Labradoodles at Rainmaker Ranch
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Internationl Labradoodle Association

the Labradoodle Breed Standard
 
 
 

Rainmaker Ranch Breeding Criteria

We are guided by the International Australian Labradoodle Association Breed Standard (IALA previously the ILA, www.ilainc.com). All our puppies will be registered with the ILA. The labradoodle as most crossbreeds is not an AKC accepted standard. As a breeder it is the responsibility of that breeder to follow and set his/her own standards and guidelines in developing a breeding program. The following standard guides our Rainmaker Ranch Breeding Program.

Labradoodle Foundation Parent Guidelines

It is very important to us that the foundation breeding parents to your puppy, either, poodle, lab or labradoodle are the best representation of their respective breeds. Therefore, we only breed those dogs that first meet the breed standard of their appropriate breed. To better understand the standards for poodles please go to: www.poodleclubofamerica.com. For Labrador breeding criteria please see www.akc.org. We see, to our dismay, to many dogs being breed that would not even meet their own standard yet alone produce the correct breed standard for the labradoodle.

Australian Labradoodle Breed Standard under our program



see www.ilainc.com for complete IALA/ALAA breed standard and variations in our program.

Temperament and Soundness are the two KEY elements in a good family companion; they must not be sacrificed for any reason.

General Appearance: Should be athletic and graceful, yet compact with substance and medium boning with a free flowing wavy or curling coat that does not shed. Joyful and energetic when free, soft and quiet when handled. They should approach people in a happy friendly manner with eye-to-eye contact, keen to learn and easy to train.

Size:
  • Standard: 21 to 24 (not over 25) inches (or about 53-63 cm) from the wither to ground measurement. The ideal size for the female is 21-23 inches and the male is 22-24 inches. Weight range tends toward 23-30 kg (about 50-65 lbs). Oversize is a major fault.
  • Medium: 17 to 20 (not over 21) inches (or about 43-52 cm) from the wither to ground measurement. The ideal size for the female is 17-19 inches and the male is 18-20 inches. Weight range tends toward 13-20 kg or (about 30-45 lbs).
  • Miniature: 14 to 16 (not over 17) inches (or about 35-42 cm) from the wither to ground measurement. There is no correlation between height and sex in the Miniature size. Weight range tends toward 7-12 kg or (about 15-25 lbs). Undersize is a Major fault.
Body: Height to length ratio square and compact. Shoulders should have good angulation with firm elbows held close to the rib cage. Upright shoulders is a fault. Hindquarters should be of medium angulation with short strong hocks. Top line should remain level with strong loin and level croup. They are a galloping dog therefore flanks should rise up from a brisket set just below the elbows, but should not be excessively deep. Ribs should be well sprung but not barreled. Overall they should appear square, balanced, athletic with good muscling.

Movement: When trotting should be purposeful, strong and elastic with good reach and drive, giving the appearance of "going somewhere". When relaxed, happy or at play they will prance and skim the ground lightly. Excessive tightness in the hip will produce a stilted action and is considered a fault. Top line should remain level with strong loin and croup.

Tail: Is relatively high and is preferred to be carried saber.

Neck: Firm well muscled neck should be moderately long, slightly arched and flow into well angled shoulders with no appearance of abruptness. The neck should not be coarse or stumpy and should lend an air of elegance to the dog. A short or thick neck is a fault.

Head: Sculptured, Broad, well-defined eyebrows, medium stop, eyes set well apart, nose to stop slightly shorter than stop to occiput. The head should be clean and chiseled, and fully coated as on the body, legs and tail. A long, narrow or blockhead is a fault.

Ears: Set moderately flat against head and should be level with eye. Leather should be of medium thickness, when gently drawn forward should reach the top canine tooth. Ear canal should be free of Excessive hair and not thick or bulbous. When inquisitive or alert the ear should rise to the top of the head. Thick, heavy ear leather is a fault.

