What’s an Aussiedoodle? Sometimes called an Aussiepoo, the Aussiedoodle is a mix of the Australian Shepherd and the Goldendoodle. What is a Goldendoodle, you ask? Why, it’s a mix of Golden Retriever and Poodle!
In this sense, the Aussiedoodle is a hybrid of three purebred dogs—Australian Shepherd, Golden Retriever, and Poodle!
Ready to learn everything there is to know about this very special designer dog? Let’s get started!
INTELLIGENCE
Aussiedoodles are among the smartest designer dogs in the world. In fact, they’re often referred to as the “Einsteins of the canine world”! This is not a surprise because Poodles are the second most intelligent dog breed of them all. In this regard, the Australian Shepherd, another breed that makes up the Aussiedoodle, is no less intelligent. Australian Shepherds were originally bred to herd cattle and work on large ranches and farms in Australia. With the loyal, gentle Golden Retriever breed as the third component of this tri-purebred mix, the Aussiedoodle is also emotionally intelligent!
APPEARANCE & GROOMING
Like their parent breeds, Aussiedoodles can be a wide range of colors, from jet black to blue merle. And while Poodles are popular for their non-shedding curls, Australian Shepherds are moderate shedders. There’s no guarantee that your Aussiedoodle will be a light shedder, and while they might be a good fit for some people with allergies, no dog breed is completely hypoallergenic. If you’re allergic to dogs, spend time with the breed before bringing home an Aussiedoodle puppy to see how you react.
TEMPERAMENT
The Aussiedoodle is intelligent, as we covered in the last section. This breed is also outgoing, sweet, patient, and devoted to their family, making them a great member of a household with children and other pets. The Aussiedoodle loves spending time with his family, even if just lounging around the house. Though the Australian Shepherd aspect of this dog has bounding energy to help him accomplish all of his “working breed” duties on the farm, thanks to the Golden Retriever qualities of the Aussiedoodle, this hybrid is mellow around the house and energetic when outside for his daily exercise.
SIZE & LIFESPAN
The Aussiedoodle is considered a medium-sized dog. But the particular Aussiedoodle you get could be much taller or shorter than the average, and you won’t know until your puppy has grown. The reason for this is that Poodles can be tall, lanky dogs. Australian Shepherds and Golden Retrievers, however, are reliably “medium” in size. So, the chances will be that your Aussiedoodle is perfectly medium-sized.
That being said, what is “medium-sized” for the Aussiedoodle? This breed stands at 14 – 25 inches as an adult, that’s paw to shoulder. They average about 65 lbs. And they can live between 10 – 14 years. Bear in mind that the males of this species are taller, weigh more, but don’t live quite as long as their female counterparts.
EXERCISE NEEDS
Aussiedoodles are active dogs when given their allotted time of daily exercise, which has to be at least one hour outside. This breed needs playtime and long walks every day, especially if they take after their highly energetic Australian Shepherd parent. This breed loves high-energy outdoor activities like playing fetch, running, and swimming. It’s easy to forget that Poodles are “water dogs” and love to swim, which means that the Aussiedoodle will not hesitate to jump in the pool or the lake and paddle around.
GROOMING
As happens every time a number of different dog breeds are mixed into one designer doggie, you never know exactly what you’re going to get. For this reason, the Aussiedoodle’s coat can vary from soft and sleek like an Australian Shepherd, to more curly like a Poodle. Aussiedoodles’ coats are usually the traditional colors of the Australian Shepherd, which are black, red, tan, blue merle, though their exact coloring can vary as well.
These pups can have tight poodle curls, or wavy, shaggy locks that don’t shed much. Or their coats can be straight like the purely Australian Shepherd’s hair. Your Aussiedoodle may need to grow a bit before it’s obvious to you what their coat is going to be like. Once you gain a sense of the thickness and texture of their fur, you’ll be able to deal with it more appropriately.
A safe bet will be to brush this breed at least once a week, though daily is better. Their fur does have a tendency to get matted when it’s hidden under the top layer. It can be hard to tell just how bad things are under that top layer, which is why you really need to go in once a week with a grooming brush, see the state of things, and brush those snaggles out! In order to penetrate the fur to the skin, it’s recommended to use a comb or slicker brush with long pins to work its way through.
TRAINABILITY
Aussiedoodles are considered easy to train, since their purebred parents—the Australian Shepherd, Golden Retriever, and Poodle are all intelligent breeds that respond very well to training. The key is to be consistent, patient, and have fun! Remember that Aussiedoodle training should be enjoyable for both you and your pup.
Aussiedoodles appreciate and respond best to commands-based training that’s high-energy and athletic. You can get creative in this regard, especially when training your Aussiedoodle outside. For example, instead of merely training your Aussiedoodle to “sit,” train him to “sit” and then walk away from him, while he remains sitting. Once you’re a good 25 – 50 yards away, call you Aussiedoodle to sprint to you and then again command him to “sit.” After he completes all this, then reward him with a treat!
There you have it! Everything you need to know about Aussiedoodles! Has this article convinced you to take your very own Aussiedoodle puppy home? If you’re in the Boca Raton area of Florida, we invite you to stop in and meet our adorable Aussiedoodles!
