How many kinds of Labradoodles are there?

Here at Labradoodle Dreams we breed American Labradoodles and Australian Labradoodles. The Australian Labradoodles are the most allergy friendly and will be the most consistent in conformation.  Please read the following information to understand the difference in an early generation Labradoodle (F1) compared to a Multigenerational Labradoodle and a Australian Labradoodle.  You cannot create an Australian Labradoodle with just a Poodle and a Lab.  Australian Labradoodles are so much more than that. The temperament, structure, size and exquisiteness that you are looking for in your family pet you will find in our Australian Labradoodle puppies.  American Labradoodles are a Lab/Poodle Cross and back cross; their temperament is just as wonderful as an Australian Labradoodle.  An American Labradoodle will also have no spaniel infusion.  Occasionally the coats are not as consistent in an American Labradoodle as they are with the Australian Labradoodles, but they are still very often VERY low to no shedding and an excellent option for someone who does not have an allergy or low shedding issue.

You’ll find you can go to many places and get a puppy that may look like our Labradoodles as puppies & get them much cheaper, but there is generally a reason for that.  Like people, not all dogs are created equal, nor are all Labradoodles.  All Labradoodles are NOT non-shedding or Hypo-Allergenic.  It’s very important that you do your homework and know what it is you are looking for and what you are getting. Ask about the parents testing, their pedigree, just to name a few.  As a breeder, it takes a great deal of time, patience and money to raise healthy, happy Labradoodles with wonderful temperaments which is then passed down to the puppies that will go on to be much loved family pets. Keep all of this in mind, as the price of your puppy will reflect in all that goes into your new family member.

Definitions of ‘Labradoodle’

F1: The first cross of a purebred Labrador retriever to a purebred Poodle

F1B: The backcrosses of a first cross (Labradoodle F1) to a purebred Poodle

Multigen Labradoodle: The offspring of a Labradoodle (F1B, or Multigen) bred to a Labradoodle (F1B, or Multigen)

Australian Labradoodle: Dogs with Poodle, Cocker Spaniel and Labrador Retriever Pedigrees (ALF 1-5)

Multigen Australian Labradoodle: The offspring of an Australian Labradoodle bred to an Australian Labradoodle

Purebred Multigenerational Australian Labradoodle OR Purebred Australian Labradoodle (PAL):  The offspring of 5 or more consecutive breeding's of a Multigen Australian Labradoodle to a Multigen Australian Labradoodle (ALF6)

Breed Standards

Temperament and Soundness are the two KEY elements in a good family companion; they must not be sacrificed for any reason

Temperament:

The Australian Labradoodle is extremely clever, intuitive, athletic, easy to train, faithful, snuggle-pups, curious, easy to read, and they “read” you easy, energetic, soft, family dogs and Wonderful Service dogs. They show an intuition about their person’s emotional state or needs. Their ability to “know” is what has made the Australian Labradoodle an outstanding dog for anyone with special needs.

General Appearance:

The Australian Labradoodle will have an athletic and graceful, yet, compact body. They should not appear heavy or overly fine. A distinctive feature of this breed is their coat, which is non-shedding and easy to manage.

Movement:

Trotting gait is effortless, smooth, powerful and coordinated in mature dogs.  Sound free movement and a light gait are vital. The sizes are measured to the withers (top of the shoulder blades). Soundness is very important.

Miniature: 14"TO 16":  The "Ideal" size for a miniature is 14 to 16 inches with no correlation between height and sex of the miniature Australian Labradoodle. Weight range tends to be 15 to 25 pounds.

Medium 17" TO 20":  The "Ideal" size for a medium female is 17 to 19 inches and for a male 19 to 20 inches. Weight range tends to be 30 to 45 pounds.

Standard: 21" TO 24":  The "Ideal" size for a standard female is 21 to 23 inches and for a male 22 to 24 inches. Weight range tends to be 50 to 65 pounds.

Labradoodle Coats and Colors

The coat in the Australian Labradoodles is one of the things that make them so special. The low to non-shedding is a big plus and adds to the allergy-free factor. The following are the three kinds of coats you will find all Labradoodles have:

Coats

Coat types are also still very sporadic with many dogs showing a combination of multiple types. 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. As the genetic values stabilize, we hope the "Ideal" coats are as follows:

Fleece:  This is the coat that most people look for when looking for their own Australian Labradoodle.  The texture is silky & light, much like angora.  It comes in many styles, straight (“open fleece”) wavy fleece, to Spiral (like the picture below).  This coat is easy to maintain, but must be brushed in order to remain mat-free. There should be no body odor with this coat and very little to NO shedding.  It is not uncommon to find the occasional ‘dust bunny’ of hair, this coat is often acceptable for those with allergies.

Wool: These coats are denser to the feel like a sheep's wool, it feels very soft like cashmere, and you may read it is referred to as “new wool”. The "Ideal" wool coat should hang in loose hollow spirals (as seen below).   The sprung wool coat is not preferred. To keep the wool coat long and flowing will require more maintenance. If this coat is kept short, it is very easy to maintain, but also requires regular grooming to avoids matting. There is no body odor with this coat. This is the Best coat type for families with severe allergies & asthma.

Hair: Hair textures shed and are unwanted. This coat is often found in the early generation Labradoodles, (F1 & occasionally F1B’s). A hair coat is very far & few between in the Australian Labradoodle. There will be some shedding with this coat, although it could be minor shedding.  This is not a coat for anyone with allergies or asthma.

Color 

Coat patterns in Australian Labradoodle include the following:   All solid Colors:

*All Liver or brown noses, have matching lips & nails & generally have hazel or light colored eyes.  Black noses will have black lips and dark eyes.

Chalk and Cream:  May have black or brown (liver) colored nose

Caramel: This color is caramel through to a deep red - brown nose

Red: A true Red cannot be lighter at the roots than at the tips - black nose

Apricot/Gold: A true Apricot cannot be lighter at the roots than at the tips - black nose.  They can come in varying shades and may fade as the dog gets older

Black: Dark and rich, Black, they maintain this color their entire life - black nose

Blue: Blue dogs are born Black but will have Blue skin and undertones at a young age -black nose. Blue also belongs to the Rare Color Group.

Silver: Born Black but will have more of a gray skin and will develop individual silver fibers at a young age- black nose. Silver dogs can take up to 3 years to color out. Uneven layering of color in the silver is normal.

Chocolate: Dark and rich, born almost Black, they maintain a dark chocolate their entire life - brown nose. Chocolate belongs to the Rare Color Group.

Cafe': Born Milk Chocolate of varying shades, and have the same (dilute) gene as the silver dogs, often taking up to 3 years to fully color out to multi shades of chocolate, silvery chocolate and silver throughout - brown nose, they also develop stunning highlights.

Lavender: Born Milk Chocolate, a definite, even smoky lavender chocolate, giving almost pink/lilac appearance - brown nose. 

Parchment: Born Milk Chocolate, will pale to a smoky creamy beige. Paling usually starts from an early age often as early as 6 weeks - brown noses. Parchment belongs to the Rare Color Group.

These Colors may appear in one of the following patterns:

Parti: Color is fifty percent white, with spots/patches of any other solid Color.

Phantom: The body Color must be a solid Color with defined markings of a second Color.

*Information taken from the ALAA & ALCA websites

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