[/caption]A labradoodle is a designer-dog resulting from the cross breeding of a labrador retriever and a standard poodle (crossbred dogs are often referred to as designer-dogs.) The labradoodle originated in Australia several years ago where they quickly discovered the potential to use labradoodles as service dogs.
Australian labradoodles are a multi generational cross that are typically 25% labrador retriever and 75% standard poodle.
Instead of simply buying diamante collars, however, people are demanding cross bred dogs with catchy marketing names. The idea of creating a non allergic dog was what started the original breeder of the labradoodle, Wally Conran. Someone needing a guide dog who was non allergenic contacted the Guide Dog Association, and Wally successfully crossed a labrador with a poodle that fitted this purpose.
Namely, many unscrupulous people, some with no experience breeding dogs, and others with none, or little, experience breeding labradoodles or other similar crosses, jumped on the bandwagon. For instance, breeding two dogs with similar genetic weaknesses can lead to the new litters born with an increased chance of the health problems associated with those breeds.
Labradoodles are not consistent breeds. The breeders at Rutland Manor and Tegan Park in Australia started their stock from labradors, poodles and labradoodles from Don Evans, another breeder who had discovered the breed independently of the Guide Dog Association. Those labradoodles were legitimate labradoodles, and they kept records of all subsequent breeding. The breeders at Rutland Manor and Tegan Park began calling their dogs, and those descended from that stock by reputable breeders, Australian labradoodles, to distinguish them from the labrador-poodle mixes that were being indiscriminately produced.
The International Labradoodle Association was set up originally to help maintain the quality and characteristics of this new designer dog.
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