Aussiedoodle, also called the Aussiepoo are a crossbred between the Australian Shepherd and the Poodle. It is also considered a new designer breed as its intentional breeding started in the late 1990s likely in America. It is a very intelligent, highly trainable breed of a family dog. They are available in multiple sizes from tiny little to large. However, the medium-sized Aussiedoodle is mostly liked. Another reason for this dog to be more popular is its high energetic and playful characteristics. Most of the owners consider Aussiedoodles as a hypoallergenic dog, which means these dogs are safer for persons who are allergic to dogs. Although no dog is completely hypoallergenic, since Aussiedoodle inherits the best of the genes from its parents it also poses hypoallergenic features from a poodle.
Physical Appearance
The Aussiedoodles are generally bred from purebred Australian Shepherd and Poodle parents, that’s why it has very few genetic health risks. It is also found that the first generation of Aussiedoodles bred from pure parents have very minimum chances of shedding. Apart from that these dogs genetically inherit good sight from the Australian Shepherd, which are bred in America as a farm dog and herder and it also inherits retriever characteristics from the Poodle, which was bred in Germany as a waterfowl retriever. Due to genetic characteristics inherited from their parents, Aussidoodles are fast, agile dogs with a lot of stamina. Herding, retrieving and chasing are the instinct of the Aussiedoodles.
They borrow their vivid fur colouring from Australian Shepherd, including the most popular merle colour coat. However, its hair depends on how much gene of which parent is inherited. If the Poodle gene is greater than Shepherd it will have long, tight, curly hair which would require regular trimming and it will also non-shedding with less dander. Whereas if it inherits more genes of Australian Shepherd, its hair will be straight, fluffy that would require regular brushing and would be comparatively more shedding and dander. Normally, Aussiedoodles with straighter coats are rare and most of them have either wavy or curly coats that scarcely shed.
Temperament
The personality of Aussiedoodles varies according to their size, the bigger this breed calmer it will be. It has a solid personality and it shows its temperament easily. In case of any unfamiliar situation, these dogs are most likely to get indulged in whatever it is. You will find them being highly curious and observant. These dogs love to assist you and seek your attention. However, it gets bored very easily and can nip sometimes, so it would require some basic training and discipline.
Briefly speaking these dogs are fun-loving, attention-seeking, affectionate, playable canines that are receptive to human emotions and feelings. Aussiedoodles loves to be around their owners. They may get closer and stick with one or two of their favourite humans but they can also get along with multiple persons or larger families easily.
Aussiedoodles are a very intelligent and highly energetic breed. They require to be kept preoccupied or they can be destructive if not properly trained. This may be one of the reasons, why despite being a designer breed, some Aussiedoodles end up in shelters or with rescue groups. We would recommend you to adopt an Aussiedoodle instead of purchasing a puppy, you won’t regret it.
Training
Aussiedoodles are highly trainable dogs. Training them is a pleasing experience as they are very intelligent dogs that learn very quickly. But since it inherits genes from a poodle it will certainly have some careless attitude. These dogs easily accept any reward from their trainer, whether it is a toy ball or food. If you want to keep your dogs weight under control you can continue training with a toy ball. You can also adopt the following training schedule for an Aussiedoodle:-
- Start with fetch training. For this, you can use any toy ball that fit its mouth.
- You can also hide dog food or toy ball in the grass and ask them to fetch that.
- Slowly train them in new tricks.
- You should regularly change its training environment by walking it down the park or beach.
- You can make a surprise treat by hiding food into a tennis ball, in such a way that when your dog picks the ball it always get a treat.
Since Aussiedoodles are very energetic dogs, if you don’t provide them with a job they will find out a job of their own, mostly not to your liking. So it would be your responsibility to keep these dogs preoccupied. If you expect an Aaussiedoodle to stay idly when you are away, then you will be disappointed.
