BREED STANDARD
Breed Standard as established by Tegan Park and Rutland Manor Breeding & Research Centers of Australia and adopted by the Australian Labradoodle Club of America 2005.

Temperament and Soundness are the two KEY elements in a good family companion; they must not be sacrificed for any reason.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: The Australian Labradoodle should be athletic and graceful, yet compact with substance and medium boning. Joyful and energetic when free,  soft and quiet when handled. They should approach people in a happy friendly manner with eye to eye contact. Keen to learn, and easy to train. They have a free flowing wavy or curly coat that does not shed and is possibly non-allergenic.

SIZE:  Sizes are still “somewhat inconsistent" with no definition between male and female at this time. Accurate prediction of size even by an experienced breeder is not expected at this time. Size is measured from the top of the shoulder blades (Wither) standing squarely on a level surface.

Much care is needed when breeding both the large and small dogs.  Large dogs can suffer from rapid growth that can lead to structural problems. Soundness is of utmost importance. Over size is a major  fault. Great care must be taken to keep the miniature Australian labradoodle a solid athletic robust dog. The Dwarfing of dogs can lead to many genetic and temperament disorders. Minimum size attention is of the utmost importance to maintain a healthy little dog.  Most Australian Labradoodles will weigh more than their height reflects.

STANDARD: 21" to 24" The 'Ideal' size for a standard Female is  21 to 23 inches and for a Male the ideal is 22 to 24 inches. Weight range tends to be 50 to 65 pounds.

MEDIUM: 17" to 20"  The 'Ideal' size for a medium Female is 17- 19 inches and for a Male the ideal is 19-20 inches  Weight range tends to be 30 to 40 pounds.

MINIATURE: 14"  to 16" The 'Ideal' size for a miniature is 14 – 16 inches. Weight range tends to be 16 to 25 pounds.  There should be no correlation between height and sex of the miniature Australian Labradoodle.

Most Australian Labradoodles will weigh more than their height reflects

BODY: Height to length ratio should be 10 to 12 (being slightly longer in leg, than body) but still appearing square and compact. Shoulders should have good angulation with firm elbows held close to the rib cage. Hindquarters should be of medium angulation with short strong hocks. Top line should remain level with strong loin and level croup. They are also a galloping dog therefore flanks should rise up from a brisket set just below the elbows, but should not be excessively deep. Ribs should be well sprung but not barreled. Overall the dog should appear square, balanced, athletic with good muscling.

MOVEMENT: When trotting, movement should be purposeful, strong and elastic, with good reach and drive, giving the appearance of "going somewhere." When happy, relaxed or at play they will prance and skim the ground lightly. Excessive tightness in the hips will produce a stilted action and is considered a fault.  Top line should remain level with strong loin and level croup.

TAIL: Is set relatively high and is preferred to be carried in a saber. It can be carried below the top line or gaily above.  Curled Possum type tails are undesirable.

HEAD: Sculptured, broad, well-defined eyebrows, medium stop, eyes set well apart, nose to eye slightly longer than eye to occiput. The head should be clean and chiseled, and fully coated as on the body legs and tail.

EARS: Set moderately flat against head the base and should be level with the eye. Leather should be of medium thickness and when gently drawn forward should reach the top canine tooth. Ear leather reaching beyond the tip of nose is considered a severe fault. Ear canals should be free of excessive hair, and not thick and bulbous. When inquisitive and alert the ear set should rise to the top of the head. Thick/heavy ear leather is a fault.

EYES: "Slightly" round, large and expressive, always offering eye to eye contact when engaged in activity with a human. Protruding or sunken eyes are a fault. Watery or tearful eyes are a fault. Wide round or narrow almond shape eye is considered a fault.

