How it all started?!
The history of the breed dates to the 1980’s and was instigated by Wally Conron of Royal Guide Dogs, situated in Victoria Australia. The goal was to generate allergy and asthma friendly service dogs. The attempt was inspired by an enquiry received from a vision-impaired woman in Hawaii who requested a Guide Dog which wouldn’t cause her husband’s allergies to flare.
At that point, the Australian Guide Dog Association had nothing to offer. However, there was a need to start somewhere. Their proven and tried Labradors then became an obvious choice. To achieve a hypoallergenic dog, they needed to couple their Labradors to a dog that was originally non-shedding, hence the choice of a quality Standard Poodle that was sourced and imported from Sweden.
Dogs from this first litter were called LABRADor-pOODLE, and so the Labradoodle breed was born.
Unfortunately, since the Labrador was already heavily shredded, it wasn’t a big surprise that the obtained litter wasn’t particularly successful; however, this was the beginning of something unique.
Following, two Australian breeders, Tegan Park and Rutland Manor, pursued the journey from where Wally Conron left off. Realizing that more than two breeds were going to be required to create an allergy and asthma friendly service dog, the following dogs were considered over multiple generations: The Labrador Retriever, the Poodle and the
Cocker Spaniel (English and American). Other breeds were infused on rare occasions. Interest in the Australian Labradoodle (ALD) soon became apparent, and forward-thinking breeders in Australia started to breed these dogs with a deliberate plan in mind. Within a few short years, numerous breeders joined in, with the idea of improving and refining the breed. Soon breeders from around the world joined the development of the breed, with ALD making their ways to the USA in the 1990s, then to the UK in 2000s and shortly after to the rest of Europe. ALD have since became popular pets, that have developed into the breed we know and love. Nowadays, Australian Labradoodles can be found working as service dogs, as therapy dogs, allergy-friendly soul mates, and family companions in all corners around the globe.
Unfortunately, since the Labrador was already heavily shredded, it wasn’t a big surprise that the obtained litter wasn’t particularly successful; however, this was the beginning of something unique.
Following, two Australian breeders, Tegan Park and Rutland Manor, pursued the journey from where Wally Conron left off. Realizing that more than two breeds were going to be required to create an allergy and asthma friendly service dog, the following dogs were considered over multiple generations: The Labrador Retriever, the Poodle and the
Cocker Spaniel (English and American). Other breeds were infused on rare occasions. Interest in the Australian Labradoodle (ALD) soon became apparent, and forward-thinking breeders in Australia started to breed these dogs with a deliberate plan in mind. Within a few short years, numerous breeders joined in, with the idea of improving and refining the breed. Soon breeders from around the world joined the development of the breed, with ALD making their ways to the USA in the 1990s, then to the UK in 2000s and shortly after to the rest of Europe. ALD have since became popular pets, that have developed into the breed we know and love. Nowadays, Australian Labradoodles can be found working as service dogs, as therapy dogs, allergy-friendly soul mates, and family companions in all corners around the globe.
The birth of WALA
With the growing popularity of the breed, there became a need of a worldwide association that could promote responsible dog companionship and ownership by cataloging helpful information about the breeds and by offering networking services to breeders and owners. As a result, the ‘World Australian Labradoodle Association’ (WALA) was created in 2018 by a group of 28 founding members with the global aim to unite worldwide Australian Labradoodle breeders in a mutual commitment to the long-term benefits of high standards in breeding practices. ‘WALA was created out of a desire to be part of a breed association that prioritizes health outcomes based on science and research, operates with the highest levels of integrity, engages members in decision-making, and promotes the protection and advancement of the breed through education and communication’.
