The Labradoodle.

​Origin:
Although the Labradoodle is not recognised as a purebred, the first recorded, intentionally bred Labradoodle is believed to have been created here in Australia, by Guide Dog trainer, Wally Conron in 1989.
 
Purpose:
Mr Conron confirmed that the breeding of a Labrador with a Standard Poodle was done for a blind woman in Hawaii, who needed a guide dog but her husband was allergic to dogs. He spent 3 years and tested 33 Standard Poodles in their care, being that the Poodle does not shed hair, however none were suitable as Guide Dogs. This led him to cross breed his boss’s Poodle Harley with his own Labrador, Brandy. Little did he know what this creation would unleash, with this successful breeding and successful Guide Dog that did not bother anyone’s allergies, began the world-wide phenomenon of Poodle mixed breeding. Sadly, Mr Conron has said this cross breeding is one of his life regrets, given the ‘Frankenstein’ monster that has been created with some cross breeding that has been created since. His only hope was to help those who needed a support dog but could not because of any allergies within the home, not a designer dog disaster around the world.

Coat care:
Coat care for the Labradoodle can vary, as depending on how they are cross bred can depend on them having more of a Labrador or more of a Poodle style coat.
Each Labradoodle will need different coat care, some will require regular clipping and others may need it more often than that. Daily brushing will help to avoid matting especially around the face and underarms. They should be bathed only as needed and may need their ears plucked from time to time.  

Health & Temperament:
With cross breeds, it can be hard to give an exact direction that each dog’s temperament and health will go in, as it all depends on what generation of breeding they are and the health of their parents, however it is common that the Labradoodle is a happy, fun loving pooch. Both the Labrador and Poodle are intelligent breeds of dog, easy to train (especially if they have the Labrador food drive) and willing to please their owners. Providing there is a good amount of Poodle still in the blood lines, they will shed little to no hair so are ideal for those with allergies or dog hair sensitives. They are an ideal companion dog and for this reason do not like to be left alone for long periods of time. They enjoy plenty of exercise and are very social dogs, so daily walks at a minimum are needed to keep their mind, body and social levels met.
The breed can be prone to hip and elbow dysplasia. Breeding parents’ health records and joint scores should always be requested when looking into a breeder to avoid any health issues later in life.