A Cadoodle dog is the result of mixing a waterfowl retriever with a herding dog. These adorable and athletic dogs are predisposed to being energetic, social, intelligent, and helpful to humans.
Could the Cadoodle be the right dog for you?
Find out the answer in this complete breed guide!
What is a Cadoodle dog?
A Cadoodle dog is a mix between a Collie and a Poodle. It is a medium-sized Doodle breed with an athletic build and is chock full of energy.
History of the Parent Breeds
Similar to other Poodle mixes, the origin of the Cadoodle is relatively unknown. However, the Cadoodle’s purebred parents have quite a history to explore.
Collie
I took a lunch break while writing this post. I took my dog for a small hike at a nearby trail. You may think I’m kidding, but I ran into a Rough Collie.
He was super sweet and had a mellow temperament. I can’t say I see many Collies around, but meeting that one was excellent timing. Now let’s learn about their history!
Collie History
The Collie is a herding dog from the Scottish Highlands. The breed gained popularity as it was favored by Queen Victoria, who added one of the pups to her home in 1860. The official breed standard was created in 1886.
Today, there are several different breeds, including the Border Collie of Great Britain, the aforementioned Rough Collie – found mainly in the United States, the Bearded Collie, and the Scotch Collie. A Rough Collie is a Scotch Collie, which is classed into two different breeds – the Rough and Smooth.
There are also many Collies without the title of Collie, including the Welsh Sheepdog, the Australian Cattle Dog, and several others.
Most Herding dogs are Collies or Collie mixtures, like the Shetland Sheepdog. These Collie mixes have been crossed with Dingo and Terrier dog breeds.
The Collie is a medium-sized dog with a slender build. His ears are usually floppy, but can also stand erect. They are a hearty and athletic-looking breed.
Lassie
Anyone who has seen or heard of the TV show “Lassie” should be familiar with the Collie. The Lassie program aired for twenty years, first broadcasting in black and white, and there is also a cartoon version. Lassie was a Rough Collie [1]tvguide.com/tvshows/lassie.
Collie Coats
Most Collies are long-haired but they can also have short hair. The hair is long and soft, appearing as a single color like black or a combination of colors such as black and white, red with white, black and tan, etc., or all three.
The fur can also appear in the merle pattern. Occasionally several tints of hair overlay one other.
Of course, many Collies (Rough and Smooth) look like some version of Lassie with their sable – brown–red–colored coats that are usually accompanied by the white areas of fur appearing on the legs, tail, and collar.
When tri-coloring is recessive, it tends to make these sable coats much darker, which would be one significant variation regarding the Collie.
A completely white Collie will be the rarest recessive occurrence.
At the same time, most all Collies will retain those previously mentioned – more minor areas of white fur, which is a characteristic likely to pass on to the Cadoodle – as well as the sable-brown-red fur tint and longer hair length.
There will also be a softening and straightening texture with application to the Poodle’s typically more curly and wavy hair. Still, it is certain to maintain a vast density of fur, which is common to both breeds.
[References: [2]en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collie, [3]vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dog-breeds/collie]
Poodle
The Poodle was bred in Germany during the 15th century as a water retriever (hunting and retrieving game found in water) and is one of the direct ancestors of most of today’s retriever breeds.
A similar-looking breed of dog was found carved into Roman tombs, dating back to antiquity around 30 AD. Though there is some dispute about the classic country of origin, a big clue would have to be its name, derived from a German word meaning ‘to splash.’
Besides the Poodle’s eccentric appearance, they are widely recognized as one of the most intelligent dog breeds. They are not guard dogs in the physical sense, but they can provide security with their alert, communicative, and boisterous nature.
There are three sizes of Poodles. The Standard Poodle is the largest, and the Toy Poodle is the smallest. The Mini Poodle fits right in between.
Poodles are well known for their curly hair and high intelligence. They tend to be very obedient dogs, which helps to make them such great dogs for therapy or service roles.
Their hypoallergenic coat is partly to blame for the sudden rise in Poodle-mixes, or better known as Doodle dogs.
[References: [4]ukcdogs.com/standard-poodle, [5]britannica.com/animal/poodle,[6]en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poodle]
Cadoodle Pictures
Appearance
The Collie Poodle mix will likely be tall with an athletic build. Their coat may be curly or wavy thanks to the Poodle parent. The length of their coat is likely to be somewhere between medium and long.
The Poodle’s genetics will help make the Cadoodle’s coat hypoallergenic – good news for allergy sufferers!
Coat Type
The thick, coarse, and curly coat type is the most distinguishable characteristic of the Poodle. It is evident to the touch when we are petting a Poodle as opposed to other breeds.
A Poodle with curly or wavy hair has a strong chance of passing it along to the Cadoodle, but as it combines with the Collie, it should appear medium-length.
It may be thick but not coarse enough to fluff and suspend into styles on top of the head, and around the paws, like many Poodles; it will also be longer and thicker than the Collie and style more flatly.
Coat Color
Poodle hair manifests in just about every color, including apricot, beige, blue, black, brown, cream, gray, red, silver, and white.The primary coat colors are apricot, black, red, and white.
