THINK POODLES ARE TOO "FROO-FROO"?-THESE DOGS ARE NOT LABRADOODLES!-BUT YOU COULD HAVE FOOLED ME!-ALL OF YOU SHOULD READ THIS

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Think Poodles are too "froo froo"?

These dogs are STANDARD POODLES

This is an example of a poodle breeder who cares about the health, welfare and lines of their dogs. All puppies are health tested and raised IN THE HOME. All puppies have at least a 10 GENERATION PEDIGREE.


Read what this breeder says about Doodle Breeding Programs

QUESTION: Why are we not breeding our Poodles to Labs or Golden Retrievers?

"As owners of Standard Poodles we at one time considered breeding Labradoodles. We had heard some pretty fantastic claims about the Labradoodles. Fortunately we found out the truth. Here are six common misconceptions:"

1. They don't shed and are allergy friendly.

Fact: Most Lab X Standard Poodles will shed (about 1 in every litter will not shed).Most will aggravate allergies. It takes multi-generational breeding to breeding that reduce the allergy. This means most Lab X Poodle will shed and aggravate allergies and asthma like any other dog may.

A note about shedding:
There is no way to know for sure if a cross-bred pup will not shed until it gets its adult coat (between 12-18 months old). Some pups appear not to shed until the adult coat comes in.

2. They are easier to train than a Lab.

Fact: Due to the crossing of two different breeds there can be absolutely no guarantee a cross-bred pup will inherit the easy to train Standard Poodle personality.
It could inherit the Lab train ability.... which is not a bad thing... Labs are not stupid! But it typically takes more repetitions to train a Lab.

3. Lower maintenance breed! I will not have to cut the non-shedding coat!

Fact: The non-shedding coat needs to be cut 3-4 times a year. (Same as a Poodle) Regular brushing is a must or the dog will get matts and matts can be a breeding ground for parasites! (same as a Poodle) As well all ear hair must be plucked so the ears won't get infected - (same as a Poodle.)

4. They are the latest fad! A new breed!

Fact: YES they are the latest fad! Unfortunately that means once they are no longer a fad there will be many homeless pups in animal shelters. This has already begun in the USA and Australia. Many of these new 'designer dogs' are available at a
discount prices at animal shelters. They are not a new breed yet! The Labradoodle (or Goldendoodle) will not be considered a new breed genetically speaking until breeding two Labradoodles together will produce off spring which all look and act similar to all Labradoodles. A breeding must produce the same type (phenotype) and only that type
generation after generation. This is also called breeding true or having a stabilized breed.

5. They are cute!

Fact: The curly haired Labradoodle looks as he does because his hair is cut into the 'Labradoodle' cut. (Anyone with a quality pair of clippers and a bit of time can learn to clip ANY curly dog into the same cut! This is not rocket science!) The thing to remember is ALL puppies are cute. No one can tell what a cross-breed will look like when it is an adult! Remember most of the dogs life will be spent as an adult. That cute puppy stage only lasts for a few MONTHS

6. They will be healthier because they are not inbred like purebred dogs.

Fact: Not all Pure-Bred dogs are inbred. Our Poodles are not inbred! Pure Bred Standard Poodles are statistically the healthiest and longest lived breed of dog.
There is a misconception that by breeding two different breeds together you will produce a healthier dog. Unfortunately this is not true. A Labradoodle can get the genetic problems common in BOTH breeds instead of just one.

One mis-informed Labradoodle breeder wrote:

"90% of all dog genetic health problems are recessive. This means that in order for a puppy to have the health problem, both parents must carry it. By breeding two dogs of different breeds, without similar health problems, we are breeding puppies with far less health problems! Crossbred dogs have far less health problems, (hybrid vigor)."

Using this theory the Lab should hot be bred to the Standard Poodle because they share most of the same health issues! Obviously this breeder did not do their genetic research.

The bottom line is both purebred and cross-bred dogs are susceptible to potential health problems. The best way to reduce the risk of health problems is to not inbreed, health test breeding stock and MOST importantly make sure your breeder does extensive 10 generation pedigree research."

[Kim]

I don't know how many "a few months" are, but my Allie is now (almost) 1 year, and I absolutely stand by my opinion that doodles (puppies AND adults) are the CUTEST dogs ever! My Allie doesn't shed, but she does mat, and my husband is allergic to her - so I'll give them that, and I know you can clip any curly dog into the cut of a doodle, but that doesn't mean their face will look as cute as a doodle.

