Have you ever heard of a Bordoodle? If you haven’t, the Bordoodle is a mixed breed dog — a cross between the Border Collie parent and Poodle parent. Very friendly, intelligent, and playful, these pups acquired some of the best qualities from both of their parent breeds. Generally speaking Doodle mixes, or Poodle mixes have become very popular in recent years.
If you are not familiar with the name Bordoodle, you might have heard the terms Border Poodle, Border Poodle mix, Borderpoos, and Borpoos. Usually, you can find these mixed breed dogs in shelters and breed-specific rescues, so remember to always adopt! Bordoodles make a wonderful family dog. Be certain that living with them will be a blast. They’re very friendly, love companionship, and will even become protective of their family members.
This breed is pretty low maintenance and is tolerant of most people. From very young to very old – as said previously — they are perfect family dogs. Keep in mind Bordoodle’s intelligence. They can start to show stubborn traits if they don’t get proper socialization and training from a young age. If you don’t have time to do that, avoid getting one. It can create destructive behavior and that becomes an issue later.
Also, be warned — they have a lot of energy! But if you make sure you train your pooch well, you’ll have the most wonderful family dog ever!
History of the parent breeds
As with any other breed, the Bordoodle is one of the newest dog breeds around, so there’s not that much accurate information about how they first came on the scene. But if you take a look at the history of their parent breeds, you can start to understand where the Bordoodle comes from.
In order to do that, we will take a closer look at the history of both parent breeds.
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History of the Poodle
The Poodle was one of the first breeds developed expressly for waterfowl hunting. Poodles are thought to have originated in Germany, where they were known as Pudel, which translates as “splash in the water,” referring to their job as water retrievers.
Many people believe that the breed arose through crosses between many European water dogs, including water dogs from Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Hungary, and Russia. Others say that the Poodle’s ancestor is the North African Barbet, which was introduced to the Iberian Peninsula.
The Standard Poodle is the oldest of the three Poodle breeds.
Other sizes of Poodle
Miniature and Toy were created by selecting a smaller size. They were also working dogs. Toys and Miniatures were popular circus dogs because of their intelligence, delight in performing, and ability to learn tricks, and they are said to have hunted truffles, a type of tasty fungi that grows underground.
Although some claim that Miniature and Toy Poodles were developed soon after the Standard, many believe that it wasn’t until the 1400s that breeders began making smaller versions of the Poodle — first the Miniature, then the Toy — to amuse the Parisian bourgeoisie. Toy and Miniature Poodles were created by marrying small Poodles together, rather than by mating large Poodles with smaller breeds.
The larger Standard Poodle was used for duck hunting, while the Miniature Poodle was used to find truffles in the woods. The Toy Poodle’s principal purpose, on the other hand, was to follow royalty and the affluent merchant class. The nickname “sleeve dogs” originated with well-to-do Renaissance owners who carried their Toy Poodles in their wide shirtsleeves.
United States and the United Kingdom
Curly-haired dogs were popular in England and Spain, but they were especially adored in France. Toy Poodles were King Louis XVI’s favorite, and the breed was dubbed “France’s National Dog.” Poodles first became popular as companion animals in France, and they remain so to this day. They are well-known around the world and are consistently ranked among the best breeds. Today, the Miniature is the most popular of the three sizes, and the three varieties together rank eighth among American Kennel Club-registered breeds.
The first Poodle was registered by the Kennel Society in England in 1874, and two years later, the first British club for Poodle fanciers was on the scene. Although it is unknown when Poodles first arrived in the United States, the first Poodle was registered with the American Kennel Club in 1886. The Poodle Club of America was founded in 1896 but quickly disbanded. The club was re-established in 1931 by a group of poodle aficionados.
Poodles were quite rare in the United States until after World War II. By the mid-1950s, however, the Poodle had ascended to become the country’s most popular breed, a position he held for more than 20 years.
History of the Border Collie
Despite being known as an English/Scottish dog today, the border collie’s history, according to Pennsylvania State University, dates back to the ancient Roman Empire. Claudius launched a victorious conquest of Britain in 43 AD, and when the Romans settled in, so did their dogs. For ages, the Roman herding dogs were regularly used.
The Vikings then invaded, bringing their dogs with them, as the story goes. The dogs of the Vikings were smaller and faster, and it didn’t take long for breeders to cross the two herding breeds. As a result, a small and swift herding dog suited to the harsh and rocky Scottish highlands was created.
