What Is The Best Doodle Breed? Top 7 Picks! (2024)

Doodles are hybrid breeds, with one of the parents being a Poodle. The first Doodle was developed as a solution for a blind woman whose husband was allergic to dogs. It was a cross with the Labrador, and the crossbreed was named Labradoodle. 

Since breeders realized that Doodles are hypoallergenic with amazing characteristics, making them not just wonderful pets but also excellent therapy and service dogs, they have developed various Poodle crossbreeds.

If you are looking for the best Doodle breeds, here are our top 7 picks:

1. Goldendoodles

Crossing the Golden Retriever with a Poodle produces this amazing dog breed. One of the most popular cross breeds, the Goldendoodle has won hearts with its good looks, smart wits, and friendly demeanor. 

The breed’s popularity has only risen since it was developed in the 1990s. Although gold is the common coat color, Goldendoodles also come in stunning coat colors like red, apricot, gray, cream, white, black, and copper. 

Goldendoodles are great with children and other pets. They make perfect pets for families looking for hypoallergenic traits and therapy, service, guide, or detection dogs.

Goldendoodles are highly sociable and people pleasers, thanks to their Golden Retriever parentage; this makes them great with people but highly needy. As a result, the Goldendoodle does not fare well when left alone. It is highly prone to separation anxiety and depression, which every potential Goldendoodle parent needs to consider before adopting one. 

Coming from the brilliant Poodle parent, the breed is easy to train. Just a little positive reinforcement, a calm yet strict instructor, and a little consistency is all you need to have the best-trained Goldendoodle. Along with the basic training, they also do well in sports, like agility. 

The dog comes in three different sizes, depending on the size of the Poodle parent. They have moderate grooming and exercise requirements, making them suitable for first-time and experienced parents. 

The dog is generally healthy but has a predisposition to certain heritable diseases. So, it is necessary to get the dog from an ethical and responsible breeder who genetically tests the parent before entering them into the breeding program. 

2. Labradoodles 

The first Doodle, Labradoodle is a cross between the Poodle and the Labrador Retriever. Bred from two very popular dog breeds, with the Labrador acing the popularity race, the dog’s characteristics are not that difficult to predict. 

The Poodle coat is dominant over the Labrador coat, and so, you have a hypoallergenic coat that is ideal for people with allergies. The coat comes in various colors like parti, red, cream, chocolate, and more and comes in three different types. And although the Labradoodle is a non-shedder, the hair coat type is an exception to this case. 

The Labradoodle requires weekly brushing and grooming and is high on energy. It needs 30 to 60 minutes of exercise daily. Besides physical exercise, they also need mental stimulation to avoid developing negative and destructive behaviors. 

The dog comes in three different sizes. While the smallest Miniature Labradoodle may adapt to apartment life, keeping the standard-sized energetic animal in a house with a large space and backyard is better. 

Labradoodles are loving and friendly animals that are great with kids, other animals, and strangers. They love the company of humans and make excellent therapy and guide dogs. They also excel as service dogs and do well in many sports, including agility. 

They share many characteristics with the Goldendoodle. Like them, have an easygoing personality, are easily trainable, and more. Even so, the Labradoodle is also prone to a set of illnesses. 

And considering their popularity, many backyard breeders and puppy mills are cashing on them to make a quick dollar. Hence, getting the pup from an ethical breeder is important.

3. Maltipoo

A mix between the Poodle and the Maltese, a Maltipoo is a designer dog that carries forward some unique characteristics of both parents. Essentially hypoallergenic like all other Poodle crossbreeds, the dog is ideal for someone with allergies and for people who want a dog fit for their apartment life.

The animal is beautiful, charming, affectionate, playful, and smart. An adult Maltipoo will reach a maximum height of 14 inches. White and cream are the most common coat colors; however, Maltipoos in gray, gold, apricot, and black are also available. 

They have moderate exercise requirements, so a walk, a game of fetch, or a romp in the yard is enough to meet their daily exercise needs. They need daily brushing and monthly grooming to keep the skin and coat healthy. 

Maltipoos are great with kids, but as they are tiny, they can get easily injured. Hence, families with young children are usually advised not to adopt them as pets. Maltipoos love their humans and are people-pleasing as well, easily making friends with strangers. 

However, as Maltipoos are companion dogs, they are also susceptible to developing separation anxiety when left alone. Hence, they are unsuitable for people who stay away from home for long periods.

4. Schnoodles

A mix of two popular breeds, Poodle and Schnauzer, the Schnoodle is a designer breed available in a wide range of sizes. The Schnoodle can weigh anywhere from 7 to 70 pounds. It can be a lapdog, performance dog, family pet, or therapy dog.

One of the things that the dog is known for is its attentiveness. With both parents belonging to the working dog category, it is no surprise that the animal is an excellent watchdog, scaring away any potential danger. 

This Doodle breed is cheerful, happy, playful, lovely, and intelligent. It has the Poodle’s charming personality and the Schnauzer’s sturdiness. It makes a fantastic family dog, companion dog, and therapy dog. 

