Grading Scheme

ALA 2009 grading scheme Amendments November 2016

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. Weight: 23kg to 30kg.

Medium Height at wither
43cm to 52cm. Weight: 13kg to 20kg.

Miniature Height at wither
35cm to 42cm. 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.
Mouth
Must be a scissor bite. Upper teeth to just overlap the bottom teeth.
Nose
Should be large, of square appearance and fleshy.
Teeth
Scissor bite. Undershot or overshot bite is a major fault. Crowding teeth in miniatures is a fault.

Forequarters
Shoulders blades and upperarms 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.