Saturday, August 31, 2013

Australian Labradoodles Differ From Other Labradoodles

By Gloria Mason


Today there are three types of this designer dog pioneering hybrid available on the market. The three primary variations are the Australian Labradoodles being bred in Australia, their American relations and other Labrador Retriever and Poodle crosses. A growing number of breeders have responded to explosive demand by offering this new crossbreed. It has become hard for customers to decide where to go.

Prospective owners should understand what they want before they decide to acquire this lovable and intelligent dog. In order to understand the differentiation, one must learn about the history of this new mixed breed. Wally Conron, a puppy breeder for the Royal Guide Dogs Association of Melbourne, introduced the world to this hugely popular designer dog.

His intention was seemingly simple. He had to see if he could breed a puppy suitable as a service dog for the visually impaired allergic to fur and dander. Wally first produced a Poodle and Labrador mix acceptable for the job in 1989 after many failed tries. His attempt was the first deliberate mixing of the two breeds. He mixed the breeds after he was unable to produce an acceptable offspring from Poodle stock.

His result is a combination of the low shedding coat trait and intelligence of Poodles with the gentleness and trainability of the Labrador. After many trials and errors he succeeded in producing one dog that did not trigger allergies in a waiting customer. But as he found out, breeding an acceptable mixture was not easy. In the next litter only three among ten puppies had nonallergenic coats.

To produce more low shedding dogs in a litter, the crosses were bred with each other. The breeding results were branded by the process. They were identified as Double and Tri Doodles and generally proved to be a disappointment. Their temperaments were not ideal for family pets. Their personalities were often not good natured. Their coats also did not have the desired trait for which they were bred.

Kate Shoeffel, an enterprising vet in New South Wales, decided to start a program to improve the litters. Along with others she made a commitment to continue after the retirement of Wally Conron. In her program, she paired first generation offspring. She also paired F1s with a Poodle in a backcross. Her litters were imported to America. Angela Wetzel Cunningham and her mother, Beverley Manners at Tegan Park and Rutland Manor, respectively, also made their mark in America.

The most noticeable way these doodles differ today from their predecessors is that have other breeds in their bloodlines. They are the creations of breeders dedicated to creating a breed standard. The main differences between different other Poodle and Lab crosses and the Australians is in the predictability of their coats, temperament and body type. The breeding has so far developed wool and fleece and coats. Wool coats are better for the severely allergic. A conscientious breeder will provide hair and saliva samples for testing to potential buyers.

The popularity of these canines has encouraged a problematic rise in inexperienced breeding programs. For a satisfactory result, buyers should make their selection from ethical breeders of Australian Labradoodles. Both parents should be checked. They must possess certificates. The ALAA and the ILA are the two primary breeding registry organizations protecting breeding standards in the nation of origin and abroad. They are a good source of information for locating ethical breeding programs.




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