About AL
History Coats Colors Sizes As a Therapy Dog
History
The Australian Guide Dog Association received a letter from a blind lady living in Hawaii in the mid 1970’s, inquiring about a guide dog that would not cause her allergies to worsen. She chose Australia because Australia is an island with strict quarantine laws, so she expected dogs exported from there would not need to go through quarantine when they are imported to Hawaii. She thought that a dog would be able to get off the plane and go straight home with no quarantine.
The first crossbreed was named as “LABRADor-pOODLE.” Two years later, while being nurtured as family pets, the wonderful Labradoodles were born.
After this, poodles and the Labradoodles, and the Labradoodles and the Labradoodles were bred. Unfortunately, few records related to the mating were left because the main purpose was not to pursue the possibility of breeding allergy friendly Australian Labradoodles(AL) with non shedding but to breed lovely-natured family pets.
The Australian Guide Dog Association had minimal success as they too never recognized the mutated gene that would develop to the allergy friendly Labradoodle with non shedding as it is seen today.
However, forward-thinking breeders in Australia got interested in the uniqueness of the Labradoodle, and started to immediately improve the breed focusing on its special nature. Within a few years, other breeders also joined in this development, and they developed the “Australian Labradoodle” we all know and love today.
The most attractive point of the Labradoodle is its allergy friendly nature with non shedding of its coat, but their various and wonderful abilities and disposition such as intelligence and ability to learn also attracted people and trainers who wanted special dogs for sports for the disabled as well as assistance dogs for the physically, mentally, or visually disadvantaged, seizure alert dogs, and therapy dogs
Today you can see the AL around the world as an allergy friendly family member, and in the near future as a show dog.
The Australian Labradoodle Association Japan was established for the improvement, nurturing, protection and promotion of the AL, working in cooperation with the Australian Labradoodle Association.
With breeders around the world, we would like to achieve our goal to establish the breed of the AL as “a great dog with non shedding and allergy friendly” and to be recognized by world Canine Associations.
Coats
Fleece coat
The Fleece coat is a soft texture as the Angora goat, having a loosely wavy look or a soft curl look. It is a relatively easily cared for by brushing, etc.
Wool coat
The Wool coat looks like a lamb’s wool with a soft curl look.
The coat looks thick, dense, and firm, but not too thick like a lamb, and it is easy to open up to the skin.
Hair coat
The Hair coat has a slight odor and sheds when the seasons change. It is not as allergy friendly as the other coats, but has no special issue to keep it as a pet dog.
The coat length is about four to six inches (10 to 15cm) long. It looks wavy but some are curly like a lamb.
It should not be too thick or fluffy, but has a soft texture.
The coat has the same texture all over the body, and wouldn’t change depending on body parts.
The ideal coats for the AL are the Fleece and the Wool.
The Hair coat is undesirable because it is not as allergy friendly as the other coats.
It is important for the coat of the AL to be like the wool instead of that of the general dog.
The coat texture could change as a puppy grows to adult dog, and also as a result of the hormonal changes in case of the female dogs.
Colors
The AL are in many colors, you will surely find the one in your favorite color.
Chalk
Basically it is a white color, just like a chalky white. The nose is black or rose pink.
Cream
It is a creamy color sometimes with apricot or gold shading. The nose is black or rose pink.
Gold
It is a gold color with various shades like the color of the inside of a ripe apricot.
A typical Gold has a lighter outer coat compared with its roots of a coat. But it is preferable to have an even color over the entire body. This color may fade as they get older. The nose is black.
Caramel
This color ranges from a rich gold to a deep red. it is preferable to have an even caramel in color over the entire body. The nose is rose pink.
Red
It is a deep red, and has a lighter outer coat compared with its roots of a coat. The color may fade as the dog grows older. The nose is black (rare color).
Black
This color must be solid black without any other color. The nose is also black.
Silver
This color ranges from very light bluish gray to a dark charcoal. It is preferable to be an even color over the entire body but acceptable to see uneven layering of color.
Blue
This color ranges from a dark to a medium smoky blue, and develops from a black coat over time (one to three years). The adult dog must have an even color over the entire body. It has blue and gray skin pigmentations, and the nose color matches the skin color.
Chocolate
This color should be an even dark rich chocolate color over the entire body. Chocolates are born almost black in color, and develop the rich dark chocolate color throughout its lifetime. The nose is rose pink, matching the coat color (rare color).
Cafe
This color ranges from a milk chocolate to a silver beige and develops over time (one to three years). The nose pigment is rose, matching the coat color.
Lavender
This color is a smoky lavender chocolate giving an almost pink to lilac appearance.
The color develops from chocolate over time (one to three years).
The nose is rose in color, matching the coat color (rare color).
Parchment
This color is a creamy beige chocolate which reminds you a cup of milky coffee.
Parchment is born milk chocolate in color, and develops over time (one to three years).
