Sproodle puppy - would you recommend?

[sahbear]

We are considering a Sproodle (Springer Spaniel Poodle cross) as our first family dog. Has anyone got experience of Sproodles? I am hoping it will be good with children and our cat, as well as a fun family pet. DH and I both had spaniels as pets when we were younger. DS1 and I are both asthmatic so I am thinking the sproodle fur is a good idea. I haven't actually met a sproodle so am interested in your experience of them.

Generally they are said to have very friendly natures. It is worth noting that not every offspring from this cross would have the "non shed" gene though as everybody assumes!

Can you tell by looking at the puppies fur?

Please don't support the expensive mongrel industry.

Non shedding is chance inheritance. A poodle does not shed. A spaniel sheds. Depends what it inherits. Why not just get a poodle?? Lovely natured dogs.

We have 2 Sproodles, they are great family pets although our youngest is just over one and can still be a bit bonkers! They are great with the kids but do try to chase cats (we don't have any cats so it might be different if they lived with one) Both of ours are "non shed" but that does mean they need regular grooming.

BertrandRussel - why?
User - so generally you think they are good natured? I get that they are a mixed breed so perhaps less certainty with what you will get?
I know very little about poodles but that they are intelligent. I do really like Spaniels...

Yes, ours are very good natured, they'll happily put up with the kids cuddling them (and trying to teach them to dab!) For us, they are the perfect dogs (they are our first dogs). They do need lots of exercise, they are intelligent and get bored if they don't get enough.

There is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. In fact most people with Asthma/allergies find it is the dander (skin flakes) that affect them not the actual fur. They all produce dander.

I know many non shed cockerpoos who shed like crazy!!!

It's a mixed breed, so there's no promise that a particular pup will get x temperament and y fur. In your shoes I'd look at a poodle. You're also more likely to find an established breeder who can offer breed-specific knowledge and health checks.

If you want a specific coat type then it's a bit silly to go for a cross between breeds with very different coats which can produce puppies with quite a variety of differing coat types. As LilCamper has pointed out though, the "hypoallergenic dog" is something of a myth. Dog allergens are found in their saliva and dander, something which you'll have to contend with whatever breed/cross/type of dog you have.

Non-shedding breeds require much more grooming at home and also need regular clips which will involve either taking them to a groomer or learning how to do it yourself at home. Some poodle crosses have very high maintenance coats indeed which mat very easily.

It's also highly unlikely you'll find a decent breeder of them who does all appropriate health testing, understands conformation and its impact on the dog, has thoroughly researched the lines they're using to try and avoid health conditions which can't be tested for, is breeding with a specific goal in mind (beyond having puppies to sell) and puts in all the necessary work with the litter to ensure as much as possible they grow up into confident, well rounded dogs.

I agree that if you want an active, intelligent family dog with a non-shedding coat then look at poodles, they're fabulous dogs and sadly get overlooked a lot these days in favour of the more fashionable crosses.

A lot of pedigree dogs are non shedding, not just poodles. The advantage of buying a pedigree is that you will spend about the same as you would for a designer mongrel but you will get a dog with generations of history and carefull breeding a good idea of temperament, coat type and dog size. If you want to rescue many breed clubs have a rescue section dedicated to finding good homes.
We have a terrier who is non shedding and not particularly high maintenance when it comes to grooming. She is our perfect family pet.

I have said it before on here but anyway
Look up the most negative traits for each breed and then consider if you could cope with a dog that has ALL of them. If so then go for it

Am not a fan of the designer mongrel trend at the moment, mostly, because you don't tend to know what you're getting and a great deal of them are produced in puppy farms- sorry to put a downer on it!

Would you not consider a breed specific rescue? Especially if it's your first dog they may have the perfect pet for you. I know lots of people that have rescued and felt really well supported by the rescue centres when picking out their dog.

I am totally biased towards rescue dogs because mine have been amazing and I foster as well. Perhaps you could foster & if they're a good fit for you and your family, adopt it?

Hope you find the right dog for your family (rescue or otherwise!) dogs are great.

Both our dogs came from a KC registered breeder. They owned all the parent dogs which were all pedegree, provided their full family trees & medical histories. The parents had all been DNA tested for known inherited problems of each breed. "Designer mongrels" do have the advantage of genetic variety.

