We visited a co-worker of Mrs. KVS yesterday, and the co-worker has a dog - a schnoodle, to be exact. Well, Mrs. KVS and the junior KVS’s all fell in love, and since we’ve been looking for a dog, this schnoodle breed could be the one. Anyone have any experience with them, know good/bad traits, what to look for, etc.? Anyone know of any breeders within 1 to 1.5 hours of Baltimore [MD]?
This is just my ignorance out for a walk, but is that a cross between a schnauzer and a poodle?
I found this info pretty quick- looks like a nice dog for a family- seems (comparably) to be “low maintenance”
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/schnoodle.htm
-j
And yes, KneadToKnow, it is.
I grew up with a schnoodle…of course, back then, it wasn’t a BREED, it was just a mutt.
The physical description from that site seems dead-on (though my dog had more poodle-style fur than those photos show). Here’s some temperament and other stuff, from my 16 years of experience with the pup (mind, you, this could pertain just to my dog–sample size of one):
- Not exceptionally bright as dogs go. This ain’t no Lab. But not as dumb as I’ve generally found miniature/toy poodles to be.
- Good natured, tolerant, good around kids; never had the dog bite anyone, though he barked at strangers when they first came into the house
- They are affectionate, as the site size
- “Loves car rides,” though…I sure don’t remember that. I recall a lot of shaking and shivering every time we had to take him for a ride.
- A good size, IMO–not so small that you’re afraid you’ll break it, but it can still sit across your lap without crushing you. Plus, sets a good pace for walks, again w/o wearing you down or yanking your arm out of its socket (from the leash, that is).
- Fairly healthy and long-lived. Here were problems we had (all age-related): 1. Hip surgery at about age 12; 2. cataracts developed around same time; 3. by age 15, pretty tired, deaf, blind, and increasingly incontinent. We put him to sleep at age 16. Oh, and he once got into a fight with a cat and lost (needed stitches and one of those microwave-dish collars). Not an attack dog, by any means.
- Don’t have the breeder dock the tail (schnauzer-style). It’s very brushy and cute.
- The dog doesn’t shed. This is a miracle, and reason enough to cross the poodle with every existing breed of dog.
- But, you need to take the dog to a groomer on a regular basis for haircuts. This can be quite fun, as you can have them shave in mohawks, etc., as you wish.
As a poodle owner who fiercely loves my dog, I can understand the appeal of a poodle mix. Poodles are in fact highly intelligent (at least in general; perhaps inbreeding has has a negative impact on the intelligence of some individuals) and very loyal, affectionate family pets. The main downside is that they require a lot of grooming.
However, I can’t speak for what traits a Schnoodle might have…because Schnoodles are not recognized as a real breed. “Schnoodle” is basically a cute “marketable” name for what is essentially a mutt. Now, that’s not to say they’re bad dogs. Mutts can be great dogs, sometimes healthier than purebreds who have been victimized by excessive inbreeding…but you really don’t know what you’re getting, the way you can generally predict the qualities of a purebred dog. Personally, I really resent the fact that some people are deceived by these cute names into thinking they’re getting a purebred dog (see “A Schnoodle By Any Other Name”).
If you don’t mind my saying so, I strongly believe it is far better to adopt a family pet from a shelter rather than a breeder. Shelter dogs are usually far less expensive AND you are saving the life of a dog that would probably be killed for lack of a home otherwise. Both purebreds and mutts end up at the shelter, so you can probably find what you want there.
I suspect that if you take the kids to the shelter, they will find a dog to fall in love with there too.
Good luck finding the right pet. Whatever breed or mixed breed you end up with, I hope it fits in well with your family.
Schnoodles are great! They taste just like chicken! No, no, no, just kidding!
I had a schoodle and she was a great dog. Smart as could be (…ain’t no Lab… let’s not go there toadspittle) and affectionate to boot. She had “Wild Tongue Syndrome”, she’d lick everyone.
You take all the best qualities of the Poodle and spice it up with Schnauzer. Not a bad combo. Although they can be a bit headstrong and manipulative. And cute too. In sort of an ugly way. They can have some odd proportions.
