Sheepadoodles are a cuddly dog breed that is growing in popularity. Whether you're thinking about getting a sheepadoodle, or you just want to know more, this guide has all you need to know.
Disclaimer: Please refer to the information in this article as a guide only.
Quick Facts About Sheepadoodles
We've listed some quick facts about sheep doodles below, to help you get a taste of what we'll cover in the article:
Highlights
- Sheepadoodles are a mix of Old English Sheepdog and Poodle.
- Suitable for families with active lifestyles and gardens.
- Daily walks, regular grooming, and yearly check-ups required.
- Sheepadoodles are a cross between Old English Sheepdogs and either a miniature or standard poodle.
- Since they have lots of energy, they are best suited for an active lifestyle with lots of enrichment and training.
- They are thought to be suitable family pets.
- It's best if they live somewhere with a garden, to help make sure they have plenty of space to run off their energy.
- Because they are often thought of as being non-shedding, they can be a good choice for pet parents with allergies.
Breed Overview
Weight: between 60lb and 80lb.
Size: 15 to 25 inches in height (this can vary as it changes if the poodle is miniature or standard)
Hair Coat: usually fluffy.
Colors: a mix of black and white, grey, and blue with or without socks and patches of colors.
Parent breeds: Poodle and an Old English Sheepdog.
Sheepadoodle Size
Image credits: hmackle
The size of a sheepadoodle can be different depending on whether their poodle parent was a standard poodle (larger sized) or a miniature poodle (smaller sized).
This means that sheep doodles tend to be between 15 and 25 inches in height.
Sheepadoodle Personality
Naturally, dogs who are crossbreeds often have a mixture of characteristics depending on their parents. This means that sheep doodles can be clever and loyal (from the English sheepdog side) and full of energy, social, and loving (from their poodle side).
Sheepadoodles don't tend to enjoy being left alone for a long time, so it's good to ensure that your dog has some kind of company who they get along well with.
Don't forget, that your pup's character is not only a result of their parents. It also develops according to the environment the dog was raised in, their training, and their breeding.
Like many dog breeds, treats and praise go a long way when it comes to training.
Sheepadoodle Exercise
Image credits: Lesli Whitecotton
Sheepadoodles are an active breed who need to have plenty of exercise. They will likely prefer that this takes a variety of forms, such as training, playing, long walks, and playdates. Keeping the form of their exercise varied, helps exercise your sheepadoodle's mind, as well as their body.
Taking your sheepadoole for playdates with other dogs is also very important for their socialization and helps decrease the risk of them developing unwanted behaviors later on.
It's worth noting, that during the warmer months, because of their fluffy coat, a sheepadoodle is likely to overheat. To avoid this happening, during the warmer months, be sure to exercise them early in the morning or later in the evening.
If you don't exercise your sheepadoodle enough, they may become frustrated and start displaying problematic behavior. Aside from this, they can also put on weight, which can increase their chances of developing serious health problems.
If you're not sure whether your sheepadoodle is carrying an appropriate amount of weight, then don't hesitate to ask your veterinarian for advice.
Sheepadoodle Health
Keeping your sheepadoodle in tip-top condition means you'll likely need to think about preventative healthcare as far as you can. Sadly, there are some events and illnesses that are out of the control of pet parents, however, there are a few things pet parents can do to help minimize the chances of a pet getting sick.
We've listed some examples below of ways you can reduce the chances of your pet becoming unwell:
- Vaccinations - Vaccinating your pet exposes them to a killed or inactive form of a harmful disease. The idea is, that after vaccination, if your pet comes into contact with the disease-causing microorganism again, then the response from the immune system will be much faster. This means, that they may not get sick at all, or if they do, their symptoms are less likely to be severe.
- Treating them for parasites - Protecting your pet against parasites is a good way to reduce the chances of them suffering from associated diseases.
- Checking them regularly - checking your pet regularly for any lumps, bumps, injuries, and changes means that you're more likely to spot abnormalities at the early stages, which often can increase the possibility of successful treatment.
- Scheduling a yearly general and dental check-up with your veterinarian - taking your pet for a check-up each year, allows your vet to examine your pet and diagnose potential problems potentially even before they start to show symptoms in your pet.
As we emphasized above, diagnosing problems early on in pets often increases the chances of successful treatment. If you notice something abnormal in your pet's behavior, it's best to contact your veterinarian for proper diagnosis and treatment early on, to increase the possibility for successful treatment and recovery.
Sheepadoodle Care
Image credits: Tarah Dane
In this section, we've broken down sheepadoodle care into daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly requirements to give you an overview of what it takes to care for a sheepadoodle.
Daily Care
You'll need to feed your sheepadoodle every day, the frequency of which depends on your preference and the type of food you're giving them. Some pet parents prefer to split their four-legged friend's meals into one, two, or three servings.
Make sure that you refer to the guidelines on your dog's food, to make sure that you're feeding the correct amount and preparing it appropriately. For more advice regarding the best type of food for your sheepadoodle, contact your veterinarian or a specialist veterinary nutritionist.