From a distance, adult dogs can be mistaken for a dark or smoky cream.
The nose is rose in color (rare color).
Parti
Over fifty percent white, with spots or patches of any other color described in the above. The head is in a single color but both of or either of muzzle and blaze (a line run through the center between the eyes to the nose bridge) must be preferably white and symmetrical. Full or partial white patches on the back are acceptable, as long as they do not exceed the color proportion, but are not preferable. The color of the nose matches the combination of the colors.
Phantom
Combination of two colors, one base color and second color, and one of the colors clearly appears above both eyes, on the sides of the muzzle, on the bowtie pattern on the throat, jaw and forechest, as well as on the toes of all four legs and root of the tail. The Phantom with the whole face in a single color is acceptable, as long as it maintains all the other characteristics of Phantom. The nose color should follow the pattern of the base color.
Abstract
Less than fifty percent white, with no rule for its color combination.
Sable
It is a single color tipped with black. Uneven patterns are acceptable.
Brindle
It looks like a tiger-striped pattern with bright colors (chalk, cream, gold, red, café, lavender, parchment, or silver) with evenly layered black.
Multi-Patterned
A phantom with white and remarkable abstract markings, or a Parti with markings like a Sable, etc. Various colors and patterns are combined.
Color Patterns
All colors
May have a partial Parchment, Lavender
Café and Chocolate
Have dark amber eyes, liver noses/eye rims/lips, and dark nails
Caramel
Has dark amber to pale hazelnut eyes, liver noses/eye rims/lips,
and a nail color that ranges from the body color to black.
Gold, Red, Black, Blue, and Silver
Have very dark eyes, black noses/eye rims/lips,
and a nail color that ranges from the body color to black.
Chalk and Cream
Have dark amber to pale hazelnut eyes, liver noses/eye rims/lips,
and a nail color that ranges from the body color to black.
Alternatively, it could have very dark eyes, black noses/eye rims/lips,
and a nail color that ranges from the body color to black.
Patterns
Solid color
The color is solid and preferably even without white markings. A small white spot no larger than 2.5cm in diameter appearing on the chest, feet or tail can be accepted. The even color is preferable but a natural color of the coat is not considered as a fault.
Parti color
The color is over 50% white, with spots and patches in any other single color. No specific pattern is required but a symmetric pattern on the head is preferable. The spot in the white coat is acceptable but not encouraged.
Phantom
The body must be a solid color, with markings of a secondary color above each eye, on the sides of the muzzle, on the cheek, under the ears, on the throat to chest or in the chin and chest, preferably with a minimum second coloring on the upper legs and below the tail.
A second coloring on flank and the inside of the leg is also acceptable and will not be a penalized.
Color markings in a second color over the entire face are acceptable though not preferred if the other required body markings are present.
Abstract
White coloring is less than 50%, and there is no special rule for second coloring.
Sable
Some black-tipped hairs in a single color. Uneven markings are not penalized.
Brindle
Even and equal distribution of black hair layers, which show a tiger-striped pattern, on lighter colors such as chalk, cream, gold, red, café, lavender, parchment, or silver.
Multi
Various colors and patterns such as a Phantom with large abstract markings or a Parti with Sable-like markings, etc.
Sizes
Currently three sizes exist. Each size should be preferably applied to the following.
Standard
- Withers height: 21 to 24 inches (53 to 63cm) ※not over 25 inches
- Ideal size: male 22 to 24 inches, female 21 to 23 inches
- Weight: 50 to 65lbs (23 to 30kg)
Medium
- Withers height: 17 to 20 inches (43 to 52cm) ※not over 21 inches
- Ideal size: male 18 to 20 inches, female 17 to 19 inches
- Weight: 30 to 45lbs (13 to 20kg)
Miniature
- Withers height: 14 to 16 inches (35 to 42cm) *not over 17 inches
- Weight: 15 to 25lbs (7 to 13kg)
As a Therapy Dog
The AL possesses the essential capacity and quality to heal people’s mind working as therapy dogs, and provides “joy of living” and “enrichment” to the daily life of people at various care sites including homes for elderly people and facilities for the physically-disabled through AAA (Animal Assisted Activity, a method of healing people both physically and mentally through communication with animals).
They also have a potential to work for AAT (Animal Assisted Therapy, a therapy that uses an animal a doctor choses and expects a benefit for treatment through its existence) with its characteristic features at medical sites such as hospitals in the near future.
The AL has high intelligence to be able to immediately master basic behaviors and training for general house dogs, such as “not bite”, “not bark”, “control over elimination”, “not struggle when a collar or a leash is put on”, and “crate training (to go to bed voluntarily)”, which will be important conditions to work as therapy dogs.
Without being trained to follow directions made by people, dogs cannot serve as therapy dogs. Training is fundamental, howbeit a time consuming activity. The AL , showing its high quality as an ultimate house dog, responds to our expectations while balancing the relationship between people and the environment.
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