Miniature Poodle vs Bordoodle - Breed Comparison | MyDogBreeds

The Poodle is no stranger to the dog world and has been a familiar face in Western Europe for hundreds of years. Though they have lived in Europe for centuries, their origins are unsure, with some saying they hail from Germany and others say France.

The Miniature Poodles have been used in both countries as gundogs for water birds.

They have always been admired for their intelligence, and Miniature Poodles are believed to have been bred from Standard Poodles. It is interesting to note the 3 official sizes of the Poodle are Toy, Miniature and Standard – all considered one breed and judged according to the same written standard, just with different size requirements.

Known also as a Borderpoo or Borderdoodle, the Bordoodle is a designer- or hybrid breed which hails from the United States of America.

Both the dogs used in the development of this cross-breed are the Poodle and the Border Collie, and both these dog breeds have their own lengthy histories.

The history of the Bordoodle is short, as it is a modern crossbreed which has been purposefully bred by breeders to bring about a dog with certain looks and temperament.

With good care the lifespan of the Miniature Poodle is 14 – 16 years of age. This purebreed dog is small, standing at 28 – 38cm in height and weighing 7 – 8kg.

The coat is typically curly, springy and dense. Colors of the coat can be cream, beige, silver, black, brown or apricot. They are low shedding dogs and are regarded as being hypoallergenic. The ears are floppy and the tail is usually docked to give the dog a nice, compact look.

Temperament:

The Miniature Poodle is intelligent and learns easily, so you won’t have any trouble with training him and having him socialized.

He is a lively dog and loves a game and a walk, loving as much time as possible spent with his human family. He gets on well with other pets in the home as well as with children who have been taught to be kind and gentle with animals.

They are not overly-friendly with strangers, and therefore make excellent watchdogs. They’re the kind of dogs who need both physical and mental stimulation though, and he won’t be content to be left and ignored – after all he counts himself as a member of your family! They make wonderful pets, being playful and energetic and loving water, always ready to swim with you.

The Bordoodle isn’t a purebred dog but is a cross between a Poodle and a Border Collie.

He has a soft, medium length coat which is inclined to be wavy. Colors are essentially black and white but chocolate, cream, fawn, merle and grey are also seen.

He is a medium sized dog standing at between 38cm and 55cm and weighing between 13kg and 27kg. The long tail is feathery, the ears floppy or semi-erect and the brown eyes are bright and intelligent. The muzzle is medium to long.

As with any mixed breed dog, the Bordoodle can take after either parent dog but generally the Borderdoodle will be a medium sized dog.

Temperament:

With the Bordoodle you can expect nothing less than a highly intelligent dog. That is because both the Poodle and the Border Collie are super intelligent dogs so the Bordoodle is guaranteed to have got a good portion of this intelligence from both breeds.

It makes training and socialization easy for the dog. It is important for your Bordoodle to be trained and socialized if you want him to be obedient and relaxed around strangers and other pets. As it is, his amicable nature makes the hybrid dog of yours a great family pet – getting on well with other pets in the home as well as with children.

Apart from being such a smart dog, the Bordoodle is active, playful, loving and devoted – everything a serious dog owner wants in a pet. This is a dog that doesn’t really know the meaning of the word aggressive.

When you take a Miniature Poodle into your home and your heart, there are many wonderful positive aspects that come with him.

You won’t have any trouble training him as he is clever and bright. He is such a loving, loyal pet and he takes his job of guarding you seriously too.

Because they aren’t aggressive, they're easy to keep in the city or the countryside, so long as he receives plenty of love, companionship and exercise. Perhaps the only thing that may require a little bit of effort on your part is the fact that his coat will require quite a bit of upkeep to keep it looking good and healthy.

In exchange for looking after him, you’re going to benefit from having a wonderful canine friend and family pet in your life for many years.

Bordoodles have two great dog breeds to thank for the way they turn out. When you think of the Border Collie and Poodle, you know you’re going to get a dog that is friendly, social, playful, loving and devoted – the ideal family pet.

Intelligent, he is easy to train too, and with excellent care, you’re going to have a most wonderful family pet and companion, full of fun and life.

Dog’s thrive on good nutrition and exercise, and if your Miniature Poodle gets both of these combined with plenty of love, he can live to be up to 16 years of age and even older.

They are robust little dogs, but even so, they can get sick. Ear infections, joint diseases, obesity, dental disease and bloat are common dog diseases to look out for -

Bloat:

This is a life-threatening condition where your pet’s stomach fills with gas. The swollen stomach puts pressure on the diaphragm and the dog battles to breathe. The dog could also vomit, be drooling and lethargic.

