Labradoodle Breed Standards

General Appearance

Must appear athletic and graceful with a compact body displaying substance with medium boning. Should not appear cloddy or heavy nor overly fine. A distinctive feature of this breed is their coat, which is non-shedding and easy to manage.

Temperament

Extremely clever, sociable, comical, joyful, energetic when free and soft and quiet when handled. They should approach people in a happy friendly manner, keen and easy to train. They should display an intuition about their family members or handler’s current emotional state or needs. This ability to “know” is what has made the Australian Labradoodle an excellent dog for individuals with special needs.

Size

Standard

Height at wither: 53cm to 63cm – 21 to 24 inches.(not over 25)
Weight: 21kg to 30kg.
The ideal size for the female is 21 to 23 inches and the male is 22 to 24 inches.

Medium

Height at wither: 43cm to 52cm – 17 to 20 inches. (not over 21)
Weight: 13kg to 20kg.
The ideal size for the female is 17 to 19 inches and the male is 18 to 20 inches.

Miniature

Height at wither: 35cm to 42cm – 14 to 16 inches. (not over 17)
Weight: 7kg to 13kg.

Body (to wither) as to length (from sternum to point of buttock) should appear square and compact. Deep chest and well sprung. There should be a good tuck up. Loins should be strong and muscular.

Head

Moderately broad with well-defined eyebrows. Stop should be moderate with eyes set well apart. The head should be of moderate width; developed but without exaggeration. Foreface to appear shorter than skull. The head should be clean-cut and free from fleshy cheeks. The whole head must be in proportion to the size of the dog.

Ears

Large, expressive and slightly rounded.

Teeth

Must be a scissor bite. Upper teeth to just overlap the bottom teeth.

Nose

Should be large, of square appearance and fleshy.

ForeQuarters

Shoulder blades and upper arms to be the same length, and shoulders should be well laid back. Elbows are set close to the body. Forelegs to be straight when viewed from the front. Toeing in our out is a fault.

Hindquarters

In profile the croup is nearly flat, slight sloping of the croup is acceptable. Stifles should be moderately turned to propel forward movement, and hindquarters well muscled for power in movement. Hock to heel should be strong and short being perpendicular to the ground. View from the rear should be parallel to each other, must not be cow-hocked.

Feet

The feet are of medium size, round with well-arched toes having elastic and thick pads. The feet should not turn in or out.

Tail

The tail should follow the topline in repose or when in motion. It may be carried gaily, but should not curl completely over the back. Tip of tail should not touch the back nor curl upon itself.

Movement

Trotting gait is effortless, smooth, powerful and coordinated in mature dogs. Should have a good reach in front and drive from behind for forward motion. Sound free movement and a light gait are essential.