How to Choose the Right Type of Doodle for You

So Many Choices

With so many Doodle breeds out there, how are you to know which would be the best type for you and your lifestyle? If you join a social media group and ask the masses which Doodle you should get, you will get a million different responses. Of course, everyone loves the dog they have, but that doesn’t mean that the breed they have is right for you.

Doodles have become incredibly popular over the last 10 years. Everyone is searching for that perfect dog, and adding in the low to non-shedding coat trait is the icing on the cake. Many unscrupulous breeders have started breeding whatever breed of dog they have with a Poodle to make what they hope will be the next fad and be a money maker for them. Unfortunately, many of these crosses are not appropriate family dogs.

Looks Aren’t Everything!

Choosing a Doodle shouldn’t come down to looks. First of all, most Doodles look enough alike that it is almost impossible to tell them apart. Besides, you can find almost any type of Doodle in almost any color or pattern. The most important factor in choosing a Doodle is finding one that has a temperament that suits your lifestyle. Every dog breed has very distinct personality traits that are present in the majority of individuals of that breed. Even if they are mixed with Poodle, those traits will still come through. Let’s look at some of the most common breeds that are mixed with Poodles for medium to large sized Doodles.

Let’s talk through some scenarios and how the families should go about choosing their new family member.

Scenario #1 The Davis Family

The Davis Family have kids that are 3, 7, and 10. They are a busy family and frequently have their children’s friends over. They do not currently own any pets.

The first thing that this family should consider is how the dog does with children. Looking at the chart above, they all score well with young children except for Great Pyrenees. So we will eliminate Great Pyrenees from the running. Knowing that they frequently have many people over we will check out the “Openness to Strangers” category. We can see here that only two breeds score well, the Golden Retriever and the Labrador Retriever.

Now that the Davis Family has narrowed it down to two breeds, they can look at the differences between those two options. The differences are:

• The Labrador gets 5 out of 5 for energy level whereas the Golden gets 3 out of 5. (Meaning that the Labrador has more energy)
• The Labrador gets 3 out of 5 for barking whereas the Golden gets 1 out of 5. (Meaning that the Labrador is more likely to bark)
• The Labrador gets 5 out of 5 for playfulness whereas the Golden gets 4 out of 5. (Meaning that the Labrador is slightly more playful)

Now the Davis can decide if any of these factors are important to them. Looking at the differences, the Davis family decides to go with a Goldendoodle because they are a busy family and they think the Labrador’s energy level might be more than they have time to handle.

Scenario #2 Wallace Family

The Wallace Family does not have young children. Their kids are 16 and 18. The Wallace family loves to be outdoors. They regularly go camping and hiking and want their dog to accompany them. The mom also likes to run and is hoping her new pup can run with her.

The Wallace’s believe that energy level is the most important personality trait. They want a dog who can hike with them, play frisbee with them and go on runs. Looking at the chart they see that the two breeds with the most energy are Australian Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers.

Now that they have narrowed it down to two breeds, they look at the differences. Something that stands out to them is that Australian Shepherds get 3 out of 5 stars for being good with other dogs whereas Labradors get 5 out of 5 stars. When the Wallace’s hike they often come across other dogs so being friendly with other dogs is a high priority on their list. They decide to go with a Labradoodle.

Some People want Tiny

Let’s look at some of the common small Doodle breeds.

Scenario #3 Ruiz Family

The Ruiz’s are a retired couple that plan on traveling a lot to visit with their grandkids. It is important that they choose a small dog so that they can fly on the plane with them. They are not very active and want a dog who will cuddle with them while they watch TV.

They know they want a calm dog so they start with that category. The calmest dogs are The Cavalier, Havanese, Maltese, Miniature Schnauzer and Shih Tzu. Since they will be taking their dog around their grandkids they check the child friendly category next. The Maltese does not score well so they take them off the list. When they visit with their grandkids they will also be around their dogs so they consult the dog friendliness category next. They see that they should take Miniature Schnauzer off the list.