Ancestors of the Border Collie have existed since humans in what is now Britain began employing dogs to guard and herd sheep. The herding dog became one of the most precious commodities a shepherd could have in the border territory between Scotland and England, and the best working dogs were bred with each other.
The type differed according to the terrain or the labor necessary in each place. These herding dogs became known as Welsh Sheepdogs, Northern Sheepdogs, Highland Collies, and Scotch Collies as they became identified with their respective regions. The Border Collie’s name recalls his Scottish ancestry: the word collie, which refers to sheepdogs, comes from Scottish dialect.
Sheep dogs
Scotch Sheep Dogs were displayed at England’s second dog show in 1860. Queen Victoria spotted one of the dogs on a subsequent visit to Balmoral and became a fan of the breed.
R.J. Lloyd Price is credited with starting sheepdog trials. He took 100 wild Welsh sheep to London’s Alexandra Palace for a display in 1876. The astonishment of the viewers at the keenness of the dogs, whose only assistance from their handlers was in the form of hand signals and whistles, was documented in the Livestock Journal.
Today, the Border Collie is often regarded as the best sheepherding dog. Because of the breed’s excellent herding skills, many breeders encourage breeding Border Collies strictly to working, rather than conformation, standards. On October 1, 1995, the American Kennel Club recognized the Border Collie.
Border collies were not recognized as a distinct breed until 1906 when criteria were set. Unlike other breed standards, herding dogs were evaluated based on their ability to work rather than their physical appearance. Borders are still regarded as the world’s best herding dogs today.
Bordoodle and their background
To recap all the known facts about the history of both parent breeds. The Poodle breed can be traced all the way back to ancient Egyptian times which makes them the longest breed that occurred on planet earth. After that era, the dog became very popular in France as a duck hunting dog.
Now, let’s look at the Border Collie. The breed is one of Queen Victoria’s favorites and is descended from British sheep-herding dogs. At one point, the Border Collie was even known as the Scotch Sheep Dog! However, the Bordoodle has become known as a designer dog breed, but many of them, unfortunately, end up in shelters – as we mentioned already. So consider contacting your local rescue groups and shelters if you’re thinking about adding the Bordoodle to your home. Once again, adaptation is the key!
Like many other crossbreeds, the Bordoodle isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). But they certainly are by the Designer Breed Registry.
Lastly, we also need to talk about Bordoodle generations.
F1B Bordoodle
The two most common types of the Bordoodle are f1b Bordoodle and f2b.
An F1b is said to be the first Bordoodle. F1b Bordoodles combines the best of both the Border Collie and the Poodle in their physical and mental characteristics. Some are non-shedding, while others are low-shedding, medium-shedding, and heavy-shedding.
An F1b Bordoodle is popular because of its high likelihood of being hypoallergenic and non-shedding. Their coat is typically curlier and wavy than an F1 Bordoodle’s.
Because the Bordoodle is a relatively new breed, there aren’t many breeders who have F2 Bordoodles. Finding the correct F1 Bordoodle match-ups that have the optimal Bordoodle temperament traits, appearance, and have low to non-shedding features takes time and patience.
Bordoodle appearance
If we take a look at the Bordoodle, he is a fun and loving, medium-sized dog with floppy ears and a robust body. A Bordoodle’s eyes are generally brown, but you’ll occasionally find one with one brown eye and one that’s blue.
Bordoodles are well-known for their many different colors, sizes, and even coats. In terms of look, we can‘t give you a lot of information. When compared to other purebred breeds, the look of the Bordoodle might vary quite a deal. Because this is a designer breed, we can‘t give you a piece of exact information on what your puppy will look like. We can‘t even tell you what coat color they will have. With mixed breeds, it is very hard to determine that because appearance is affected by their parent breeds.
We will give some information to give you an idea of what your Bordoodle puppy might look like, but take this information with a grain of salt.
It is a blessing and curse, but Bordoodles can have practically any color coat. Some dogs can even have the “Irish Spotting” pattern associated with the Border Collie. The color possibilities are endless:
- black/white,
- red/white,
- chocolate/white blue merle/white,
- solid colors,
- merle,
- parti,
- tri-color…
Nothing is uncommon in this breed! Their coat color and everything else will be like happy accidents.