EYE COLOR: Eye color should complement and blend with the face colour. Black, Blue, Red, Dark Chocolate and silver dogs must have  dark brown eyes. All shades of cafe, Milk Chocolate, Gold/Apricot, Creams and Chalk should have dark Hazel to Brown Eyes if they have  Black pigment. Caramel and Dogs with Rose pigment can have either dark eyes or "Ghost" eyes. Ghost is a hazel colour range much the same as it is in humans. Flecking with different shades of hazel with green and a blue/green make this eye colour quite unique. Ghost eyes must always remain soft in appearance. Cold staring or expressionless appearance in all eye colours, is a severe fault.

TEETH: Scissor bite acceptable only. Neither undershot nor overshot. Miniatures must never have crowding teeth.

NOSE: Large square and fleshy. Pigment: Black or Rose. Pigment should be strong. Black pigment dogs must have dark brown eyes. Pink spots or patches on nose, lips, eye rims, or pads are a fault. Dogs with rose pigment can have Dark hazel, brown or Ghost eyes. Eye rims should be rose as should nose, lips and pads. Pink spots or patches are a severe fault. [Rose should be a rich liver colour]

NECK:  The firm, well muscled neck should be moderately long, slightly arched and flow into the well angled shoulders with no appearance of abruptness. The neck should not be coarse or stumpy, and should lend an air of elegance to the dog. A short thick neck is a fault.

COLOR: Any solid colour including Cafe` and Silver is preferred. Minimal White on the chest and toes is acceptable. Light chalky course hairs [Kemp] sprinkled through a dark coat  is permissible but very undesirable.

Parti [Patched] and Phantoms though undesirable are considered an acceptable colour. Parti can be any colour [except Phantom] with white on face head and/or body. Phantoms are any shading or two tone coloration such as a Black dog with lower legs showing a soft toning  of  silver or gold, A dog born dark with a golden shading at the roots or a slight brindling effect.   True pure solid colours with the exception of Silver and Cafe are  highly prized and are the Ideal for the Australian Labradoodle.

It is normal that all colours may show bleaching and discoloration over the top coat, This is called sunning, and is quite expected and acceptable, as the Australian Labradoodle is an active dog and often a service dog that enjoys the outdoors. Weather bleaching or sunning must not be penalized.

The Breed Standard of Excellence colors are:

Apricot/Gold: must have black pigment

Red, Black, Silver and Blue: Must have black pigment

Caramel, Chocolate, Café, Parchment and Lavender:  Must have rose pigment

Chalk:  Appears white but when compared to a true white it is a chalky white. Can have rose or black pigment.

Cream and Apricot Cream:  All shades and combinations of cream shades are acceptable. Can have rose or black pigment.

Caramel: Should be a rich Gold/Apricot very much the same colour as its namesake caramel, through to a deep red and must have rose pigment.

Red:  Is a solid, even, rich red colour which should have no sprinkling of other coloured  fibers throughout the coat.  A true Red must not be lighter at the roots than at the tips of the coat. Red can fade somewhat with age, and senior dogs showing paling of coat should not be penalized.

Gold:  [Also called Apricot] Is the colour of a ripe apricot on the inside. A true Apricot must not be lighter at the roots than at the tips of the coat.   It can come in varying shades and may fade as the dog grows older. Senior dogs should not be penalized for paling of coat colour.

Blue: Should be a dark to medium smokey blue,  Blue also belongs to the Rare group. Blue dogs are born Black but will have blue skin and undertones at a young age. Any other colour throughout the blue  is  undesirable.

Silver: Is also born black but will have more of a grey skin and will develop individual silver fibers  at a young age. Silver dogs can take up to 3 years to colour out and become a beautiful smoky grey through to a light irridescent platinum and varying shades in-between at adulthood. Uneven layering of colour in the silver is normal.

Chocolate: Is  dark and rich, and are born almost black. They maintain a dark chocolate throughout their lifetime.  Colour should be even, any other colour throughout the chocolate is highly undesirable.  Chocolate belongs to the Rare colour group.