I also believe that doodles have a better temperament, maybe that's just an opinion as well - but I wouldn't trade Allie for the world, and I'm very fortunate that not ALL breeders feel the way this one does.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree that doodles are the cutest dogs; I always loved the shaggy, big-nosed look. But a lot of the curly doodles do look like poodles, especially when they're shaved down.
This particular breeder is a poodle breeder...the lab and golden breeders make similar statements about doodles, because the breeders who have spent their lives trying to perfect a breed consider doodles an "undoing" of that. You can understand where they are coming from, even if you don't agree with it.
As far as temperament, I think every doodle is different, and if you have never spent time around a particular breed, it's hard to judge. There is always a very defensive attitude from doodle owners when these kinds of issues come up, but we need to realize that the doodle owners are guilty of this in reverse. There are constantly statements made about purebreds not being healthy (NOT true if you know how to pick a breeder), and as mentioned above, the "my husband doesn't want a poodle" type of thing. As a lover and former owner of poodles, I was very insulted by the attitude towards poodles that I see when I read people's reasons for getting a doodle. They don't usually say they got one because it's cute. There are usually statements made about needing a dog that doesn't shed, but "I don't want a poodle".
Remember, it weren't for poodles, you wouldn't have Allie!

[Kim]

I didn't say my husband didn't want a Poodle, and I also stated that everything I said were my opinions. I do think they are cute, that is NOT why I got a doodle, I got a doodle because I wanted a dog so badly and my husband was allergic and Doodles were hypoallergenic (turns out they aren't - oops). I know I'm going to catch a lot of flack for this - but I have met 3 VERY MEAN poodles in my life and one that jumped on me after getting loose and bit me in my face. I didn't want a Poodle because of that. I know that everyone will say that it's not the breed, it's the training - but I've never met a mean Golden Retreiver. I'm sure they are out there, but I personally haven't come across any.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I also didn't say that YOU said your husband didn't want a poodle; it was a statement about what I hear in general from people looking for doodles. You won't catch flack for expressing your opinion, it's just as valid as anyone else's. But the temperaments of the parents are what basically determines the temperaments of their offspring, and since Allie has one parent who is a purebred poodle, and one parent who is half poodle, I hope that her wonderful temperament has changed your opinion of poodles, lol. After all, there's only one GR out of her 4 grandparents. All that poodle has to have made some contribution!

[Debbie and Thomas]

After all is said here, (I just read all of the comments)-I think we all (except for one person) agree that Standard poodles or any size poodle is a wonderful dog. I was just wondering though how they bred the miniature (medium I think) and toy poodles way back when to get this drastically reduced size. They must have bred the SP with something to achieve these results and over generations these sizes have become the norm. But what did they breed them with? I would guess some sort of terrior, but I have no idea. Does anyone else know or have any ideas?? Especially those of you with medium or mini doodles-you may know???

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You breed the smallest in a litter to the smallest in another litter, and so on. Size is dominant, so by breeding together two dogs who exhibit recessive genes (small stature), you end up with lines of smaller dogs, over a very long period of time. Poodles were also originally only black, so an even more interesting question is, how did they get all the other colors, lol.
The three sizes of poodle are standard, miniature, and toy. There is no "medium" and no "mini". Toys are below 10" at the shoulder, miniatures between 10 and 15", and standards are over 15". There is technically no such thing as "tea cup", "Royal Standard" etc...if you see those names, you are dealing with a BYB/puppy mill.
From "The History of The Poodle"
We know that the Standard (sized) Poodle developed first, and that the Miniature and Toy Poodles were developed afterwards, and all three varieties have a long history. It is not known for certain if the Miniature and Toy Poodles are "bred down" versions of the Standard, or if these smaller Poodles developed in their own right. An interesting hypothesis dealing with the history of any breed that predates written history, did the breed develop from a common ancestor, or did the breed develop because dog fanciers from different countries were trying to breed a dog for a particular purpose and function and, independently developed a breed of dog that had similar traits?

[Ginny Nightingale]

I was very interested to see the pictures of the poodles as hunting dogs with birds in their mouths. I suspect that the "poodle side" is responsible for my Aus. LD's fascination with birds--she stalks them like a cat and CAUGHT one the other day!!! I was shocked! My mini LD is is more into rodents--she has caught squirrels and rabbits, but pays no attention to birds. Doodles are so fascinating!

[Deb, Connor & Simon]

Connor is an F1 goldendoodle, my sister has a 9 month old standard poodle. It absolutely amazes me how much alike Connor and my sister's dog are. They do the same funny 4-off-the-floor bounce -- even backwards. Both of the boys throw their toys in the air, at you or wherever to get your attention when they want to play. Both guys are incredible, huggy, cuddly dogs. If it wasn't for his docked tail, my sister's poodle would look like a doodle.

Connor is built very much like a poodle with his narrow hips and shoulders and loooong legs. I say he has a poodle build, but a solid golden heart. Connor is the best dog ever, but I think it's just because that's who he is. :-)

Both breeds are great athletes, though, and anyone who says otherwise just isn't familiar with standard poodles.

Good discussion!