The Vet’s Guide to Oodles: Breeds, Training & Tips

Oodles have become an extremely popular cross-breed over the past few years, especially in Australia. Being a cross between a purebred poodle and another dog breed, Oodles were originally bred for their hypoallergenic nature whilst maintaining characteristics of other breeds.

Whilst there are many variations of Oodles, the most popular breeds include Labradoodles (Labrador cross), Cavoodles (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel cross), Spoodles (Cocker Spaniel cross) and Groodles (Golden Retriever cross). Here are a few key things to note:

• Every Oodle is different! With so much diversity in crossbreeds of Oodle, you can find your perfect companion. This also means that each Oodle breed has specific needs, nutrition and exercise requirements. Be sure to get to know your Oodle so they can have the happiest and healthiest life possible.

• Grooming your Oodle can become overwhelming, especially when you are time poor. If you want to ensure that your Oodle is well taken care of and their coat remains healthy, book them in with a regular groomer.

• Oodles have a highly energetic lifestyle, so be sure to block out parts of your day to spend time being active with them. If you’re looking for less energetic Oodle breeds, look to a toy Oodle breed such as a Cavoodle.

Appearance: Oodles will vary in appearance depending on the type of mix they are. If toy Poodles are mixed with smaller breeds, such as a Pomeranian, then your Oodle could only weigh around 6 kilograms. However, if standard Poodles are mixed with Bernese Mountain Dogs, they can weigh up to 45 kilograms. Therefore, it is important to know what type of Poodle-cross you’re looking for!

Temperament: Oodle breeds are generally known to be quite energetic and high energy. However, they are also known for their intelligence and loving personality, making them easy to train and a great family dog breed.

Activity Level: This breed is very energetic and loves to exert their energy! In conjunction with at least a 30 to 60 minute walk a day, we recommend partaking in obedience and agility activities to keep your Oodle happy and healthy.

Health: In many purebred Oodles, they can experience mobility issues, such as hip dysplasia. This affects their joints and walking ability, and should be checked with your veterinarian as soon as possible so it can be addressed.

Oodles can also experience dental issues as a result of tartar and plaque build up. We suggest monitoring your Oodle’s dental hygiene and brushing their teeth regularly with a dog toothpaste. 

Lifespan: The lifespan of your Oodle will depend on their size. For smaller and medium sized Oodles, ranging from under 10kg to 25 kg, they have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years. Larger Oodle breeds have a lifespan of 8 to 12 years.

Oodle breeds have become increasingly more popular, with one of those contributing factors being that they require less grooming and maintenance. Depending on their particular cross breed and coat type, Oodles can experience little to virtually no shedding. 

Shedding patterns: Whilst Oodles are known for shedding less than regular dog breeds, they are still prone to some shedding. Depending on the coat of your Oodle breed, they may shed more or less often. 

If your Oodle has a straight coat that resembles the non-poodle parent, they are likely to shed the most out of all Oodle breeds. This includes mixes such as Labradoodles (Labrador mix), Cockapoos and Spoodles (Cocker Spaniel Cross), Havapoos (Havanese cross) and more. If your Oodle has a wavy or curly coat, they will shed less and be more allergy friendly. 

Whilst you cannot always guarantee that all Oodles are hypoallergenic, there are some ways to distinguish these mixes from other Oodle breeds. Hypoallergenic mixes include Shih-Poos (Shitzu mix), Pomapoos (Pomeranian mix) and Oodle dogs that are predominantly Poodle (75% Poodle, 25% other breed), otherwise known as F1b generation Oodles.

Frequent brushing: For curly and wavy coat types, you should ensure that you keep on top of brushing your Oodle. Frequent brushing of their coat, especially if it is kept long, ensures that your Oodle’s coat remains healthy and lessens the likelihood of excessive and extreme knotting.

We recommend brushing your Oodle at least twice a week to keep their coat looking its best. If you begin to see any knotting, be sure to tame it with a slicker brush to relieve any discomfort your Oodle may be experiencing.

