What Can I Expect From An Australian Shepherd Poodle Mix?

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The Australian shepherd poodle mix has many common names, such as the Aussiepoo, Aussiedoodle, and Aussiepoodle, but Aussiedoodle is my favorite!

Regardless of what you prefer to call it, this unique breed is a mix of the Australian shepherd and the poodle dog breeds.

When two dog breeds are combined into one, it is known as a hybrid or designer breed because of the fashionable characteristics the mix is bred for.

While the Aussiedoodle is a designer breed, it is actually hardier than either of its parents and certainly isn’t the type of dog you’d tote around in a handbag.

The Aussiedoodle is a majestic looking dog that is high energy and very intelligent.

However, it is not the right dog for everyone, and this leads to many people to abandon their Aussiedoodles because they can’t handle the dog or it simply doesn’t work well with their lifestyle.

This article will take you through what you can expect the typical Aussiedoodle to look and behave like and help you figure out if you have the right kind of lifestyle for this stunning Australian shepherd poodle mix.

The Australian Shepherd Poodle Mix: Main Characteristics

Lifespan: 10 to 12 years

Height: 18 to 22 inches

Weight: 40 to 70 pounds

Color: Blue merle, red merle, black and tan, black and red, sable

Positive Features: Low shedding, healthy, affectionate, highly trainable, incredibly intelligent

Negative Features: Destructive when bored, can be very loud

Aussiedoodle Parental Dog Breed History

To better understand the why’s and how’s of the Aussiedoodle, it is essential to first understand the parent breeds that make up this wonderful dog.

Let’s take a closer look at the Australian shepherd and the poodle.

The Australian Shepherd

According to the American Kennel Club, the Australian shepherd ranks as the 12th most popular dog. This relatively new breed was only recognized in 1991!

Interestingly, even though it is called the Australian shepherd, the dog breed actually originates in the Pyrenees Mountains nestled along the border of France and Spain.

The Pyrenees shepherds and their stellar herding dogs first made their way to Australia in the 1800s for cattle ranching.

They took their Pyrenean shepherd and bred it with other European herding dogs such as collies.

The shepherds later left Australia and moved to California to continue cattle ranching and took their dogs with them.

The Californian ranchers already in the area saw the amazing herding dogs that came from Australia and mistakenly thought they were an Australian breed, and so the name stuck as the breed was further refined.

Since its arrival in the United States, the Aussie shepherd has become synonymous with cowboys and cattle ranching.

The Aussie shepherd comes in a variety of colors:

• Red merle
• Blue merle
• Red
• Black

Merle is a type of coloring where there are random patches of color along with white fur.

The Aussie shepherd is a medium-sized dog that lives between 12 and 15 years on average.

The Poodle

The poodle is a very old and distinguished breed. It is ranked as the 7th most popular dog breed overall by the American Kennel Club.

The poodle was originally bred in the 1600s as the fowl hunter’s companion in France. It was carefully bred for its energy, intelligence, and hardiness.

The poodle would retrieve ducks or other birds their hunter companions shot down from the long grass or a body of water.

Poodles are fantastic swimmers; their coats were developed to keep them warm in the water and protect their joints and organs while hunting.

Even though poodles are commonly seen as “fancy” dogs living lives of luxury, they are actually sporting dogs that are high energy and can perform many tasks for you.

The poodle comes in a variety of colors:

• Apricot
• Black
• Blue
• Brown
• Café Au Lait
• Cream
• Gray
• Red
• Silver
• Silver Beige
• White

The standard poodle is a large dog with an average lifespan of 10 to 13 years.

The Aussiedoodle

The Aussiedoodle is the perfect storm of the Australian shepherd and the poodle.

It is a high energy, highly intelligent breed that is good with other dogs and great with children. What’s more, it has a low allergen coat.

However, Aussiedoodles are not the perfect fit for every home.

Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect from an Aussiedoodle’s appearance, temperament, grooming needs, and more.

What Does An Aussiedoodle Look Like?

Even though they are a relatively new hybrid breed, Aussiedoodles have a somewhat standard appearance.

They are medium-sized dogs with long, squarish bodies and heads. Their triangular ears tend to flop over slightly and frame their face.

The typical Aussiedoodle’s coat will be a wavy to curly texture depending on how strong their Aussie or poodle parent’s genes are.

When it comes to color, you can expect them to be a blue or red merle, black and tan, black and red, or sable–they do not seem to pick up on the browns or lighter shades of their poodle parent.

Caring For An Aussiedoodle: What To Expect

Aussiedoodles are high maintenance dogs. They require a lot of your attention and care, so be prepared! Let’s dive into what kind of attention they will require from you below.

Personality And Temperament

Aussiedoodles are very loving, affectionate dogs. You are their family, they are your family, and that is the end of it.

They will stick by you (quite literally to your side) in thick and thin. Have we stressed they are loving yet?

Not only are they a loving dog, but they are also goofy, fun dogs to be around. They are not haughty or independent like their poodle parents tend to be.

They can be a bit cheeky in picking their favorite human and give others the ‘cold shoulder’ if they want attention or treats.

Trainability And Socializing

Owing to their poodle and Aussie parents’ intelligence, the Aussiedoodle’s intelligence is nearly off the charts.