Eyes: Slightly round, large and expressive, always offering eye-to-eye contact when engaged in activity with humans. Protruding or sunken eyes are a fault. Watery or tearful eyes are a fault. Wide round or narrow almond shape is considered a fault.

Teeth: Scissor bite. Undershot or overshot bite is a major fault. Crowding teeth in miniatures is a fault.

Nose: Large, square, and fleshy.

Coat: Coat length should be 4-6 inches long. It should be straight, wavy or forming spirals and should naturally grow in staples with a soft texture. It should not be too thick or dense nor should it be fluffy or fuzzy. It should be a single coat, any sign of a double coat is a fault. The ideal Fleece and Wool coats can be spun successfully. Hair coat [Hair texture that sheds] is undesirable and is a major fault. It is important that the coat gives the impression of being a fleece in type rather than dog hair.
  • Fleece (The focus of our program): Texture should be light and silky similar to the texture of the Angora Goat. Appearing to contain a silky lanolin in texture. Appearance can range from an almost straight loosely waved to an obviously waved coat, Kemp is often found around eyes and along the top line. The absence of Kemp is highly prized.
  • Wool: Texture is denser than that of the Fleece with a similar texture to that of Lambs Wool. Appearing to contain a sheep lanolin in texture. The ideal wool coat should hang in loose hollow spirals. It is acceptable to exhibit a spring appearance rather than spiral but a sprung wool coat is undesirable. An overly thick or dense coat is also undesirable. There should be no body odor or shedding in the Fleece and Wool coat [with the exception of the
  • Hair coat, which both has odor and sheds in varying degrees, (usually seen in the early generation dogs). It is acceptable to see a coat change from the puppy to adult coat, and also during hormonal changes in fertile bitches. This coat does not shed, but should be groomed out.
Pigment: Black or Rose. Pigment should be strong pink spots or patches on nose, lips, eye rims, or pads are a fault. Dogs with rose pigment should have eye rims, lips, nose and pads with rose pigment. Pink spots or patches are a severe fault. [Rose should be a rich liver colour].

Eye Colour: Should complement and blend with the coat colour. Black, Blue, Red, Chocolate and Silver dogs must have dark brown eyes. Café, Gold, Cream, Chalk should have Hazel to Brown eyes If they have black pigment. Caramel, Lavender, Parchment and dogs with Rose pigment should have Brown or “ghost” eyes. [Ghost is a Hazel colour range much the same as it is in humans]. Flecking with different shades of Hazel with Green - Blue make this eye colour quite unique. Ghost eyes must remain soft in appearance. Cold, staring, expressionless appearance in all eye colour is a major fault.

Colours: NOTE: It is normal that all colours may show bleaching and discolouration over the top coat, referred to as sunning, this is quite expected and acceptable. The Australian Labradoodle is an active dog and often a service dog that enjoys the outdoors. Sunning or weather bleaching MUST NOT be penalized. Any solid colour (including Silver, Café, Lavender, Parchment) is preferred and considered the ideal for the breed. In the solid colours it is preferred to have a solid colour coat with no white markings though a small white mark on the chest, and/or toes is permissible. Kemp [course hairs] sprinkled through a dark coat is permissible but very undesirable. Parti [Patched], Phantom, Brindle and Sable though not preferred are considered an acceptable colour.

