Poodle hybrid

For more details on this topic, see List of dog hybrids.

Adult, Female Lhasa poo

Twelve week old Cockapoo puppy.

A Wheaten Terrier–Poodle hybrid, commonly known as a Whoodle.

A 4 year old Labradoodle.

Poodle hybrid describes a cross between a purebred poodle and a dog of another purebred dog breed. They may be described as a crossbred, mixed breed dog or designer dog. In biological terms, poodle hybrids are an intraspecies hybrid, rather than a hybrid between two different species, since all dog breeds belong to the species Canis lupus familiaris.

While some of the crosses may be accidental, many crosses (such as cockapoos) are intentional and done by design. Hypoallergenic qualities of the poodle are one reason for crosses. Another reason is to create a dog with hybrid vigor. And while cross breeding does not guarantee better health, hybrids have far lower chances of expressing disorders associated with the parent breeds.

Portmanteau names

Many terms for puppies of specific crosses with poodles have been invented, combining syllables or sounds from each breed name to create a portmanteau word. Usually the first syllable of poo-dle is appended to the breed name of the second breed in the cross. Other names are created by adding the sound "oodle" (from poodle) to the other breed name. Many crosses can be described by more than one portmanteau word; since they are not breeds, any portmanteau word the owner or breeder wishes may be used. Some of the portmanteau word names that describe poodle crosses have moved into popular usage; the words Labradoodle (poodle-Labrador retriever cross) and cockapoo (poodle-cocker spaniel cross) are now listed in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Registration

Legitimate breed associations such as the AKC, the UKC, and the CKC, do not recognize poodle hybrids, or any other designer cross, as a breed. However, some major kennel clubs do accept registration of crossbreed and mixed-breed dogs for performance events such as agility and obedience.

See also

• Cockapoo
• Crossbreed
• Dog breeding
• Goldendoodle
• Labradoodle
• Yorkipoo
• Poodle
• List of dog hybrids

External links

• Article by Melissa Gette, What’s The Deal With Hybrid Dogs?
• US Poo-Mix Rescue
• US Doodle Rescue