Bordoodle: Your Complete Guide
Bordoodles are one of the cutest mixes between a poodle and a border collie that you can find. They’re the perfect combination of brains, friendliness, and mild temperament, so it’s no surprise that you can take these dogs just about anywhere.
In fact, their burly coats and high intelligence make them perfect for activities like hiking, hunting, and even trips to the beach – yes, they’re good swimmers, too.
Aside from these traits, bordoodles are well-rounded dogs that make great pets. They’re known for their loyalty and high energy levels, which makes them fun for the whole family. While they’re big, you don’t have to worry about too much space as long as you walk them. Overall, this makes the bordoodle one of the easier dog breeds to fall in love with.
That said, it’s not always easy to fall in love with a dog, and choosing the right breed for you or your family is essential to forming a bond. Read on to learn more about bordoodles and how they tend to behave.
Quick Look at the Bordoodle
Below is a quick glance at the bordoodle breed in terms of their physical characteristics, lifespan, temperament, and grooming needs.
| Weight/Height | 12 to 22 inches, 35 to 65 pounds |
| Coat Type | Curly, medium-length coat |
| Grooming Needs |  |
| Shedding |  |
| Temperament | Loyal, energetic, and intelligent |
| Good With Kids |   |
| Good With Other Animals | |
| Intelligence | |
| Easy to Train | |
| Energy Level | |
| Barking Habits | |
| Lifespan | 11-16 years |
What Is the History of Bordoodles?
Compared to some other breeds, the bordoodle is a newer cross-breed between a border collie and a poodle, hence the name bordoodle.
While the exact origin of bordoodle breeding is not well known, the breed has skyrocketed in popularity over the last few decades. In fact, most registrars, like the American Canine Hybrid Club, now recognize the bordoodle as a legitimate breed.
Still, this only happened 8-12 years ago, which is why they’re among some of the more recent crossbreeds to come into existence. That said, the Bordoodle still is not acknowledged by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
While we don’t know much about the origins of the bordoodle, border collies and poodles have a vast history. For example, poodles came from France and Germany back in the 15th and 16th centuries because of their ability to hunt and handle water. Plus, poodles were durable and built to handle the harsh winters of France, Germany, and other European countries.
From there, poodles became miniature poodles and toy poodles, which are smaller variations. These breeds came to be because of their beautiful coats and intelligence.
On the other hand, border collies were not as popular as poodles. They rose to popularity in the 19th century because of their herding capabilities and high levels of intelligence, and they’re still used for this purpose today. That said, you’ll mostly find border collies as companion dogs and pets.
What Do Bordoodles Look Like?
Bordoodles are good-looking dogs that have a wide range of coat variations. You’ll find bordoodles with coats of almost any color profile, including shades of red and blue. However, the most common color that you’ll come across is dark brown. Still, it’s not uncommon to come across bicolor bordoodles that have mixes of brown, blue, and black in their coats.
It’s also important to note that their coat is medium-length and curly, so they don’t have the typical hair that you see on some long-haired dogs.
What Size Is a Bordoodle
Bordoodles aren’t the biggest dogs, but they are medium-sized. Male Bordoodles are slightly larger than females and weigh about 50 to 60 pounds. Female bordoodles, on the other hand, are smaller and only weigh about 30 to 40 pounds.
Regarding height, male bordoodles are about 22 inches tall at the shoulder, while females are closer to 20 inches at the shoulder. Depending on the dog and their parents, these sizes can vary.
What Is a Bordoodles Coat Type and Length?
Bordoodles have a medium-length, curly coat that resembles the hair of a poodle. That said, there are some instances where bordoodles have a double coat. Moreover, some bordoodles (about 25%) have straight coats. This all depends on the parents, so make sure you check with breeders before you plan on adopting.
What Is a Bordoodle’s Temperament?
Bordoodles are great pets for the whole family. They are friendly and display few signs of aggression, even with small children. Bordoodles are also intelligent and love to learn new tricks or commands to please their owners. This makes them a well-rounded breed for most types of training and households.