Bathing tips: If you opt to bathe and groom your Oodle at home, we recommend understanding the process of properly bathing your furry friend to ensure their coat stays healthy.

Before bathing your Oodle, it is very important that you brush their coat thoroughly. As many Oodle breeds have curlier coats, they can easily become knotted and tangled. If you begin bathing your Oodle with tangled or knotted fur, these knots will actually become harder to handle and remove. Therefore, prior to bathing, be sure to brush out your Oodle’s coat with a wide tooth comb or pin brush, and then move to a slicker brush for more knotted areas. 

Once you’ve detangled your Oodle’s coat, you can bathe them with a gentle shampoo and conditioner that will help support a healthy coat. We recommend using a mild shampoo, and then following this with a conditioner. This will assist in knot prevention, and leave your dog’s coat feeling soft and looking healthy.

When drying your Oodle, we also recommend that you pat/blot them dry with a towel. Rubbing their coat dry can create knots and tangles throughout their fur.

Nails: To ensure that your Oodle doesn’t experience discomfort when walking, we recommend monitoring their nails. Overgrown nails can be painful for your dog, and if they aren’t worn down naturally (i.e. through walks & activities), you should trim them on a regular basis. We recommend introducing nail trimming to your dog at an early age, and to be reserved when cutting their nails so as to not over-trim them.

For Oodle breeds, there is no blanket way to describe their barking behaviours. However, Oodle owners often report that their dogs are less likely to bark compared to other breeds. With that being said, Oodles can bark in times of fear, excitement or protection - similar to all dog breeds. If this becomes excessive and disruptive you may need to step in with some training.

Common causes: Whilst Oodles are not known for excessive barking behaviour, there are some common causes of barking that you may experience with your dog. An easily remediable reason for barking in your Oodle is loneliness and lack of attention. To address this, be sure to have frequent play sessions with your Oodle, and give them lots of affection throughout the day.

Another emotional reason your Oodle may begin to bark is from separation anxiety. If your Oodle has a hard time spending time apart from you, we recommend providing long-lasting distractions for them whilst you're away. Be sure to provide them with something they enjoy whilst you’re at home, such as long-lasting chews, their favourite TV show, puzzle toys, lick mats or treat-based toys.

Lastly, you may experience barking behaviours in your Oodle due to territorial tendencies. This often occurs when a dog senses a threat to their territory, and can be addressed with obedience training.

Address health concerns: If you are experiencing excessive barking behaviours in your Oodle, we recommend trying to find the root cause. If barking persists after consistent training, or seems out of character for your Oodle, take them to a trusted veterinarian to ensure that their barking isn’t caused by any health issues or conditions.

Our training tips: If unwanted barking persists, we recommend beginning training to address this as soon as possible. It is always recommended that you practise positive reinforcement with your Oodle when you are undertaking training.  This means rewarding wanted behaviours with treats or affection, and ignoring unwanted behaviours.

For more excessive barking behaviours, we suggest obedience training for your Oodle. Has a highly intelligent breed, obedience training is often highly effective for this breed.

Oodle breeds are highly intelligent, and are known for being very easy to train. This therefore means that whilst you can train your Oodle in many disciplines, you also have to remain on-top of their training and mental stimulation. We recommend starting the training with your Oodle as early as possible to ensure that you have a rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Intelligence: As Oodles are cross breeds with Poodles, they are known for their high levels of intelligence. By inheriting this intelligence, Oodles are often highly trainable dogs that excel in obedience and other training practices. 

Socialisation: As with many dog breeds, it is vital that you introduce your Oodle puppy to other dogs and people at an early age. Once they have received their essential vaccinations, you should begin socialising your Oodle between 12-16 weeks to get them used to other dogs and people. By socialising your Oodle at this young stage, they will likely be more comfortable with the outside world which will help in their development long after puppyhood.

Benefits of puppy school:  A great way to not only socialise your Oodle but also teach them basic obedience skills is puppy school. This is one of the most accessible and simple ways to familiarise your Oodle with other dogs along with training them in basic commands.

