About Tapua

Forty years of breeding Australian working dogs

Trusted by Australia's Leading Assistance Dog Organisations

Our Story

Most of our pups are placed with Assistance Dog organisations or trainers, and go on to support people living with autism, PTSD, epilepsy, diabetes, and other complex needs. Others work in biosecurity and scent detection. A smaller number are placed with carefully selected families as gentle companion Labradors. Across all of it we’re breeding for the same thing: a Lab who conforms to the breed standard, with strong retrieval drive, focus, and the “switch-off” ability that lets them work hard on the job and settle quietly at home.

Our Vision

To breed Labradors who are operational in the role they're chosen for — and who, regardless of role, embody the intelligence, loyalty and versatility this breed is known for. Every Tapua pup is bred to serve, raised to settle, and matched to the home or program where they'll thrive.

Our Mission

A future where Australians who need an Assistance Dog can be matched with a Labrador whose temperament, drive and stability were built in long before training began. We see breeding as half the equation; partnering with the right trainers and organisations is the other half.

Built on Time, Lineage, and Outcomes

The numbers behind the program.

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Years as a Dogs NSW member (since 1986)

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Generations of proven Tapua lineage

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Years Breeding Labrador Retrievers

Meet the Breeders

Tapua is run by Pauline Gill and Peter Levett out of Woodstock, NSW. We had professional careers in welfare before this — work that taught us first-hand how powerful the bond between a well-bred dog and the right person can be. That’s the lens we bring to every pup we raise.

Join Team

Pauline Gill

Co-breeder
Peter Levett

Peter Levett

Co-breeder · Tapua Labradors

Peter Levett

Co-breeder