The Hypoallergenic dog breed: Australian labradoodles vs Labradoodle and Other Poodle Crosses
Those looking for a hypoallergenic dog, who come across my site often ask about the Australian labradoodle vs labradoodle.
Many people looking for a labradoodle that come across me haven’t heard of Australian Labradoodles and are not sure how they are different. Australian Labradoodles are actually a very different breed.
Below, you can learn about the differences that make the Australian Labradoodle uniquely desirable vs the labradoodle, particularly for those with allergies or where a calm temperament is important. After all, it can be quite a confusing scene today with poodle crosses being fashionable.
Hypoallergenic Dog: Australian Labradoodles vs labradoodle
The Australian Labradoodle was the first breed of those developed for a particular purpose about 25 years ago. Its development came about in response to a blind couple who needed a hypoallergenic dog as a guide dog due to suffering with dog allergies. This initiated a breeding program, which is a much larger scale operation than just crossing a poodle and Labrador.
Over time, five to six breeds were used to fulfil this objective, with future selections prioritising temperament and low allergy potential to accomplish the original goal of a hypoallergenic service dog.
The original breeds used were Labrador, Poodle, American and English Cocker Spaniel, Irish Water Spaniel, and Curly Coated Retriever. Once a large enough gene pool of the desired traits was present, the Australian Labradoodle breed was created. They were multigenerational, and since then, Australian Labradoodles have been crossed with other Australian Labradoodles rather than the original breeds.
This has resulted in a very even-tempered, trainable, loyal, affectionate, playful, and hypoallergenic breed of Australian Labradoodles. Because of the blend of breeds that were used, the Australian Labradoodle generally comes in three different sizes: standard, medium, and mini. If wanting to compare the Australian labradoodle vs the regular labradoodle their benefits are 1) known coat shedding and hypoallergenic nature 2) calmer temperament 3) service dog traits -like to serve their person and trainable 4) Come in a range of sizes, mini, med and standard 5) distinctive and consistent looks
Australian Labradoodle vs Cobber Dog
When the Labradoodle craze took off, it became confusing for people who did not understand the difference between Australian Labradoodle and labradoodle breeds. In Australia, the Australian Labradoodle is considered uniform enough to be considered a breed in development, which differentiates this breed from the numerous other stages of Labradoodle breeds out there, especially since Australians combine other breeds, to clarify this distinction they called called them Cobberdogs.
In the later stages, the Wheaton Terrier was also introduced to lift the ears and soften the coat a little more. Cobberdogs often tend to include this infusion. So in general, there is very little difference between the Australian Labradoodle breed and the Cobberdog, though some organisations do not accept the Wheaton infusion. The Cobber dog makes a good hypoallergenic dog.
Nowadays, those called Australian Labradoodles don’t generally include Wheaton while Cobberdogs do. Our chocolate line does include this infusion and has a particularly soft coat and slightly lifted ears.
Australian labradoodle vs Other Poodle Crosses
Poodles are usually crossed with other breeds to decrease the shedding. The challenge with other poodle crosses is that early generations are not reliably non-shedding, unless crosses have a very high poodle content, for example, crossing a first-generation labradoodle to a poodle again as an F1b.
This increases chances of low shedding but also increases the poodle percentage overall, including the poodle temperament. Poodles are lovely and highly intelligent dogs but are a bit particular and quirky. Therefore, they are not an easy-going breed and not suitable for every owner.
Poodle Cross Breeds
Poodles, when crossed with lively, playful breeds in the early generations, can lead to some unpredictable temperaments. Sometimes they are a bit loopy, crazy, or stubborn, and sometimes they are playful and calm. Ultimately, it is a bit of a lottery with some crosses tending towards one expression more than another. This applies to all the crosses.
Common Poodle Crosses ( by no means exhaustive)
Australian labradoodle vs Regular Labradoodle
Regular Labradoodles are standard poodle x Labrador cross, in various percentages. How much the coat sheds, trainability and temperament can vary, and they tend to be the larger size. The looks can be quite diverse, and final coat appearance, tendency to shed, and temperament are not clear until adulthood.
They are notably less calm and more high energy than the Australian Labradoodle, and more prone to parent breed health issues.
