In the last two decades, Poodle mix breeds became so popular that almost 50% of all hybrid dogs are Poodle mixes. Believe it or not, there are 44 Poodle mix breeds, also known as Doodles.
This rapidly growing popularity is not hard to explain- Doodles are promoted as hypoallergenic, low shedding, smart, healthy, and family/kids-oriented dogs. They come in different sizes and coat colors, so you can easily pick the one you like (another advantage of designer dogs).
But is everything that bright? Isn’t it too good to be truth?
Poodle mixes are defiantly very popular dogs but are one Doodle or Poo the right pet for you? I did a research to find out…
There are people saying that designer dogs are nothing else but big fraud. On the other hand, there are tons of doodle lovers that confirm that they are worth every penny.
Who is right? Why the first ones claim that Poodle breeds are fraud? What are the disadvantages of having a Doodle? Are they really hypoallergenic? Is it true that mix-breed dogs are healthier than their purebred parents?
Keep reading this article to find out. I do hope that you will find necessary information based on which you will decide whether the Doodle is right pet for you.
Table of Contents
What Make Poodle Mix Dogs So Popular?
Good Health
It is very well known that puppies from different breeds parents tend to be healthier than their purebred mom and dad.
Crossbreed dogs also have potential to live longer then their parents.
This doesn’t mean that Poodle Mix dogs don’t have any health issues, because they do and also can inherit some genetic disease from their ancestors but overall they should experience fewer health problems due to a variety of genes.
Low-Shedding Dogs
One of the greatest things about Poodle Mix dogs is that they are low-shedding pets. Well, this might be the truth but be careful.
Poodles are low-shedding dogs due to the fact that don’t have the undercoat of fine fur that other dogs have.
But the thing is that poodle is just one of two parents, so puppies have a 50% chance to inherit the coat and shedding patterns of a poodle but also can inherit the same things from another parent.
Breeders may offer you an even more expensive puppy labeled as F1B which means that one parent is a Poodle mixed dog ( for example Labradoodle or Cavapoo or Maltipoo ) and another parent is a purebred Poodle.
This way the chances you get the low-shedding puppy are more likely ( up to 75%)
Hypoallergenic Pets – truth or false?
First of all – there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. Every dog can provoke allergies in humans. But Poodles are very well known as allergies-friendly dogs.
Due to the fact that they are low-shedding dogs, it is less likely that they will trigger some allergic reactions.
Although not only the fur is allergen but also dander and saliva, poodles really pose a very small threat to people with allergies.
In addition to this poodle mixed dogs are promoted as hypoallergenic pets. They do have a chance to inherit those characteristics from a Poodle parent but also may end up with genes of another dog parent. There is no guarantee.
Of course with an F1B puppy, you have a better chance to avoid allergic reactions.
Pick Your Own Size
Do you have a big house with a yard or a small high-rise apartment? Do you want a larger dog you can run with or you prefer a smaller one to sleep on your lap while watching TV?
Whatever you need, you may find among Poodle mixed dogs.
If you prefer larger dogs, you should go for standard size Poodle crossbreeds such as Labradoodle, Goldendoodle, or Sheepadoodle. These dogs can grow in fairly large pets ( 50-90 pounds )
On the other hand, if you would like to have a smaller dog, pick some of the mini or toy Poodle mix breeds such as Maltipoo, Cavapoo, Yorkie poo ( weight range 3-25 pounds depends on which type you choose- miniature or toy )
Good Personality and Cute Look
Poodle mixed dogs are known to have a good and docile personality. They are very loyal and family-oriented dogs.
Tend to be very smart ( the more poodle’s gene they have, the smarter they are) as Poodles are in the top 5 the most intelligent dogs.
They are friendly,cheerful and curious creatures.
Due to the fact that they are loyal and smart, they might be great therapy dogs, as they can aware of your feelings and condition.
They are also fairly easy to train. Obviously, not all dogs are the same, some dogs will learn faster while another would need more time but overall it’s not a highly demanding task teaching them the basics.
Although the look can be deceiving and we shouldn’t judge anybody based on their appearance, these dogs are super cute!
They Get Along Well With Kids and Other Pets
Poodle mixed dogs get along very well with kids which might be a big plus if you think about adopting a dog and you have kids.
Even though these dogs are great with kids, don’t overlook the fact that they need an adult for mental stimulation and positive reinforcement every day. That kind of commitment the kid simply won’t keep so you will have to step in.
Also, Poodle crossbreeds usually get along well with other pets no matter what they are. They are great with other dogs, cats, and others.
How Did Craze For Poodle Mix ( Designer) Dogs Start?
