History of ALD

The Australian Labradoodle is a relatively new breed of dog which was bred in Australia. It is a cross of five breeds – King Poodle, medium and mini, Labrador Retriever, English and American Cocker Spaniel and Irish Water Spaniel.

Royal guide dog association

In the late 1980s, the Australian Association received a special request from a visually impaired woman from Hawaii. She asked for a guide dog that would not cause allergies in her husband. Wally Conron, breeding manager at the Royal Australian Guide Dogs Association – Guide Dogs Victoria, decided to cross two proven breeds known for their intelligence, trainability and hypoallergenic coat. The result of crossing the Labrador named “Brandy” and the Standard Poodle named “Harley” were puppies of the new breed called Labradoodle.

Australian Labradoodle

The Labradoodle’s popularity as a guide dog grew rapidly, though despite this, they continued perfecting its qualities. The Labradoodle was crossed with the American and English Cocker Spaniel and the Irish Water Spaniel, resulting in a high-quality breed with hypoallergenic fur that does not shed or cause allergies or asthma. By crossing Labradoodles with dogs from the royal association, they also improved dog’s temperament, their ability to undergo rigorous training and maintain the temperament of a service guide dog. And thus began the history of the Australian Labradoodle breed.