It's also very important that your dog has constant access to fresh, clean water. It's worth setting up their feed and water station in a calm part of the house, away from other pets.
As we mentioned earlier, sheepadoodles tend to have lots of energy, so long daily walks are a must, alongside smaller toilet breaks throughout the day. Your sheepadoodle will also likely enjoy the opportunity to play in the garden throughout the day.
Weekly Care
It's a good idea to thoroughly wash your sheep doodles water and food bowls each week. This will help keep them in good condition and help control the growth of unwanted microorganisms.
You'll also want to wash their bedding, and any coats every few weeks, to help reduce the build-up or dirt, and keep them nice and cozy for your pet.
Monthly Care
Weighing your four-legged friends each month is a great way to keep on top of their weight and notice any changes. If you don't have a suitable scale at home, don't hesitate to call your veterinarian and ask if you can come in and use theirs (many vets will let you do this free of charge).
Another care aspect you'll want to think about every month is your sheepadoodle's treatment for parasites. Treatment aimed at repelling and preventing infestation with ectoparasites such as fleas and tics will need to be reapplied each month.
It's good to be aware that whilst ectoparasite treatment aims to repel or kill insects when they climb onto your pet, endoparasite treatment (against worms), only kills the worms that are inside your pet at the time of application and doesn't prevent your pet from parasites in the same way as the treatment for ectoparasites does.
This means, that vets tend to recommend you give your pet something forendoparasitess every few months, depending on the manufacturer's guidelines. If you're not sure how best to protect your pet against parasites, don't hesitate to ask your veterinarian for advice.
Yearly
After your ellipadoodle's initial vaccinations, you'll need to take them for booster injections each year. This is nothing to worry about but is an important part of making sure that they remain protected.
It's a good idea to set up reminders for your pet's booster vaccinations, as you miss the date by a significant amount, you'll likely need to restart their course, which will probably be more expensive.
Additionally, vets recommend that you take your pet for a yearly health and dental check. This allows your vet to check your pet and helps improve the chances of them diagnosing potential problems early on.
Sheepadoodle Grooming Needs
Sheepadoodles can have either a coat that is on the curly or straight side. It's most likely to predict which type your Sheepadoodle will have, however, it doesn't matter (unless you have a particular preference) and means you'll have a nice surprise!
If your sheepadoodle has a more curly than straight coat, you'll want to brush it regularly to make sure that it doesn't get matte, and to help keep it in good condition. A sheepadoodle's grooming requirements will likely vary depending on the type of coat they inherit. However, compared to other breeds, you won't need to spend lots of time taking them back and further to the parlor for regular grooming.
Brushing your pet can be both fun and a great way to bond and keep their coat in good shape. However, if you're not up for brushing your dog regularly, you might want to seek the help of a dog groomer.
Where to get a Sheepadoodle from
Now you've read about sheepadoodles, you may be wondering where you can get one from, so in this section, we'll briefly explain the differences between getting your sheepadoodle from a breeder, shelter, or rescue.
Breeder vs Shelter or Rescue
If you decide to get your sheepadoodle from a breeder, then it's important to take a few things into account, before you get overwhelmed by the cuteness of the sheepadoodle puppies!
Sadly, sometimes breeders don't always take the best care of their animals, so it's important to only get your pet from a reputable and trusted breeder. We'd suggest asking your vet or other pet parents for their recommendations.
We've listed some things to pay attention to when visiting the breeder below:
- The condition of the mother and the puppies - do the puppies and the mother look in good health?
- Housing conditions - is the environment the puppies and mother are kept in clean, safe, and warm?
- Do other animals in the household appear to be well taken care of?
- Does the breeder provide you will all the necessary documentation and information about the parents?
- Are they a legitimate and reputable breeder - are you able to get any references or read reviews about the breeder online?
Another option is to get your sheepadoodle from a shelter or rescue. This can be a very rewarding experience, but it's very important to think carefully about it beforehand. Taking an animal from a shelter is a big responsibility, especially if they have suffered from abuse or trauma.
That being said, the love shelter animals can give to pet parents is very special, and unlike anything else. If you think that you might be able to take an animal from a shelter, then contact your local one to enquire, as there may be some things you need to do before checking it's possible.
Things for Sheepadoodle pet parents to consider
To finish, we've listed some quick points that are good for pet parents to think about when considering whether a sheepadoodle could be a suitable dog breed for them:
- They are often thought of as great family dogs.
- Since they're big dogs, they eat a lot of food! Make sure that your budget can accommodate this.
- They have lots of energy and need to have regular and long walks,
- They aren't the best choice if you live in a small apartment or flat, as they need plenty of space, and ideally, a garden.
- They enjoy training and will likely benefit from being given tasks to complete.
- Training them as early as possible is a good idea to help reduce the chances of them developing unsocial habits such as jumping up and barking.
Conclusion
We hope you've enjoyed reading everything you need to know about sheepadoodles and that you've got all the information you need to decide whether a sheepadoodle could be the right breed for you.