Doberdoodle is a hybrid dog breed that is easy to train. Despite this, it is not a very popular hybrid dog breed. I won’t blame you if you haven’t heard of this breed – Doberman and Poodle aren’t on anyone’s number one list to breed, that’s for sure! Today we will highlight not only the traits of this breed but what makes them so unique.
Doberdoodle Breed Introduction
Doberdoodles, by nature, are calm and loving dogs that are perfect fit for most families. Their calm demeanour also makes them ideal for homes that have children. With a little training, you can easily adopt them into your family and train them to protect you and yours.
You might want to know which breeds the Doberdoodle is created from? We will answer that below.
Overview of the Doberdoodle Hybrid Breed
Doberdoodle is a designer, or a hybrid combination, of two breeds: The Doberman Pinscher and the standard Poodle. If you’re familiar with these breeds, you would know that the Doberman pinscher is tenacious and unyielding. They have excellent protective traits. Poodle, on the other hand, is extremely intelligent and pretty friendly. Doberdoodle combines the features of both to provide you with a loyal and brilliant hybrid.
Popularity and Recognition
Doberdoodle first captured the attention of the United States in the 1980s and, ever since then, has been gaining popularity. According to some estimates, there are thousands of Doberdoodles in the United States. Technically, they aren’t a registered breed, but their popularity is increasing day by day. The unique appearance and distinguishing traits that we have highlighted above are what have made them famous.
Before we share more traits about this breed, it is time to dig deeper into its history.
History and Origin of the Doberdoodle Hybrid Breed
Breeders have been mixing the two dog breed since the 1980s. However, there is no official record of the breed being first produced by a breeder. Chances are, it evolved due to mating two breeds outdoors rather than in the labs or through a breeder. While the initial breeding might have been done unintentionally, since the 1980s, many breeders have been actively breeding this combination.
Due to the increased demand, this hybrid is being bred not just in the United States but globally.
Parent Breeds: Doberman Pinscher and Standard Poodle
No discussion about Doberdoodle will be complete without going into the details of the parent breeds.
Doberman pinschers
Doberman pinscher is not native to the United States. They first arrived in the United States in 1890 and are native to Germany. A tax collector named Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann created this breed to secure himself when he went to collect taxes.
Since the creation of the breed itself was done with protection in mind, they are excellent guard dogs. They served in the military as well, especially in World War II. AKC recognized this breed in 1908.
Poodles
Poodle is another German breed. They are, however, much older in evolution than Doberman pinschers. During the initial years, they were used as water dogs, but because of their intelligence and beauty, they soon became exhibit dogs.
When they were used as water retrievers, they also were trained to return ducks and birds to their owners.
AKC recognized them in the year 1887.
Developmental Timeline of the Breed
It is widely believed that its evolution took place outside supervision. Consequently, the 1st doberdoodle grew naturally rather than going through the usual development phases that a hybrid breed goes through.
Physical Characteristics
The physical characteristics of a Doberdoodle are what sets it apart. To start with, it has a muscular and long body. The floppy poodle ears are borrowed from the poodle. With brown almond-shaped eyes, they certainly look cute. The coat is similar to that of a poodle. The long legs complete the muscular look of a Doberdoodle.
Height and Weight
The height of a Doberdoodle is usually borrowed from a poodle. The average size is between 24 and 28 inches, with a weight between 65 and 90 lbs. However, the muscular body ensures that they can move around briskly and be pretty fierce.
The range that we have provided is a general range and not a benchmark. There are, however, some exceptions. That is because sometimes a Doberdoodle can borrow more characteristics from the poodle rather than Doberman pinschers. In that case, the weight and the height can be lower.
Life Expectancy
When getting a Doberdoodle for your family, there is no need to worry about life expectancy. The average life expectancy of a Doberdoodle is between 12 to 15 years. Not only that, the Doberdoodle remains healthy for most of its lifespan. That is why you shouldn’t expect medical expenses, either.
Coat and Color Variations
When it comes to the coat and color variations of a Doberdoodle, you will be surprised by the variations you find. That is because the Doberdoodle can borrow the coat and color from a Doberman pinscher or poodle. There is no fixed benchmark as much.
The coat will be highly smooth if borrowed from a Doberman pinscher. The hair will be long as well. On the other hand, if Doberdoodle has borrowed the coat from the poodle, the hair will be curly and long. In such a case, the amount of grooming needed will be slightly higher.
When it comes to the color, the color is usually black, tan, or red if the color is borrowed from the Doberman pinschers. On the other hand, it can be black, grey, or white when borrowed from a poodle.
