Breeder FAQ

Follow the instructions on the membership page to submit your application:

To be eligible for registration all dogs must have pedigrees that are 100% traceable.  Dogs being registered must also adhere to all ALAA Breeder Member Rules and Regulations.  The registration acceptance policy applies to all breeders, in all countries.  The Board of Directors will consider inconsistencies in the pedigree on a case by case basis.

Consult the QA officer, who keeps a detailed quality assurance process. Tell the QA Officer about the infraction or complaint by email at: QA@alaa-labradoodles.com

If you feel someone has broken a rule, you should file a complaint. Click on the Complaint Form, download it to your computer, fill it in and e-mail it to the ALAA Quality Assurance Officer at: QA@alaa-labradoodles.com

If you are contacted by the ALAA Quality Assurance Officer and informed of an active complaint, you will be asked to provide a written reply of explanation within 10 days. The ALAA Board will review all documentation and reserves the right to ask for additional information from all involved parties in order to make a decision. All parties will be informed of the ALAA Board’s decision in the matter of the complaint and will be allowed 10 days to appeal or correct the complaint.

Yes. The ALAA has routinely been asked about membership by breeders in other countries that do not belong to or live in a country that currently has an organization. As a result of these inquiries, the ALAA has chosen not to deny membership based on where the member is from, but instead be all-inclusive to breeders around the world. It is the hope of the ALAA to be able to offer the opportunity to breeders who wanted to utilize the ALAA database, which includes generations of health testing, a stud finder, and the largest pedigree database in the world.

F1: The “F” stands for “filial generation”. “F1” means “first generation” and is a common scientific term. This, in the Labradoodle breed, is the coding for first-cross, purebred Poodle to purebred Labrador Retriever. The results are mixed, as this is not the breeding of two “like” dogs, or dogs that resemble each other. F1 Labradoodles typically are moderate- to low- shedding and have a sparse-hair to fleece coat.

F1B: The additional “B” refers to backcross — an F1 Labradoodle, as defined above, bred (or backcrossed) to a purebred Poodle. Again, the results are mixed, as this is not the breeding of two “like” dogs. F1B Labradoodles typically are low- to non-shedding if both parents non-shedding (or as much as any dog can be non-shedding) and often have a hair or fleece coat.

Australian Labradoodle: The Australian Labradoodle carries the DNA of the Labrador, Poodle and Cocker Spaniel (American or English). The resulting offspring share characteristics, though some pairings of parent dogs will produce a more mixed litter. An Australian Labradoodle can be created by crossing a Poodle to another Australian Labradoodle, a Cockapoo to a Labradoodle, a Labradoodle to a Cocker Spaniel and the like, resulting in the three-breed combination. Australian Labradoodles and Multigen Australian Labradoodles typically have a non-shedding coat (again, as much as any dog can be non-shedding) if both parents are non-shedding.

Multigen Australian Labradoodle (Multigenerational): A Multigen Australian Labradoodle comes about from the breeding of one Australian Labradoodle to another. Multigen Australian Labradoodles typically have a non-shedding coat (as much as a dog can be non-shedding) if both parents are also non-shedding.

Purebred Australian Labradoodle: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary first defined “purebred” in 1852 as “bred from members of a recognized breed, strain, or kind without admixture of other blood over many generations.” The AKC, meanwhile, requires four generations of like-to-like matings in their foundation service.

The ALAA uses these two references in its definition of a Purebred Australian Labradoodle.  Once a Multigenerational Australian Labradoodle has been bred to another Multigenerational Australian Labradoodle of the same or higher generation for four consecutive matings,  those offsprings in the 5th generation will be considered purebred.  Note:  Breeding down in generations results in the offspring being graded one generation higher than the lowest generation parent.

Contact the ALAA Registrar at: Registrar@alaa-labradoodles.com

The Registrar will briefly activate the stud dog in the registry in order for you to go ahead with your litter registration.

Does the ALAA require spaying or neutering of companion puppies? (Breeding)

No, the ALAA does not require spaying or neutering of puppies. When registering their litter, Breeder Members have the option to choose “entire” for intact puppies that are breeding prospects, “contract” for puppies that are sent home intact, but are intended as companion puppies, or “desexed” when the puppy has already been spayed or neutered. The ALAA offers a “limited registration” classification for any intact puppies that are not being retained as potential breeding prospects.

According to the ALAA Rules and Regulatons:

RULE #27 –  I shall not purposefully breed from any bitch before she has reached twelve months of age and complete breeding prior to her 7th birthday.

Yes, an early generation Labradoodle is registerable by meeting the 100% traceable ruling.

Yes, the ALAA requires that a 6-generation pedigree be submitted, unless some generations are traceable through prior generations already in the ALAA database, or another accessible database such as AKC.

