Poodle and other pure breed crosses

I have been getting many e-mails about pure breed crosses being specifically breed. This is mainly the likes of the Labradoodle, Schnoodle, Cockapoo, Spoodle, Yorkiepoo. From the research I have done there is no official body in the UK who deals with these type of hybrids. The UK Kennel club does not recognise these breeds at this time. There may be official organisation relating to these breeds in other countries.

As there are no organisations in the UK looking after these breeds there is no breed standard or any guarantees with the breeding as to what you will end up with. The main reason people want these crossbreeds is for their allergy to dog hairs, the Poodle and most of the crossbreeds do not seem to aggravate those with allergies to animal hair. I suppose there is also the not wanting a Poodle, sorry Poodle owners, but still have the allergy relief. The problem with these cross breeds is that some will take after the dam and others after the sire. So with a Cockapoo, some will have poodle type hair, and others will have a cocker type coat, with the same allergy problems.

Another problem is that without any sort of body looking after these breed there has been a tendency for less reputable dog breeders to move in to this area. This is not to say all breeders of these dogs are not reputable.

You may be better off with an officially breed poodle or a genuine cross breed from a rescue shelter.

This is my opinion and is a generally how I would respond to an e-mail requesting information on these cross breeds. If you have any other information, experiences, own or breed these kind of dogs and wish to add to this article please drop me a line at admin@dogclub.co.uk
I will read all e-mails on the subject and will look to publish any constructive responses on this page.

Sorry to be a bearer of bad news. There is some more information on www.dogboard.co.uk in the topic 'Where can I find...'

Details on finding a pup/dog can be found at www.dogclub.co.uk/advice/pups.php

Thoughts and Concern about poodle crosses

Here at Dog Club I have had e-mails about the Poodle cross breeders:

'My partner and I went to see Labradoodle pups in **************** not long ago. Unfortunately we were not happy with the “puppy like farm” appearance of the place. When I asked him how much would on cost he muttered £500.00! Yes a bit dubious I think. He was also going to let them go at 7 weeks if required is this normal?'

'Many years ago a friend who was the proud owner of an old english sheep dog looked after my black standard poodle, well they got together and my bitch had one puppy. At birth he was absolutely huge, he was all black and curly but had a white chest, 4 white toes and a small white tip on his tail. He just grew and grew, He was the most adorable loving boy. He spent many a year playing with his (newly spayed) mum and (newly castrated) dad. He lived to a ripe old age of nearly 15. As i said he was a fab dog but one year we decided not to have him clipped just to see how long his coat would grow, well it just grew and grew.
We had him clipped when he walked through the double doors to the garden and both sides of his coat touched either side of the door frame. Sometimes i wished we had bred his mum and dad again just to let other people have the fun and love we had.
His still sadly missed.'

If anyone is interested ... I am severely allergic to dogs (nasty asthma can be the worst it gets) but have wanted a dog for years.  I did a lot of research into non-allergenic breeds and crosses and got very interested in Labradoodles, speaking to people who had bred them and visiting a family who had three wonderful examples.  They were smashing friendly dogs who did not have the poodle look, which was at the time quite an issue for me.  Although not as bad as with a house full of Labradors I still had some reaction and also became aware of the hit-or-miss chances of what a coat could be like.  Finding a litter too was a problem.     We then thought about standard poodles as I had seen photos on the web where they looked like normal dogs when not all ponced up for the show ring.   However, I did not want a docked dog and then researched finding an undocked litter from a reputable breeder.  After visiting a family with a litter and two fully grown standard poodles I barely had any allergic reaction and paid a deposit on a bitch puppy.
Two years on and I can honestly say it's the best decision we have ever made!  We keep Fizzy trimmed evenly all over and with her beautiful long tail we are constantly asked what she is and always get comments about her elegance, good looks and lovely nature ... "Oh she's a poodle! She looks like a proper dog!" is a common comment.
And my allergy ... no problems at all and if anything I have desensitised and now find I can be with other dogs for a lot longer before getting a reaction.
My advice would be if you are allergic to dogs, is get an undocked poodle from a reputable breeder.  But do your research and ensure you know what it costs to clip and have the time to give them the exercise they need.
Gavin Watton

I mainly only read about hybrid dogs on US sites, but I have to disagree that it's a bad thing,  the main reason I wanted a Shih poo ( shih tzu x poodle) was because I love the shih tzu breed very much, but I had one that grunted , sneezed, snored and coughed his way through life and his eyes were always irritating him as they were so large and protruding , the poodle crossed with the shih tzu produces a dog with smaller eyes and a slightly longer nose. I don't think the allergy issue is the only reason for intentional hybrid litters. For example the puggle ( pug x beagle)   this cross lengthens the nose making breathing easier and produces a fine strong dog. I agree with what you say though ,that as there is no organization that deals with this in the UK setting a standard is impossible and it's a bit hit and miss, not to mention difficult to find a well intentioned breeder, but I think there are also these problems with  buying pedigrees now (puppy farms) and overall, hybridization could be a good advancement.