When it comes to color variations, it all depends on the breed from which the trait is borrowed.
Other Physical Traits
There are a few traits constant across almost all Doberdoodles.
They are highly protective of their family members.
A Doberdoodle can socialize well with family members. Usually, they find it difficult to socialize with strangers or remain calm around strangers.
Yes, a Doberdoodle can be trained. However, the time it takes to train a Doberdoodle is undoubtedly higher.
Doberdoodles are incredibly loyal. That is why they are an excellent guard dog breed.
Temperament and Behavior
A Doberdoodle is a fierce and dominant dog. However, once you socialize them with the family members, the dog remains calm around your family members and becomes protective of them. Additionally, the dog is courageous and full of confidence.
Doberdoodle borrowed their intelligence from the poodle. With some training, you can easily amalgamate the dog in your family. The high level of energy ensures that Doberdoodle is always ready to play.
Usually, once they are familiar with you and your family members, they will remain calm around you and even be sensitive to you. They have separation anxiety, and therefore if you plan to travel a lot, Doberdoodle might not be an excellent breed to go with.
If you have pets, you need to understand that Doberdoodle is territorial. They do not prefer to share their space with other pets. If you have cats around, they might find it difficult to adjust to the cat in the vicinity.
General Personality Traits
Apart from the ones highlighted above, there are a few other traits you need to be aware of.
1. Intelligent
Doberdoodle borrows their intelligence from their parent breed poodle. They are extremely intelligent and therefore need something that can keep them mentally stimulated. If you plan on adopting one, always have toys to keep them entertained and engaged. Otherwise, they get bored quickly and start destroying things or chewing on them to have something to do.
2. Devoted
A Doberdoodle sticks to their own like glue. That is why this isn’t the breed you should go with if you’re planning to keep them alone for a long time. If you’re moving around the house, the Doberdoodle will always prefer to remain close to you and constantly move around with you. Their separation anxiety can turn into depression quite quickly.
That is why, before you get a Doberdoodle, always determine the amount of time you can spend with him/are, and only if that doesn’t involve long periods of loneliness should you get a Doberdoodle.
3. Early socializing needed
As highlighted above, Doberdoodle can go along well with other dogs once they socialize. However, if you have more dogs or plan to adopt more dogs, do it when the Doberdoodle is young. Doberdoodle can socialize with new dogs only when he/she is young. After that, it becomes difficult for the Doberdoodle to get accustomed to the new dogs.
If you socialize new dogs with the Doberdoodle during the younger years, he/she can become protective of them. This way, you will have a dog that can look after the entire family, including the other pets.
However, even during the younger years, Doberdoodle will find it difficult to accept cats. Due to their instincts, they will chase your cat sooner than later, no matter how much you train them.
Thus, if you plan to adopt more pets, do so when the Doberdoodle is young.
Exercise Requirements and Activity Level
You might have already known that Doberdoodle requires at least a few hours of exercise daily. The good news is that you can divide this into 2 to 3 sessions to provide the activity that Doberdoodle needs.
It borrows this trait from Doberman Pinscher, making them an excellent jogging companion. Also, whenever you want to play with your dog, a Doberdoodle will always be ready to do so.
If you can’t provide them with this level of activity, allow them to dig, bark, or chew on things. That will help them spend their energy, and they won’t be restless throughout the day.
The need for activity is even higher when dealing with a young Doberdoodle. That is because as they age, they calm down.
However, at no point in time do they require less than 90 minutes of daily activity. Something to keep in mind before you adopt a Doberdoodle.
Interaction with Other Animals and People
A doberdoodle can interact with different species of dogs, including the cross breeds, as long as you take it slow. So, you can take your dog to the park or outdoors to familiarize him/her with the other breeds. However, the doberdoodle will not take it well if another dog or animal intrudes on their personal space. Here, training plays an important role.
If you have trained doberdoodle to remain obedient, chances are there will be fewer clashes with dogs of other breeds and other animals.
Usually, an adult doberdoodle doesn’t become aggressive towards other breeds in the vicinity unless and until it’s an intruder.
Training Needs and Challenges
Truth be told, Doberdoodle does require training. In fact, you need to train him/her for different activities like:
• Socialization training:
You must socialize your dog with other members of your family, your other pets, and other dog breeds when the dog is young. That way, it is easy for the pup to socialize.
• Toilet training:
It is best to provide a separate toilet area for your Doberdoodle. Also, start toilet training during the younger years. However, be prepared to invest at least 20 to 30 minutes in training them. In case you do not have the time, hire a trainer.
• Bark training:
No one likes a dog that is always barking. That is why; train your dog to stop barking at your commands.