Coat Varieties
A Bordoodle can have several different coat types. The difference in the coat is defined by different genotypes, which can be found in various combinations. The CU Locus gene can be found in three genotype pairs:
CuC/CuC – dog with the CuC/CuC combination will have a curly coat or the usual curly Poodle coat. When we breed that dog to another dog carrying the same gene, their pups will pass the CuC gene to 100% of their offspring.
Cu/Cu – dogs with two copies of the Cu gene have a straight coat, just like the coat a purebred Border Collie has. Cu will be passed on to 100% of a dog’s progeny if it has this genetic combination. When bred to another dog with the same gene, their puppies will pass on the Cu gene to 100% of their offspring.
When a purebred Poodle and a purebred Border Collie are bred, the puppies in the litter will have a mix of the two genes, resulting in a CuC/Cu gene. This suggests that 50 percent of the puppies will most likely have wavy or loose coats, while 25 percent will have straight fur and 25 percent will have curly coats.
Three types of coats
We know that it is a bit complicated, but it is important to know that the Bordoodle can have three types of coats:
- curly coat, like the coat of a Poodle
- straight coat, like the coat of a Border Collie
- wavy coat.
Basically, when it comes to the coat and coat color, it’s a mix! You’ll see the Borpoo in a range of coat colors and patterns, usually incorporating a mix of black, white, gray, and brown.
The Bordoodle’s coat is somewhere between medium and long in terms of length and described as soft to the touch and wavy. They can even have a curly coat if he inherits the poodle genes. You can never know for sure what kind of coat texture they will inherit.
Bordoodle’s size variation
Just like there is so much variety when it comes to coat color and coat type, there is also a lot of variation when it comes to this dog’s size. Bordoodles are in a variety of sizes, which might vary according to the Poodle parent. Poodles are available in three sizes: toy, miniature, and standard. These are not different breeds of dogs, but rather different sizes of the same dog.
- The Toy Poodle can reach a height of 10 inches and weigh between six and nine pounds.
- Miniature Poodles are 11 to 15 inches tall and weigh between 15 and 17 pounds.
- The Standard Poodle stands 15 inches or taller (typically 22 inches), weighs 45 to 70 pounds, while females weigh 45 to 60 pounds.
Because of that, Bordoodles can weigh anywhere from 20 to 80 pounds, although they are most often 35 to 45 pounds in size. Their h Height ranges from 15 to 26 inches, with an average of 18-22 inches.
Mini Bordoodle
Height: 15 to 17 inches measured from the withers.
Weight: 20 to 30 pounds.
Medium Bordoodle
Height: 18 to 21 inches measured from the withers.
Weight: 30 to 45 pounds.
Standard Bordoodle
Height: 22 to 25 inches measured from the withers.
Weight: 50 to 65 pounds.
The personality of the Bordoodle
If we ask people to describe their Bordoodles, they usually say that they’re both highly sociable and extremely intelligent dogs. And this is true because both of its parent breeds are intelligent dog breeds. We mentioned before that this intelligence has to be used properly to avoid negative consequences. This breed usually gets along great with families and will love to become a part of daily activities and routines.
Their personality is very simple. They’re happy to chill out and snuggle, but also happy to join in play sessions with the kids and they have a friendly demeanor. This makes them the perfect dog for any age.
Also, the breed’s intelligence means that they also take well to training and will enjoy being mentally stimulated, especially if given fetch and herding-style tasks to undertake. Keep in mind that this same intelligence can sometimes manifest itself in destructive behavior if the dog is left alone or not properly trained. So make sure to let the Borpoo become a central part of your family and enjoy a great dog!
A blessing and a curse
Combining two of the smartest breeds out there can be a blessing, but also a recipe for disaster. It’s up to you how you’re going to train your dog. But also how you will use his potential. You can try the Volhard Temperament Test when choosing a puppy. Also, be aware that the Borderpoo will quickly become protective towards the family that adopts them. So training and socialization are a must. The best way to train your dog is through positive reinforcement. Besides protectiveness, it will share a huge amount of love, especially for young kids.
Looking at the mixed breed, it might not look like a classic guard dog, they will prove wary of strangers. This is a dog who’s loyal to the people who show them, love. It will be your lifetime friend.
Health of the Bordoodle
Surprisingly, this breed is a generally healthy dog. Although, the mixed breed can be predisposed to some of the same conditions that the Border Collie and Poodle face. But this is the case with all designer dogs. Despite the fact that they are usually healthier than their parent breeds, there is always the chance of them inheriting some health conditions from both parent breeds.
