One of the first questions many families ask when they contact a breeder is, “What colors do you have available?”

It’s an understandable question. Australian Labradoodles come in an extraordinary array of beautiful colors and patterns—from creamy parchment and rich chocolate to striking parti, phantom, sable, and red. It’s easy to fall in love with a color when choosing an Australian Labradoodle.

But experienced breeders know something that first-time puppy buyers often don’t.

The qualities that will matter every single day for the next 12 to 15 years have very little to do with coat color. Color may attract you to a puppy. Temperament is what makes you fall in love with your dog.

Experienced breeders recommend focusing on breeder ethics, health, temperament, structure, whether the breed is a good fit for your lifestyle, and, lastly, color when choosing an Australian Labradoodle.

As breeders, we’ve seen countless families who began their search determined to find a particular color. Often, they went home with a different color entirely because they fell in love with a puppy’s personality. Years later, they rarely mention the coat color—but they never stop talking about what a wonderful companion their dog has become.

What Matters Most in Choosing an Australian Labradoodle?

1. A Responsible and Ethical Breeder

The breeder you choose may be the single most important decision you make.

Responsible breeders:

• Perform appropriate health testing on breeding dogs.
• Carefully select breeding pairs based on health, temperament, and structure.
• Provide early socialization and enrichment.
• Offer lifetime support for their puppies.
• Are transparent about both strengths and challenges within their breeding program.
• The best breeders never stop learning, collaborate with other experienced breeders, and use new knowledge to improve future generations.

A beautiful color cannot compensate for poor breeding practices.

2. Temperament

For most families, temperament is far more important than color when choosing an Australian Labradoodle.

A calm, confident, emotionally resilient, and people-oriented puppy is more likely to become a successful family companion than a puppy chosen solely because of coat color.

Temperament influences:

• Trainability
• Sociability
• Confidence
• Adaptability
• Suitability for therapy or service work
• Compatibility with children and other pets

The puppy who best fits your family may not be the color you initially imagined. 

3. Health

Health begins long before a puppy is born.

It also continues long before the puppy comes home. During the first eight weeks of life, responsible breeders help lay the foundation for lifelong health through excellent nutrition, veterinary care, gentle handling, early socialization, and age-appropriate enrichment.

Responsible breeders use health testing to reduce the risk of inherited disease and make informed breeding decisions. However, health is influenced by more than genetics alone. Nutrition, exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, preventative veterinary care, and appropriate socialization all contribute to lifelong well-being.

Families should ask about:

• Hip and elbow evaluations
• Eye examinations
• Relevant DNA testing
• Health history of the parents and relatives

A healthy dog will bring far more joy than a particular coat color.

4. Structure and Conformation

Good structure is not simply about appearance.

Correct conformation supports sound movement, physical comfort, and long-term orthopedic health. Dogs with balanced structure are generally better able to enjoy active family lives throughout their lives and may be less prone to injury.

At GALA, we have conformation standards that help us breed for more balanced bodies.

5. Lifestyle Compatibility

Even within a breed, individual dogs vary.

Some puppies are naturally more active, while others are calmer and more laid back. Some thrive in busy households, while others prefer quieter environments.

Choosing a puppy whose energy level and temperament match your lifestyle is often far more important than choosing a specific color. The best puppy isn’t necessarily the boldest, the calmest, or the most energetic. It’s the one whose personality complements your family.

Color Trends Come and Go

Throughout the history of purebred and purpose-bred dogs, color preferences have changed repeatedly. Every decade seems to have its “must-have” color.

At different times, buyers have sought:

• Cream
• Apricot
• Red
• Chocolate
• Parti
• Phantom
• Roan
• Sable

What is fashionable today may not be fashionable tomorrow.

The qualities that truly matter—health, temperament, structure, and sound breeding practices—never go out of style.

A Better Way to Choose a Puppy

Instead of asking:

“What colors do you have available?”

Consider asking:

• How do you evaluate temperament?
• What health testing do you perform?
• How do you socialize your puppies?
• How do you match puppies with families?
• What support do you provide after the puppy goes home?
• Why did you choose this particular breeding pair?

These questions are much more likely to help you find the right companion.

The GALA Philosophy

At GALA, we appreciate every beautiful color the Australian Labradoodle offers. But we believe the greatest beauty lies beneath the coat.

We believe color should be the final consideration—not the first.

Our focus is on producing healthy, well-socialized, structurally sound dogs with exceptional temperaments. While every family may have a favorite color, the best puppy is the one whose health, temperament, and personality make it the perfect match for your home.

Color trends can tempt breeders to focus on producing fashionable puppies rather than preserving health, temperament, structure, and genetic diversity. History has shown that when appearance becomes the primary breeding goal, important qualities can gradually be lost.

The best Australian Labradoodle isn’t defined by having the rarest color. It is defined by sound health, emotional stability, excellent structure, and a temperament that enriches the lives of the family who welcomes it home.

Years from now, your family is unlikely to remember whether your dog’s coat was caramel or red. They will remember how that dog made them feel.

One of the most interesting things we’ve discovered over the years actually reinforces why color should be your last consideration when choosing an Australian Labradoodle. Their coats can change as they mature. Puppies may lighten or darken, develop silvering with age, or gradually lose some of their markings as their fleece coat grows in.

Yet we’ve never had a family tell us they loved their dog less because its color changed. Quite the opposite. Years later, they almost always say the same thing: “He’s the most beautiful dog in the world.” Of course, by then they’re no longer talking about coat color. They’re talking about the dog who makes them laugh, comforts them when they’re sad, greets them at the door every day, and has become a beloved member of the family.

At GALA, our mission is to preserve and improve the Australian Labradoodle through responsible breeding, education, collaboration, and transparency. We believe informed families make the best lifelong homes, and we hope our educational library helps you make confident decisions for both you and your canine companions.

Written by Anita Main 

Anita is a co-founder of the Global Australian Labradoodle Association (GALA) and has bred Australian Labradoodles for more than 18 years. She is passionate about preserving the breed through responsible breeding, education, and genetic diversity.

Reviewed by the GALA Education Committee

References

• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Selecting a responsible breeder and choosing a puppy.
• American Kennel Club. Puppy selection and breeder evaluation guidance.
• Serpell, J.A., & Duffy, D.L. (2014). Dog Breeds and Their Behavior. In The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behavior and Interactions with People.
• McMillan, F.D. (2017). Mental Health and Well-Being in Animals.
• Overall, K.L. (2013). Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats.

These sources consistently emphasize temperament, health, and responsible breeding practices as far more important predictors of long-term owner satisfaction than coat color.