The stomach can also twist putting the dog in shock. This bloating can occur with any dog breed and efforts can be made to avoid it by feeding the dog smaller more frequent meals as opposed to one larger meal which he gobbles up.

The dog shouldn’t exercise immediately after a meal either. You also want to avoid obesity at all costs.

Mitral Valve Disease:

When the mitral valve malfunctions, blood isn’t being pumped out of the heart to the rest of the body. If the mitral valve weakens or leaks it can lead to endocarditis.

Quite a number of dogs develop some form of heart disease during their lifetime, with a high percentage being due to mitral valve insufficiency, which is more common in smaller dogs.

Your dog may have a cough, be lethargic and lose weight. The first signs of a leaking mitral valve is a heart murmur. At first MVI doesn’t have obvious clinical signs, but with time the efficiency of the heart is reduced and congestive heart failure develops. Your veterinarian will evaluate your pet and suggest treatment.

Sebaceous Adenitis:

A skin problem sounds fairly mild but it can cause havoc in your pet’s life, causing him to be constantly licking and scratching himself. The hair becomes dull and brittle, and breaking the skin from continuous scratching invites bacterial infection. These skin infections will require veterinary intervention.

Bordoodles, when well cared for, can live to be 12-15 years of age. There aren’t going to be many health issues to contend with with your Bordoodle as there are no known health problems in this robust breed.

Nonetheless there are some common dog illnesses that you need to be aware of such as progressive retinal atrophy, hip dysplasia and hypothyroidism.

With hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland in the neck of your pet produces a hormone known as thyroxine that controls metabolism, but the disease hypothyroidism makes it that the gland doesn’t make enough thyroxine. Signs that your dog has this illness includes a dull coat, inflamed skin and even hair loss.

Get him to the vet immediately who will do blood tests and provide treatment. Mercifully it isn’t something that is life-threatening.

Grooming:

If you opt to keep your Miniature Poodle’s coat long, it will actually require regular brushing – every day in fact, if you want to avoid matting and tangling. Most people don’t like the work this involves and they have their Poodle’s hair cut short all over, then he only needs a brush once or twice a week. Your Miniature Poodle just loves the time you spend with him grooming him. It’s your time to feel for any unusual lumps and to also check for fleas and ticks. Some people take their pet to the doggy parlor to have the coat clipped.

The dog’s nails should also be trimmed regularly, and their ears also need to be checked for wax buildup and debris which can lead to an ear infection.

Teeth need to be checked over too because dental disease won’t only lead to loss of teeth but it could be toxic for important body organs too.

Wipe around your pet’s eyes as tear stains can form under the eyes.

Make sure to feed your pet a top quality diet full of vitamins and minerals. Get to know the foods which can be toxic for your pet and cause stomach upsets. Dogs appreciate simplicity and consistency with their diets, and apart from dry kibble, home-made food such as boiled chicken, brown rice and vegetables can be excellent for your pet.

Grooming:

The Bordoodle is a dog which doesn’t shed that much so his grooming requirements are low and he is considered as a hypoallergenic dog.

He will need to have his coat brushed at least twice a week to keep it shiny, soft and smooth. Depending on how your Bordoodle turns out, he may even require trimming at a professional groomer.

Make time to check his ears inside and out and learn how to clean the inside of his ears to avoid infection and wax build-up.

Dental hygiene is also imperative in dogs, and neglecting to do this will mean food particles and bacteria accumulating along your pet’s gumline, resulting in gingivitis and periodontal disease.

Exercise:

Every dog will require regular exercise and you can get your Bordoodle to join you in your walks. He is the kind of dog that can happily adjust to city or country life, but he will still need to have some ball games and other activities to keep him busy and happy.

He isn’t a dog that can be left alone day after day in the backyard. He is social and playful and loves the companionship of his human family.

Diet:

If you feed your Bordoodle kibble from some of the top quality commercially produced foods, always research the dog food and take a good look at the ingredients.

The pet food you choose plays an important role in the longevity of your pet. There are commercially manufactured foods that have such poor ingredients that they can actually shorten your pet’s lifespan and cause stress to the kidneys and liver.

If in any doubt about what to feed your Bordoodle, speak to your vet. Cooked brown rice, cooked vegetables and cooked chicken can sometimes be mixed into your pet’s kibble. Raw meat should also occasionally be added in to ward off skin allergies.

Clean, cool water in constant supply is also imperative.