Personality differences between standard poodles and goldendoodles (and giant schnoodles)?

[Nancy Dubs]

I know all dogs are different, and you can never be certain what you're going to get. But can anyone speak to general differences in personality between standard poodles, goldendoodles, and/or even possibly giant schnoodles? Thanks so much to everyone who replied to my earlier post on goldendoodles vs giant schnoodles. Due to allergies/asthma and testing positive to dog, we want to increase our odds of success without giving up the possibility of getting a dog. I'm really curious as to folks' experiences with these different dogs re: temperament, personality. What a wonderful site! Everyone has been so helpful and supportive. Thanks!!!

[Adina P]

I think the differences you'll need to look into are the differences in the pure breeds themselves. That's where you'll see the contrast. Rather than contrast goldendoodles or schnoodles compare/contrast:

Standard Poodles
Giant Schnauzers
Golden Retrievers

The reason I say this is because the mixes will be somewhere between the two and it is the mix that will vary. The pure breed (if from a reputable breeder) will tend to be kind of the same in general character/personality with only small individual differences.

I would google the parent clubs of each breed: Golden Retriever Club of America, Standard Poodle Club of America, Giant Schnauzer Club of America -- not sure if those are the actual titles of each, but you'll find them that way. Read up on what the experts in each breed say about their dogs. Typically they will list both pros and cons of their breed.

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Depends on how much poodle is in the mix......Joy would be the best person to give you insight on Giant Schnoodles.....Most Goldendoodles are first generartion (retriever to poodle breeding) although there are a few breeders that are now doing second genereation Goldendoodles.....

Poodles are second only to Border Collies in terms of intelligence and their overall nature is to be focused on their owners, attentive, clown-like in their play, easily trainable, contemplative with an ability to assess and reason which can at times make them somewhat willfull and if not properly engaged, challenged, socialized and exercised. This can cause the dog to become a bit neurotic..( you see this behavior mostly in the miniatures and toy poodles)...

Golden Retrievers are I believe 5th on the list as far as intelligence ( with Labs coming in at 6th or 7th..Karen can verify) and are always looking to please...They are sweet natured, friendly and also easily trainable due to thier affable personalities....but retrievers in general can be somewhat "aloof" and can be easily distracted....I think that Goldendoodles and second generation and multigen Labradoodles in general get most of their intelligence, intensity and goofy playfulness from the Poodle.....My mom raised champion retrievers for years so I grew up in a house full of them and I can honestly say as a proud doodle parent, and a recent poodle enthusiast that the majority of the wonderful traits in doodles do come from the poodle......

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Top ten as ranked by Stanley Coren in "The Intelligence of Dogs":

The Brightest Dogs:
These dogs should understand
new, basic commands with five or
fewer repetitions and they should
obey learned commands 95% of the
time, or better, on the first command.

1. Border Collies
2. Poodle
3. German Shepherd
4. Golden Retriever
5. Doberman Pincher
6. Shetland Sheepdog
7. Labrador Retriever
8. Papillon
9. Rottwieler
10. Australian Cattle Dog

Schnauzers are ranked as follows:
miniatures: 12
standard: 18
giant: 28
Keep in mind that a "smart" dog is more challenging in many respects than a dog of average intelligence. Dog "intelligence" is rated on many factots, including "problem solving". When you think about what a dog's 'problems" might be...how to get this gate open, how to reach that food on the counter...it makes sense.

[Carol Brand]

As a Standard Poodle breeder, I'll put in my two cents, though I think Jacquie offered a nice description.

We live in an area where Doodles are very popular. Based on my observations and from what I read on the Doodle boards, I think the Standard Poodle is an easier dog to live with than a Doodle.

A Standard Poodle is an athletic dog with lots of stamina. Did you know that John Suter ran the Iditarod with an all poodle team 1989-1991? He finished all three years in the middle of pack. Under all that hair, the Standard Poodle has conformation similar to other European gundogs such as the German Shorthair Pointer. As active as they are, they are typically quiet in the house. You rarely if ever hear that a Standard Poodle owner has to wear out their dog to take the edge off.

A Standard Poodle is a highly observant, thinking dog. They notice things that other dogs don't. They mature emotionally at a fairly early age. They problem solve very well and they generally make very good decisions. I appreciate for example that my poodles moderate their behavior based on the situation: calm with small children and elders and high energy with the teenagers. Some Standard Poodles are overly reactive and can be "spooky" which is why it is very important to buy from good breeders who breed for show or performance (these dogs have to have strong nerves to stand up to the pressures of the show ring).