Pedigrees submitted for registration may not contain any blank spaces.  Any dog without a traceable registration number from an accepted ALAA Registry must be a parent breed and be listed beyond the 3rd generation spot in the pedigree, not before.  These dogs will be considered for registration on a case by case basis by the ALAA board of directors.

As long as the registration numbers are provided and can be verified through the ALAA’s verification process, a pedigree from a breeder is acceptable.

Dogs with Wheaton infusion are not part of the Australian Labradoodle breed standard and not eligible.  

In an effort to continue to expand the gene pool and support the growth of the breed, the ALAA will now accept the registration of all three parent breeds: the Labrador Retriever, the Poodle, and the English or American Cocker Spaniel. Previously, only Labrador Retrievers and Poodles were accepted through the basic registration process, and only the Cockapoo was accepted through the Infusion Process. American and English Cocker Spaniels will now be registered through the ALAA Infusion Process. The addition of the Cocker Spaniel will give our beloved breed more opportunity for gene pool advancement and help to maintain health through genetic diversity.

The entire Infusion Process is being streamlined so you no longer have to fill out the 3-part application for breed pair approval. You will only have to turn in the Breeding Pair Notification, with both parents’ information, to ensure they meet the requirements to participate. This also eliminates additional forms and fees, and requirements for time or litters produced as a member.

Your litter request will not be denied if the health testing and registration requirements are met. Your request will be denied if the litter produced does not meet the requirements for registration. If you are unsure if a pedigree is registerable or not, you can submit any pedigree for verification for a fee. Remember, it is the responsibility of the Breeder Member to verify a pedigree prior to the use or purchase of said dog. The ALAA is not responsible for the registration of any dog that does not meet these requirements.

The Breeding Pair Notification will need to be turned in as a check and balance, to be certain both dogs meet the health testing requirements. Any Cocker Spaniel or Cockapoo registered with the ALAA will need to be tested to the Gold Paw level. If there are any health tests pending that are informational only, your litter will not be denied. Example of a litter denied: PRA carrier on Dam and PRA status unknown on Stud. This pair would not be approved until the PRA status is known, to prevent producing PRA-affected dogs.

There will no longer be submission for approval, or additional fees for processing additional paperwork on the litter. You do not have to have 18 months of membership, nor do you have to have bred 4 litters of Australian Labradoodles.

Yes, the Cocker Spaniel and the Cockapoo need to meet all heath testing and registration requirements prior to being bred. The dog being mated to the Cocker Spaniel or Cockapoo must also be tested to the Gold Paw level.

If a Cockapoo was previously denied registration, it will still be denied registration.

As long as the Cockapoo meets all ALAA registration and health requirements within the infusion program, it can be ALAA registered and receive a registration number for breeding purposes.

Then as long as all health testing requirements are met with both parents, and you breed that Cockapoo within the guidelines of the Infusion Program, all puppies would be registered in the same way your other litters are registered.

All Cocker Spaniels or Cockapoos will go through the infusion registration process with the Registrar and will be registered as long as they meet the registration requirements.

Contact the dog Registrar via email at: Registrar@alaa-labradoodles.com.

Health testing must be verified on every dog you breed, including studs belonging to non-ALAA members. The stud must meet the minimum health requirements of the ALAA prior to breeding, and the breeder must submit this documentation to the dog registrar via fax, mail, or email. The ALAA’s policy is to register the stud dog and enter the testing data into the ALAA database to register the litter. If the stud owner does not want the testing to be entered into the ALAA database, the owner must submit a written letter detailing this request.

Please wait for confirmation that we have received the request. The stud dog will still be registered in the database, but the testing information data will be omitted.

Proof of breed must be submitted. This can be a pedigree traceable to another ALAA-registered dog, DNA for breed-tested dogs, or any dogs traced to registered purebred dogs in any ALAA-recognized kennel club.

Email the dog Registrar: Registrar@alaa-labradoodles.com who will review your submission and let you know if any issues need to be addressed.

All ALAA Member Breeders must meet basic health testing requirements. Exceeding those requirements makes the Member Breeder eligible for Silver and Gold Paw status.

If your dog meets the 100% traceable ruling you will only need to submit hip and elbow testing, you do not need to submit known PRA or EIC status for registration. The ALAA encourages their Member Breeders to health test beyond entry requirements with a Silver Paw and a Gold Paw Testing Program.

The Silver and Gold Paw Reward programs are voluntary programs, and they are not required for all members. At a minimum, the ALAA requires that all breeding dogs have their hips and elbowstested prior to breeding. The ALAA rewards Member Breeders who go above and beyond the minimum hip and elbow health testing requirements by issuing a Silver or Gold Paw Emblem.

