular.

Hindquarters:

In profile, the croup is nearly flat, though slight sloping is acceptable. Stifles should be moderately turned to propel forward movement, and hindquarters should be well-muscled for power in movement. Hock to heel should be strong, short and perpendicular to the ground. Should appear parallel to the rear. Must not be cow-hocked.

Feet:

Round and of medium size, with well-arched toes and thick, elastic pads. Should not turn in or out.

Tail:

Should follow topline in repose or when in motion. May be carried gaily, but should not curl completely over the back. Tip 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. Silent movement and light gait are essential.

Coat:

Non-shedding and easily maintained. Any length is acceptable, but coat generally should not exceed 4 inches. Should be even over the entire body.

Can appear wavy or straight or form spirals, but should not be too thick or dense, nor should it be fluffy or fuzzy. Should be a single coat; any sign of an undercoat is a serious fault. Ranges between fleece and wool in texture. Extremely harsh hair is highly undesirable.

Fleece-textured coat is soft in texture, as in the Angora goat. Can have either a straight, wavy look or a soft, spiraling, curly look.

The wool coat is similar to a lamb’s wool in texture. Should have the appearance of looser, spiraling wool, which parts easily to the skin. Should not appear too dense or too tightly curled.

Coat should not appear overly groomed. Any appearance of sun bleaching is acceptable. Note on coat types: Breeders and owners typically refer to their Australian Labradoodles as “fleece-coated” or “wool-coated.” These correspond to coat descriptions in the Australian Labradoodle Breed Standard. Read the coat section to learn more.

Faults:

  • Any sign of aggression or dominance (major fault)

  • Fearful, timid, yappy or highly-strung temperaments

  • Harsh hair or any sign of undercoat (coats must be fleece or wool)

  • Short or overly thick neck

  • A coat that sheds (note: some coat instability is to be expected in fertile bitches experiencing hormonal changes)

  • Possum-type or teapot-handle tails (minor fault)

  • A long, narrow or block-like head

  • Protruding or sunken eyes

  • Watery or tearful eyes

  • Over or under-bite

  • Long back

  • Crowding teeth

  • Bad carriage or heavy gait

  • Monorchid or inverted vulva

  • Cow hock

  • Toeing in or out

  • Albinism (disqualification)

  • Over or undersized (major fault)

  • Special attention must be directed to soundness in the breed. Any sign of lameness is a disqualification