The best information we can give you is to schedule regular wellness visits and checkups with your dog’s vet. Animal health is a tricky topic and usually, it is very hard to diagnose certain health issues, but taking your dog to the very regularly certainly helps a lot.
Most common health issues
Some of the more common health problems Bordoodles suffer from include:
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is one of the most commonly reported neurological diseases in dogs. It is an involuntary disruption of normal brain function that is often accompanied by uncontrollable muscle movement. Seizures can be caused by many factors. The most frequent cause of seizures in dogs is idiopathic epilepsy, which is a hereditary condition with no known causes. Besides that, liver disease, kidney failure, brain tumors, brain trauma, and poisons are some of the other causes.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy
Progressive Retinal Atrophy or PRA is a hereditary condition that affects both purebred and mixed breed dogs. It appears to be inherited in most dogs in an “autosomal recessive” pattern, meaning that the sick dog must have inherited the defective gene from both parents. The term “atrophy” describes the partial or complete loss of a physical component. “Progressive retinal atrophy” is a term that describes a group of degenerative diseases that impact photoreceptor cells. In this disorder, the cells deteriorate over time, eventually causing blindness in the affected dog.
Hip Dysplasia
Hip dysplasia is another hereditary health condition. It happens when a dog’s hip joint fails to develop normally, this is known as canine hip dysplasia. The hip is a ball-and-socket joint that can become extremely loose and unstable if the two components do not expand at the same rate. Hip dysplasia in dogs can cause serious problems because if a dog walks around with a loose hip joint, the joint’s anatomy may be irreversibly destroyed. If ignored, the condition can lead to osteoarthritis (also known as a degenerative joint disease). Because of the uneven movement, the cartilage wears away, causing scar tissue and bone spurs to form.
The average lifespan of the Bordoodle is between 12 and 15 years.
Reputable breeder
If you are interested in buying Bordoodle puppies, make sure to buy from reputable high-quality breeders. That way you will lower the risks of any disease in general that your pup can have. Their purebred dog parents should be completely healthy. That way you will make sure that your new family member will live for a long time.
If you want your dog to be healthy you should not neglect general exercise. Due to their high intelligence, this Doodle mix doesn’t only need physical activity, but mental stimulation too! Make sure you keep them busy and provide them with enough games or tasks to get them through the day.
When it comes to exercise, they do not need much exercise. In total about 45 minutes to 1 hour. 2-3 long walks a day will do the trick! If they are well trained they are calm and collected dogs. That’s why you can also walk them off the leash. But only if your pup is well socialized and knows how to behave around strangers.
Caring for your Bordoodle
Guess what? They are really easy to maintain when it comes to food. An ideal Bordoodle diet should be the one for a medium breed with medium energy needs. Just ensure that Bordoodles need stick to a healthy diet, as overeating can cause weight gain and associated health problems, especially if adequate exercise isn’t offered.
That means a lot of protein, vitamins and don’t forget those healthy omega 3 fatty acids. They are the best source of Vitamin D and Vitamin A. A good idea to add omega 3 fatty acids to your dog’s diet is by feeding him fish and fish-based dog food. However, as with all dogs, the Bordoodle’s dietary needs will change from puppyhood to adulthood and will continue to change into their senior years. But a balanced diet will be key at any age.
The best advice you’ll receive is the one from the vet. You should ask them for recommendations about your Bordoodle’s diet, as there is far too much variation among individual dogs–including weight, energy, and health–to make a specific recommendation.
Grooming your Bordoodle
When it comes to the maintenance breeds, it’s pretty easy. Shedding is on the lower side of things with the Bordoodle’s coat. Brushing the dog once or two times a week should do the job.
The Bordoodle is a low-maintenance breed. They don’t shed much and simply need to be brushed once a week using a wire brush. The Bordoodle should only be bathed when he is filthy. His natural oils will protect and maintain the luster and softness of his coat. Brush your Bordoodle’s teeth at least three times a week; however, brush the dog’s teeth every day if you want to prevent gum disease. Every other week, trim your dog’s nails. Because he’ll be an active dog, keep an eye out for dirt and moisture collection under his floppy ears.
In the end, we can conclude that the Bordoodle is an adaptable dog when it comes to climate. Make sure to provide a suitable dog coat if the weather seems like it’s getting too frosty and your canine seems cold. Also, during hotter months, make sure shade and fresh water are always available during outdoor play and activity sessions.