Why does it matter?
Mankind has been selectively breeding dogs since the 18th century so it’s no surprise there are hundreds breeds we see in our everyday lives. We certainly get used to seeing the most common breeds, but every now and then a new dog breed rises in popularity. It takes a lot for this to happen; simply put, not every breed is going to have the health and personality characteristics that we want in a dog. With the standards for designer breeds being so high when a new breed does become widely accepted, it’s usually worth looking into for anyone hoping to find a puppy of their own.
The Doodle
The most recent craze in dog breeds is the Doodle. This breed (or breeds I should say) is any dog breed mixed with a Poodle. The doodle was first bred in the 80s with a Labrador when a breeder wanted to create a hypoallergenic dog for a blind woman whose husband had allergies. Ultimately, this process took 2 years and 33 trials but in the end the “Labradoodle” was successfully bred. Breeders have since found that poodles have a genetic makeup that makes for many breeds of desirable hybrids. Almost any breed you can think of has likely been bred with a poodle! Not only do we have the Labradoodle, but also Bernedoodles, Sheepadoodles, Goldendoodles, Irish Doodles, and many more. To read more about these breeds visit our breeds overview page.
Intelligence
Doodles are bred for intelligence. Even though poodles are already considered one of the more brainy breeds, breeders like to pair these genes with other dogs that will complement this intelligence. Many doodles have hunting dogs for parents such as Golden Retrievers, Labradors, or Irish Spaniels. Doodles are expected to be sharp and emotionally intelligent. This makes for puppies that are much easier to train and less messes for the owner to clean up.
Temperament
Doodles are known for their fun loving attitude and loyal tendencies. If trained properly, you’ll rarely need to have your doodle on a leash as they always want to be near their owners! Doodles are typically very family oriented which makes them great for small children and large households. With how intelligent doodles can be, it may surprise many to find out that doodles are enormous goofballs. Playing and wrestling is just as much fun for doodles as it is for their owners. If you don’t have time to give your puppy plenty of attention and love then a doodle may not be right for you.
Hypoallergenic
Now technically there’s no such thing as a truly hypoallergenic dog. In fact, nothing in the world is 100% hypoallergenic. No breed can truly guarantee you won’t have an allergic reaction to it, but the less a dog sheds the less likely it is to cause a reaction. Since Poodles don’t shed nearly as much as most breeds they are considered to be hypoallergenic. This means that all poodle mixes will be at least partially hypoallergenic. If you’re in need of a dog that is more hypoallergenic, you can always get a Doodle with more poodle in their genetics. These “generations” of Doodles are as follows:
Doodle Generations
Using Goldendoodles as the example, here is how the generations of Doodles are notated. The “Golden Retriever” aspect of this list can be substituted with any other breed. The list is in order of least hypoallergenic to most hypoallergenic.
- F1 Goldendoodle: Golden Retriever crossed with a Poodle
- F1b Goldendoodle: F1 Goldendoodle crossed with a Poodle
- F1bb Goldendoodle: F1b Goldendoodle crossed with a Poodle
- F2 Goldendoodle: F1 Goldendoodle crossed with an F1 Goldendoodle
- F2b Goldendoodle: F1 Goldendoodle crossed with an F1b Goldendoodle
- F3 Goldendoodle: F1b Goldendoodle crossed with an F1b Goldendoodle
Breeders
Since doodles are designer breeds the best place to get one is from a qualified dog breeder. With doodles it’s important to find a breeder who values emotional health just as much as physical health. Plenty of attention, physical touch, and playtime all go into making a healthy pup. Be sure to research breeders thoroughly before making any purchase to assure your future puppy is being treated as well as you would treat it yourself.