LOOKS LIKE A DOODLE TO ME!-IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT USING "PETFINDER"

 ORIGINALLY POSTED BY JACQUIE YORKE - October, 10 2008 doodlekisses.com

IMPORTANT FACTS WHEN SEARCHING FOR DOODLES ON "PETFINDER"

* SIZE IS SUBJECTIVE 

One persons idea of "MEDIUM" is another person's idea of "SMALL" etc.

REGARDING "SIZE" WHEN IDENTIFYING POSSIBLE MEDIUMS AND MINIATURES

MEDIUM = 25 lbs to 45/50 lbs.
dogs under 25 lbs (unless they have been starved and have the potential to be larger with good nutrition) are NOT mini doodles.

* Doodles should have FULL AND INTACT TAILS

(some disreputable breeders in the south and mid-west have docked and will dock standard doodle tails)

* NOSE - should be large and exaggerated, "fleshy" and bulbus.

* EARS - should appear to be placed LOW on the head and should NOT in any way stick OUT or UP.

* EAR LEATHER - is generally LONG  but we have come across doodles with shorter ear leather much like what is observed in Wheaten Terriers.


* PetFinder actually lists "cockapoo" as one of it's breeds yet labradoodle or goldendoodle are not breed search options. So when searching for doodles on PetFinder, you must search under the following:

Poodle
Standard Poodle
Labrador Retriever
Golden Retriever

Many shelters and rescues especially those that are located in more rural areas where shelter workers are perhaps not so familiar with doodles will list what are obviously doodles as being "other" breed mixes.

The mixed and inconsistent coat textures, colors and types of doodles based on generation can be confusing to an unfamiliar shelter or rescue...Especially when it comes to the Parti's, Phantoms and miniatures.

Mini's being one of the most unrecognizable of the doodles are usually classified as cockapoos, bichon mixes, tibetan terriers, portuguese water dogs or spanial mixes.

You'd think an intact, long or un-docked tail, big bulbus nose and low set floppy ears would be an indication that a poodle-mix dog could possibly be a doodle ...but it's not always the case...

Now that we know that poodle and cockapoo tails are often left intact, especially in the mid-west and that some BYB's and puppy millers DO dock doodle tails, it's made it even more difficult to determine if a dog is a doodle based on a photo....But we do our very best to identify a "doodle" as a doodle and cases of mistaken identity are very rare.

To be certain, you would actually have to see these dogs "move" in order to accurately identify them as true doodles. Doodles have a very specific graceful tell-tale gait that makes them look as though they are floating on air. Doodles tend to and by all accounts should "trot" or "prance" like a poodle...They generally do not and should not "lumber" or "lope"  like a Retriever.

Truth is that unless the dog is an owner surrender with accompanying paperwork, most shelters are guessing at best.....

As much as the ALAA ( Australian Labradoodle Association of America) likes to claim there is a "breed standard" for Labradoodles of Australian lineage, there really is no solid standard for either Labradoodles & Goldendoodles.

This is especially the case with F1's (first generation lab to poodle breeding) and miniatures who in many cases have been bred back to cocker spaniels and cockapoos in order to maintain size, improve  body structure and coat consistencies, and to eliminate health risks associated with "line breeding" by introducing genetic diversity into an otherwise limited gene pool.

When searching for doodles in the shelter and rescue system it's particularly difficult to identify mini's and mediums as they tend to be either more "poodley" or can look similar to cockapoos, bichon-poos etc. because of the variety of doodle coats and body types...(They can be either stocky or slight of build).....

FACT: Cockapoos and Cocker Spanials WERE USED and ARE USED to breed the smaller doodles.

I've seen parti's and phantoms listed as bearded collie mixes, briard mixes and even airedale mixes ( the ears on these dog breeds are set much higher on the head than those of a doodle )....

I've seen standard sized  doodles especially those that are listed as standard schnauzer mixes, black russian terrier mixes, irish wolfhound mixes and bouvier des flanders mixes.

Then you get the OTHER end of the spectrum.......

Organizations posting what are CLEARLY NOT DOODLES (pointy or raised ear dogs with flat fur coats ) as labrador/poodle mixes.....

I can give you at least 6 photo examples of this currently on Petfinder!

While with rescue dogs there is of course no gaurantee of lineage, one who is familiar with certain doodle characteristics can surley spot one.

I have actually called some of these shelters and rescues and pointed out to them that they may have mis-classified a dog suggesting they re-classify as a doodle.

I explain that by doing this they also increase that dogs chances of being adopted....I'm happy to report that they actually do this 90 percent of the time!....

So if you are looking for a rescue doodle, I strongly encourage you to search through other shaggy breeds..... For example, I have actually looked under the following breeds and found doodles:

THE BREEDS LISTED IN BOLD ARE WHERE I HAVE FOUND THE MOST DOODLES.

FOR MINI"S AND MEDIUMS:

Bearded Collie
Bichon Frise
Cockapoo
Havanese
Tibetan Terrier
Terrier
Löwchen
Portuguese Water Dog
Schnauzer
Sheepdog
Wheaten Terrier
Wirehaired Terrier

FOR MEDIUMS AND STANDARDS:

Afghan Hound
Airedale Terrier
Bearded Collie
Black Russian Terrier
Bouvier des Flanders
Briard
Giant Schnauzer
Irish Terrier
Irish Wolfhound
Italian Spinone
Komondor
Old English Sheepdog
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Portuguese Water Dog
Sheep Dog
Wheaten Terrier
Wirehaired Terrier
German Wirehaired Pointer
Otterhound
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

The link below will provide you with a guide to better recognize a doodle in a shelter.

"WHAT IS A DOODLE?"

This article is the authored intellectual property of:

Doodle Rescue Collective, Inc.