We have a Poodle/Eskimo dog cross. She has been a great dog so far. At 8 months she has been fairly easy to train but she seems to be a little over protective when on the leash. She has the Poodle coat with a wiry texture, small floppy ears, and the Eskimo behind and curly tail. She is about 30 pounds so far. We had to get her groomed as she was starting to look like a small bear. She has been good with small children, but does not want to be held. I feel it is a good mix. She is though very attached to us and follows me everywhere. She travels good in the car, and we try to take her with us as much as possible. I am still not sure of the Eskimo part if it is American Eskimo or Canadian Eskimo. My wife brought her home from the pet store a surprise to me and our children. I assume it is American Eskimo as she is not too big yet and Canadian Eskimo's are over 100 pounds fully grown. I am allergic to dogs, but she has not bothered me at all. I have no complaints so far. There is a Golden Retriever/Poodle cross craze in Southern Ontario Canada now. They are great dogs. The local pet store owner has one. She is a doll. Although these dogs are not purebreds they are great companions. Hope I gave you a little more insight.............

Dear Dog Club,
I recently attempted to investigate Labradoodles, mainly due to my asthma, but also as an interested and admiring potential owner. However, I was horrified when I was quoted £550/£650 as a going rate for a puppy. As a cross bred dog, and one which may produce unpredictable offspring, I was unprepared and shocked at this inflated price. I have previously had four rescue dogs, all crosses, all abuse cases, and fully appreciate the value of canine company. Having never had a puppy, the decision to get one was not taken lightly, but, it appears to me, that a few unscrupulous breeders have jumped on the "bandwagon" in breeding these puppies and charging extortionate prices. After speaking to no less than 3 "breeders" we decided to pay for a well-bred and carefully reared pedigree puppy standard poodle, who's breeder we are in regular tough with and who offers lifetime advice and help. This proved to be the best decision made, and if anyone would have told me I would own a poodle, I would have called them a liar. Don't knock poodles, they are intelligent, learn very quickly and settle into family life rapidly as puppies.  I am a complete convert.

I came across your site whilst looking for a Pux x Shih Tzu puppy. We bought our Pug/Shih Tzu from a breeder in ---------- , it was a private home but quiet obviously (afterwards) a business. They seem to constantly have an advert for either pug or shih tzu's for sale on a couple of different websites – the dogs however were very well looked after when we visited (at very short notice)
We paid £500 for her, I know, I know – in hindsight far too much money – but too be honest we would do it again as she is a wonderful dog and seems to have the best bits of both breeds in her. Everyone she meets falls in love with her and asks what breed she is (she looks like a small hairy pug)  The breeder said that she was from a “mistake” but clearly this is untrue as 2 months later she called me to say that she had another litter from a different mother for sale for £375 which my parents ended up getting (they have also had a great time with their little dog). I think it's a way for breeders to make a lot of money without having to provide papers etc. There doesn't seem to be any “mean” price for these cross breeds, just whatever people are willing to pay for them
If any of your readers do find these puppies for sale, they are marvellous, robust and fun little dogs with a tonn of personality – they also adore children and in fact anyone they come into contact with.
Hope this helps

I read with interest about the poodle cross breeds as I have a 4 year old bitch jack russell cross poodle and she has gone blind from the genetic condition PRA. It is not an isolated case as I know of 3 others . The eye specialist said it was a million to one chance of it occuring in a cross breed but my evidence seems to differ. While meg is a happy little dog and copes very well, I would urge others to be very careful when selecting pups/ breeders of these crosses as Poodles have a genetic disposition to this eye condition that can occasionally manifest in these crosses. Regards

