Designer Breed Icon
  • Activity Level: moderate
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  • Shedding Level: low
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  • Grooming Level: high
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  • Trainability: high
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  • Good for Novice Owners: high
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  • Adaptability: high
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  • Kid/Pet Friendly: often
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  • Prey Drive: moderate
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  • Watchdog: aware
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  • Average Size: Small
  • Average Lifespan: 12-15 years
  • Registered?: other

Mini Sheepadoodle Dog Breed Information

Overview

Temperament

Adaptability

Health

Owner Experience

Grooming

Activity Level

Size

Life Span

Did You Know?

A Mini Sheepadoodle is a cross between an Old English Sheepdog and a Mini Poodle. In some cases, the parent breeds could be a Sheepadoodle and a Mini Poodle. These small, fluffy companions make great family pets.

Although the Mini Sheepadoodle is not currently recognized by the American Kennel Club, they are recognized by other notable canine organizations. The American Canine Hybrid Club, International Designer Canine Registry, and the Dog Registry of America all recognize the Mini Sheepadoodle.

Mini Sheepadoodles are loving, affectionate, and playful dogs. Their fantastic personality and gentle disposition make them an excellent addition to a family. They tend to get along well with children, other dogs, and other pets. As long as they have been properly socialized, they even get along with strangers. After all, that just means more people to give them attention!

A Mini Sheepadoodle is highly adaptable. They do well in apartments as well as larger homes with or without yards. As long as they get enough daily exercise, mental stimulation, and attention, they can adapt to almost any living situation.

They also do well in most climates. As with any dog breed, they are sensitive to heat. Although their fluffy coat does give them some extra insulation against the cold, they may still need some winter dog products while on walks when temperatures drop lower.

Because these dogs bond closely with their families and thrive on affection and attention, they do not like to spend long periods of time alone. This also means they can be prone to developing separation anxiety if you do not work with them early on.

Although a Mini Sheepadoodle could inherit none of the conditions common to their parent breeds, they also stand a chance of inheriting some of them or all of them. Good breeding practices make a huge difference.

Potential health concerns to be aware of in a Mini Sheepadoodle include Addison’s disease, Cushing’s disease, cataracts, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, epilepsy, von Willebrand’s disease, skin conditions, and deafness.

Responsible breeders will screen their dogs to avoid passing issues to puppies. So, make sure you ask about the health and genetic history of both of the parents.

Mini Sheepadoodles are highly intelligent dogs that are eager to please. They pick up on things quickly and strive to earn praise from their owners. This makes them a highly trainable dog that tends to be a good fit for owners of all experience levels.

Although you may not need puppy training classes, they can still be a good idea. In addition to other benefits of puppy training classes, they give you opportunities to reinforce training, practice commands, and also socialize a puppy.

A Mini Sheepadoodle coat may vary depending on the parent breeds. In general, the coat is long and curly. It may shed a little with a Sheepdog as one of the parents. If the other parent is a Sheepadoodle, a Mini Sheepadoodle will be more likely to inherit the low or non-shedding Poodle coat.

They will need to be brushed daily to remove tangles and prevent mats from forming. Bathing is on an as-needed basis, but professional grooming will be needed every 4-8 weeks to help maintain their coat. This is particularly important if your Mini Sheepadoodle will be going swimming with you.

In addition to coat care, you will also need to take care of your Mini Sheepadoodle’s nails, ears, and teeth. If you’re visiting the groomer regularly, they will be able to help with some maintenance tasks, but you will still need to take care of everything between appointments.

Cutting nails once or twice a month keeps them from growing too long. Ear checks on a weekly basis with careful cleanings as needed can help prevent ear infections. Brushing teeth with a dog-friendly toothpaste or using an enzyme toothpaste every day is an ideal start to good dental care for dogs This, in addition to cleanings at the vet as needed, can help prevent painful dental diseases later in life.

Although a Mini Sheepadoodle will be energetic and have bouts of high energy when they play, they sit in a more moderate activity range. Daily walks plus some playtime throughout the day are usually enough for this dog. But, they love spending time with you, so they will likely be up for more activity if you are.

A fully-grown Mini Sheepadoodle usually stands 15-20 inches tall and weighs 30-35 pounds. These are average measurements and some Mini Sheepadoodles may sit in a slightly heavier or slightly lighter range.

Mini Sheepadoodles generally live for 12-15 years on average.

Figure skaters Meryl Davis and Fedor Andreev own a Mini Sheepadoodle named Bilbo Baggins.