Poodles & Doodles

 

Standard Poodle History

Standard poodles have been around since before the 16th Century.  Many people think that the poodle’s origination was in France, however, it was originated in Germany.  “Pudel” is the German word for poodle and it means “to splash in the water”.  Poodles are not only excellent water dogs, but they are actually the oldest know water retriever breed.  They are also gun dogs.  The French started using the breed in circuses because of their trainability and high level of intelligence.  The breed became very popular in France which led to the common name “French Poodle” but the French actually called the dog “Caniche” meaning duck dog.  They are noted as the second most intelligent breed following the border collie.

The poodle has taken top honors at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 1991 and 2002.  The American Kennel Club has stated that the standard poodle is the oldest of the three varieties. Those varieties are toy, miniature and standard.

Appearance

The Standard Poodle is a medium to large sized dog.  Their coat colors vary from white, cream, apricot, red, brown, silver, gray, café-au-lait, blue and black.  Most poodles are solid colored, however, there is also the “Parti” poodles.  These poodles have large patches of colors different from the main body color.  “Phantom” Poodles have the color pattern of a black and tan dog, although not necessarily black and tan.  Solid color poodles may hold their color or fade to a lighter shade.  Most poodles have a dense, curly, non shedding coat.  They do not have the plush double coat of many breeds and their fur is often referred to as hair.  The AKC recognized the poodle breeds by height not weight. The Standard Poodle is over 15 inches at the highest point of the shoulders.  Average weight for this breed is 45 to 70 pounds for Males and 45 to 60 pounds for females. Life expectancy of poodles is about 12 to 15 years or more.

 

Labradoodle History

Labradoodles are a fairly new breed of dog.  Sir Donald Campbell first used the term “Labradoodle” to describe a dog in his 1955 book, “Into the Water Barrier”, which has a Labradoodle/ poodle cross in the story. The labradoodle became much more well known by breeder Wally Conron in 1988. Mr. Conron crossed a Labrador retriever and a Standard Poodle. Because of the poodle’s low to non shedding coat and the Labrador’s gentleness and trainability, he was hoping to provide a guide dog for persons with allergies to fur and dander.

After breeding Labradoodle to Labradoodle - Mr. Conron called them “Double Doodles”. He then bred Double Doodles to Double Doodles and called their offspring “TriDoodles”. He was very successful in his breeding and out of 31 labradoodles that were bred, 29 of them made it as Guide Dogs. Labradoodles are very sociable, friendly, non aggressive and extremely intuitive. Because of their nature, they are well suited for guide dogs, therapy dogs and other assistance dogs. With their non allergic coats it is another plus for people who have allergies.

A Standard labradoodle Female may weigh from 45 to 60 pounds and a male between 55 and 80 pounds. The Labradoodle coat is either fleece or wool curly. Both coat types are non shedding and allergy friendly. The fleece coat is extremely soft and has its own distinct feel.  It hangs in loose spirals like an Angora goat. The wool curly coat is very much like that of a poodle and feels like soft wool on a lamb or a very soft wool sweater.

Labradoodle coats can vary just as those of a poodle or Labrador retriever. Their coats can be cream, apricot cream, apricot, gold, red, silver, café, black, chocolate, or black. Average life expectancy of labradoodles is usually 13 to 15 years.

Goldendoodle History

Goldendoodles were intentionally bred in the mid 1990’s in north America as a bigger version of a Cockapoo. These dogs are a very popular for allergy sufferers because of their light to non shedding coats.

A Goldendoodle is a cross between a golden retriever and a standard poodle. With the poodle being the second most intelligent breed and the golden retriever the fourth most intelligent breed, they are a very intelligent breed.

The hybrid dog of a first-generation cross of two unrelated purebred lines is healthier and grows better than either parent line. These puppies benefit because they take on the best traits of both breeds. This is known as and F1.

When a Golden Retrieve and a Standard Poodle cross it is called an F1. These dogs are 50% Golden Retriever and 50% poodle. Most first generation Goldendoodles generally do not shed. Their coats can be like a wavy coat of the retriever or a relaxed curl of a poodle and they have a good chance of being allergy-friendly. The F1 Goldendoodle has the “shaggy dog” look.

When an F1 Goldendoodles crossed with a poodle the breeding is called an F1B.   The B is for Backcross. This will increase the success rate for a non shedding dog.  F1B Goldendoodles generally have curlier coats and are usually no shedding and F1B is ideal for moderate to severe allergies.

Some breeders will breed two F1 Goldendoodles together. This is called an F2 Cross and will produce the most variation in a dog’s coat. The coat can look almost completely Golden Retriever or almost completely poodle.

When an F2 Goldendoodle is crossed back with a poodle, it is called an F2B. The characteristics of these puppies would depend on the characteristics of the F2 parents.

Any combination of these crosses can be crossed with another to create an “F3″ or “F3 B’s” which are also considered Multigenerational.

Both the Poodle and Goldendoodle are highly intelligent dogs. The hybrid cross results in a Goldendoodle that is pleasant, smart, affectionate, trainable, friendly and sometimes allergy friendly. They are excellent pets to have with children and other household pets. They also make excellent assistance or guide dogs.

Goldendoodles are very social and they are good with strangers. They need to have intellectual stimulation. They are people dogs and want to be with you. They do not like being alone.

The common colors of golden doodles are white, cream, apricot, gold and red. Less common colors are black and silver. Rare colors include chocolate, parti and phantom. Their coats can be wool like the traditional poodle coat or fleece which can be curly, wavy, or straight like that of a golden retriever.  They require combing every few weeks to maintain a healthy coat.