Dog breeds - the Labradoodle

Now before you get your knickers in a twist, yes I know that the Labradoodle is currently a cross breed in the USA. In Australia where the breed was developed in the 1980's it is a different story. There it is considered a breed with breed standards. It officially became a breed in 2004. In Australia the Labradoodle was actually a mixture of several different breeds, not just a Labrador Poodle cross. The other breeds that are recognized as parent breeds are: Poodle (Standard, Miniature, Toy), Labrador Retriever, Irish Water Spaniel, Curly Coat Retriever, American Cocker Spaniel and the English Cocker Spaniel.

In Australia they have some pretty strict guidelines for the Labradoodle breed. They even recognize the fact that Labradoodles are prone to certain genetic disorders and require DNA testing of ALL Labradoodles to prevent the spread of the mutated genes. In fact any signs of lameness is a disqualification from the breed.

Labradoodles are shown in Australia and they must conform to the breed standards. There are major faults at which the dog being shown can be disqualified. The very top of the list is temperament. If a dog shows signs of aggression or is overly timid or shy it can be disqualified. Other faults in the breed are a coat that sheds, any sign of an under coat, a short thick neck or being an albino. Of course those are only just a few of the faults. The breed also has size limits and coat types.

The Australian Labradoodle Club also is aware that backyard breeders would want to cash in on this new breed and they have in acted strict guidelines for anyone wishing to become a breeder. First they assign a mentor breeder to help the new breeder understand the breed, it's standards and the clubs code of ethics. Now if that took place here in the USA, along with the DNA testing then the Labradoodle would be recognized as a breed in no time.

Breeding of the Labradoodle in Australia also has to follow strict guidelines. The offspring of the cross is only considered a "purebred" after 6 generations. The Poodle can reintroduced into the bloodline a limit of twice in those 6 generations and it is the only breed that can be reintroduced.

All registered Labradoodles must be microchiped and or tattooed as well as being DNA tested for genetic mutations and bloodlines.

Now if only we could get that type of dog breed association here in the USA for any of the dog breeds then we could put puppy mills out of business as well as many unscrupulous breeders trying to make a fast buck.