Although it would be hard to train them in the discipline. You can do that by discouraging their negative attitudes and encouraging discipline and orderly activities. Moreover, Aussiedoodles are very sensitive dogs, hence you should be patient and repeatedly train them for discipline. If you find these dogs exhibiting destructive behaviour it simply means that they are not adequately trained and require more physical and mental exercise and additional training.
Although Aussiedoddles can easily get along with children and other pets, it is important to teach the children how to safely interact with the dog, as on being exited these dogs can sometimes nip. As far as adjusting with other pets is concerned, Aussiedoodles can get along very easily with other animals. However, you should introduce them slowly and calmly. Earlier they get socialised better it will be.
Exercise
Unlike other dogs, an Aussiedoodle require much more than a walk around the alley. Although all sizes of Aussiedoodles require intense exercise, bigger Aussiedoodles would require larger training and playing area. Bigger Aussiedoodles would also require more exercise time to exhaust their stamina. Since they have lots of endurance and stamina, it would be hard to make them exhausted. Apart from the physical training, they will also require regular mental training, as they are a highly intelligent breed. You can also keep your Aussiedoodle preoccupied with hiking, long walks, beach days, or any other retrieval games.
Maintenance
Just like any other Poodle breed Aussiedoodles also require constant grooming and regular maintenance of hair. Since their non-shedding, low dander, low odour coat comes in various scales of waviness depending on genes it inherits from its parents. It would require trimming, brushing of the coat accordingly. Nonetheless, all varieties of Aussiedoodles will require proper brushing every week and trimming once in two to four months.
Another problem with the coat of Aussiedoodle is it tends to get dirty very easily and its hair gets matted if not given a regular bath. Especially hair in the areas behind the ears and back of their legs and tail can easily get matted.
An ear infection is very common in Aussiedoodles. Therefore they require special care to their ears. To ensure proper ventilation the hair beneath their ear should be kept properly trimmed. Ears should be regularly examined for any symptoms of infection, such as discolouring, irritation or bad smell. Avoid them digging their ears with nails as it may cause serious bacterial infections in the ears. Similarly, their nails should be trimmed once in two weeks and their teeth should be brushed weekly.
Health
Generally, Aussiedoodles are a very healthy breed and they are very less prone to developing genetic health ailments. However, researchers have observed one specific genetic disorder called “Double Merle”, which is caused due to breeding of two merle coloured Aussiedoodles. Such dogs are prone to be born deaf, blind or both. Apart from that smaller Aussiedoodle may suffer from Patellar Luxation. Whereas larger varieties may develop bloat or hip dysplasia. Other common diseases of Aussiedoodles include Addison’s disease, Cushing’s disease, Epilepsy, Hypothyroidism, Legg-Perthes disease, Progressive retinal atrophy, Ivermectin sensitivity and Cataracts.
Just like their parents, the Aussiedoodle also tends to gain weight on overfeeding, so a regular feeding schedule would be required for Aussiedoodles and never leave their food outside. An obese Aussidoodle may suffer from joint pain, bloat or cancer.
Depending on their variety of coats, an Aussiedoodle can tolerate extreme weather. However, they can handle colder temperatures better than the warmer. You should therefore always keep them well covered in extremely cold weather. Just like any other breed you have to regularly monitor the disease symptoms of your dog.
Conclusion
If you are considering adopting an Aussiedoodle, you should watch out for the following points:-
- Aussiedoodle is a smart, fun-loving and highly energetic dog breed, but it gets bored very easily. Therefore you should give them lots of attention and engagement for their mental stimulation.
- Due to very low-shedding, low-dander, low-drooling Aussiedoodles are considered a hypoallergenic breed. However, they also tend to get dirty and develop matted hair easily. Hence, they require regular and expensive maintenance and grooming.
- Aussiedoodles can easily get along with other pets and kids, but they have tendencies to nip. Hence, some early discipline training is a must.
- Since they are a highly energetic breed of dogs, they can be very destructive while no one is around them at home. Therefore, single persons should avoid adopting these dogs.