Bordoodles are also affectionate dogs. They love to form bonds with the humans in their home, which helps them remain loyal. In fact, you may even find them sneaking into your bed at night for some extra cuddles.
Bordoodles also don’t have too much energy and don’t bark often; they’re easy to handle, even for new pet owners.
Are Bordoodles Good With Kids?
Bordoodles are excellent with children of all ages. They rarely get aggressive, even if children tug and pull. Bordoodles also do a great job at understanding people’s moods, so they can comfort children if they’re feeling upset. You’ll also find that bordoodles love to play with the whole family, so they can help you tire out young kids who seem to have limitless energy.
Are Bordoodles Good With Other Animals?
Bordoodles are a friendly breed, so it’s no surprise that they’re good with other animals. They’re great with cats, small animals, and even wild animals because of their calm and friendly temperament. You don’t have to worry about them chasing your cat around your house, or even chasing squirrels and other animals outside.
While bordoodles are great with other animals, sometimes issues may arise if they don’t have proper training. Therefore, it’s never a good idea to focus on socialization from an early age.
Are Bordoodles Aggressive?
Bordoodles are not aggressive dogs. They have a friendly temperament and don’t get vicious often, even with wild animals or strangers. While they don’t get aggressive in most cases, it’s always possible when left unsupervised, so keep an eye on your bordoodle to prevent any problems.
That said, you can always train away bad behaviors if you don’t like their level of aggression.
Do Bordoodles Bark?
Bordoodles can bark, but it’s not something they do often or randomly. They will bark if you get rough with them or if they notice something wrong outside your home. While they don’t bark often, their bark can be loud, so keep this in mind if you live in an apartment that has noise restrictions.
Like other behaviors, you can work on barking through training and socialization from a young age.
Are Bordoodles Affectionate?
There’s nothing that a bordoodle loves more than affection. Bordoodles love to cuddle, snuggle, and lay with their owners. Moreover, bordoodles will also open up to strangers if they see them enough. For these reasons, you don’t have to worry about adopting a standoffish bordoodle.
That said, anything is possible, and some bordoodles may be less affectionate if they come from uncaring families. The good news is that they can open up when given enough time.
Are Bordoodles Intelligent?
Bordoodles are intelligent dogs, so they’re easy to train and love to learn new commands. You can even teach bordoodles complex commands and tricks. Specialized training for service dog work and agility training are also on the table when you adopt a bordoodle. Their intelligence can vary slightly based on the genes or the parents.
Are Bordoodles Energetic?
Bordoodles are energetic dogs that love to go on long walks and runs. They also love to play, so you can incorporate games like fetch to tire them out faster. For these reasons, bordoodles are best for families with enough time for daily walks and play sessions.
Having a backyard or a park nearby can also help bordoodles expend some of their energy. Still, some bordoodles may have more energy than others, so take time to bond with your dog to determine how often you should exercise with them.
Are Bordoodles Easy to Train?
Bordoodles are easy dogs to train. They’re smart enough to understand complex tasks, and they can learn plenty of tricks for agility training. Bordoodles can also be used as work dogs or service dogs. To make the most out of training your bordoodle, start at a young age (3-6 months). Starting young makes training even easier, especially if you’re new to pet training.
Regardless of your training goals, you can always use a professional to help you work on more complex training or to correct bad behavior.
Are Bordoodles Good Watchdogs?
Bordoodles are good watchdogs but not the best. They’re not the most aggressive dogs, so don’t expect them to run headfirst into danger if they don’t perceive anything as wrong. However, they’re alert and will use their bark to warn you of strangers approaching your home.
Bordoodles will also protect you and your family if they know you’re in danger. Therefore, they’re serviceable watchdogs.
Are Bordoodles Good Service Dogs?
Bordoodles make great service dogs! They’re excellent at learning complex tasks that can help people with physical or mental health disabilities. Bordoodles can learn a wide range of service dog tasks that include:
- Opening doors
- Pushing wheelchairs
- Guiding people to safety in large crowds
- Providing comfort to people going through panic attacks
- Applying deep pressure therapy (DPT) to help people calm down
- Fetching medications
- Reminding people that it’s time to take medications
- Getting help for someone having a seizure
Depending on the person’s needs, bordoodles can be trained to perform other tasks as well.