Although they like to be the center of attention, Schnoodles have an affectionate personality that helps them get along with kids and other children. And although they are loyal and loving towards their family, they may develop favoritism over a family member whom they love more than everyone else.

The animal is also easy to train and does well in sports like agility and flyball. However, the animal can develop negative behaviors if not trained and socialized properly. They are high on energy and need 30 to 60 mins of exercise daily.

The coat is hypoallergenic and needs to be brushed twice a week. The coat comes in various colors like white, apricot, silver, black, gray, and brown, and even in combination colors.

5. Aussiedoodles

Aussiedoodles have Poodles and Australian Shepherds as parents and are also called Aussiepoodles and Aussiepoos. Like other Doodles, they, too, are hypoallergenic but shed a lot. The animal comes in various coat colors similar to its Shepherd parent.

Some coat colors are red merle, blue merle, black and tan, black and red, parti, and sable. 

An Aussiedoodle is loyal, lovely, sociable, and so smart that it is often referred to as the “Einstein” breed. It is needless to say that they are easily trained. They are also very affectionate, which makes them wonderful family pets.

They are good with children and also with other dogs and animals when socialized at an early age. 

They also make superb companion dogs and therapy dogs, as they readily make friends with humans. Aussiedoodles are highly energetic and need regular exercise to burn off excess energy. If not, they may develop negative behaviors. 40 to 50 minutes of exercise per day is a must for Aussiedoodles.

They are ideal for pet parents looking for an active dog for agility or flyball training. 

Being an intelligent crossbreed, Aussiedoodles need mental stimulation as well. Like many other Doodles, Aussiedoodles, too, are prone to separation anxiety and must not be left alone for long periods. 

Aussiedoodles have minimal grooming requirements, with brushing required once a week and a visit to the groomer every two to three months. They are usually healthy. While they are highly susceptible to certain inheritable diseases, getting your pup from a responsible breeder who health tests the parents greatly reduces the chances of your pet inheriting genetic conditions.

6. Bernedoodles

A Bernedoodle is a cross between the Poodle and Bernese Mountain Dog. They are one of the most loved and best Doodle breeds. Bernedoodle parents often boast that their pets are extremely lovely, goofy, charming, and happy-go-lucky. 

Bernedoodles have attained the best qualities from both their parents, which makes them better than either of the two. And as the breed has only been developed recently, in 2003, much information about the crossbreed is not available. 

However, what is known is that the dog is an amazing companion and loves its humans very much. They are good with kids and even other animals. They have a gentle and sweet temperament. 

The playful and friendly breed is always up for playing and cuddling. The animal comes in three sizes and a variety of coat colors. One of the reasons why the crossbreed has gained so much popularity is the tricolor coat it inherits from its Bernese Mountain dog parent.

Also, the coat can be of varying thickness, and the thicker the coat, the more grooming is required. And as they shed a lot, Bernedoodles need to be brushed daily.

Smaller dogs can adapt to apartment life, whereas the standard-sized Bernedoodles need a yard to run and play around. Bernedoodles have moderate exercise requirements, and a long daily walk usually suffices. 

Another advantage of Bernedoodles over Bernese Mountain dogs is that they are healthier than the parent breed. This means they are less susceptible to developing many of the inheritable genetic illnesses of the Bernese dog. They also have a higher lifespan of 12 to 18 years compared to their Bernese Parent, which has a lifespan of only 6 to 8 years. 

7. Cavapoo Doodle 

The Cavapoo is a mix of the Poodle and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They are small and ideal for families who do not have a very active life. One of the best characteristics of the Cavapoo is its friendly nature.

They make friends with almost everyone and especially love children. They like to curl up on the sofa, but accompanying children and adults is their favorite pastime. They will follow their humans from room to room as they love to be with their owners, making great companion dogs. 

Also, besides being hypoallergenic, they are low shedders and only require weekly brushing. The Cavapoo is easy to train like most Doodles and has a loyal, loving, affectionate, and caring personality. This strong attachment with its family also means that the animal is highly susceptible to separation anxiety and does not do well when left alone for long periods. 

Also, if not socialized early, a Cavapoo can pick up undesirable behaviors like chewing, digging, and excessive barking. They can adapt to apartment life, provided you meet their daily exercise requirements. Regular walks and mental stimulation with games and toys are enough for a Cavapoo. 

A Cavapoo, although healthier than the parents, is still prone to several health conditions. However, if the breeder follows ethical breeding methods and employs only genetically tested parents in its breeding program, they can overcome this shortcoming, and you can have a healthy companion for the next 12 to 15 years.

Conclusion 

Doodles have gained a lot of popularity in recent years. And although a lot of credit goes to their hypoallergenic coats, their lovely nature, friendly demeanor, and adorable cuddly looks have won the hearts of many.

With so many types of Doodles developed, deciding on one can be quite confusing. While all dogs are amazing when socialized and trained properly, we hope our top 7 picks for the best Doodle breeds help you bring home the ideal one for your family.