Standard Poodles are very easy to train. They learn house rules very quickly and they respect them. They are fairly "soft" dogs who take direction well and who don't require hard corrections. They generally take NO for an answer. They should be natural retrievers who enjoy playing frisbee or fetching the stick out of the lake. They are versatile performance dogs and they are always very competitive at dog sports (agility, obedience, tracking, hunting, rally etc). They are an excellent choice for a therapy dog. I think a well bred Poodle should get up in the morning and say..."What do you want to do today? Great! That's just what I want to do!"

Standard Poodles are dogs of great dignity and they have a very well developed sense of their own worth and they don't appreciate owners who are inconsistent or unfair. They will resent you if they think you have not played by the established rules. They are at their core working dogs who want jobs to do. The very worst thing you could do is throw a Standard Poodle out in the yard for hours a day. They will make up their own "jobs" typically fence running, property guarding, digging etc.

Standard Poodles are exceptionally bonded to their people. Generally they would rather be with their people than anywhere else. This means that they are great off leash on hikes or in the park and if someone leaves the gate open, they are typically standing by the front door waiting for you to let them in and not running willy -nilly down the street. I have a 6 mnth old girl who is great off leash and she has a very reliable recall even with tempting distractions (horse poop on the trail or packs of running dogs) . A well bred Standard Poodle should be confident, friendly and out-going but they will always prefer their people to anyone else.

The Standard Poodle is a reliably non-shedding dog. A well bred Standard Poodle is moderately sized: females 21"-24" (30-45lbs) and males 23"-26" (45-60lbs).... My personal ideal is 22" for females and 24" for males. This size seems to fit in the car and tent better.

I'll let other describe Doodles, but you should spend some time reading this forum and the typical problems that Doodles owners have with their dogs. You might also want to hang out on a Poodle forum and see what problems Standard Poodles owners have with their dogs.

As far as a Giant Schnoodle goes, I'd take Adina's previous advice. Make sure that you do lots and lots of research about the Giant Schnauzer and that you love them. They are large, very dominant dogs who are often people and dog aggressive. They are not just a large version of the Standard Schnauzer. They are a completely different breed. I suggest reading this FAQ from GS rescue http://www.giantschnauzerrescue.net/articles/giantfaqs.htm

[katie St Marie]

gosh i read that article on giant schnauzers......if i were the op i would go with a standard poodle if it was only between those two dogs, it seems like there are alot of traits in GS that could be passed on to Schnoodles that would be unfavorable especially if you have young kids or kids occasionally around the agression part scares me. if you do want a schnoodle i might go towards a smaller one, mini schnauzers are generally nice from my experience.....except the mini schnoodle that lives next door shes pretty mean towards anyone thats not her family and she purposely comes over to my beautiful lawn to poop and pee...that little sh!t!!!lol

[Sally, Ditzy Mitzi & Sgt. Pepper]

Well said. As a Standard Poodle owner for most of my life I appreciate Carol's description of a
fabulous breed. We now have a golden doodle, our first, and it has taken almost two years to
almost get her to behave as well as our poodles did by one year of age. She is much more difficult to train and more stubborn than we are used to, however, we know she is very intelligent, just haven't tested her yet for the qualities that may be "testable".

She is a fun pup, but totally different from any poodle we have ever lived with.

Thank you for comments, they should be helpful to others unfamiliar with poodles.

[Margaret Erwin]

If you have sever asthma/allergies, get a poodle!

[Becky and Bella]

Well, I'll speak for the retrievers! This is Becky's daughter, Katie. I absolutely adore golden retrievers and . . . though they're not the most stunning dogs, yellow labradors just capture my heart as well. We have a goldendoodle and a Seeing Eye bred Goldador (half lab and half golden retriever). I have also worked with many goldens through the Seeing Eye puppy raising program and raised one pure lab in addition to our Goldador. I can say with much certainty that golden retrievers are pure goofs! If you want to laugh (a sense of humor is often required for these dogs) get a golden cross. They are also very gentle with children, our Goldador (I hate that name, so let's just call her Kit) transforms from a boisterous pup to a gentle giant around any child. She has an incredible gauge of how much someone can take. Goldens love to steal, joke, make their own games and are also highly intelligent. They do however settle in to a very calm well rounded dogs after a couple of years or less, depending on the individual. The success rate for becoming a Seeing Eye dog is highest for lab/goldens, a little less for labs, a little less for goldens (they are often dismissed for being too playful), and significantly less for german shephards. The Seeing Eye describes the differences in their movements/temperments as german shephards being very precise while retrievers are much more wiggly and make general movemements. They don't breed or use poodles for the very reason that so many people like them, they don't ignore a command. They learn something and they will perform it without question, while service dogs need to have minds of their own (which goldens certainly do) and know when not to cross the street even though their owner is commanding them forward.
In all, goldens love everyone, will stick by you till death no matter what, and are great big goofballs who just want to make you smile and have a good time. Oh, and did I mention their winning smiles???