Doodle Dogs Bring Oodles of Joy

When you look past the Poodle's froufrou show coat, you'll see an easy-to-train brainiac with a sense of humor who gets along with kids and other pets. So what happens when you cross this versatile breed with another equally family-friendly and smart breed? You get a doodle dog!

But before you rush out to your nearest breeder to get a designer dog, do your homework and get to know the different kinds of doodles. Also understand that these hybrids are a bit of a wild card, genetically. If you breed a Poodle with a Poodle, you are likely to get a certain set of characteristics. With designer dogs, you never really quite know what personality traits or physical characteristics will surface in the dog you get. But one thing we can tell from these photos — they sure are cute!

Labradoodle

When you mix America's most popular dog the Lab with the Poodle you get a pup who is potentially sociable, friendly and extremely intuitive. The breed comes is three sizes: miniature (weighing 15 to 30 pounds), medium (30 to 45 pounds) and standard (45 to more than 100 pounds). But remember, crossbreed traits are not fixed, so there's no telling how much your puppy will end up weighing.

Aussiedoodle

Aussiedoodles are believed by some to be the doggie Einsteins of the canine world. Both Australian Shepherds and Poodles are extremely intelligent, which means that if the Aussiedoodle inherits those traits, its big brain can get easily bored. If he isn't busy doing a job of some sort, he will find a way to occupy his mind — even if it means destroying your living room in the process. Give this doodle plenty of socialization and training from a young age and he'll turn into a wonderful companion.

Goldendoodle

This dog is adorable. Often friendly and outgoing like a Golden Retriever and smart like a Poodle, the Goldendoodle can be a great family pet and can even be trained to be a fantastic guide dog. As with all designer breeds, however, Goldendoodles are often falsly marketed as hypoallergenic because of their curly coat. While there is a chance that those with allergies will be able to tolerate a curly-coated breed more easily than one with a flat coat, the hypoallergenic claim has never been scientifically proven. In fact, allergies are not caused by a specific coat type, but rather by the dander shed from the dog's fur.

Bernedoodle

Created in 2004 by Sherry Rupke of Swissridge Kennels, the Bernedoodle is a cross between the Bernese Mountain Dog and the Poodle. Rupke says the Bernedoodle is fun, sociable and a great family dog, but stresses that Bernedoodles need to be trained and socialized from an early age. The Bernedoodle is just as happy playing fetch and jogging with you as he is curling up on the couch and snuggling.