A relatively young breed, the Labradoodle was first deliberately bred in 1989 when Wally Conron crossed a Labrador Retriever and Standard Poodle for Guide Dogs Victoria, which is considered the first guide dog association of Australia. The intention was to combine the low-shedding coat of the Poodle with the gentleness and trainability of the Labrador to provide a guide dog suitable for people with allergies to fur and dander. Guide Dogs Victoria continues to breed Labradoodles, and these dogs are used around the world as guide, assistance, and therapy dogs as well as being a popular family dog. There is not yet a universal consensus among Labradoodle breeders if they should aim to have Labradoodles recognized as a breed.

Labradoodle breeders recognize this dog is not yet a “true breed,” as puppies do not have consistently predictable traits. However, many Labradoodles display desired traits. For example, some Labradoodles do shed, but, even in these cases, the coat usually sheds less and has less dog odor than that of a Labrador Retriever, making it a more appropriate dog for individuals with certain allergies. Like the parent breeds, Retrievers and Poodles, the Labradoodle is usually friendly, energetic and ideal for families with children. Also commonly inherited from the parent breeds is an affinity for water and a strong swimming ability. The Labradoodle works well as a guide dog because it is very intelligent and quite trainable. Labradoodle breeders know very well that this breed can be taught to obey verbal or sign language commands.

As is often the case with hybrid dogs, there are two preferences among Labradoodle breeders. Some breeders prefer to restrict breeding to early generation dogs, meaning bred from a Poodle and Labrador rather than from two Labradoodles. Others are breeding Labradoodle to Labradoodle over successive generations, and trying to establish a new dog breed. These dogs are usually referred to as Multigenerational or Australian Labradoodles. Whether early generation or Multigenerational, certain characteristics remain common. For example, Labradoodles coats are generally divided into three categories: wool, fleece, or hair. They come in a wide variety of colors. They will also differ in size, depending on the size of Poodle (toy, miniature, or standard).

Labradoodles only continue to gain popularity, and they are clearly a breed that is here to stay. In fact many celebrities own Labradoodles. Tiger Woods, Neil Young, Jennifer Aniston, Christie Brinkley, Henry Winkler and Barbara Eden – just to name a few!