Sheepadoodle 101: An Intro to the Old English Sheepdog-Poodle Mix

Sheepadoodle, Sheepapoo, Sheeppoo, Sheepdoodle, Sheepdogpoo. This breed sure has lots of cute names to choose from!

A Sheepadoodle is a mix of an Old English Sheepdog and a Poodle. Thanks to its parents’ breeds, it is an excellent hybrid that sheds minimally. This breed is super friendly and loyal. Bonus that it also happens to look like a furry little teddy bear!

Sheepadoodle Generations

F1 Sheepadoodle, also called the first generation, is a mix of 50% Old English Sheepdog and 50% Poodle. This results in the healthiest combination of the two parent breeds. Because of hybrid vigor, this cross usually inherits the best bits from both its parents.

F1b Sheepadoodle results when an F1 Sheepadoodle and a purebred Poodle have been crossed. Because 75% of this mix is Poodle, it usually results in a much curlier and less shedding coat. 

F2 Sheepadoodle, or second generation, is a cross between two F1 Sheepadoodles. As with any other crossed breed, this is not the most favorable mix. If done over several generations, the genetic issues of both the Poodle and Old English Sheepdog may reappear.

	1st Parent	2nd Parent	% Old English Sheepdog*	% Poodle*
F1 Sheepadoodle (first-generation)	Old English Sheepdog	Poodle	50%	50%
F1B Sheepadoodle (first-generation backcross)	F1 Sheepadoodle	Poodle	25%	75%
F1BB Sheepadoodle (first-generation backcross backcross)	F1B Sheepadoodle	Poodle	12.5%	87.5%
F2 Sheepadoodle (second-generation)	F1 Sheepadoodle	F1 Sheepadoodle	50%	50%
F2B Sheepadoodle (second-generation backcross)	F1 Sheepadoodle	F1B Sheepadoodle	37.5%	62.5%
F2B Sheepadoodle (alternate cross)	F2 Sheepadoodle	Poodle	25%	75%
F3 / Multigen Sheepadoodle	F1B Sheepadoodle or higher	F1B Sheepadoodle or higher	Varies	Varies

Appearance of a Sheepadoodle

Colors

Most commonly, a Sheepadoodle has a black and white coat. You can also find them with a solid black or solid white coat. Or even red and white, solid brown, or grey! It all comes down to the parents’ coats. 

Coat, Shedding and Hypoallergenic Level

Likewise, the coat curliness can vary from straight to wavy to curly. If your Doodle inherits most of the Poodle characteristics, it usually has very curly hair. Furthermore, the curlier its hair, the less it usually sheds. 

Sheepadoodles are considered rather low-shedding, hypoallergenic dogs. Thus, they’re great for people who suffer from a dog dander allergy.

On the other hand, Sheepadoodles have long hair. Therefore, you should brush your Doodle’s coat at least a few times a week, and also have it groomed regularly.  

	F1	F1b	F2
Coat Description	Coats are usually more wavy than curly, which grows to a typical length of 3-5 inches. May or may not have an undercoat.	Coats are more likely to be curly than wavy, and grows to a typical length of 3-5 inches. May or may not have an undercoat.	Coats can vary greatly – curly, wavy, and anywhere in between – with varying lengths. May or may not have an undercoat.
Grooming/Coat Maintenance*	High care	Very high care	Moderate to very high care
Shedding	Some to light-shedding	Very light to non-shedding	Very light to non-shedding
Allergy Friendliness	Great for people or families with mild allergies	Recommended for people or families with moderate to severe allergies	Recommended for people or families with moderate to severe allergies

Size and Weight

• Standard Sheepadoodles are a cross between a Standard Poodle and an Old English Sheepdog. They weigh about 55 to 85 pounds and stand at 22 to 27 inches tall. 
• Mini or Medium Sheepadoodle is a mix of a Mini Poodle and an Old English Sheepdog. They can weigh anywhere between 25 to 55 pounds and are usually less than 22 inches in height.
• Toy Sheepadoodle results from crossing a Toy Poodle with a Mini Sheepadoodle. As they’re tiny, they weigh around 10 to 25 pounds. 

	Toy Sheepadoodle	Mini/Medium Sheepadoodle	Standard Sheepadoodle
Weight	10-25 pounds	25-55 pounds	55–85 pounds
Height*	15 inches or less	15-22 inches	22-27 inches
Age at Full-Grown	7.5-11 Months	11-13 months	12.5-16 Months

Of course, bigger Sheepadoodles need more living space and ideally a fenced backyard. In contrast, if you adopt a Toy Sheepadoodle, you can easily live in an apartment with them.

Sheepadoodle Personality and Temperament

Sheepapoos are usually playful, yet calm mannered. Because they inherit great intelligence levels from their parent breeds, they are easy to train. We recommend you start training your Sheepadoodle puppy at an early age. In addition, they need lots of mental stimulation. 

Sheepadoodles are active dogs who love running, hiking, swimming and playing fetch. If you have a pool, they will most certainly love it! Further, Sheepadoodles can inherit a strong herding drive from the Old English Sheepdog. In other words, you will have to make sure that they get a lot of playtime and activity hours. Otherwise, this can result in destructive behavior. 

Moreover, Sheepadoodles love being around their owners. They’re very friendly, cuddly, sociable and loyal. They are excellent for families and also make great therapy dogs.

Consequently, you should not leave your Sheepapoo alone for too long. An ideal solution would be having one family member staying home during the day. Or hire a dog walker, so your Doodle gets the attention it needs!

Above all, Sheepadoodles are amazing companions. They are extremely loyal, well-behaved, very active and enjoy spending time with their owners. These cuddly teddy bears will most definitely melt your heart!

Where to Get Sheepadoodle Puppies

Due to the growing demand and competition for Doodles, they are unfortunately rarely available to rescue from shelters or families (especially puppies), though it is possible.

That said, a puppy is easiest to buy from a breeder. There are many high-quality Sheepadoodle breeders out there who have been breeding healthy Doodles for years, and they all specialize in breeding different generations, sizes, and colors of them.