They are now down to Cavalier, Havanese, and Shih Tzu.

• Barking – Cavalier 3/5, Havanese 4/5, Shih Tzu 3/5 (Havanese bark the most.)
• Adaptability – Cavalier 3/5, Havanese 5/5, Shih Tzu 5/5 (Cavaliers are the least adaptable)
• Openness to strangers – Cavalier 4/5, Havanese 5/5, Shih Tzu 3/5 (Shih Tzus aren’t as open to strangers.)
• Playfulness – Cavalier 3/5, Havanese 5/5, Shih Tzu 3/5 (Havanese are the most playful)

They decide to drop Havanese from the list because they are more playful and that doesn’t suit their lifestyle. In the end they choose the Cavalier because the Shih Tzu is more reserved around strangers.

What About Mini Sizing a Large Breed?

It is becoming very popular to mini size very large dogs such as Bernese Mountain Dogs and Newfoundlands. In order to get a tiny version of these larger breeds, there is a high percentage of mini or toy Poodle in these “mini” versions. When looking at what temperament they would have, they would be more like the Poodle than the large breed. I think many people are attracted to the laid back personality of large breeds, but if they are mostly poodle, they are unlikely to be so laid back.

More Breeds

Here is a more complete list of common breeds that are mixed with Poodles.

Good Breeding Matters

This is a word of warning. Good breeding matters. When we look at these charts, we are talking about traits you would see on an ideal specimen of that breed. However, dogs that are bred by uneducated and/or backyard breeders can easily not be anything like what you expect. Ill bred dogs can have issues like fear, aggressiveness, instability, or extremely high energy. A breeder that does not have a good understanding of temperament should not be breeding.

Breed Lines Matter as Well

While it isn’t true of all breeds, certain breeds have distinct lines that have slightly different traits. You see this most often in breeds that are bred to work. For example, Golden Retrievers have several types. There is a definite difference between a Golden Retriever that came from a line that was bred to win dog shows and one that came from a line that was bred to win field trials. A Golden that was bred to be pretty will be much calmer than a dog that was bred to work retrieving birds in the field! The charts listed above are generally going to be based on the AKC show standards. Therefore a working Labrador, Golden Retriever, or Australian Shepherd, for example, might score differently than you see on this chart.

A Note About Guardian Breeds

When dogs that were bred to protect are bred with poodles, the puppies will still likely have the urge to protect. While this may be a trait that some people want in their new family member, it is important to note that when dogs choose to protect you, it isn’t always from a real threat. They might be watching out the window and see someone taking a walk down the sidewalk. Then when the front door is opened for whatever reason, that protective instinct kicks in and the dog runs out the door and after the person who was peacefully walking. Or the dog is great with you and your kids but gets aggressive with people you have over to your house. Do NOT get a guardian breed unless you fully understand what it means and what you need to do to appropriately train a potentially aggressive dog. The two breeds that I’ve seen growing in popularity lately that concern me are Pyredoodles (Great Pyrenees/Poodle) and Shepadoodles (German Shepherd/Poodle). They might be a good choice for some families, but most families would not be prepared for the potential problems.

Differences Within a Litter

Having chosen your breed, you might think that any puppy of that breed will have the traits you want. This is not usually the case. In a litter, each puppy inherits a different amount of genes from each parent. Some puppies are higher energy, some are more submissive, some are independent and others will stick to you like glue. Evaluating the puppies’ temperaments at around 7 weeks of age is critical to make sure the right puppy goes home with the right family.

No Two Families are the Same

Every family has a different lifestyle and a different set of traits that they find to be the most important. It is imperative that people think carefully about what traits suit their family the best. The goal of every breeder should be to place their pups in homes that they will be in their entire lives. The only way to accomplish this is for both breeders and buyers to be educated and work together so every pup ends up in its ideal home.