10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Doxiepoo
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Wondering what makes a Doxiepoo one of the most unpredictable designer dogs? While crossbreeds are very popular, this mix is a cross between Dachshund and Poodle and even breeders cannot guarantee that the best genetics of each breed will be present in all the littermates. It’s because the mix includes parent breeds which are very different. The litters which result from these parents display the wide variations in size, color, coat, and temperament.
1. Breeders cannot control the genetics of the Doxiepoo crossbreed.
One of the most significant reasons for the variations is because Dachshunds and Poodles are two breeds which come in different sizes. Poodles are considered a formal group of dog breeds. There are different size types, including Miniature, Medium, Standard, and Toy depending upon the breeder’s association.
Poodles vary in height by type anywhere from less than 11 inches to more than 15 inches. Dachshunds come in three sizes including the kaninchen, miniature, and standard. Dachshunds vary in weight anywhere from less than 8 pounds to more than 32 pounds. While Poodles generally come with curly coats, Dachshunds are often classified by their coats.
Dachshunds may be short-haired, long-haired, or wire-haired. Each breed comes in a variety of coat colors. Each breed also has varied temperaments and eye colors. All these have the possibility of affecting the results in any Doxiepoo litter.
2. Doxiepoos have great nicknames.
Dachshunddoole, Dachshundpoo, Doxiedoodle, Doodle, Dachdoodle, and Doxypoodle are a just a few of their common nicknames.
3. Healthy Doxiepoos have a life span of about 12 to 15 years.
Since they may live quite a long time, it’s important to select puppies which have a better chance of not developing health issues common to their parental breeds. Doctors advise prospective Doxiepoo owners to look for outgoing puppies who are not bullies when with their siblings.
Handle and observe the puppies for a long time during the selection process. Look for a Doxiepoo with a shorter back to try to avoid problems common to the longer backs of Dachshunds. The goal is to minimize the chance that serious health issues will develop over time.
4. Doxiepoos have only existed for about fifteen years or so.
They are part of a large number of crosses with Poodles which became popular at the time. Vets believe that those Poodle cross-breeds were successful because breeders selected parent breeds which were very similar.
This is not true for Doxiepoos, which are bred from two very, very different parent breeds. It is also true that the majority of Doxiepoos are only first generation. They haven’t been bred long enough to clearly produce confidence in vets. It takes several generations of breeding for any breed to prove that defects have been bred out of the designer hybrid breed.
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5. Doxiepoos are susceptible to many health problems common to Poodles and Dachshunds.
From Poodles, Doxipoos might inherit von Willebrad’s Disease, which is a blood clotting disorder. From Dachshunds, Doxipoos might inherit sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome which results in a very sudden and profound vision loss. Also common in Dachshunds is intervertebral disc disease, and this if often seen in Doxiepoos which inherit long backs.
This disc condition often causes spinal compression and disc collapse which can cause extreme pain and potential paralysis. Doxiepoos are often seen with the Dachshund bowed legs which are caused by a cartilage abnormality called chondrodystrophy.
6. Doxiepoos love to bark.
Though they can be trained to bark less, their nature is to be vocal. This is fine when their territorial nature prompts them to alert to threats. They do make good watchdogs. They can also annoy neighbors who might hear these feisty dogs barking around the clock. Training them well depends on how much of their distracted Dachshund nature they have or how much of their attentive Poodle nature is present.
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7. Doxiepoos have keen hunting instincts.
They inherit this trait from both the Poodle and the Dachshund. Both parent breeds were used as hunting dogs in the past. Poodles retrieved dead prey for their owners, and Dachshunds killed prey as well as retrieving it. Doxiepoos have been known to go after the family cat or other small pets.
8. Some Doxiepoos are sociable and clever-but others are born with less desirable traits.
Because of the inconsistency notable within Doxiepoo litters and among individuals, it’s just as likely that any Doxiepoo may be sensitive or restless as Poodles can be, or stubborn and wary of strangers as Dachshunds can be.
When these more difficult personality traits are inherited, Doxiepoos are often difficult to train and own. Of course, when breeding produces the most virtuous of the traits common to both Poodles and Dachshunds, then Doxiepoos may be courageous and likeable members of the family.
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9. Doxiepoos are notoriously difficult to potty train.
It’s not because a Doxiepoo isn’t intelligent-it is. That trait seems to come overwhelmingly from it’s Poodle parent. It’s stubborn streak, which comes from its Dachshund parent is what experts say causes the trouble. Dachshunds have a distinct reputation for being a pain to housebreak. Doxiepoos are often so difficult with this that there are videos online to help owners deal with their Doxiepoos.
10. Get out the brush- Doxiepoos may need daily grooming.
Without daily brushing, their coats can become matted very quickly and skin infections can settle in at the roots. Some Doxiepoos are born with the short straight coats of their Dachshund parent. For these, regular bathing is helpful. But those with the curly Poodle coats must visit the groomer about once a month to keep their mass of curly fur in shape. What’s necessary really depends on the kind of coat the Doxiepoo inherits.