Member Breeders must maintain the listed level of health testing for all breeding dogs in their program in order to qualify for the Silver or Gold Paw.

EIC is a debilitating, early onset disease that is easily preventable through a one-time DNA test. This test gives the breeder accurate results in order to make sound breeding decisions. Affected dogs typically become weak in the hind limbs and collapse after 5-20 minutes of high intensity exercise, such as in field trials or upland game hunting, and in some cases simple fetch and retrieves. This is a debilitating health issue that is 100% preventable through DNA testing.

DNA health tests such as EIC, PRA, or VWD are definitive health-screening tests that Member Breeders can use to evaluate health status.

For intact, breeding dogs born after 1/1/15, the ALAA will allow a Clear by Parentage (CBP)submission for EIC, PRA, or VWD for two generations only, after which the next generation will need to be DNA tested again. Any dogs that were born before that date will be allowed CBP submission as it has been allowed in the past.

Note: OFA only allows for one generation of CBP and has strict rules for submission of proof.

The current programming does allow for automatic updates to Clear by Parentage (CBP), if the dog’s parents’ testing has been submitted previously.

The ALAA accepts EIC and PRA test results from  from any OFA approved labs.

Dogs who have been tested for additional unlisted tests can have their results recorded in the “Notes” section of the ALAA Database, which is at the bottom of your dogs’ health testing information. Not every dog has every extra test result noted. If a Member Breeder wants testing listed in the notes section, a request will need to be made to the Registrar to add them.

Only litters born after you become an ALAA member are required to be registered. All litters must be registered within 120 days of birth. There is a $15 fine per litter per month for late registrations up to 8 months after required registration date. This fee is addition to the litter registration fee. Litters registered 9 months late or later will be assessed a $120 fine for late registration. Litters registered more than 18 months after birth will be addressed on an individual basis by the ALAA Board.

Litters must be registered online. To register, perform the following steps:

1. Browse to the ALAA Dog Registry Log-in page.
2. Type your membership number and password in the appropriate fields and click “sign in.” The member and breeder resources page appears.
3. Under “breeder resources,” click “Register a new litter.” The litter registration page appears.
4. Follow the instructions to register your litter online.
5. For payment, use the automated PayPal button at the end of the litter registration process.

Note: You may need to file some paperwork (stud certificates, change in status for frozen semen) with the dog Registrar prior to online registration. If you have any questions, email the dog Registrar at: registrar@alaa-labradoodles.com who can direct you to helpful links or forms.

Yes, per the ALAA Rules and Regulations:

A Breeder must register all breeding dogs owned or leased that are used in their Labradoodle breeding program including: Labradoodles, Poodles, Labrador Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels, Cockapoos and any derivatives. Dogs must be registered before they may be bred.

When the dog is registered, notify the dog Registrar about the co-ownership arrangement.

Yes, per the ALAA Rules and Regulations:

A Breeder must register all breeding dogs owned or leased that are used in their Labradoodle breeding program including: Labradoodles, Poodles, Labrador Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels, Cockapoos and any derivatives. Dogs must be registered before they may be bred.

When the dog is registered, notify the dog Registrar about the co-ownership arrangement.

No, Member Breeders must not use their ALAA website to market non-ALAA registered or registrable Labradoodles.

When you register a litter, you must tell the dog Registrar which dogs you intend to retain for breeding.

If you have acquired a puppy for breeding, you must complete all required health testing before breeding that dog. If the dog does not meet ALAA health requirements for breeding stock, you may spay or neuter the puppy to sell as a pet.

If you re-sell the puppy, you must register the puppy with the ALAA if you are covering the dog under your kennel warranty, or if the owner perceives the dog as coming from your program.

If the puppy is being re-sold under the original owner/breeder’s health warranty and the original owner/breeder is not an ALAA member, the buyer must be notified of such. It becomes the responsibility of the original owner to register the puppy, if the original owner is an ALAA member. This applies only to puppies you have acquired — not dogs that have been whelped in your own program.

Once you are an active member of the ALAA, you must register all puppies born in your program within 120 days of being whelped.

The ALAA will require that all of the puppies in the litter, companion and retained puppies, be permanently identified by tattoo or microchip, and DNA proof of parentage be submitted before registration of the litter can be processed. The DNA test results must list ALAA registration names, numbers, and microchip numbers, for both the sire and dam, as well as microchip numbers for each puppy.

Note: Sires must be proven, not just excluded.

All dogs must meet the requirements of being 100% traceable, or be approved by the board, to be eligible for registration in the ALAA, regardless of registration with other organizations.