Regular labradoodles tend to be large, not coming in a variety of sizes. They can be lovely pets if you have space and energy, and shedding and allergy are not a primary concerns. They are typically friendly and fun loving if boisterous family pets.
The Australian labradoodle as explained above includes more infusion breeds, is multi generational, reliably ultra low shedding they are a more reliable hypoallergenic dog with a more uniform appearance.
The picture above is a regular labradoodle, there is no standard regular labradoodle look. The Australian labradoodle generally has a calmer temperament, comes in a variety of sizes, and is usually highly trainable.
Australian Labradoodle vs Other common Poodle Crosses
Australian labradoodle vs Cockapoo
Cocker Spaniels x Poodles are very popular in the UK with a similar size to the medium Australian Labradoodle. They tend to be very lively and fun but a little crazy, training potential varies between individuals. As with all early generation crosses, coat structure will vary from shedding to woolly non-shedding. Medium sized Australian labradooodles and F1 Cockapoos can be very similar to look at to all but the trained eye. The Australian labradoodle does have a less poodly face, and generally although a similar size the legs are a little longer. The Australian labradoodle is generally calmer and more trainable.
Cavapoo vs Australian labradoodle
Cavaliers x Poodles are again a cross where some will shed and some not. They tend to be smaller and calmer than cockapoos because Cavaliers are a calmer breed. Also, they are more prone to inherited diseases than australian labradoodles, but possibly less so than Cavaliers themselves. So these could be a good option if you love the
Goldendoodle
Golden Retrievers x Poodles have variable shedding and larger size, and they are considered to have a slightly calmer temperament.
Bernedoodle
Bernese Mountain Dogs x Poodles have variable coat, tend to be larger than labradoodles, less energetic but more stubborn.
These can all be lovely dogs, and you simply need to know how important it is for them to be non-shedding. Back crosses are more reliably non –shedding; but for example, an F1b with ¾ poodle is more of a poodle with just a hint of whatever the cross breed is.
The F2 generations are very unreliable in terms of looks and outcome. So, they are “like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re gonna get.” But if you like pick and mix…
Risk of crossing
In truly multigenerational dogs in any of these breeds, the results become more predictable, and you may have a hypoallergenic dog. However, it is important to be careful of inbreeding. Ask about the inbreeding coefficient to minimise the risk of diseases as inbreeding increases the chance that the puppies will inherit the genetic diseases of the parent breeds.
Ideally you want a minimum of 4 generations with no repeat dogs, preferably 5. You want an absolute Max COI of 10%, above this level you would expect to start seeing genetic issues crop up, preferably under 5%, and we personally aim for under 2%.
In summary:
- Early generations = less predictability but greater chance of hybrid vigour.
- Later generations = more predictable but watch out for inbreeding since it can be hard to find an unrelated stud unless working with a large group of breeders. ,
Australian Labradoodle Breed
We are lucky with the Australian Labradoodle breed that it was a large program initially. We have worldwide access to studs, which keeps inbreeding to a minimum and helps maintain hybrid vigour with a predictable coat and temperament. My personal program aims for less than 2% inbreeding based on pedigree calculations.
The incidences of serious inherited conditions are almost unknown; thus, in our own program we are confident to give a Lifetime Genetic Health Guarantee for serious inherited conditions.
This background of breed development and health vigour is a factor in the price difference. There has been a lot of development, collaboration and investment both in the past and present to reach predictable, healthy results. And to maintain that we work together as a worldwide network, importing studs to keep the lines healthy with genetic variation, to do this we cannot just use any stud, and sometimes travel great distances to ensure the healthy progression of the breed.
A lot of expensive health testing goes into continuing to develop strong healthy lines. This takes cost and commitment. We are often working with breeders in the United States and Australia to keep the gene pool large.
So, if you are looking for an Australian Labradoodle, it is always worth asking for the inbreeding coefficient or at least ensuring there are no repeated dogs in at least four or preferably five generations, but if this is a breed you are considering you have a really good chance of a genetically healthy and robust hypoallergenic dog with good hybrid vigour, non shedding, very trainable, and an even temperament.