I have a crossbreed dog who resulted from a pedigree springer spaniel sire and a pedigree norfolk terrier dam!!  He is coloured black and white like his dad, shaped like a small but shorter-legged springer, isn't curly but is feathered, but has the spiky eyebrows, tufty muzzle, beard and upheld tail from his mum, though it is long and feathery.  He also has mum's ears, so hopefully won't have the infection problems associated with springers.  In temperament he is a real mix of both, and he springs pheasant instinctively.  He also likes to dig and bury, though, like a terrier, and is a nutter for deep tree roots. He has the kindly springer soul, and the terrier's stubborness and he guard barks. He loves a cuddle, watches wildlife programmes (and snooker?!) and wants to either play with or wash the cats frequently. He can walk for hours, even through snow deeper than he is tall, swims if encouraged, and loves other dogs. He isn't greedy with food like springers can be, and will only eat if he's hungry. Not a mean bone in his body, despite having the anti-postman bark of a much bigger dog, and displays no aggression or mounting at all, even though he is 'complete'. The vet describes him as 'beautifully made' and he won 3rd handsomest dog at the local show. We're very proud! His 4 litter mates came out the same way. A very happy accident.

Dear reader, I just wanted to tell you about my cross bred dog.  Bobby is a Springer Spaniel crossed with a Miniature Poodle.  My beautiful dog was a mishap, and I did not pay hundreds of pounds for him either!  I was on the look out for a puppy after the loss of our family dog.  I was put in touch with a kind, and loving family who had a litter of five beautiful black puppies.  All looked like little Spaniels with shiny wavy coats.  I did not know how my puppy was going to look and I did not care, it had nothing to do with my husband being asthmatic........we just wanted a pet to love. Bobby has turned out to be a good mix of poodle and spaniel in looks and temperament.  The best thing about him too is that he does not cast!  Wonderful!  The family did not want any money for him, all that was required was for the puppies to go to loving homes.  We gave the family the small sum of £50 as we felt the family deserved a treat, after all they were being kind to us........well we think so!  Bobby is a darling of a dog, he is adored beyond words.  I'd say to people who want  a dog to suit their specific health needs to scan the newspapers,  and pass the word round about what they want.  We got Bobby by word of mouth and we are eternally grateful for our little treasure.

I would like to share my experience with you regarding cross poodles. I lost one of my beloved Lhasa Apsos, last June and me and my other Lhasa, Rosie, were totally bereft, to the point where Rosie was going to have to stay at the vets for three days and nights and be put on a drip to rehydrate her. I didn't want to do this so my vet strongly advised me to get another puppy. I couldn't bear the thought of getting another Lhasa so I found a shih-zhu/toy poodle cross.
Fleur is now seven months old and is absolutely gorgeous. Her nature is fantastic - kind, gentle and so intelligent. She knows all her toys names and can now retrieve them by name. She was completely house-trained after four weeks and learnt how to use the catflap in less than two days! She seems to love everybody, babies, children, adults and of course other dogs.
I bought her from a private individual (not a recognised breeder) and had her checked out by my vet immediately who said that she was fine and in good health. I know a lot of people are not in agreement with all the crossing of poodles and the lady who I bought her from charged me £450 but just based on my own personal experience it was probably the best decision I could have made.
Within a couple of days, Rosie was eating and walking again and Fleur has brought life back into our house. Even though she is well trained, I am going to take her to advanced training courses with a view to joining an agility club when she is old enough.
I know each dog has its own individual personality but I couldn't recommend a poodle cross highly enough - bright, happy, inquisitive and very, very loving.
I hope this helps.

I have a miniature poodle cross lowchen and in many years of keeping and loving dogs have never had a better little dog. She is a beautiful coffe and cream colour with soft poodle wool and almond eyes like a poodle. Otherwise she is more lowchen. She is fiercely intelligent, incredibly agile, obedient and loving. I was able to house train her in two weeks and she is totally reliable with my 10 boisterous grandchildren.
I would recommend a poodle cross to anyone.

In February 2008 we became the proud owners of a Whippet Poodle cross. The owner of the female whippet entered his whippets in agility classes and had many winners and he want to cross his whippet with a miniature poodle for their intelligence. I can honestly say that Lottie our dog is great. She has a very gentle nature is extremely intelligent and loves everyone. When I pick up my son from school all the children want to walk her on the lead and she is quite happy to let them and walks slower for them, she is just brilliant with them, she loves the attention. Both myself and my husband have allergies to dogs but we can honestly say that she has not affected us. The children adour her. We have now had her for almost a year and during that time she has never once bittern, growled or shown her teeth to anyone her temperament is just fantastic and I would recommend this cross to anyone.