What is an Australian Labradoodle?

At Willowbea, we exclusively breed multigenerational Australian Labradoodles. Unlike many Doodle crosses that are relatively recent combinations of a Poodle and another breed, the Australian Labradoodle has been intentionally developed over many generations with a focus on consistent coat, temperament, structure, health, and size.

The breed originated in Australia from dogs selected for their potential as therapy and assistance dogs, as well as their suitability as loving family companions. Despite the name, Australian Labradoodles do not have Australian Shepherd in their lineage. During the early development of the breed, a small number of other breeds—primarily spaniels—were thoughtfully incorporated into the foundation lines to help develop and refine the characteristics desired in the Australian Labradoodle, including coat, size, health, and temperament.

Since that foundation was established, Australian Labradoodles have been selectively bred through successive generations. Today's multigenerational Australian Labradoodle is the result of generations of intentional breeding within established lines, rather than a simple cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle.

Why aren't Australian Labradoodles called F1, F1B, or F2?

You may have seen terms such as F1, F1B, and F2 when researching other types of Doodles. These terms describe the generation of a cross between two different breeds. For example, an F1 Labradoodle is typically a first-generation Labrador Retriever × Poodle cross, while an F1B is generally an F1 bred back to a Poodle.

Those labels don't accurately describe the breeding history of a multigenerational Australian Labradoodle. The Australian Labradoodle has been developed through many generations of selective breeding within established Australian Labradoodle lines. Rather than describing each dog as an F1, F1B, or F2 cross, breeders of established Australian Labradoodle lines use terminology such as multigenerational to describe dogs whose pedigrees extend through multiple generations of Australian Labradoodle breeding.

This distinction is one of the reasons we chose to specialize in Australian Labradoodles. We value the consistency that comes from generations of intentional breeding—particularly in coat, temperament, size, structure, and overall type. While no breeder can guarantee exactly what any individual puppy will become, a well-established multigenerational breeding program allows us to make more informed predictions and thoughtfully select pairings with those characteristics in mind.

All of our Australian Labradoodles trace their pedigrees through established Australian Labradoodle lines, and our breeding decisions are made with the long-term health and quality of the breed in mind.

How do we raise our puppies?

We follow the Puppy Culture program to ensure our puppies are well-rounded and confident. Starting at just 3 days old, we begin with Early Neurological Stimulation and continue with various training exercises for the entire 8 weeks they are with us. This includes crate training, clicker training, housebreaking basics, basic commands and noise and touch desensitization, all designed to boost their confidence.

Our goal is to send home happy, confident, and well-socialized puppies.

Should I expect a "perfect" puppy?

As much as we prepare our puppies for success, they’re still puppies! They’ll get into mischief, chew on things, and occasionally have accidents as they learn. We lay a strong foundation, but your commitment, training, and time are key to helping your puppy grow into the dog you want. We highly recommend group puppy classes and continued training. A positive reinforcement trainer will help you build on the progress we’ve already made.

What is the cost and reservation process?

Puppy Pricing & Reservation

2026 Litters
Our puppy purchase price for litters born in 2026 is $3,200, plus Minnesota sales tax (currently 8.38%). This includes a 2 year health contract and spay/neuter agreement, with the option for a vasectomy or ovary-sparing spay.

2027 & Future Litters — New Pricing
Beginning with all litters born in 2027 and moving forward, our puppy purchase price will be $3,500, plus Minnesota sales tax.

We’re grateful for the continued interest in Willowbea puppies and look forward to continuing to provide exceptional care, early socialization, health testing, and thoughtful placement for each puppy we raise.

Reservation Process

To secure your spot in a litter, we require a $500 non-refundable reservation fee, which is applied toward the purchase price. We accept up to five reservation fees per litter before puppies are born and begin a waiting list for additional families once puppies arrive.

Once your reservation is confirmed:

• $1,500 payment is due when puppies are 1 week old.

• Remaining balance is due when puppies are 5 weeks old.

Our reservation lists can fill quickly, and we can only hold your spot once the reservation fee has been received.

Please note that Willowbea Australian Labradoodles reserves the right to retain any puppy for our breeding program.

What’s the difference between the reservation list and the waiting list?

We only accept 5 reservations per litter before the puppies are born. Families beyond that join our waiting list. Since our litters tend to be larger than 5 puppies, we often move to the waiting list after the initial reservations.

How can I get my puppy if I live out of state?

We do not ship our puppies, as we put a lot of love and care into building their confidence, adaptability, and easygoing nature during their first 8 weeks. We believe keeping their transition as stress-free as possible is important. You’re welcome to pick up your puppy locally, meet us at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport (MSP), or choose our Willowbea Stork Delivery service. With Willowbea Stork, we can bring your puppy directly to you for a fee, and we’ll even help them get used to a soft-sided airline carrier beforehand to make the trip easier for everyone.

If you're unable to pick up your puppy on the designated go-home date, we can keep your puppy for $75 per day, up to 4 days, until you can arrange pickup.

How does the puppy selection process work?

We match puppies primarily based on temperament. While we consider your preferences for size, color, and gender, we focus on pairing each family with the puppy that best fits their lifestyle. For example, we wouldn’t place a highly active puppy with a family seeking a calm therapy dog or a more reserved puppy with a family looking for an adventure companion. If you feel that none of the puppies are a good match, we’ll happily transfer your deposit to a future litter.

What happens if there aren’t enough puppies for my reservation?

Unfortunately, this does happen occasionally. If we don’t have enough puppies for the reservation list, we’re happy to transfer your deposit to the next available litter, or, if preferred, offer a refund.

Contract and Health Warranty

Our contract has two main points:

1. If at any point you can no longer care for your dog, they must be returned to us.

2. All puppies are sold as companions and must be spayed/neutered by 12 months of age.

Click here to view the full contract and health warranty.