Chapter 1

Meet the Doodle

IN THIS CHAPTER

Looking at the different sizes of Doodles

Exploring common Doodle personality traits

Considering Doodles' health

Training a Doodle at any age

The first known Doodle was created in 1955, when a Poodle was crossed with a Cocker Spaniel to create the Cockapoo. Cockapoos became very popular, because they're generally sweet, intelligent, and great family dogs. In 1969, the great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens, Monica Dickens, bred the first Goldendoodle, by crossing a Golden Retriever with a Standard-size Poodle. She was looking for a sweet, athletic dog who didn't shed all over her house like the typical Golden Retriever does. It took decades, however, for the Doodle to become highly desirable. And, though still not highly sought after by the dog-adoring public, there were dog enthusiasts who continued to cross their purebred dogs with Poodles to enhance specific characteristics, such as better swimmers for retrieving or faster runners to aid in hunting.

In this chapter, I fill you in on the different Doodle sizes and personality traits, as well as their health traits and how to train them at any age.

Doodle Sizes

Doodles come in almost every size imaginable - from the tiniest Yorkidoodle to the largest Pyredoodle. The one that's right for you may depend on your lifestyle. For example, if you live in a big city and don't have a fenced-in yard, you may want to consider a Toy-size dog, one who will get plenty of exercise just running around your home. If you live in a rural area and want a dog who can run beside you as you gallop on horseback through the woods, a larger dog may be a better choice.

The following sections explore the Doodle sizes to help you decide which size is right for you.

THE ORIGINS OF THE DOODLE

The start of the Doodle craze is credited to an Australian breeder, Wally Conron, the breeding manager for the Royal Guide Dog Association of Australia. He bred Labrador Retrievers to aid those who were physically challenged. He was tasked with obtaining or breeding a dog who didn't shed or distress someone who had an allergy to canine dander. While Conron tried to teach numerous Poodles to work as service dogs, he wasn't successful until he bred a Standard-size Poodle to one of his Labrador Retrievers. A few of the offspring of the pair turned out to be good service dogs, plus low shedding. But although Conron eventually fulfilled the request for that one client, his crossbred puppies didn't sell well because most people preferred purebred dogs.

Conron marketed his new designer dogs as Labradoodles, a term used for a mix between Labrador Retriever and Poodle, in Donald Campbell's 1955 book, Into The Water Barrier. Through the brilliant publicity of proclaiming Labradoodles dogs who don't shed, and because they could be a multitude of colors, Labradoodles' popularity took off. There was a bit of deception in their marketing ploy, however, because while some Labradoodles are low shed, many shed almost as much as purebred Labrador Retrievers do! But the marketing ploy worked nevertheless.

It wasn't long before other purebred dogs were crossbred with Poodles of all varieties. One of the major reasons for doing so was to create non-shedding dogs, but it has turned out that very few of them actually are non-shedding. Plus, much like their Poodle parent, they require professional grooming.

One of the reasons that Conron required so much time to create a Labradoodle who worked well as a service dog was that not all the Labradoodles he produced were of the appropriate character to perform the job of an assistance dog. There were a large variety of personalities in one litter, from super-hyper and unable to focus to outright fearful. A service dog must have confidence, intelligence, and the desire to work hard. Those traits are rare and require working with many dogs from puppy to adult to ensure that one can make the cut. That's why you'll come to know more dogs who have failed assistance dog training than those who have succeeded.

The current reasons for creating Doodles are their popularity, adorable appearance, and ability to fit well into most families. And although some (such as Goldendoodles, Labradoodles, and Bernedoodles) can be trained to be assistance dogs, most are able to be emotional support companions, which is basically why we have dogs in our lives anyway. There are still some Doodles, however, who can be outright fearful or reactive, usually due to lack of early training and socialization.

Overall, Poodle dogs of all varieties - Standard, Miniature, and Toy - tend to enjoy longer life spans than most other dog breeds. The smaller the Poodle, the longer they tend to live. It's not unheard of for a small Poodle to live beyond 17 years, whereas there are few other purebred dogs who can achieve such longevity.

