Labradoodle

Labradoodles were first bred by Wally Conron of the Australian Guide Dog Association in 1989 as an allergy friendly seeing eye dog. The organisation was approached by a blind woman from Hawaii who requested a guide dog that would not cause allergies. A number of hypoallergenic Poodles failed to make suitable guide dogs, so Wally Conron requested permission to cross breed a Labrador – a highly successful guide dog breed – with a Poodle.

The new breed, aptly named the Labradoodle, was put into guide dog training and 29 out of the 31 dogs entered passed the course. Additionally, they proved to shed very little, making the new breed hypo-allergenic and suitable for most people with allergies to dog hair.

The Labradoodle was a real success story, and almost overnight the breed’s popularity sky-rocketed. To meet this sudden demand, many unofficial and unregistered breeders began producing Labradoodles that were not up to the standard the original breeders intended. Throughout the 1990’s the Labradoodle developed by these breeders was unpredictable in nature, intelligence and health.

After the Rutland Manor Labradoodle Breeding and Research Centre was set up in Victoria, the breed began to be standardised and carefully crosschecked for any health issues. Despite these measures, when purchasing a Labradoodle, it is  imperative to scrutinise the breeder’s credentials, as well as the parent animals’ lineage and health.

The popularity of the Labradoodle outside of Australia has grown dramatically since they were first introduced in 1989 and they are especially popular in the United States as a family companion. Labradoodles are still bred by the AGDA as demand requires it.

The Labradoodle is an energetic and very intelligent dog that needs regular physical and mental stimulation. If a Labradoodle isn’t taken for walks at least once a day, and played with regularly, boredom and mischievousness will set in and destructive habits may form.

Generally considered as easy to train, the Labradoodle is eager to please and will respond well to reward-based instruction and gentle, persistent and consistent discipline. With the humans clearly established as its pack leaders, the Labradoodle will quickly become a well-behaved and obedient member of society.

The Labradoodle coat is non-shedding and easy to manage, though regular grooming is required. Home brushing three to four times per week will help keep the coat in good condition and prevent matting.

Once the adult coat is established at around 12 to 14 months of age, professional grooming and trimming of the coat is recommended every two to three months or so. In fact, the curlier the coat, the more frequently the Labradoodle will need to be groomed and trimmed.

Because Labradoodles love to swim, their curly coats can quickly get matted, muddy and messy, so bathing may be performed as required. Avoid over-washing as this can damage the oils in their coats.