Cafe: Is born milk chocolate of varying shades, and have the same gene as the silver dogs often taking up to 3 years to fully colour out to multi shades of chocolate, silvery chocolate and silver throughout.  When given plenty of sunshine, over time they develop stunning highlights.

Lavender: Should be a definite, even  smokey lavender chocolate  giving an almost pink/lilac appearance. Lavender dogs are born chocolate and can be difficult to distinguish at a young age. Any other colour throughout the lavender is highly undesirable. True lavender belongs to the Rare colour group.

Parchment: Is also born milk chocolate which will pale to a smokey creamy beige. Paling usually starts from an early age often as early as 6 weeks. As adults, they can be mistaken for dark smokey cream from a distance. Parchment belongs to the Rare colour group.

Note: It is normal that all colours may show bleaching and discoloration over the top coat. This is called sunning, and is quite expected and acceptable, as the Australian Labradoodle is an active dog and often a service dog that enjoys the outdoors. Weather bleaching or sunning must not be penalized.

COAT: Coat types are also still very sporadic with many dogs showing a combination of multiple types. As the genetic values stabilize we hope the "Ideal" coats are as follows:

FLEECE: Length is usually around  5 inches long. The Fleece coat texture should be light and silky quite similar to that of an Angora goat. Appearing "to contain a silky lanolin," the fleece coat can range from loosely waved giving an almost straight appearance to deeply waved. Kemp is often found around the eyes and top line. The absence of kemp is highly prized.

WOOL: Coats are more dense to the touch, like a sheep's wool. The "Ideal" wool coat should hang in loose hollow spirals. Most wool coats are still exhibiting a good texture, but have the appearance of a "Spring not a Spiral. The sprung wool coat is not desirable. A thick [dense] coat is also not desirable.  The Australian labradoodle has a single coat, Both the Fleece and the wool coat should naturally grow in "staples" and be of a soft texture. Both the "Ideal" fleece and wool coats spin successfully. Hair coats [Hair texture that sheds] is a fault. and are undesirable.

Photos courtesy of Tegan Park

There should be no body odor, or "shedding" [with the exception of the Hair Coat, usually seen in early generation dogs]. It is acceptable to "change coats" from puppy to adult, and also during hormonal changes in fertile bitches. This coat must not shed, but should be groomed out. It is important that the coat gives the impression of being a fleece rather than dog hair.

The "Ideal" Coat presentation should give the viewer the impression of a casual natural appearance. Scissoring along the topline , neckline under ears and around toes should be done without giving a manicured look.   The trimmed coat should maintain a flowing natural wash and wear look at all times highlighting the staples and ringlets. Excessive groomed presentation is a fault.

TEMPERAMENT Extremely clever, sociable and joyful. Easily trained. Quick to learn unusual or special tasks. Active, a little comical at times. Can attempt to out smart their owners if undisciplined. Friendly though obviously loyal to own family. Non-aggressive.

There is no scientific laboratory proof that the Labradoodle is hypoallergenic. Practical research has given the impression that it is highly possible that the fleece and wool textures of the Labradoodle ARE very successful with Asthma AND Allergy sufferers.

In these infant years of breeding the Australian Labradoodle, some throw backs with a wiry, sparse or multi type coats, are not to be discarded but assessed on their soundness of body and temperament. Many of these individuals offer valuable hybrid genetics and will breed on to produce excellent offspring. The same applies for dogs displaying 'undesirable' colour or size traits. In order to produce a breed of quality, haste must be made slowly. Genetic resources must be kept broad to protect the Labradoodle breed from the disasters that many other breeds are suffering, "the genetic dead end".

SPECIAL ATTENTION: Must be directed to soundness. It is the responsibility of conscientious breeders to test their dogs and protect the Australian Labradoodle from developing  genetic disorders. It is good to keep in mind that the labradoodle is a family companion. We do not want the heartache of illness, and the expense of less than sound dogs.