Still, the coat colors of the Poodle, in particular, are considered incompletely dominant, making it more challenging to determine which gene will likely become modified.
Therefore a Cadoodle’s coat may inherit a wide range of colors and patterns. However, the fawn and sable Poodles with dominant alleles, for example, are more likely to continue the lineage of like-colored fawn and sable pups.
Size
Just about all Collies have a lean and athletic body type that is very muscular. A healthy Collie will appear robust in stature. All Poodles tend to be very lean.
It is no surprise that the Cadoodle also has a slim profile.
Height
The Cadoodle ranges in height between 15-26 inches.
This height range assumes that a Rough Collie is bred with a Standard Poodle.
Weight
Male Cadoodles range in weight between 50-70 pounds. A female Cadoodle will weigh between 40-60 pounds.
The adult weight of the Cadoodle will depend on what size Poodle is used for breeding. Because there are three types of Poodles, they have an extensive weight range, anywhere from 7 to 70 lbs.
A Standard male Poodle, for example, will typically reach 60-70 pounds, while the females will weigh several pounds less or between 40-50 pounds.
In comparison, Collies will always carry the weight of a medium-sized dog, weighing 50-75 pounds, with male Collies typically weighing 3-10 more pounds than their female counterparts.
Traits & Characteristics
Temperament & Personality
Both Collies and Poodles are considered two of the most intelligent dog breeds.
Collies are great to work dogs and understand various tasks like moving livestock across land and even escorting them into the local market. They are helpful and communicative partners who understand what is happening around them and why.
Poodles are similarly active and energetic but may not be as patient and level-headed as the Collie and tend to become snippy and boisterous when they feel threatened or do not like what they see.
However, they are not known to be aggressive, and in general, the Poodle needs to be social, preferring to spend the bulk of its time around other people and animals.
Both breeds prefer social experiences as part of an active lifestyle and are great dogs for daily assistance with various social and work-related activities.
A Cadoodle will be similarly energetic and interactive, requiring various intellectual activities and engagement for its health and happiness. They make for good family dogs and get along with all family members.
Like any Poodle mix, the Cadoodle will need plenty of exercise. It will respond well to obedience training at a young age.
Common Health Issues
Both Collies and Poodles are prone to having skin issues.
For example, Collies often suffer from Dermatomyositis – an inflammatory disease marked by red rash and muscle weakness.
While Poodles have a predisposition for sebaceous adenitis, another inflammatory disease of the skin, which is associated with many other subsequent disorders, including, Alopecia, bacterial infections in the hair follicle, and different skin and hair issues.
Therefore, Cadoodles must be wary of skin and hair health conditions. Since Cadoodles aren’t purebred dogs, they benefit from a lessened risk of inheriting breed-specific diseases.
Prevention might involve avoiding various food and environmental toxins and ingredients that may cause their systems to be unreasonably reactive since, in time; the inflammation could gradually devolve into a disease.
Poodles often have troubles with the thyroid, Addison’s – disorders of the endocrine system, and skin diseases like sebaceous adenitis – an autoimmune disorder that causes an inflammatory response and results in the body injuring its glands.
Conversely, the Collie parent may suffer from various genetic diseases affecting their stem cells and hormonal functions.
The following health problems could affect the Cadoodle:
- Sebaceous Adenitis
- Addison’s Disease
- Skin problems
- Cushing’s Disease
- Neonatal Encephalopathy
- Hip Dysplasia
- Atrial Septal Defects (Heart Disease)
- Cyclic Neutropenia
- Collie Eye Anomaly
- Epilepsy
- Grey Collie Syndrome
- Dermatomyositis
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy
It is always a good idea to schedule veterinarian checkups on a regular basis to ensure your Cadoodle is healthy!
[References: [7]petmd.com/dog/conditions, [8]mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dermatomyositis, [9]poodleclubofamerica.org/health-concerns, [10]colliehealth.org]
How long do Cadoodle’s live?
It is expected that the average lifespan for a Cadoodle is typically 14-16 years. A healthy Cadoodle could potentially live up to 18 years of age.
The average lifespan of the Collie and the Poodle are relatively similar. According to the American Kennel Club, a purebred Collie has a lifespan of 10 to 17 years, while a purebred Poodle’s is between 10-18 years.
Where to find Cadoodle puppies?
Unlike Goldendoodles, Cadoodles are a relatively rare Doodle breed. As a designer dog, they don’t have many dedicated breeders. But they appear to be gaining in popularity. It can be challenging to locate breeders focusing on lesser common Poodle mixes.
I suggest starting with a broad search on Google. If you can’t find a Cadoodle breeder nearby, I suggest you move on to social media. Get in touch with other Cadoodle owners and see where they bought their Cadoodle puppy.
But remember, always do your due diligence when it comes to breeders. Make sure you find a reputable breeder. Avoid puppy mills at all costs!
Final Thoughts
I believe Cadoodles are great pets, especially for first-time dog owners. This adorable dog inherits the best traits of both parents. You better start looking for Cadoodle breeders near you!
References