• Bite training:
Once again, you need to discipline your dog to ensure he/she doesn’t bite random people.
If you go through the training types above, you will realize that Doberdoodle doesn’t require any particular type of training. There are a few challenges.
-Doberdoodle responds well to training during the younger years. Training a Doberdoodle during the older years is difficult and takes more time.
-You need to train your Doberdoodle repeatedly to reinforce the commands. That is why you will have to take out time, again and again, to do so.
Potential Health Issues
Usually, a doberdoodle remains healthy throughout his/her life. There are a few potential issues to which this dog is more susceptible. These are:
• Hypothyroidism:
This condition is characterized by gaining weight, voice change, and fatigue. It occurs due to the slowing down of the metabolic activity in the body.
• Gastric Dilatation Volvulus:
The cause of this condition is the excessive production of gas in the stomach. The symptoms include sneezing, vomiting, pain in the stomach, and restlessness.
• Cardiomyopathy:
In this condition, the heart of your dog will not function appropriately, resulting in shortness of breath, panting, lethargy, abdomen distension, and improper breathing.
• Wobblers syndrome:
This is mainly a disorder impacting the neck. Due to the excessive pressure on the spine, the dog can suffer from this condition characterized by limb weakness, imbalance, and scratching of toenails (out of irritation).
• Hip dysplasia:
The condition we are highlighting now impacts the hip joint of your dog. It is when the ball in the socket joints does not function properly, resulting in instability.
If you notice the symptoms of any of these conditions, it is a good idea to contact a vet as soon as possible.
Care Requirements
Before getting a doberdoodle, there are a few requirements you should fulfill.
-Doberdoodle usually requires a smaller lawn or a backyard in which they can run and spend their energy.
-You need to set aside at least a couple of hours to play with them and spend their energy.
-Since doberdoodle is a territorial dogs, provide them with their own designated space not included by any other humans.
-You need to train them as soon as possible to reduce their separation anxiety and help them indulge in some activities.
-Doberdoodle needs some mentally stimulating activity to remain happy.
Grooming Needs
One thing that you must recognize as a Doberdoodle owner is grooming requirements. Their coat is susceptible to coiling up and collecting dust and debris. That is why daily brushing is a must. Not only that, you need to clean the area around and behind their ears regularly to ensure that they do not suffer from any infection. Besides that, if you notice any itching, redness, or unusual odor from the coat, you need to contact the vet as soon as possible.
The grooming schedule for your dog should include the following:
• Brushing
• Nail trimming
• Cleansing teeth
Feeding Guidelines
Feeding a Doberdoodle is relatively easy. An adult one requires 3 to 4 cups of food. The puppy needs only one cup of puppy food daily. However, you need to ensure that the food quality is excellent so that your dog gets all the necessary nutrients. In case you are wondering about the brands you can use, it is good to contact your vet regarding the brands which you need to opt for and the changes you need to make to their diet.
Popularity and Availability
Honestly, Doberdoodle availability is limited. There are a few nationwide breeders that breed doberdoodle.
Popularity in Different Countries
The population of Doberdoodle is the highest in the United States. It is estimated that the United States is home to thousands of Doberdoodles. And the number is growing.
The population in other countries like the UK is even less.
Finding a Reputable Breeder
There are no breeders who breed Doberdoodles exclusively, as far as we have learned. If you are a Doberdoodle breeder or know about one, please let us know by commenting below! We’d be happy to feature you here.
Ask a vet
The best way to find a local dog breeder, especially a hybrid one, is to ask your vet or friends about it. They will undoubtedly be aware of local breeders.
Alternatively, you can visit dog shows as well to discover hybrid dog breeders in your area.
Research the breeder
These days, almost every breeder has at least a few reviews online. That is why once you get a reference, you have to research the reputation of the breeder online.
-In most states, dog breeders should have a USDA license. That is why, before you shortlist a dog breeder, check their license.
Cost
Lastly, you have to look at the cost of adopting or getting a Doberdoodle from a dog breeder. Usually, it will cost you anywhere from $800 – $2,500 since it is a hybrid breed.
Consider these few factors, and you should be able to find a trustworthy dog breeder near you.
Thus, if you’re looking to adopt a new dog who is loyal, intelligent, and has excellent guarding skills, a Doberdoodle is a perfect choice. In case of any doubts, go through our Doberdoodle breed information guide above, and you will know most things about a Doberdoodle even before adopting one.
Image Credits
Our header image, and elsewhere as well, is of Wookiee the Doberdoodle! A fun-loving little guy who is a great example of the breed.
