Designer Hybrid and Poodle Cross Puppies

What a designer hybrid is

A designer hybrid is a puppy with two purebred parents of different breeds, paired on purpose. That last part is what separates it from a mixed dog of unknown background: somebody chose both sides, knows what each one brings, and bred for a particular result. A Cavapoo is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Poodle. A Puggle is a Pug and a Beagle. A Morkie is a Maltese and a Yorkshire Terrier. The name usually tells you the recipe, and where it does not, the parents do.

What people like about these dogs is the combination. You get the coat of one side and the outlook of the other, or the size of one and the colouring of the other, in a package that is genuinely its own thing rather than a smaller or larger version of something else. Each cross below has its own following for its own reasons.

Why the Poodle shows up in so many of them

Look down the list and the Poodle is everywhere: Goldendoodle, Labradoodle, Bernedoodle, Cockapoo, Cavapoo, Maltipoo, Schnoodle, Sheepadoodle, Whoodle, Havapoo, Shihpoo, Yorkiepoo, Aussiepoo, Peekapoo, Westiepoo, Doxiepoo, Huskipoo, Pompoo, Silkypoo, Shiba Poo. There are two straightforward reasons for that.

The first is the coat. A Poodle’s coat grows rather than turns over, so the hair stays in the coat and comes out on a comb instead of around the house. Cross that with almost anything and you get a softer, wavier version of the same idea — the kind of coat you keep running your hand through. It is also the reason these dogs go to a groomer on a schedule, which many owners actually prefer, because it means the coat is somebody else’s project every couple of months and a five-minute comb the rest of the time.

The second is temperament. Poodles are clever, people-focused and quick to train, and that comes through the cross reliably. Doodles of every size tend to be sociable, keen to join in, and easy to teach. Pair that with a Golden Retriever’s friendliness or a Bernese Mountain Dog’s calm and you can see why the Goldendoodle and the Bernedoodle have the followings they do.

The small crosses

This is the biggest group and the most varied. The Maltipoo, the Havapoo, the Shihpoo, the Yorkiepoo, the Bichonpoo, the Peekapoo, the Pompoo and the Silkypoo all pair a small companion breed with a Toy or Mini Poodle, and all land in the same happy place: a soft, low-shedding coat and a dog that would like to come with you.

The Bichon crosses are a distinct little family of their own. The Cavachon brings the Cavalier’s gentle nature to the Bichon’s cloud of a coat, the Havachon does the same with the Havanese, and the Maltichon with the Maltese. They are round, cheerful, sociable dogs and they photograph terribly compared to how they look in person.

The terrier crosses bring more spark. The Morkie is a Maltese and a Yorkshire Terrier, small and bold with a long silky coat. The Shorkie swaps the Maltese for a Shih Tzu and comes out a little sturdier. The Chiweenie — Chihuahua and Dachshund — is a small dog with a large opinion and a very short grooming list.

Then there are the pairings that exist because somebody had a specific dog in mind. The Cavamalt is a Cavalier and a Maltese: a lap dog with spaniel manners. The Cockalier is a Cocker Spaniel and a Cavalier, so both sides are spaniel and the result is about as easygoing as a dog gets. The Pomsky puts a Pomeranian with a Siberian Husky and produces the husky markings and the plush stand-off coat at a size that fits on a sofa.

The bigger crosses

The Goldendoodle and the Labradoodle are the two most recognisable dogs in this collection, and for good reason: a retriever’s sociability with a Poodle’s coat and trainability is a combination that suits a lot of families. The Bernedoodle brings the Bernese Mountain Dog’s tricolour markings and unhurried nature into the same formula. The Sheepadoodle pairs the Old English Sheepdog with the Poodle and comes out in bold black-and-white patches.

The Whoodle is a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier and a Poodle, which gives you two silky coats in one dog and a terrier’s cheerful busyness. The Schnoodle takes a Schnauzer’s bearded face and beach-brush eyebrows and softens the whole outline. The Aussiepoo brings the Australian Shepherd’s cleverness and its merle colouring; the Mini Irishdoodle brings the Irish Setter’s red. The Huskipoo carries the husky’s spirit in a curlier package, and at the largest end the Mini St. Berdoodle and the Mini Newfypoo take two very substantial working breeds and scale them into something a normal house can hold.

Not every cross involves a Poodle. The Frenchton is a French Bulldog and a Boston Terrier — a smooth, compact, comic little dog. The Puggle is a Pug and a Beagle, with the Beagle’s nose and the Pug’s sense of humour. The Bagle Hound puts a Beagle with a Basset Hound and produces a long, low, unhurried tracker.

What varies and what carries through

Every hybrid puppy is its own blend, and that is a large part of the appeal. In one litter you will see a puppy that leans toward the Poodle side in coat and a littermate that takes more after the other parent in colour or build. Sizes move around a bit too, especially in the crosses where the two parent breeds are different sizes to begin with. Meeting the puppies in person is by far the best way to see which way an individual has gone.

What carries through most consistently is the sociability. Almost every breed on this list was chosen for the cross because it likes people, and that shows up in litter after litter — puppies that come to the front of the pen, settle in a lap, and take to training with enthusiasm.

The grooming rhythm

Most of these coats want the same simple routine. Comb through a few times a week — a metal comb reaches further than a brush and takes about five minutes on a small dog — and book a groom every couple of months to keep the length where you want it. Owners of the smooth crosses like the Frenchton, the Puggle and the Chiweenie have it easier still: a rubber mitt once a week and they are done.

Beyond the coat it is the ordinary list. Nails every few weeks, ears wiped after a bath or a swim, teeth on whatever evening becomes the habit. Start all of it while the puppy is small and thinks the whole business is a game, and it stays a game.

Come and meet the hybrids

These are dogs that reward being met. Coat texture, exact size, how much of each parent came through — all of it is obvious in your hands and vague on a screen. Come and pick a few up.

Our puppies come from our network of licensed breeders, and our team can tell you about a particular puppy’s sire and dam and what has come through. We have a store in Orlando and a store in Nashville, and there is no hurry once you are here. Find directions and hours, and if you would like to spread the cost, ask about financing while you are with us. Every puppy here goes home with its vet records, its vaccination history and a health warranty, and our team will walk you through what those cover.