What exactly is a labradoodle?

Combine the intelligence, aloof nature, delicate frame, and low-allergy and non-shedding traits of the Poodle, with the boisterous exuberance, lovability and loyalty of a Lab, and you have the perfect companion. Labradoodles are known for their typical "Benji" look, outstanding intelligence and trainability, low allergy coat, low to non-shedding coat and lack of doggie odor.
Labradoodles have been bred with the purpose of providing a healthy, easy to maintain, friendly companion, especially to people with special needs. They make wonderful family pets and are friendly to people & other animals.
Labradoodles can make wonderful hunting dogs too.Standard Poodles were the original water fowl dogs bred in France so most love water and like to retrieve which surprises some folks. They don't tend to shed and don't throw dander, that's where our doodles get this from. They also don't put out the doggy odor that labs do.
Labradoodles are slightly heavier than the Standard Poodle with strong front limbs.
A dog is a lifetime commitment so we want prospective owners to thoroughly evaluate their lives before considering buying a puppy. Labradoodles are happiest indoors with their family. They are not a dog to tie to a chain outside. And, they are not a dog to leave alone for many hours at a time. They need their "pack" and they can be destructive from boredom if they do not receive adequate attention.
Labradoodles will bring a lifetime of joy, laughter, and fun as well as many loving memories!
This cross was first intentionally made in Australia to help a woman in Hawaii as she searched for a guide dog that would not cause her husband to suffer allergic reactions to the dog. The story is well known and often repeated in the Labradoodle circles.

Many people have questions regarding the origins and various generations of Labradoodles. Here are the basics:

Labradoodles have become a popular cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle. This cross was first intentionally made in Australia to help a woman in Hawaii as she searched for a guide dog that would not cause her husband to suffer allergic reactions to the dog. The story is well known and often repeated in the Labradoodle circles. The Australian Labradoodle Association of America tells the story HERE.
There are several generational differences in the Labradoodle world:
F1 Labradoodle is the first cross between the parent breeds. The Labrador Retriever crossed with a Poodle. The resulting litter is the first cross, or F1 puppy.
This is first generation, resulting in healthier offspring! Hair type can be smooth like a lab,wirey look like a Irish wolfhound or Wavy/shaggy, they can shed or not. I do not recommend this cross for people with severe allergies.
F1B is a back cross to the parent breed. Generally the F1 Labradoodle is bred back to the Poodle, breeders rarely, if ever, breed back to the Lab. The main reason for a back cross to a Poodle is to give the resulting offspring a more consistent coat quality. Because the puppies are 75% Poodle and 25% Lab, they tend to have a longer coat that is more wavy, curly and shaggy looking.
F1B Labradoodles are the most likely of any to be non shedding and Allergy friendly, and is the easiest coat to take care of.
Multi generational (Multigen) Labradoodles are from one of two possible genetic backgrounds. Australian Multigen Labradoodles have, over the years, been infused with breeds other than the parent Lab and Poodle. There are at least six different breeds in a true Australian Multigen Labradoodle. In the United States, some breeders have purchased Australian Multigen breeding stock and continued to breed them to similar animals. Some other breeders in the U.S. have created Multi generational Labradoodles from crossing the Labs and Poodles for generations, mixing different gene pools and breeding successive generations of F1B or F2B dogs with other F1B or F2B dogs to create a Multigen Labradoodle without the infusion of other breeds that are found in the Australian lines.
Still, back crossing to a Poodle increases the chance that the puppies will be low shedding. A note about allergic reactions: Labradoodle dogs are advertised by many breeders as being “hypo-allergenic” or “non-allergenic” they are also considered by many to be non-shedding. In reality, you can never be 100% certain that your Labradoodle will be either hypo-allergenic or non-shedding. Why? Because sometimes allergies are caused by saliva in dogs and if this is the cause of your reaction, the Poodle-infused coat will not curtail this type of allergy.
Again, the allergic reaction may still be present in these dogs if you are allergic to the saliva or another aspect of dogs.

North American Retrievers (Double Doodles) : the Next Logical Hybrid

People have been hybridizing dogs ever since specific breeds of dogs were created. Each breed of canine was created by crossing two, and usually three or more breeds in order to create a dog to fulfill a specific purpose.
Some breeds were created for herding, others for hunting, yet others for protection. North American Retrievers (Double Doodles) are one of the few dogs created specifically to be used as service dogs for the disabled.
The North American Retriever, or Double Doodle, is a cross between a Labradoodle and a Goldendoodle.
Goldendoodles are a more recently produced hybrid, with the first litters produced, by all accounts, in the mid-1990's. The intent was to produce a non-shed dog, smaller than a Golden Retriever, and similar to a Cockapoo. Breeders have continued the hybridization process of Goldendoodles as well, and some breeders are producing 3rd and 4th generation Goldendoodles.
Although the qualities of Labradoodles and Goldendoodles are similar, there are some differences between them in temperament. Labradoodles, retaining a personality quality common in Labradors, tend to have a somewhat higher drive.
Goldendoodles, retaining a quality often found in Golden Retrievers, are often very gregarious. For years service organizations have intentionally crossed Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers in order to produce friendly, gregarious dogs that have enough drive for service work, so it is logical that Doodle Breeders would do the same. The same combination of traits that results in a tractable, friendly, trainable dog for service also results in a personality perfect for a family companion.
So part of the reasoning for a Labradoodle X Goldendoodle cross has to do with producing a particular temperament. The other reason is to consistently produce low-shed, low-allergy coats. These coats can be produced in both upper generation Labradoodles and upper generation Goldendoodles. This is often accomplished by breeding Labradoodles to poodles. While this does produce the desired qualities in terms of coat, it also produces a dog with much finer 'boning', more similar to a poodle. These desired qualities in the coat can be consistently produced in the Labradoodle X Goldendoodle cross, and because two retrievers are 'in the mix', the more solid boning of those breeds can be more easily maintained. The name 'North American Retriever' was coined by Helene Roussi of Westwood Labradoodles and Goldendoodles, and the first litter of North American Retrievers (abbreviated NAR) was produced by Lincoln Manor Labradoodles in late 2006.
Overall, the few breeders that are producing this hybrid have found that the desired types of temperament, coat quality, and conformation are present in the majority of first generation (Labradoodle X Goldendoodle) North American Retrievers. As higher generations are produced, it is likely that even more puppies in these generations will also possess the desired qualities.