Although the term Designer dog doesn’t necessarily mean Poodle mix dog, the very first Designer dog ever was precisely a Poodle mix!
Back in the 1980s, Mr. Wally Conron received a letter from one woman from Hawaii. Mr. Conron was a breeding manager at that time at the Royal Guide Dog Association of Australia.
The woman that wrote to Mr. Conron was blind and like many others, was looking for a guide dog. She seemed like a regular client until Mr. Conron found out about her special request. She needed a guide dog but a non-shedding one as her husband was allergic to the dog’s fur.
Mr. Conron thought he would solve this issue pretty quickly. He knew that a poodle would be a great choice due to low-shedding coat but after working with 33 different standard poodles realized that this would not be an easy task. Poodles simply were not a good guide dogs.
After three years of hard work, he came up with a solution. He decided to mix a Labrador which was a good working and guide dog with a low-shedding Poodle. The result was amazing – the first known litter of Labradoodle ( and not just that but the first designer dogs litter ) was born.
As matter of fact, this is not the end of the story, it is just the beginning. Mr Conron sent coat clippings and saliva of all puppies to Hawaii for testing and only one puppy came back compatible. His name was Sultan! After proper training Sultan was sent to Hawaii as a first Labradoodle guide dog.
The other two puppies from the same litter were left behind. No one wanted them. At that time cross-breeds were not popular, people didn’t want to pay for mutts, they wanted purebred dogs. Mr. Conron again came up with a solution. He gave the name to that cross-breed- Labradoodle and promoted them as non-allergic dogs. It was a success, he wrote history.
Labradoodles open the path to other Poodle mix breeds as well as other hybrid dogs. Designer dogs were born!
Is a Poodle Mix Dog The Right Pet For You? (+ disadvantages of having one?)
The bad thing about cross-breeds is that there is no predictability. Even though you find a good, reputable breeder who does his homework well, performs series of genetic tests, mates dogs with the best genes only, takes care of them very well, it remains uncertain what you will get.
A breeder can track genes of both parents, a Poodle, and the second breed and might figure out that everything is in order but you never know and nobody can guarantee you how those genes will cross in their offspring.
I guess you realize that cross-breed puppies might not acquire only positive attributes from their parents. They could pick up the worst from two respective breeds which could be devastating.
The situation gets even worse if you run into a breeder that uses dogs of inferior quality for a breeding program, doesn’t run any genetic tests, doesn’t provide you any health guarantees for a puppy.
As you can guess this kind of breeder is a classic scam that chases the money only and nothing else matters. If you run into someone like this, leave fast!
Poodle cross-breed dogs are very expensive. They are more expensive than many purebred dogs which is really crazy.
The main reason for the high price lies in their popularity. High demand leads to high prices. Unfortunately, high demand also leads to poor quality, so there are some ”breeders” who run the puppy farms on which they produce puppies without any genetic tests or any health control.
People who are strongly against Poodle mixes say that those dogs are overpriced mutts. A few decades ago nobody wanted to pay a penny for them and today they cost a fortune.
Poodle cross-breeds may not turn out low shedding and hypoallergenic dogs. As we already mentioned in the text above, whether the Poodle cross-breed puppy will not shed and not pose a threat to people with allergies is a big question. Depending on the poodle’s genes he/she inherited.
What else can happen – the person with allergies may not react to the puppy’s coat but would react on his adult coat. So you never know.
If you like clean dogs, don’t get a Doodle. They like to play a lot in the mud, dirt, water, to roll in dirty things….and their coat acts sometimes as Velcro and picks everything it shouldn’t.
Some people say that larger Doodles are full of energy but smaller ones are more peaceful. The truth is that any Poodle cross-breed dog needs a good portion of exercise every day. It won’t be enough just to let me run around the yard. They need quality mental stimulation so you would have to be involved. If you prefer a low-energy dog, don’t get Doodle.
If you are a busy person, forget about Doodle dog. They simply are not independent dogs, they need your full attention and a lot of your time. They don’t like being left alone for longer periods. Even if they have a buddy (another dog for example) they demand a human companionship.
Doodles are not low-maintenance dogs. They require time, patience, energy, care and money. There is major grooming involved.
Final Thought
Poodle cross-breeds dog are the most popular cross-breed dogs. They are friendly, smart, easy to train, can be hypoallergenic, odor-free and low-shedding dogs.
One the other hand, due to high popularity, they are quite expensive especially for dogs that are mutts. There is no guarantee what kind of puppy you will get so only genes of their purebred parents can be tracked.
People who love Poodles are strongly against those cross-breeds but Doodle still have huge fandom.
If you had a dilemma about whether you should take a Poodle mixed puppy or not, I hope you now have all information needed to decide.
Good luck!
