In the late eighties Pat Blum a vision-impaired woman from Hawaii contacted GDAV, the Guide
Dog Association of Victoria (Australia).  Due to her husband's allergies, Pat hoped to get an
"allergy friendly" guide dog.  The manager at GDAV, John Gosling agreed to help.  Wally Conron,
the breeding manager for GDAV bred the first intentional litter of labradoodles.  Harley, a Poodle,
and Brandy, a Labrador, produced three labradoodle puppies.  Out of the three pups, one fit the
mold. Sultan, not only was an allergy friendly pup, but his temperament and trainable nature made
him the perfect guide dog companion. He was successfully trained as a guide dog and at the age of
18 months was united with Pat.  

Over the years, this union has proven to be a superior combination.  Not only are the pups as cute
as can be, they are incredibly smart, trainable, and have excellent temperaments.  These
attributes, along with their allergy-friendly, and light to non-shedding coats,  makes the
labradoodle an increasingly sought after pet.


Generations

    First Generation labradoodle or F1 - The product of a Labrador Retriever crossed with a Poodle.  Coats
    can be somewhat  inconsistent at this stage.  Approximately half either do not shed at all, or shed very little.
    This cross is best suited for families with mild allergies. These coats tend to be easy to maintain.

    F1b labradoodle or F1b- Is the result of crossing a F1 labradoodle to a poodle.  This combination helps to
    create a more consistent allergy friendly coat. The success rate for light-shedding to non-shedding dog is much
    higher.  An F1b is recommended for families with moderate to severe allergies.

    Multi-Generational Australian labradoodles -  Usually is the result of crossing a Multi-Gen Australian
    labradoodle to another Australian Mulit-Gen labradoodle.  It is acceptable to breed a Multi-Generational
    Australian labradoodle to a F1, F1b or poodle.



Size Categories

The labradoodle is found in three height categories.  Size is determined by measuring from the floor to the top of the
shoulder.

    Miniatures: 1316 inches in height and 15-30 lbs in weight.

    Mediums: 1720 inches in height and 30-45 lbs in weight.

    Standards: 2124 inches in height and 45 to over 60 lbs in weight.


Colors

Labradoodle colors vary widely and include solid and "parti-colors" (more than one color).  Keep in mind, a pup may
not retain his original puppy color.  At times, a puppy's coat will lighten with age but may surprise everyone by
darkening.  Unfortunately, there isn't an exact science as to what color your puppy will eventually become, but we can
give you a pretty good idea.  Coat color will range in shade and intensity.


    Chalk / White –  White does not necessarily mean “white."  Shades can range between white and cream.

    Cream / Gold –  This is richer in color than a chalk or white.  Ranging from just hints of gold to a deeper gold.

    Apricot - Visualize the fleshy part of a peach.  Often apricots will fade some over time.  But some do darken.

    Red - Ah, the beautiful red!  A "true red" will be quite dark and red.  Again, some will fade to an apricot but
    others will retain their deep dark red.  Both are beautiful.

    Chocolate - This color can range from a "dark chocolate" to a "milk chocolate."  The chocolate color may stay
    a rich chocolate or fade over time.

    Black - Unlike some of the other colors, a true black should retain it's color.  If there are any recessive genes in
    the line for silver or blue, the pup can fade to a silver.
        


Coats

Labradoodles can have three types of coats

    Fleece Coat-  Wavy fur that is soft to the touch.  Often this coat is non-shedding, but some do shed.  Allergy-
    friendly in most circumstances.  Coat can be high maintenance during transition from puppy to adult dog.  

    Wool- Curly like a poodle, usually non-shedding and allergy-friendly.  Feels like a poodle coat.  Coat can be
    high maintenance if kept long.  Clipping it shorter will cut down on the maintenance.

    Hair-  Varies in thickness and length.  Tends to be straight or slightly wavy.  Coat is low maintenance.  
    Compatibility with allergy sufferers varies greatly because some shed immensely, others minimally.

Life Expectancy

12-15 years
What's a Labradoodle?