The Australian Labradoodle

The Australian Labradoodle is a dog that is increasingly seen in the streets. Its popularity stems from its friendly nature, funny appearance and its allergy-friendly qualities. However, it is not just a cross between a Labrador and a Poodle, as is often believed.  He originated from a mix of multiple breeds that together make this dog what it is today.

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​ In the 1970s and 1980s, Australia went in search of an assistance dog that was suitable for a blind woman with allergies. They crossed a labrador with a poodle to get the combination of service dog, which the labrador is known for, and the allergy friendliness, for which the poodle is known. The man who supervised this was Wally Conran and named the crossbreed Labradoodle. These first generation crosses turned out to be very nice, but not yet stable in terms of service dog suitability and allergy friendliness. Development continued and the introduction of a few other breeds resulted in the Australian Labradoodle as we know it as a secret recipe. The breeds that have been "used" for development are of course the Labrador Retriever and the Poodle, but also the Irish Water Spaniel, the Curly Coated Retriever and the American and English Cocker Spaniel. So you can't just get an Australian Labradoodle just by crossing a Poodle and a Labrador.

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The Australian Labrodoodle comes in three main size categories: mini (35-42cm, 7-13kg), medium (43-52cm, 13-23kg) and standard (53-63cm, 23-30kg).