We chose Sproodles after a lot of research, nothing to do with them being "fashionable" (which actually they aren't, I've only met 2 other owners in the past 2 years) We chose them because they are fun, intelligent dogs and, for us, they fit perfectly with our family.

They are very popular in some areas , large amounts of quick money made breeding designer mongrels , please go to your local rehousing centre they are sure to have some puppies that need a loving home , don't support yet more indiscriminate breeding

The Doodle trust has a spoodle needing a home at the moment. Their site also has a huge amount of useful information about poodle crosses.

Many poodle crosses are handed into rescue because despite what people are told, they do shed, and also because they are way more energetic than the dog most people want :(

Many poodle crosses are bred because they can fetch huge prices on internet free ad sites. Please don't buy into the puppy farm industry.

user out of curiosity, did you check to see how many litters the bitch had previously had? It's not at all uncommon for people who breed pedigrees to swap to breeding crosses once their bitch has had the maximum number of litters the KC will register so they can keep on churning out puppies without people querying why they're not registered.

The parents dogs being KC registered (it's the dogs that are registered, not the breeder) don't really mean a right lot, the KC is just a registry and it's no guarantee at all of an ethical breeder. Of course I'd expect any decent breeder whose breed is recognised by the KC to register their puppies but, providing the parents are registered, the KC will register puppies from anyone regardless of how responsibly they're breeding.

"Both our dogs came from a KC registered breeder. They owned all the parent dogs which were all pedegree, provided their full family trees & medical histories."

That is very unusual. Out of interest, how many litters had the bitch had? And what happens to the pups that don't "come out right"?

Just to add; I'm not anti cross breeding, in fact I would love to see the KC sanction sensible outcrosses for all breeds, but crosses need to be bred with just as much care as pedigrees and quite often there's a real lack of logic behind them.

There are other breeds which would be a more sensible choice for outcrossing a springer to if the aim was to increase genetic diversity, if a breeder immediately goes to a poodle I think it speaks volumes about why they're breeding.

Another vote here for poodles! A miniature poodle is only slightly smaller than a sproodle, definitely won't shed (although will need grooming/clipping) and they are energetic and intelligent dogs, who love to learn new things. They form strong bonds with their owners but can be trained to be left alone, providing this is built up gradually - our mini poodle boy is nearly a year old and can be left happily for 3 hours with a kong.
As other posters have said, they do tend to be overlooked in the current craze for poodle crosses and we only know two other people locally with straight poodles. Can't understand why as they are fabulous dogs but I think people still have the image of the show poodle with a silly clip in their minds! We have ours in a pet clip and he is frequently mistaken for a cockapoo.
Also, you are more likely to find a responsible breeder who has done the necessary health checks on the parents and who will work hard to produce sociable and good-tempered dogs. Personally, having got our boy from a first-time breeder who was lovely and conscientious, did all the right health checks etc but was inexperienced and hence not able to offer us any advice when we ran into some training issues, I'd go for an experienced breeder and ask to be put in touch with owners of their puppies from previous litters - any decent breeder should be happy to do that and will do their research on you as well!

I have a sproodle who is nearly 4. I love Springers but they make me sneeze and aggravate my asthma so I looked into sproodles. She is perfect for us - bouncy, loving and doesn't shed. She was bred in a home environment, I met mum and dad and they had both had PRA tests etc. Best decision I have ever made and she doesn't bother my asthma :)

Thanks for all replies. It seems the posters who have Sproodles are really happy with them. I appreciate your thoughts about variation and shedding, and I wouldn't say I was particularly allergic to dogs, but when I'm wheezy pets don't help, but we would love a dog.
I will do some research into poodles too.
I have been to our local rescue where our cat came from, but they didn't have any dogs that were safe with both cats and children.
Sproodle people - apart from the fur how does your dog compare to the average springer spaniel?

I have a poodle x border collie (Bordoodle? Colliepoo? No idea what daft name you could give that cross!) and she's the worst of both breeds!! Her top coat is poodle and needs regular clipping, but her undercoat is collie and sheds like mad. She's also extremely intelligent, can be very nippy with other dogs and rounds up everything. Fortunately I'm collie savvy and didn't buy her as a hypoallergenic designer crossbreed (she was a genuine mistake from a collie breeder that I knew).

With any crossbreed, you've got to research the worst traits of both breeds and decide if you can cope with potentially having all of them. If not, then don't touch it as you may well get a combination of the lot!