Aussiedoodles are incredibly smart dogs who pick up on training very quickly and may even give you a couple of human-like facial expressions that make you think they can understand way more than they should.

Socializing your Aussiedoodle with other dogs is essential to ensure they do not constantly try and herd them.

Aussiedoodles have a high prey/herding drive, which means anything is fair game to be herded.

Socializing your Aussiedoodle from an early age will help them treat other dogs more as dogs and not as animals to be herded.

Grooming Needs

The Aussiedoodle’s coat will need a fair amount of attention to avoid matting and compaction.

If their coat becomes compacted, it can lead to hair loss and skin infections and be very painful for the dog.

If your Aussiedoodle’s coat is more wavy like the Australian shepherd’s, then a brush twice a week will be sufficient.

However, if it is curly like the poodle parent, then you may need to brush your Aussiedoodle every second day.

You may choose to trim or shave your Aussiedoodle to keep up with its flowing locks in any way you wish.

Some owners like the pompon style of the continental poodle cut, while others prefer a simple sporting cut on their dog.

As their ears tend to flop forwards, you will need to clean them out once a week to ensure there is no hair or wax build-up that can lead to an infection.

Thanks to their poodle parent, the Aussiedoodle is a low-shedding, low-allergen dog. Of course, no dog is completely hypoallergenic. However, the Aussiedoodle comes fairly close.

Exercise

Your Aussiedoodle needs a lot of exercise. With parents who are sporting and herding dogs, it is unimaginable to keep an Aussiedoodle cooped up all day and expect them to be happy.

Your Aussiedoodle should be allowed to roam around freely during the day and engage themselves as much as possible with their environment and playmates.

Having other dogs is a big bonus with Aussiedoodles, as they do not do well when left alone.

A minimum of an hour a day should be devoted to actively playing with or exercising your Aussiedoodle.

You can take them on a walk or a hike, play retrieving games with them, take them to a dog park, run around the yard with them, do some obedience training, or even go for a good, long run.

Without enough physical exercise, your Aussiedoodle will become bored, destructive, and irritable and generally be an unpleasant dog to be around.

Mental stimulation is essential, too. Engaging your Aussiedoodle mentally will help wear them out and enrich their lives to no end.

Consider using puzzles, slow feeder bowls, communication buttons, and toys.

Aussiedoodle Health Concerns

In general, Aussiedoodles are very healthy dogs.

They have the added benefit of being a hybrid dog, which means they have access to a larger gene pool which allows for better genetic diversity and strength.

However, yearly vet visits are still a must. If health issues are left untreated, even small insignificant things can become big problems that may shorten your dog’s lifespan.

Some common health issues your Aussiedoodle can develop include:

• Hip and elbow dysplasia
• Cataracts
• Epilepsy
• Sebaceous adenitis

Questions To Ask Yourself Before Getting An Aussiedoodle

The Aussiedoodle is a phenomenal dog that brings love and affection to any family it belongs to.

However, it does not fit perfectly into every owner’s lifestyle, so before you rush to adopt an adorable Aussiedoodle, ask yourself a couple of the questions below first.

This will help you determine if this breed is right for your lifestyle and general dog breed preferences.

Do I Have The Space For An Aussiedoodle?

If you live in an apartment or a condo, you do not have enough space for this dog.

The Aussiedoodle needs access to a yard constantly to work off energy and mentally engage with its surroundings to stay happy and healthy.

Do I Have The Time To Exercise My Aussiedoodle?

You need to be able to devote one to two hours a day, every day, to exercising and engaging with your Aussiedoodle.

If you cannot manage this amount of time with them, they will become destructive and unhappy, and you may start to develop a bad relationship with them.

FAQs About The Australian Shepherd Poodle Mix

Can I get a miniature Aussiedoodle?

There are miniature versions of the poodle and the Australian shepherd that can be combined to make a miniature Aussiedoodle; everything is just scaled down in terms of size.

However, do not be fooled into thinking the smaller version is easier to handle. Their overall temperament and care needs are exactly the same as their standard size counterpart.

Are there lots of Australian shepherd mixes?

There are many hybrid dogs where the Australian shepherd is a parent. For example, the Aussiedor (Aussie crossed with a Labrador retriever) is one of them.

Australian shepherds lend their herding abilities, intelligence, trainability, and social butterfly nature to almost any breed they are bred with.

Rolling Over On Aussiedoodles…

The Australian shepherd poodle mix, also known as the Aussiedoodle, is a truly loveable ball of energy.

The Aussiedoodle benefits from having highly intelligent parents that are both very trainable, and they have an eerily keen ability to understand you and your emotions.

Notably, the Aussiedoodle is a very high energy dog and needs to be exercised for a minimum of one hour a day.

This makes them quite high maintenance dogs, as it requires a lot of your time to satisfy their energy needs.

To recap the hybrid Aussiedoodle, let’s take a quick look at its main characteristics again:

• Lifespan: 10 to 12 years
• Height: 18 to 22 inches
• Weight: 40 to 70 pounds
• Color: Blue merle, red merle, black and tan, black and red, sable
• Positive Features: Low shedding, healthy, affectionate, highly trainable, incredibly intelligent
• Negative Features: Destructive when bored, can be very loud

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