Curious About Doberdoodles?

Bouncer, our Doberdoodle (Doodleman Pinscher) Doberman Pinscher-Poodle mix and CTO (Chew Tasting Officer), fields a lot of questions regarding how he reconciles his Doberman Pinscher and Standard Poodle halves.

So, we thought we would share his answers with you.

1. When It Comes to Swimming, Is a Doberdoodle Poodle or Doberman? Do they have webbed feet as poodles do?

Yes and yes! Like their Standard Poodle parent breed, Doberdoodles do have webbed feet and not only love to swim, but are great swimmers. Our Doberdoodle, Bouncer, was apprehensive about swimming as a young puppy. Perhaps he thought that he was a Doberman, a breed that loves the water but does not have webbed feet and has a muscular frame that forces the dog to have to work a bit harder to stay afloat. At some point though, Bouncer seemed to realize that he has webbed feet! After observing other dogs swimming, he tried it out and his poodle side came out!

The Doberdoodle Poodle Mix Has Webbed Paws Similar To That Of A Poodle’s

 

Similar To That Of A Duck!

 

2. Does the Doodleman Pinscher drool?

The Doberdoodle does not drool, but they are sensitive dogs who exhibit runny noses when they are emotional; they become crying dogs.

3. Does a Doberdoodle Poodle Mix Bark?

Bouncer is typically quite quiet. However, when it comes to protecting the homestead, he barks loudly to alert us of anything coming within hundreds of feet of our home. If he hears something, smells something, or sees something, he says something in no uncertain terms!

4. Do Doberdoodles shed?

Do Doberman shed? Yes, they do. They have short hair, but are moderate shedders. Do Poodles shed? No, that is one of the reasons there are so many Poodle mixes. So, how about Doberdoodle Poodle mix? Many “doodle” mixes do not shed. However, Doberdoodles are almost always first generation (F1) mixes, so they will still shed a bit. Bouncer needs to be brushed twice a week and sheds seasonally. Overall, Doodleman Pinschers are a low shed dog breed.

5. Are Doodleman Pinschers friendly with dogs and cats?

Like their Doberman parent, Doberdoodles are very protective of their loved ones and can be wary around strangers, whether human or animal. In order to tolerate cats, a Doberdoodle probably needs to be raised with one from an early age, but even then, they may still chase the cat due to their strong prey drive. Similarly, they probably should be raised with other dogs to ensure optimal harmony in the home. Generallyl, Doberdoodles are quite territorial and typically prefer to have their humans all to themselves. So, they are not super open to sharing their space with other animals.

6. Does the Doberdoodle like cuddling?

Yes! The Doberdoodle is a highly affectionate, loving dog who want to be very close to their parents. They seem to have inherited one of the Doberman’s monikers: “velcro dogs,” so called due to their intense desire to constantly be with their humans.

Bouncer the Doberdoodle Hugging His Mom

7. How big is a Doberdoodle Poodle Mix?

The Doberdoodle is roughly the average of his/her two parent breeds’ weights. Bouncer’s mom, a Standard Poodle, weighed 75 pounds and his Doberman father weighed 110 pounds. Bouncer’s weight ranges from 85 to 90 pounds (when he was up to 95 the vet put him on a diet), which is roughly the average of his parents’ weight. In general, a Doberdoodle will be smaller than a Doberman but larger than a Poodle.

8. Do Doberdoodles bite? Are they aggressive dogs?

Doberman Pinschers have an extremely protective nature that can prompt them to pounce and bite first, and ask questions later. This protectiveness has been passed onto the Doberdoodle breed. Our Doberdoodle, Bouncer, will pounce and attack any being (human or otherwise), vehicle, or other perceived threat.

When walking with a Doberdoodle, it is a good idea to be as proactively aware of one’s surroundings as the dog is, if not more so. That way, you can avoid any mishaps.

9. What kind of health issues does a Doberdoodle Poodle mix have?

When you put two breeds together, you generally end up with a healthier, more robust gene set.

Poodles and Doberman Pinschers are both prone to particular health issues. Poodles are prone to thyroid, stomach, and hip issues along with epilepsy, while Dobermans are known for having heart problems. These diseases do not appear to be passed on to the Doberdoodle. However, they can be prone to joint pain, which can be aggravated due to their propensity to play hard.

According to the Veterinary Centers of America, Dobies are prone to wobbler syndrome, a degenerative disease also known as cervical spondylomyelopathy. This is not an uncommon syndrome in large dog breeds and is caused by spinal cord and spinal nerve root compression. The result can be a strange gait, where the dog’s back legs wobble, neck pain, and nervous system problems. The Doberman Pinscher breed comprises a very high percentage of diagnosed wobbler syndrome cases.

Fortunately, Bouncer has not been diagnosed with wobbler syndrome. However, he does exhibit a weird gait, which looks like a horse trot, or giraffe walk with both legs on one side moving followed by both legs on the other side moving. Most dogs walk with diagonally opposed legs moving in concert (front left/back right then front right/back left). He also occasionally experiences shoulder and neck pain.

We are, of course, closely monitoring Bouncer’s mobility and are hoping that he does not exhibit any severe wobbler syndrome symptoms.

10. Does the Doodleman Pinscher retrieve?

Do Doberman retrieve? Do they play fetch? Sometimes some do, as they are playful. However, they are not natural retrievers. Do poodles play fetch? Yes, as natural hunting retrieving dogs they love retrieving balls. Poodles were bred to retrieve hunted water fowl that have fallen in bodies of water. While Doberdoodles were not bred as retrievers as their Poodle parent breed was, they do very much enjoy playing ball. However, don’t expect them to always return to you and just hand over the ball as many retrieving dogs will do! Like their Doberman parent breed, they are extremely stubborn and will want you to wrestle the ball from them.

Bouncer will retrieve the ball and shake his head as an invitation for you to wrestle the ball from him. Interestingly enough, Bouncer has no interest in Frisbees but will play fetch with a ball as long as you’re game to wrestle it from him.

We hope this article answered some of the burning questions you may have about Doberdoodles. We know that all dogs are special and deserve a delicious, high-quality treat that promotes health and wellness. So, we invite you to check out our Barkaron® Decadent Doggie Dessert® gift boxes!

Looking for the ultimate Doberdoodle guide? Check out our in-depth article: Doberdoodle: The Uniqueness of a Doberman & Poodle Mix.