Sheepadoodle Dog Breed Info: Old English Sheepdog Poodle Mix

What is a Sheepadoodle Dog?

Heritage:

Old English Sheepdog Poodle Mix

Other Names:

Sheepdoodle, Sheeppoo, Sheep-A-Poo, Sheepapoo, Sheepdogdoodle, Sheepdogpoo, Sheep Doodle, Old English Sheepdog Doodle, Old English Sheepdog Poodle Mix

Old English Sheepdog Poodle Mix Breed History

Old English Sheepdog Breed History:

The Old English Sheepdog, or the “Bobtail” as it is sometimes known by, originated in the western part of England around the 1700s. While their name would imply otherwise, these dogs were first bred to herd cattle, not sheep.

It arrived in the United States in the 1880s where it became a popular show dog. In fact, at the time, five of the ten richest families in the United States were breeding and showing the Old English Sheepdog.

One noteworthy member of this breed is Paul McCartney’s Old English Sheepdog, Martha, who was the inspiration behind the Beatles song “Martha My Dear.”

Poodle Breed History:

While commonly associated with the French, the Poodle actually originated as a duck hunter in Germany over 400 years ago. In German, “pudelin” refers to the splashing in water that the dogs would do to retrieve waterfowl. The Poodle’s curly, weatherproof coat as well as its natural swimming ability and high intelligence made it an excellent retriever.

Eventually, Poodles made their way from the lake to the life of luxury as they were the breed of choice by French nobles, and eventually royalty across all of Europe. To this day, the Poodle is still the national dog of France.

The entertainment industry then caught on to the Poodle’s showy looks, intelligence, and ease of trainability and gave them a prominent role in circus acts across the world.

While the Poodle started out as the “standard” variety, eventually the miniature and toy variations were bred. The Toy Poodle started in the United States in the early 20th century to be a city-dwelling companion dog.

Due to the many positive personality traits and its hypoallergenic coat, Poodles are now commonly bred with a wide variety of other breeds to produce the “designer” hybrid dogs known and loved by many as “doodles.”

Sheepadoodle Breed History:

The Sheepadoodle breed was first developed as an experiment by the U.S. Army in creating a new breed of military dog. It wasn’t until the Doodle craze of the 1990s that they were first bred as family pets.

Old English Sheepdog Poodle Mix Appearance & Grooming

How Big Do Sheepadoodles Get?

A Sheepadoodle’s size is determined mostly by what size its Poodle parent was. On top of that, the gender of the puppy and the genetics of the parents play important factors as well. Sheepadoodles come in three main sizes—micro (or toy), mini, and standard.

A Micro Sheepadoodle will weigh in at less than 25 pounds and stand roughly 15-16 inches tall. A Mini Sheepadoodle is one step bigger at 25-50 pounds and 17-18 inches in height. The largest of the three, the Standard Sheepadoodle, will weigh approximately 50-85 pounds (or even more!) and stand about 19-24 inches tall.

Sheepadoodle Dog Breed Coat & Grooming:

The coat of a Poodle Old English Sheepdog Mix is usually a mix of two or more colors, with the most popular combination being white and black. Their fur can range anywhere from straight, like the Old English Sheepdog to curly like the Poodle and usually is of longer length.

How curly your dog’s fur is dictates how often they must be brushed. A minimum of brushing once per week is required for Sheepadoodles, with the ideal frequency being every other day if not every day for more curly-haired dogs.

Are Sheepadoodles Hypoallergenic?
Do Sheepadoodles Shed?

Due to the presence of the Poodle’s genes, the Old English Sheepdog Poodle Mix is sometimes promoted as being hypoallergenic and/or non-shedding. While this can be true, due to the unpredictability of genetics, there is no guarantee that any particular dog, or litter of dogs will be hypoallergenic.

Some individuals’ allergies are more sensitive to certain breeds than other breeds, but there is no scientific evidence that shows that certain hybrid breeds are universally more or less hypoallergenic than others.

With that being said, as a rule of thumb, the larger the percentage of Poodle is in a dog’s heritage, the more likely they are to be hypoallergenic or non-shedding. So an F1BB Sheepadoodle (87.5% Poodle) is more likely to be hypoallergenic than an F1B Sheepadoodle (75% Poodle) which is more likely than an F1 or F2 Sheepadoodle (50% Poodle).

Old English Sheepdog Poodle Mix Health & Wellness

Sheepadoodle Dog Breed Lifespan:

A healthy and well-cared-for Sheepadoodle’s life expectancy is around 12-15 years.

Sheepadoodle Dog Breed Common Health Concerns:

Sheepadoodles may be susceptible to the common health problems of both the Old English Sheepdog and the Poodle. However, due to the genetic diversity from crossing these two breeds, the result may be a lower chance of developing these inherited health concerns.

Some of the more common genetic disorders to be on the lookout for in the Sheepadoodle breed include Hip Dysplasia, Sebaceous Adenitis, Diabetes, Addison’s Disease, and Bloat.

Due to the cost of treating these common health concerns, we highly encourage all dog owners invest in pet insurance. We recommend getting a free online quote from Healthy Paws Pet Insurance.

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Old English Sheepdog Poodle Mix Temperament & Personality

Sheepadoodle Dog Breed Behavioral Traits:

Sheepadoodles are good-natured, sociable dogs who are also very independent. This makes them a great choice for families who won’t be home constantly. Due to their calm and trustworthy nature, they do well with children. They’re typically fine with other pets as well, but can display some herding tendencies which should be trained out as early as possible if noticed.

Thanks for the independence they get from their Old English Sheepdog heritage, they are a bit harder to train than other varieties of Doodles, but still are only moderate difficulty thanks to their intelligence and good nature.

Sheepadoodle Dog Breed Activity Requirements:

Due to their good nature, Sheepadoodles may not always pester you for exercise. However, they are definitely much happier with ample amounts of it. 60 minutes should be a minimum for this breed with bonus points for those who go above and beyond to find activities other than walking like advanced obedience training, frisbee, and herding exercises.