Breed Development

 

In the late 1970’s Australia, Wally Conron (member of Royal Guide Dogs Association) bred a Labrador with a Poodle in an attempt to produce asthma and allergy friendly service dogs. Two Australian breeders - Tegan Park and Rutland Manor, picked up from where he left off after realising that more than two breeds were going to be required to create an allergy and asthma friendly service dog. Four other breeds were infused over multiple generations - the English and American Cocker Spaniels, the Curly Coat Retriever and the Irish Water Spaniel. This developing breed quickly became a success with allergy and asthma sufferers and did great work in service and therapy. Please do note, however, that while Australian Labradoodle's are less likely to cause reactions in those who are generally allergic to dogs, allergies can be triggered by hair/ dander/ saliva. Depending on what it is that causes the reactions, Australian Labradoodles may not be appropriate. The best thing to do is  contact the breeder you are interested in working with to explain your situation. 

​

Australian Labradoodles made their way to the USA in the 1990s and then on to the UK in the early 2000’s. Shortly after, the breed became popular throughout much of Europe. Nowadays, Australian Labradoodles can be found working in service, as therapy dogs and as much-loved family pets in all corners of the globe.

​

Temperament

​

While the Australian Labradoodle has not been bred for a working purpose such as herding, guarding, protection or sporting, over time they have proved themselves to be a dog that is very easy to train, approachable and friendly, calm (but also full of beans depending on your lifestyle!), unphased by much (of course, this is also down to breeders socialising puppies appropriately in their first 8 weeks of life, and owners continuing this when they take their puppy home), and have great energy and joy of life. They are known for their eagerness to please, and have been known to excel in obedience training, agility, as gun dogs and emotional support animals. Their goofy antics provide much hilarity for any and all who come across them! Therefore, the Australian Labradoodle is a great all rounder and a perfect fit for the family home. I aim to produce dogs with minimal prey drive and high pack drive- meaning they are more inclined to want to spend time with their human companions and other furry friends. 

​

Size

​

At this stage in the breed’s development, the Australian Labradoodle comes in three sizes:

• Miniature: Between 14-16 inches (35-42 centimetres) in height at wither, but not more than 17 inches.

• Medium: Between 17-20 inches (43-52 centimetres) in height at wither, but not more than 21. Ideal size for a female is 17-19 inches; for a male, 18-20 inches.

• Standard: Between 21-24 inches (53-63 centimetres) in height at wither, but not more than 25 inches

​

Coat

 

• Coat length should be 4-6 inches long.

• It should be straight, wavy or forming spirals and should naturally grow with a soft texture. 

• Should not be too thick or dense, nor fluffy or fuzzy. It should be a single coat; any sign of a double coat is a fault.

• The ideal fleece and wool coats can be spun successfully. Hair coat (hair texture that sheds) is undesirable and is a major fault.

• It is important that the coat gives the impression of being a fleece in type rather than dog hair.

• It is acceptable to see a coat change from the puppy to adult coat, and also during hormonal changes in fertile bitches.

 

Fleece

The fleece textured coat is a soft texture as in the Angora goat. It can either have a straight wavy look or a soft spiraling curl look. It is an easy-to-manage textured coat and most of our dogs sport this texture. 

 

Wool

The wool coat is like a lamb’s wool in texture. It should have the appearance of looser spiraling wool, which opens up easily to the skin. It should not appear thick and dense or tightly curled. 

​

Health Issues

 

Due to the high standards Australian Labradoodle programmes have employed, there are very few health issues that are known to affect these dogs in general. The main health concerns reported are more related to food intolerances, or being prone to ear infections. At Lily Hill, my focus is on ensuring that puppies I raise go on to complement the lives of their families- not complicate them(!). Therefore, I have a strong focus on working to reduce the risk of these issues being a problem in my programme through ensuring that the parents do not suffer with this. 

​

​

​

​