A breeder near you? Maybe, maybe not. They are still an “oops dog” (oops, my Poodle got knocked up by a Schnauzer) for the most part, but there are more people breeding them on purpose. Good luck finding them. You might try asking a local vet- but no guarantees. Here’s a website with pix of real cute pupies. But they’re out of Minnesota, so not close at all.
The bad traits you asked about, well there aren’t too many. Mostly they are the flip side of the good traits. They are smart and people-friendly. So they can be manipulative and spazzy with people (they’re just so darned excited to see everybody). And they can be “barky” (they get that from both sides). Being an accidental breed, alot of them come from the pound, where they learn bad habits. And they need regular grooming (professional or do-it-yourself, it’s an easy cut to learn). They can be quite terrier-ish (from the Schnauzer), but that is mellowed by the Poodle.
They are great little dogs. If you do get one, they are worth it.
-Rue.
Oh, that website I posted. That’s just for the pictures and information. The post was not meant as a recomendation of that particular breeder. The puppies are just darned cute.
-Rue.
I may be a bit militant about this, but with over seventeen million healthy dogs euthanized in U.S. municipal shelters annually, I find puppy mill sites such as the one Rue posted absolutely disgusting. I’ve done dog foster & rescue for over a decade, and have come to regard indiscriminate breeding as nothing short of cruelty.
Go to a shelter. There are tons of small poodle mix dogs available every day. Even with old established breeds, there can be no guarantees as to temperament and health, and no reputable breeder will give you one. The “schnoodle” is a made-up “breed” produced purely for income to puppy mill owners by selling to people who want a cute little inoffensive “dog” that won’t shed, and will have less reliabilty than an actual breed or wonderful mutt.
Carina42, I didn’t want anyone to go there to buy a puppy. I just posted that site for the pictures on the front page (for the people who don’t know what a Schnoodle looks like).
Going to a “Schnoodle Breeder” if an iffy propostion, at best. There are NO standard for the “breed”. (Carina’s right, they’re just a mongrel with good marketing.) But they do make for a good pet. A resonably good Schauzer crossed with a reasonably good Poodle will give you a pretty good pup. (The inherited faults and weaknesses don’t “match up”.)
-Rue.
Oh good, Rue…I just wanted to say my piece on puppy mills & such! Yes, they are very cute looking dogs. Minature Schnauzers can be quite snippy and hard-headed, though, so if you get a schnauzerX you’ll want to make sure it’s got a sweet temperament. At seven weeks there is a whole range of temperament tests that can be done on puppies. I’ve attended two litter evaluations for show/working Rottweiler puppies, & its quite enlightening and thorough.
So I guess I’m saying that just choosing the cutest/smallest/fluffiest puppy is more of a crap shoot, but there are ways to get some idea of temperament. Also a good breeder (if you go that route) will make sure the puppies have lots of human interaction from day one. Run like hell from anyone who has litters raised in kennels away from the house. They don’t deserve your money, and most likely the pups have not been properly socialised (early imprinting is very important.)
I still vote for going to a shelter or rescue organization, though.
We’ve been looking in shelters around here (in fact, some are an hour away), but most of the dogs there are big dogs that would not be a good fit for us. We did get a shelter dog last year. After a month, I ended up taking him back. The downside of shelters is that there is no way to interact with a dog for a decent amount of time. The dog we picked out was great in the shelter, but when we got home, over a period of time, ignored everyone except me and started nipping at the kids. We tried various ideas given to us by a vet friend, but it didn’t work out.
On the other hand, we got a dog from a shelter when I was a kid, and we had her for 10 years. She was a wonderful dog.
We’re not going to any puppy mills; we’re very opposed to them.
Thanks for the help, everyone, and we’ll keep looking.
KVS (Great handle!)…Have you tried any rescue organizations? I have fostered dogs for a small rescue here in Denver. Braver volunteers than I go to the shelters & pick up small dogs because they are the easiest to adopt out. I’ve had several cute & cool little poodley dogs that I’ve found homes for. If you call your local shelter or vet clinic they should be able to turn you on to something.
Thank you for not supporting puppy mills & pet stores. 
And good luck in your quest for a shnoodly dog!