Many veterinary practices hold puppy school classes, so you can trust that your puppy is getting training and care from the professionals. In this controlled environment, you Oodle will be introduced to basic commands to set them up well for further training.

Obedience: If you are looking to further obedience training with your dog, Oodles are a perfect fit! With their high level of intelligence and trainability, Oodles are known for being very obedient and eager to please.

By enrolling your Oodle in obedience training and classes, you can not only help them progress in their skills, but this will also keep their mind sharp for years to come.

Common training issues:  Due to their intelligent nature, it is rare for Oodle owners to experience excessive training issues. However, some Oodle owners have trouble with leash training their dog, as they are an excitable and energetic breed. We recommend beginning leash training as soon as possible, and practising the positive reinforcement training model.

Likewise, if you encounter any training issues with your Oodle, such as stubbornness, we recommend practising the positive reinforcement approach. Be sure to reward wanted behaviours, such as commands or tasks, with treats and affection. If your Oodle is displaying unwanted behaviours, ignore them or redirect their attention to encourage wanted behaviours.

With their energetic temperament and high energy lifestyle, Oodles often require regular exercise. Depending on the size of your Oodle, they will need consistent and rigorous exercise and mental stimulation. This will ensure that they stay healthy and happy throughout their lifetime!

Regular walks: Keeping on top of your Oodle’s energetic lifestyle can become overwhelming, but with regular walks you can meet their exercise requirements each day. We recommend talking your Oodle on a 30 to 60 minute walk each day to ensure they are able to exert their energy and maintain a healthy weight. However, the length of daily walks may need to be extended for larger Oodle breeds like Labradoodles and Goldendoodles.

It’s important to feed your Oodle a balanced and nutritional diet to help support their growth. You also need to keep in mind to provide your Oodle with food specific to their size, as different Oodle breeds have varying health and nutritional needs.

For smaller Oodle breeds, we recommend sourcing a small Oodle specific dog food that contains vitamins and minerals such as Omega 3 that will promote healthy skin and coat, as well as nutrients to support heart health.

For larger Oodle breeds, we recommend feeding them a large Oodle specific dog food that promotes healthy joints and a soft coat, along with optimum heart health. 

Avoid table scraps: As with all dog breeds, you should avoid giving your Oodle any table scraps from your own plate. Not only can this turn into a bad habit, it can inadvertently affect your Oodle’s health. Feeding your human food scraps to your dog can lead to weight issues, along with digestive problems if dog-unsafe foods are provided to your Oodle.

Hydration: With their active lifestyle, it is essential that your Oodle stays hydrated throughout the day. We recommend providing them access to fresh and clean water at all times to ensure that they are receiving the appropriate amount of water. By keeping your Oodle hydrated, they can maintain a healthy coat as well as prevent health issues related to dehydration such as loss of appetite or breathing trouble.

Meal frequency: The frequency in which you feed your Oodle will depend on their life stage. For Oodle puppies, we recommend around three smaller meals a day with additional snacks, as they have smaller stomachs compared to adult Oodles. This will ensure that they receive all the nutrients they need to continue their growth and development.

As your Oodle grows into an adult dog, you can move to two meals a day. For smaller Oodle breeds, such as Pomapoos and Maltipoos, they can often benefit from still receiving three meals a day. 

Portion sizes: The portion size of the food you give your Oodle will be dependent on a range of factors. Larger Oodle breeds will of course require larger portions, whilst smaller Oodle breeds will need smaller meals. As we also recommend size-specific Oodle dog food, the portion sizes will likewise vary on the type of food. Therefore, we recommend following packet directions on your Oodle and size specific dog food for accurate portion sizes for each of your dog’s meals.

Whether you have an Oodle or you're thinking about getting one, we hope you learnt something by reading our article. Whilst this guide is great start to learning about Oodle ownership, never stop seeking out new information from reputable sources. Share your experiences with other Oodle owners, and always continue to learn more about your dogs breed, temperament and how best to care for and love them.

This article was written by Dr Jack Ayerbe