Breeds / Medium
Whoodle puppies
The Whoodle is intelligent, active and affectionate, with the Wheaten Terrier's cheerful pushiness and the Poodle's quick mind. They want daily exercise and training, and their soft coat needs combing every day.
The facts
- Size class Medium
- A cross of Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier and Poodle
- Country of origin Not published
- Adult weight 13.6 to 31.8 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 30 to 70 lb
- Adult height 43 to 61 cm
- Energy level High
- Grooming High
- Coat type Medium soft wavy to curly
- Typical lifespan 12 to 14 years
- Good with children Usually good
- Good with other dogs Usually good
About the Whoodle
The Whoodle is a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier crossed with a Poodle. Adults commonly run 13.6 to 31.8 kg and 43 to 61 cm depending on which Poodle was used, with a soft, low shedding coat that ranges from wavy to curly. Both parents are busy, cheerful dogs, and the cross tends to be affectionate, energetic and interested in everything, with the terrier's appetite for games and a poodle's speed at learning them.
Daily exercise and training are both needed, and the coat is a real job: combing right down to the skin every day, plus professional grooming every four to eight weeks. Wheaten Terriers carry serious protein losing kidney and gut disease, so ask the breeder for the results on the Wheaten side before anything else is discussed. Book the groomer in good time to avoid paying for a full shave down instead.
A cross, not a breed. The Whoodle has no breed standard anywhere, since no kennel club recognises crosses, and the figures here describe what is typically observed rather than anything a breeder is held to. Puppies in one litter can favour the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier or the Poodle in coat, size and temperament. First crosses vary more in coat than later generations bred back to a Poodle, and adult size depends heavily on whether a Miniature or a Standard Poodle was used.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Whoodle puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming needs are high. Start daily brushing and short, positive handling sessions at eight weeks, well before the adult coat arrives, or the first professional groom will be traumatic. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Protein losing nephropathy and protein losing enteropathy from the Wheaten side, screened by urine protein to creatinine ratio and blood albumin testing
- Renal dysplasia, investigated by blood biochemistry, urinalysis and ultrasound
- Addison's disease, diagnosed by an ACTH stimulation test
- Hip dysplasia, screened by hip scoring radiographs
- Progressive retinal atrophy and cataracts, detectable by DNA test and annual eye examination
- Sebaceous adenitis, suspected from scaling and hair loss and confirmed by skin biopsy
- Idiopathic epilepsy, diagnosed from witnessed seizures with other causes excluded
- Von Willebrand disease, detectable by DNA test and a clotting factor assay
Your Whoodle puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Whoodle.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 13.6 to 31.8 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 31.8 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.
Buying guides for this
Other medium breeds
American Cocker Spaniel
American Pit Bull Terrier
American Staffordshire Terrier
American Water Spaniel
Aussiedoodle
Australian Cattle Dog
Previous: White Swiss Shepherd Dog · Next: Wire Fox Terrier
Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.
Sources
- petmd.com for adult weight and height
- petmd.com for life expectancy, energy, grooming and the temperament ratings and health notes
- petmd.com for coat type
- Health notes from Whoodle breed information at https://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/whoodle. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
No published figure for country of origin, so nothing is shown rather than a guess.
Photo: Dave Lauretti from Burlington, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.