7 Essential Facts About the Whoodle Breed
The purebred Poodle is one of the breeds most often used for new designer crosses. The reason for that is simple – Poodles are healthy, smart, well-mannered, trainable, and have low-shedding and hypoallergenic coats. So, many of their crossbreeds are made with the express purpose of creating a new hypoallergenic breed that just doesn’t look that much like a Poodle.
The Whoodle cross is more than just that, however, because its other parent – the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier – is already hypoallergenic anyway. So, the Whoodle cross exists not only to create a new hypoallergenic dog but also in an effort to match the terrier and gun dog personalities in the best possible way.
Did it work? Is the Whoodle a breed that’s worth your attention and is suitable for your home and family? Or is it all over the place in terms of its characteristics like so many other crossbreeds? Let’s find out by going over the 7 crucial things to know about the Whoodle.
7 points to consider before getting a Whoodle
Like most designer crossbreeds, the Whoodle is fairly new to the scene. The breed was first crossed in the mid-20th century as an attempt at a new family pet breed. Even though both of its parents are hunting breeds – the Poodle being a gun dog and the terrier, well, a terrier – the Whoodle wasn’t meant to replace or outdo either of its parents at their jobs. It was only meant to be a great family pet. So, let’s see if the cross was a success.
1. The mix of a terrier and a gun dog makes the Whoodle’s personality a wild card but in a good way
Mixing two breeds with very differing personalities usually means that their cross can have widely differing personalities. This is very noticeable when crossing a guard dog breed with a hyper-social shepherd breed, for example.
Something similar can be observed in the Whoodle. On the one hand, the Poodle, as a quintessential gun dog, is not only intelligent but also trainable, obedient, and communicative. On the other, the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is a typical terrier – headstrong, willful, and self-driven. Both parent breeds are the way they are because that’s what they were bred to be to perform their work tasks.
What does this mean for the Whoodle?
It means that the Whoodle is going to be more willful and mischievous than a purebred Poodle but also more trainable and obedient than a terrier. All in all, this is a pretty good mix. Sure, there is going to be some variation – some Whoodles will be more Poodle-like and with a people-pleasing personality while others will be more individualistic. Both “extremes” are pretty manageable, however, and every Whoodle should be easy to deal with as long as you’ve gone through adequate obedience training early in the dog’s life.
- Whoodles are loving and gentle dogs even when they are a bit mischievous
A dog’s personality is about more than just how smart and trainable it is, of course. What’s arguably even more important for a family pet is whether the dog is affectionate, lovable, careful, and gentle with its loved ones, and overall a pleasure to be around.
And that does seem to apply to the Whoodle in full force. Whether your Whoodle is more terrier-like or Poodle-like, it should be friendly and loving toward all members of its family as long as you care for it well. This makes Whoodles great with kids too, provided at least some basic supervision early on.
3. The Whoodle should always be social and friendly
When it comes to being social with other people and dogs, the Whoodle scores high marks too. Thanks to its Poodle heritage, in particular, the Whoodle cross should be – at the very least – amenable to guests, friends, and strangers. The terrier in this dog can be a bit over-active and protective which necessitates at least some socialization early in the dog’s life but that’s normal.
As long as this socialization is taken care of, you should have little trouble between your Whoodle and other dogs too. As for cats and other non-canine pets – there, you might have to be more careful. While Poodles generally get along with non-canine pets, terriers can have stronger prey drives toward them. This means that you will need extra socialization, training, and warming-up periods before you get your Whoodle to live with a cat. It also means that you should always keep your Whoodle on a leash when you’re outside.
4. This is a tall but very athletic dog
On average, Whoodles can be anywhere between 12 and 20 inches tall (30 to 51 cm) at the shoulder. As for their weight, they will usually range between 20 and 45 pounds (9 and 20 kg). This puts the breed in the medium-size category.
It also indicates that the Whoodle is quite an athletic dog, however, as 45 pounds isn’t much for a 20-inch tall dog. So, even if the Whoodle looks like a big fluffball, keep in mind that under all that curly hair there’s one slim and athletic canine body.
5. Whoodles have seemingly boundless energy and need lots of exercise
This athleticism naturally means that you can expect your Whoodle to be very energetic. These dogs don’t just love to play and run around – they need to do so. On average, a Whoodle will require some 90 minutes of active outdoor time a day, typically divided into two walks to the dog park.
This doesn’t include yard time, of course – that’s separate. A healthy and active Whoodle will love to spend hours in a yard playing with your kids or other dogs. Just make sure that the yard is properly fenced or your dog’s prey drive instincts will kick in the moment it sees something interesting outside.
What if you don’t have a yard, however? Can you have a Whoodle as an apartment pet?
You can. Technically, every breed can live in an apartment. However, very physically active breeds like the Whoodle will need extra time in the dog park as well as extra playtime in your living room if they don’t have a yard. Longer outdoor time on the weekends is also recommended, making the Whoodle great for folks who love going on nice hikes from time to time.
Fortunately, the Whoodle’s medium size compensates for their energy levels somewhat as these dogs would have needed even more exercise if they were larger.
6. The Whoodle is a very low-shedding and hypoallergenic breed
As we mentioned above, one of the main reasons why breeders cross Poodles with other dogs is to “transfer” the Poodle’s single-coated, low-shedding, and near-hypoallergenic coats. In this case, however, the same applies to the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. This means that the Whoodle always has a single-layered coat and is always pretty great for people with allergies.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that the Whoodle doesn’t need grooming – on the contrary. You’ll need to brush your Whoodle’s coat pretty regularly – ideally daily – to avoid matting and skin issues. Frequent monthly baths are also good as is the occasional trip to the dog groomer. If you do this, however, you’ll not only keep your dog’s coat in excellent shape, but you will also minimize its shedding even more.
In terms of overall look, the Whoodle’s coat will be medium in length and wavy or slightly curly. It can come in various colors, including red, brown, black, grey, cream, silver, or spotted.
7. Whoodles have impressive health and longevity with just a few potential issues to watch out for
By all accounts, the Whoodle has an average expected lifespan of up to 15 years. That’s pretty great for a breed that can get as tall as 20 inches and – that’s just an average. This means that a Whoodle from a healthy stock can go well beyond that average with good care, quality food, plenty of exercise, and routine vet visits.
Still, even the healthiest dog breeds can have certain issues you’ll need to watch out for. In the Whoodle, the most common ones include:
- Addison's Disease
- Eye infections and diseases
- Hip and Elbow Dysplasia
- Kidney issues
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
As you can see, the Whoodle is definitely a very special crossbreed that needs more recognition. If you want a social and hypoallergenic breed but you don’t want a Poodle, the Whoodle is a fantastic choice. Then again, the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is itself hypoallergenic as well but it’s also a full-bloodied terrier which comes with its own perks and specifics.
By mixing the terrier with a Poodle, however, breeders have created a breed that combined not only their coats but also the headstrong trickster personality of the terrier with the trainable and obedient gun dog that is the Poodle. This makes the Whoodle an awesome choice for anyone looking for a hypoallergenic, low-shedding, athletic, and energetic outdoorsy breed that loves to play but is also relatively trainable.