Having a Poodle parent improves Doodles' possibility of living a long life, provided those great Poodle dog genes have been inherited. Unfortunately, because Doodles are a mix, you never know which genes will be prominent and in which capacities. For example, a Doodle can have a curly Poodle coat, instead of the straighter coat of the other parent dog, and have behavioral characteristics more like the non-Poodle parent, instead of the Poodle parent.

Toy-size Doodles

Toy-size Doodles weigh less than 30 pounds and are typically created by crossing a Toy Poodle with a Toy purebred dog. Examples of a Toy-size Doodle are Pekapoos (Pekingese x Toy Poodle), Maltipoos (Maltese x Toy Poodle), Shipoos (Shih Tzu x Toy Poodle), and Yorkipoos (Yorkshire Terrier x Toy Poodle).

Some of these Toy purebreds have straight coats, brachycephalic (broad and short) skulls, or bulging eyes, but mixing them with Toy Poodles creates offspring with curlier, lower-shedding coats; longer noses for easier respiration; and healthier eye placement. It can also serve to reduce the dog's overall tendencies for behavioral reactivity. An example can be the Pekingese or Maltese breed's tendency to resource-guard (using assertive behavior to guard an object or person). Toy Poodles rarely have the resource-guarding tendency, and they can pass this trait on to their Doodle offspring.

Regardless of the size of your dog, be sure to go through training. A little dog may not be able to do a lot of damage, but a bite is a bite, and the barking of little dogs can be even more annoying than the excessive barking of big dogs.

Toy-size Doodles make greats lap dogs, happy to play fetch in your home and relax with you on the couch. They enjoy outdoor play, too, but they don't require as much activity as larger dogs do. A Toy-size Doodle is more likely to tire of activity within 30 minutes, whereas a larger dog typically requires several hours of activity every day.

Toy-size Doodles are great in homes with very young children, elderly residents, or family members who aren't highly mobile. Because they're small, teaching them to do their business on a pad may be more convenient than if the dog were a larger size. This makes them ideal in urban areas, where going outside to potty isn't always possible.

If you live in a suburban area, a Toy-size Doodle can still be easier to care for than a larger dog, especially if you're very busy. A smaller Doodle may be easier to take with you to work. If you work from home, a Toy-size Doodle can warm your lap as you type or attend Zoom meetings.

Toy-size Doodles also make great therapy dogs. They can easily sit on laps, beds, or chairs and soothe the soul just by being there. And traveling with a small dog can be easier than it is with a larger one. Toy-size Doodles fit under the seat on airplanes or in over-the-shoulder carrying cases. For those in urban areas who use public transportation where dogs must be held, small dogs make this a breeze - they're lightweight and fit into a backpack, happy to look over your shoulder and watch the world go by!

Miniature-size Doodles

Miniature-size Doodles can weigh anywhere from 30 to 50 pounds and are typically created by crossing a Miniature Poodle with a Toy purebred dog.

Because the Doodle pups are a mix of two purebreds, it's tough to know exactly how big they'll grow to be. A lot depends on the other parent. For example, if the Doodle pup is the offspring of a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Miniature Poodle, the puppy can mature to anywhere from 40 to 60 pounds, depending on which size genes are dominant. But if the Doodle is a mix between a Beagle and a Miniature Poodle, it may be closer to 30 pounds at full maturity. Size can vary greatly within the litter, too. Most breeders have a fairly good idea of the ultimate size of the Doodle pups they've bred, but there are always outliers and no breeder can guarantee the size of their puppies upon maturity.

Miniature-size Doodles aren't small enough to be lap dogs, but they often want to be! They're just so adorable that it's tough to not hold them on your lap when they're young puppies. Beware of setting a precedent, however - your Doodle pup is learning the rules the moment they enter your life.

From the day you bring home your puppy, set the rules that you'll want them to adhere to when they're fully mature. This way, you'll reduce misunderstandings and build a...