It’s also important to note that bordoodles make good therapy dogs and emotional support dogs. As therapy dogs, they can interact with large groups of people to provide joy and comfort. This is great for schools, nursing homes, hospice hospitals, and traditional hospitals. As for emotional support dog work, they can comfort their owners at home and in public.
Make sure you brush up on laws outlined by the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to understand where your service dog can accompany you.
How to Care for a Bordoodles?
Bordoodles are one of the easiest dogs to care for, as long as you stay on top of things like grooming. Make sure you clip their nails when they get long, and brush their teeth regularly to prevent dental problems. If you don’t want to do these tasks yourself, you can take them to a professional groomer to make things easier.
Bordoodles also have thick coats, so make sure you brush them regularly to avoid matting. You can also visit a professional groomer for this if you’re falling behind on maintaining their coat.
Lastly, make sure you feed them a healthy diet and give them at least an hour of exercise daily. For their diet needs, you can consult with a vet or shop for food that’s made for medium-sized dogs.
Do You Need to Groom a Bordoodle?
Bordoodles don’t need to be groomed by a groomer every week, but you should try to get them there at least once per month. Grooming your bordoodle once per month ensures that its coat remains intact and has no knots or damage. This can also help with shedding and make your dog feel more comfortable.
Aside from taking a bordoodle to a groomer, it’s important to brush your dog at least once per week. This ensures that their coat doesn’t have any matting. When grooming a bordoodle, use a strong brush to get through their thick, curly hair.
While this may sound like a lot, it doesn’t have to be. Staying on top of grooming your bordoodle makes maintenance a breeze!
Do Bordoodles Shed?
Bordoodles do shed, but it depends on their coat type. A bordoodle that has an undercoat, for example, will shed more during the autumn and spring months. However, bordoodles without an undercoat will shed consistently throughout the year. The shedding isn’t hard to manage if you brush them frequently.
What Health Problems Do Bordoodles Have?
Bordoodles suffer from a few common health problems you should be aware of. The main issues come from their size, so bordoodles have an increased risk of developing joint problems. Typically, these problems will appear in their elbow joint and hip joint.
You might also notice some other health issues that are more specific to bordoodles. These include eye conditions like progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) and unique allergies. PRA can be common in some other dog breeds as well and may lead to blindness or loss of vision.
To avoid these health issues, make sure your bordoodle gets plenty of exercise along with regular visits to the vet. Furthermore, a proper diet and plenty of love can go a long way in improving their life.
How Long Do Bordoodles Live?
Bordoodles have a long lifespan for a medium-sized dog. On average, you can expect a bordoodle to live for 11 to 16 years. While this is slightly better than most large dogs, smaller breeds, like toy poodles or miniature poodles, do have longer lifespans
What Should a Bordoodle Eat?
There is no specific food that a bordoodle should eat but their diet should be high in protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. A mixture of berries and vegetables should also be included in their diet for the best success.
To make sure they’re getting the right nutrients you can feed them these types of food in the form of kibble or wet dog food. Just make sure the kibble is formulated for dogs that are medium in size.
It’s also important to note that their diet needs vary from when they’re a puppy to an adult dog. For example, puppies don’t need as much food as adult bordoodles because they’re smaller.
Is a Bordoodle the Right Dog for Me?
Bordoodles are good dogs for most people who want to have a canine companion. In fact, they’re one of the easiest dogs to care for as long as you can give them 30 to 90 minutes of exercise per day, which equates to about two walks. They’re also great for families who have children because they’re great with children, smart, and easy to train.
That said, there are some factors to consider when it comes to bordoodles because they’re not for everyone. For example, they do need to be groomed once a week to prevent matting, which can be a lot of work on top of their exercise needs. Additionally, if you don’t have a lot of space your apartment might feel cramped with a bordoodle.
Overall, bordoodles are compassionate dogs that love to be around their human companions. Even as your first dog, you can’t go wrong with a bordoodle.