There’s actually a BIG difference between these two similarly named Poodle and Lab hybrid mixed dogs.
Both the straight Labradoodle and the Multigen Labradoodle only have Poodle and Labrador Retriever genetics. Some Labradoodles have multiple generations of Labradoodle to Labradoodle breedings but regardless.. there’s still only two pure breeds that makeup their DNA.
The straight Labradoodle includes the following breeds:
The Australian Labradoodle is actually a mix of several pure breed infusions done over a 30 year span of time that includes the Lab and the Poodle and was more recently renamed to “Cobberdog” by Beverly Manners the originator of the mix in Australia however, most American breeders still call their dogs “Australian Labradoodles”.
*I personally recall reading Beverly Manners herself saying “the Australian Labradoodle is not an authentic Australian Labradoodle without the Wheaten Terrier infusion” but for some reason.. it’s been left out of the parent breed lists online. Not sure why that’s the case but according to the originator of the blood line it was definitely included.
More proof of the Wheaton Infusion
The “Australian Labradoodle” was originally developed and named by 2 dog breeders in Australia, Beverly Manners of Rutland Manor and her daughter Angela Cunningham of Tegan Park. They started where Wally Conron left off with the first generation Labradoodle mix and over 30 years they infused 4 more pure breeds into the mix that were carefully selected for their qualities and potential to produce a more allergy friendly, non-shedding coat and a service and therapy type temperament.
The Australian Labradoodle came to the USA in the 1990s and the UK in 2006 and became very popular throughout much of Europe. Today the Australian Labradoodle continues to work in service and therapy and as a beloved family pet in all corners of the globe.
Back in the early 2000’s Rutland Manor and Tegan Park were selling their Authentic Australian Labradoodles to interested dog breeders around the world for 10’s of thousands of dollars… and unfortunately, the dog breeders who couldnt afford one just started making their own versions by mixing the Lab, Poodle and Cocker Spaniel and then calling them “Australian Labradoodles” but the true and Authentic Australian Labradoodle comes from a very specific bloodline of dogs in Australia. Period. The rest… are knock offs (in my very humble opinion).
You can make a fine leather purse and call it “Gucci” but it’s never gonna be an AUTHENTIC Gucci Purse.
Dog Beeders around the world capitalized on the “Australian Labradoodle” name without owning any Rutland Manor or Tegan Park dogs which means they’re missing the full genetic makeup of the original bloodline which took Beverly Manners 30 years to develop and became so popular for their amazing coats and temperments.
As the story goes… the origins of the first straight Labradoodle litter (just the Poodle and Lab mix) started once upon a time in the 1980’s in Australia with a guide dog trainer by the name of Wally Conron and he was the “puppy breeding manager” for the Royal Guide Dog Association of Australia when one day his boss set forth a challenge for Wally which was to help find a blind woman from Hawaii a suitable seeing eye dog that wouldn’t shed because her husband was allergic to dogs.
To quote Wally Conron from an article on Psychology Today’s website ..
Wally thought to himself, “Oh yes, this will be a piece of cake. The Standard Poodle is a working dog; it doesn’t shed hair so it’ll be great.” However, I tried 33 dogs in the course of three years and they all failed. They just didn’t make the grade as guide dogs. Meanwhile, the woman in Hawaii was getting older and my boss was getting on my back.”
Desperation and pressure finally drove Wally Conron to consider an alternate course of action, he decided to take his best female Labrador Retriever and breed her to a male Standard Poodle which resulted in a litter of three puppies but only one of the 3 tested as hypoallergenic.
Wally believed with their long waiting list of families wanting to foster guide dog puppies, he wouldn’t have a problem finding foster homes for his 3 crossbred puppies. Usually, their dogs would be fostered with a family to be trained and socialized before being enlisted in the guide dog program.
Unfortunately, nobody wanted them, they wanted to wait for a purebred dog.
So, this was the moment where Conron came up with the creative and equally silly name for these new Poodle/Lab hybrid puppies… he called them “Labradoodles” and Wally said in an interview “I went to our PR team and said, ‘Go to the press and tell them we’ve invented a new dog, the Labradoodle.’ It was a gimmick, and it went worldwide.
The silly gimmick of a name also worked — because “during the weeks that followed, our switchboard was inundated with calls from potential foster homes, other guide-dog centers, vision-impaired people and people who were allergic to dogs who wanted to know more about this new “wonder dog.”
READ THE WHOLE WALLY CONRON INTERVIEW: HOW WAS THE LABRADOODLE BREED CREATED? A meeting with Wally Conron, creator of the Labradoodle
The Labradoodle may not be a pure bred or eligible to compete in the AKC show ring but the average Joe has spoken loud and clear and year after year… the Labradoodle and the Australian Labradoodle have continued to be one of the most popular and beloved dog breeds available and not only because they don’t shed but due to their extremely sweet, family friendly, smart and intuitive disposition as well.
Both the Labradoodle and the Australian Labradoodle make great family dogs, service dogs and therapy dogs!