The preferred colours are as follows:
  • Chalk This colour should be a white colour but when compared to white is rather a chalky white in colour. Nose pigment to be Black or Rose.
  • Cream This colour should be a creamy colouring sometimes with apricot/gold hinting, all shades of cream are acceptable . Nose pigment to be Black or Rose.
  • Gold This colour has also been referred to as “apricot” should be the colour of the inside of a ripe apricot to varying shades of rich Gold in colour. A true Gold will not have a lighter root than the outer coat and preferable have an even colouration over the entire body. This colour may fade as the dog grows older, senior dogs should not be penalized for paling of coat colour. Nose pigment to be Black in colour.
  • Caramel This colour ranges from a rich gold through to a deep red the preferred colour is very much the same colour as its namesake “caramel” with even colouration over the entire body. Nose pigment to be Rose in colour.
  • Red This colour should be a solid even rich red in colour. A true red must not be lighter at the root than the outer coat. Reds can fade as the dog grows older, senior dogs should not be penalized for paling of coat colour. Nose pigment to be Black. [Rare colour group]
  • Black This colour should be a solid black in colour with no sprinkling of any other colour through the coat. Nose pigment to be Black.
  • Silver This colour can range in shades from very light pewter in colour to a dark charcoal in colour it is preferred to see an even colour through the coat but acceptable to see uneven layering of colour in the coat. Silvers are born Black with the coat colour developing over time (1-3 yrs) . Nose pigment to be Black.
  • Blue This colour should be a dark to medium smoky blue in colour. Blues are born Black but will have a Blue/Grey skin pigment. The blue coat colour will develop over time (1-3yrs) but as a developed adult should have an even coat colour, any other colour throughout the Blue is undesirable. Nose pigment to be Blue/Grey [matching the skin pigmentation]. [Rare colour group]
  • Chocolate This colour should be a dark rich chocolate in colour. True chocolates are born almost black in colour and maintain the rich dark colour throughout their lifetime. Colour should be even, any other colour in the coat is undesirable. Nose pigment to be Rose in colour [matching the coat colour]. [Rare colour group]
  • Café This colour ranges from a milk chocolate to silver-beige in colour and will develop over time (1-3yrs). Nose pigment to be Rose in colour [matching the coat colour]. Lavender This colour has a definite smoky lavender chocolate colour giving an almost pink to lilac appearance. Lavender dogs are born chocolate and will develop over time (1-3yrs). Any other colour in the coat is undesirable. Nose pigment to be Rose in colour [matching the coat colour]. [Rare colour group]
  • Parchment This colour is a creamy beige chocolate colour reminiscent of a cup of coffee with a generous addition of milk. Parchment dogs are born milk chocolate and will develop over time (1-3yrs). From a distance adult dogs can be mistaken for a dark or smoky cream. Nose pigment to be Rose in colour. [Rare colour group]
Temperament: Extremely clever, sociable and joyful. Easily trained. Quick to learn unusual or special tasks. Active, a little comical at times. Can attempt to outsmart their owners if undisciplined. Friendly though obviously loyal to own family. Non Aggressive.

Severe Faults: Yappy, Highly strung, Dominance/Aggression, Fearful/timid, Aggressive to other animals.

SPECIAL ATTENTION must be directed to soundness in the breed. It is the responsibility of conscientious breeders to health test their breeding stock and protect the Australian Labradoodle from developing recurring genetic disorders in the breed. It is good to keep in mind that the Australian Labradoodle is a family companion, we do not want the heartache of illness or the expense of less than sound dogs.

There is no Scientific Laboratory proof that the Australian Labradoodle is “Hypoallergenic”. Practical research indicates that the fleece and wool coats of the Australian Labradoodle are very successful with Asthma and Allergy sufferers.

In these infant years of breeding the Australian Labradoodle some throwbacks will occur, with wiry, sparse, or combination coats that have partial shedding. These dogs need not be discarded for breeding, but should be assessed as to their soundness of body and temperament. Many of these individuals offer valuable hybrid genetics and will breed on excellent offspring. The same applies to dogs displaying undesirable colour or size traits. In order to produce a breed with a broad genetic base of quality dogs, haste should be made slowly. Genetic resources must be kept broad to protect the Australian Labradoodle breed from the disasters that many other breeds are suffering, "the genetic dead end".

(c) 1995-2007 Photos and Text, Rainmaker Ranch Labradoodles, photos of Rainmaker Ranch Labradoodles by Rainmaker and Photohound Dog Photography