The best Doodle for Kids

Why are Doodles so popular?

To reduce shedding, our favorite shedding breed is paired with a Poodle. The result are offspring that shed 10%-100% of the shedding parent. This has lead to an enormous popularity of Doodle options.

What breed is best for kids?

There are so many options of types of Doodles to choose from. How do you decide what is the best Doodle for kids?

Choose the original breed that is already best suited to life with kids. What are the world’s best? Retrievers, most Hounds, most Hunting dogs, some Spaniels, and passive agreeable gentle breeds.

What are the world’s worst? Avoid: Herding, most Asian, most Terrier & all Guard type dogs bred to a Poodle.

Popular Doodle crosses

Australian Shepherd, Border Collie / AussieDoodle, Bordoodle

Herding dogs are a bad choice for kids on so many levels. If you want a Doodle and the kids are under 10, don’t go this route. This cross should only go to experienced owners who are diligent at training their dog, with no kids around (nor cats). Herding breeds have high incidents of bites, mainly due to “herding” or trying to control the kids.

Old English Sheepdog = OES / SheepaDoodle

Some are good for kids, many are not. Please be very cautious if you get one. Some OES are wonderful fantastic dogs! But as a breed many are not stable, are quick to bite and can be skittish. OES are a herding breed.

Newfoundland / NewfiPoo, NewfieDoodle

Newfoundlands are super stable as a breed, but their giant size can be an issue with small kids. They are enormous. The Newf temperament is very trustworthy, but what happens when the 100+ lbs dog stands, sits or lays on the child? It’s best to not have giant dogs around tiny children. Once the kids are school age, the size of the dog isn’t such an issue.

Bernese Mountain Dog / BernaDoodle

Berners have the same complication as Newfs, size. They can be gigantic. Temperament is 50/50. The breed is either fantastic or a jerk. Common traits I’d assign to the bad Berners: willful, not a pleaser, independent, ignores, avoids, not motivated to be a participant. Of course there are some lovely Berners, 50% of them.

Spaniels / Cockapoo

A good Spaniel is a great dog. A bad spaniel is a horrid choice. Overall, the American Cocker is ruined, avoid this variety at all costs. The English Cocker has many great representatives. The hunting line Spaniels have a marked improvement of character over the show lines. There are some lovely sweet Springer Spaniels and other more rare Spaniel varieties, but they are not popular as Doodles.

Be smart when choosing a Cockapoo for your kids, bites are common.

Setters / Irish Doodle

Many Setters are wonderful for kids. The Setters are typically very soft natured, teetering on fear, but usually make great dogs around kids. They usually retreat rather than bite. A good Setter is a lovely dog, but you’ll have to search for the right line. The English Setter has a popular version that hunts. A hunting line Setter is a better choice than many other setters.

Yorkies and Maltese

Usually the size of MaltiPoo and YorkiePoo are too small for kids. Breeders attempt 3-6 lbs adult size. This is dangerous for the dog to be around kids, he will get hurt. And when the dog bites out of fear, it is the adult’s fault. Also, you’ll never get the dog 100% potty trained.

Australian Labradoodles

This AL is a breed of dog that has a pedigree of many generations of related dogs since the 1990’s. The original parent dogs were many types of breeds, not only Labrador and Poodle. Now the AL is a pure breed with a pedigree and line-breeding. They are just like any other pure bred dog, not a cross-bred dog. Most of the smaller AL are genetically mostly Cockapoos.

Malinios / German Shepherds / All guard dog breeds / most Asian breeds / most Terriers = NO!!!!! Never! Avoid.

None of these Guarding breeds should ever be Doodles. If you get the pure bred version, it is well bred and you are a fantastic dog owner who trains your dog, sure you can have a great dog! But, Poodles should never ever be crossed with any breed meant to protect or be aggressive. Add a Poodle to a Malinios = danger, disaster. Avoid any poodle crossed with a guard dog type breed. No kids? Still avoid. Adding the poodle to a guard breed takes away any good sense and stability the original breed has.

What do I suggest for small kids??

First, size matters. A dog 15-45 lbs is the best range for small kids. You don’t want your toddlers knocked around by a big dog. You also need the dog to be sturdy enough to not get squashed by your child. 15 lbs is the minimum size needed for the dog’s safety.

Second. Choose an original breed that is known to be fantastic with kids as a pure bred. Golden Retriever, Labrador, Cavalier, Newfoundland, Beagle, Bassets, Pug, Boston are all fantastic with kids.

Third. Go with 1/2 original breed, 1/2 poodle. Avoid too much poodle. And if you do F1b / double up on Poodle genes, then only double up on Moyen or Standard Poodle. Never ever choose a Teacup, Toy or Mini Poodle to be more than 50% of the genes in your Doodle.

Fourth: Don’t let physical traits muddy the waters. You love that flashy look of a shiny black coat, white trim with tan cheeks? It is nice isn’t it! It is also hard to produce in Doodles. You may end up with a horrible temperament because you prioritize a look over safety. Choose the best genetics of breed type, then look at the pup’s personality. Only then, IF you have choices, only then choose based on coat, color, ears, nose, eyes, tail etc. Your child’s safety isn’t correlated to the dog’s “good looks”.

Best Doodle for Kids

My suggestion for small kids is a medium size F1 Goldendoodle or F1 Labradoodle = 1/2 Retriever + 1/2 Mini or Moyen poodle. This cross is trustworthy and the 20-45 lbs size is great for small kids. I very much love Standard Poodle with a Retriever, but this cross often produces very big dogs. Even a poorly bred F1 Goldendoodle or F1 Labradoodle has a high chance at being a safe temperament.

For a smaller dog I suggest the Cavapoo. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are like a small Retriever, a very kid-safe personality. Of course you want the puppy temperament tested to ensure he is stable and has a high pain tolerance. And it matters that the poodle parent be stable and sweet too. Cavapoo’s smaller size of 15-25 lbs is very easy to have around small kids where the kids won’t get knocked around. Usually that sweet Cavalier personality shines through in the 50/50 Cavalier + Poodle cross.

Last but not least:

Poodles.

There is good reason Poodles are not the #1 dog breed, Doodles are. At best a good Poodle crossed in doesn’t hinder the great qualities of the “favorite breed” that you desire. Why are there so many Doodle options? To reduce shedding, our favorite shedding breed is crossed to a Poodle. The result are offspring that shed 10%-100% of the shedding parent.

Poodles health & temperament traits are usually correlated to size. The larger the dog, the better it probably is. This is why Standard and Moyen Poodles are used more by the great Doodle breeders. About half of the Mini Poodles are good, most Toy/ Teacup Poodles need professional help. Keep this in mind when choosing your next Doodle. A good Doodle breeder has great Poodles.

Small Kids and Puppies

I do not suggest bringing a puppy home with young kids. Do you want your child chewed on, scratched, knocked over, treated like another puppy? Puppies are wild and need constant attention, training, routines, discipline, care. Do you have time to add a handful of a puppy while raising small children? Some people are very capable of separating the kids and dog, training the kids and dog, plus have boundless energy themselves. It is exhausting to raise a puppy and young children. For those of you with the right mindset and energy, I commend you. The rest of us don’t have the time, energy or mindset to do it correct.

Think hard about what you can handle before bringing home a puppy.