When you register the dog, it specifically says, dog’s name (without the omit kennel prefix), then select the breeder from drop down menu. If the breeder is not on the list, you must contact the Registrar at: Registrar@alaa-labradoodles.com. The Registrar will require you to send the pedigree of the dog you are attempting to register, not its parents or grandparents, but the pedigree of the actual dog you are registering.

The Kennel Prefix of the breeder that bred the dog should always be used, not the kennel prefix of the member buying the dog.

Current Infusion rules state that you are no longer required to ESN puppies produced in infusion litters.

All breeding dogs must have permanent identification in the form of a unique microchip. As of January 1st, 2015, any intact dog/puppy registered and kept for breeding will be required to have a DNA profile on file before they are used for breeding. This DNA profile is required to be from Paw Print Genetics: https://www.pawprintgenetics.com/parentage/product-select/

The ALAA Code of Ethics requires DNA testing if a dog’s parentage is ever questioned.

A DNA profile is an individual unique fingerprint of your dog–a genetic form of identification. Just like people have unique fingerprints, dogs do too. It is not a pass or fail test, a test that indicates a breed or breeds, nor a health test. It is a tool that can be used if parentage is ever in question on an ALAA-registered dog. This is not a new practice and is commonly required by many breed clubs as well as the AKC.

DNA profiles are required to be done with one company, Paw Print Genetics, so that the proprietary markers being submitted to the ALAA are all the same for all dogs belonging to member breeders. Paw Print Genetics uses the same proprietary markers that the AKC requires, so we felt the stability and longevity of this DNA profile through this company was important. This will allow the DNA profiles to be used easily for identification or comparison, or in audit situations. Paw Print Genetics and the DNA Profiles are also available to our European Member Breeders.

If you transfer the ownership of an ALAA dog registered prior to 1/1/15, a DNA profile is not required. Breeding dogs that are ALAA registered prior to 1/1/15 are grandfathered in. This requirement is not retroactive and these dogs are not required to have a DNA profile.

Yes, any newly registered dog after 1-1-15 is required to have a DNA Profile before any of its offspring can be registered.

No, you can use an outside stud dog without having to turn in a DNA profile before registering that litter. You do, however, have to follow all other requirements for health testing and registration.

All dogs stored with frozen semen are not required to stay current on any health testing or rules and regulations. The dog’s status should be current on health testing and rules and regulations, as it was on the date the semen was frozen, so a DNA profile is not required.

Yes, there are always volunteer opportunities and we’re constantly on the lookout for volunteers. If you are interested in serving on a committee, notify the Secretary: Secretary@alaa-labradoodles.com.

Members are encouraged to volunteer to serve on the Governing Body.   You should become familiar with our current officers and the responsibilities of each of the board positions. Officers are required to not only hold a position, but also to take on other duties, and run teams and initiatives to help the ALAA achieve yearly goals. The current duties of each ALAA board member are listed on the “Meet the Team” page next to their personal information.

Candidates seeking to become board members can be submitted to the Nominating Committee.   A request for nominations is sent to all current breeder members in advance of the Annual Meeting and Elections. To learn more about becoming involved in the ALAA by volunteering, contact a current board member.

Because the board nominates each individual via a slate, the board must know you’re interested! Contact an officer to tell them why you want to serve and what you have to offer the organization.

The ALAA is a non-profit organization that has both employees and volunteers tending to its needs. The ALAA employs staff to complete the registration process and paperwork for both Breeder and Pet Partners.  Staff is also employed in the areas of Operations and Finance Administration.  The Registrar completes the registration of new Member Breeders, litter registrations, registration of breeding dogs, pet memberships, collects and verifies health testing as required for membership.  Assistants are responsible for printing and mailing litter certificates and pedigrees.  The ALAA database services (DogTrack and StudFinder) are part of operations.  These positions are subject to change as needed.

The ALAA hosts educational opportunities for breeders including the Roundtable Conference and webinars.

The ALAA Pet PALs (Preserving the Australian Labradoodle) and ALAA Membership is composed of Pet Owners and Breeder Members.  Pet owner membership helps fund further research for the breed via genetic testing and ALAA sponsored health clinics. It helps to promote breeder education and responsible breeding practices in supporting our Annual Breeder Roundtable Conferences. It helps the ALAA maintain the world’s largest database for the preservation and advancement of the breed. And additionally, it helps to promote and support Doodle Romps.

A one-time, $50 fee gives dog owners lifetime ALAA Membership, connects you to a knowledgeable network of breeders and fellow owners, and directly supports our efforts to promote the health and well-being of this beloved developing breed, and to protect the future of the Labradoodle and Australian Labradoodle.

Thank you for your interest in the ALAA. To make sure your question reaches the appropriate person to help you, please fill out the form on this page and we will respond as soon as possible.