DOODLE WHAT?
The first Australian Labradoodle was originally bred to be asthma/allergy friendly as well as a low/non-shedding service dog. In 1988, from the efforts of Wally Conran, the Manager of the Australian Guide Dog Association. A visually impaired woman in Hawaii, was in need of a service dog that was trained as a guide dog. She was searching for a therapeutic companion dog that would not aggravate her husband’s allergies. Conran mixed Labrador Retrievers with Poodles. The current bloodlines were perfected by the owners of Tegan Park and Rutland Manor based in the Australia. A natural by-product of this being a conspicuous lack of dog odor! Their even temperament makes them excellent candidates to become service dogs and is also a big part of what makes them exceptional family dogs. They are highly intelligent and are a preferred breed for their excellent health.
Many people are familiar with pet dander as an allergen. The allergenic proteins adhere to the dander and dander adheres to hair, making heavily shedding breeds difficult to own for people who suffer with allergies. While the Australian Labradoodle’s non-shedding or lightly shedding coat and its calm demeanor when held (less agitation, less dander) address this allergy concern, please keep in mind that it is not always the dog dander that someone may be allergic to, but the highly-allergenic dog saliva.
The Australian Labradoodle is known for its low to non-shedding coat, particularly the wool and fleece coat types. The breed has been developed over generations to maintain an allergy friendly coat that is a blend of the lab and poodle coats. There is one point in the Australian Labradoodle’s life that you might observe shedding and that is between 8-14 months of age when it changes out of its baby coat and into its permanent adult coat. But, have no fear! This phase does not last forever, and you will have your allergy friendly, low/non-shedding pet back very soon!
One caveat to mention: as with any other dog breed, some humans may be allergic to dog saliva. If you feel that you might be allergic, you can do testing to diagnose your allergy before making a puppy part of your family.
When the Australian Labradoodle Association of American (ALAA) was formed in 2005, and united with the sister organization, Australian Labradoodle Association (ALA), it became a part of the International Australian Labradoodle Association (IALA) umbrella. These associations insure the integrity and health of the breed by setting the standards by which quality breeders of the Australian Labradoodle breeders follow. All of our breeding dogs and puppies are registered with the ALAA.