The Australian Labradoodle

I've been wanting to write about this wonderful new breed - The Australian Labradoodle, which is a cross between the Poodle and a Labrador Retriever. The best examples of these are multigenerational, and originate from Australia, where they were first bred as guide dogs in the late 1980s. Rutland Manor and Tegan Park Labradooodles were the first to carefully select and document genotypes and infuse them in producing what is today, the much loved Labradoodle. The best qualities of the Labrador and Poodle are clearly evident - they are intelligent, smart, loyal, playful, and have a great sense of humor. Additionally, their fleece-wool coats are virtually fuss free, and hypoallergenic-ally non-shedding.

Samson, pictured above, is the newest addition to our family, and is a standard sized, chocolate brown, fleece-wool coat, male doodle. He was 12 weeks of age in that pic, but is now a rather rambunctious 5 month old, who is trying to assert himself in the "pack".

Angel, who is pictured with my darling girl, Summer, was the first doodle that we purchased from Tasmanian Labradoodles. He is a standard, fleece-wool, cafe boy, whom we truly believe to be an "angel in dood clothing", bringing much love and joy to our family.

My wife, T and I researched the breed extensively before deciding on the Labradoodle, and we can truly say that these are the best dogs that we've ever owned. As a proviso, we would advise that your dog be purchased only from a reputable breeder, and that one avoid the pitfall of buying a dog from a puppy mill just based on price alone. You really do get what you pay for. The Labradoodle Association of Australia would be a good starting point for references to responsible breeders.