Breed Associations

Why an Association's Name Is Not Enough

Anyone who has investigated closely will know that several associations represent Australian Labradoodles. There are so many, with such similar names, that it can genuinely be difficult to understand the differences.

Associations I recommend: ALFA-Europe, ALAEU and WALA

As I explained in another article, not all these organizations were founded with the same admirable aim: promoting a pure, multigenerational, allergy-friendly working dog. Members have left some associations because their vision of the Australian Labradoodle began to diverge from the founder's standard.

What Happened after the Animal Protection Act

I remember when Poland's new Animal Protection Act took effect in 2012. Under it, only animals registered with a national organization could be bred and sold for profit.

What happened? Associations appeared in large numbers, registering dogs and cats that only the day before had been sold at markets as mixed breeds for a hundred or two hundred złoty. Proud breeders then raised the price to two thousand — because now the dog had a pedigree, didn't it? But a pedigree tracing which dogs, and what ancestry? That was unclear.

The important thing was that the buyer was pleased to receive a piece of paper. Later, they might take it to ZKwP and be surprised to learn that the dog was not eligible for registration. Suddenly they could not register the dog, even though they DID have a pedigree.

Labradoodles of Different Generations

Something similar happened with Australian Labradoodles. Organizations emerged that registered Labradoodles of different generations: multigenerational dogs alongside F1s, whose mother is a Labrador and father a Poodle, or the other way around.

Others even allow Labradoodles to be bred to Wheatens, Poodles or Cocker Spaniels. That might be fine if people were not being misled.

How could such a breeder know the outcome of hybridization? Many proudly show pedigrees filled with elaborate names, but how do you know which breeds those dogs represented? You do not.

What Kind of Pedigree?

Once I received a pedigree with the fourth generation on the mother's side marked UNKNOWN. What was going on? When the ancestry is unknown, that rather speaks for itself.

I have spoken to several families in this position: 'I didn't know,' 'It was supposed to be a Labradoodle,' 'I had to surrender the dog to a shelter,' or 'Please help, my Labradoodle has a problem with…'.

That is why you need to investigate the association behind your future puppy carefully. Does it allow Labradoodles to be mated with other breeds? If so, how will you know that when adopting your dog?

DNA testing for every puppy

Another point on which I insist is DNA testing for every single puppy. Why? You need to know whether the parents really are the dogs the breeder declares. The association should REQUIRE this of its members.

Otherwise, half a litter may have one father and the other half another. Do not rely solely on a breeder's honesty; you may be disappointed. In some countries, mating with two males is ALLOWED.

I personally witnessed a breeding dog being imported from AUSTRALIA to the Netherlands. Although two different males had been used in the mating, the breeder refused DNA testing, saying the puppy's father was obvious from its appearance.

Only DNA testing gives you confidence that the pedigree matches reality. At ALFA-Europe, we have carried out these tests since 2009; the breed's founder did so earlier still. The Polish Kennel Club resisted this approach for a long time before introducing it in 2023. In theory, therefore, we must trust that a pedigree is accurate, but certainty in every case is not guaranteed.

This is one reason Australian Labradoodle associations are years ahead of other canine organizations: not only in DNA parentage testing, but also in extensive genetic health testing and low inbreeding levels.

We also actively participate in identifying potentially important new genes and welcome collaboration. As an organization, we are disappointed to learn that major canine bodies decline to take part in research — free research, I should add — that could help identify genes associated with particular health predispositions.

We hope to share the results of further studies we have participated in soon, even though some large organizations chose to withdraw from those projects. Is that really acting in the interests of the breeds concerned?

ALFA-Europe and Cooperation with Australia

In 2014, ALFA-Europe began working with an Australian organization comparable to the FCI. The aim was to establish studbooks and have Australian Labradoodles listed as a breed, beginning in their country of origin.

It was a long, difficult road involving many meetings, agreements, breeding rules and a code of ethics. In the end, the organization backed away from earlier agreements.

• It allowed first-generation dogs, F1s, to be registered.

• It left DNA testing to each breeder's discretion.

Because ALFA-Europe considered this a step backward, we ended our cooperation with that organization.

It is easy to get lost in all this information, isn't it? I remember the beginning of my own journey. The more I learn, the more sympathy I have for new buyers trying to find reliable information. I am sorry it is this way. We all need to do our homework and investigate our breeder carefully.

Breeding dogs and their offspring

Continue exploring

Breed History — Where the Australian Labradoodle idea began and how the breed developed.

Breed Standard — Key characteristics, proportions and temperament.

Health Testing — Health examinations, genetics and responsibility within the breeding program.