10 Things You Didn’t Know about The Scoodle
The Scoodle isn’t a purebred dog. Instead, the term refers to designer dogs that are descended from Scottish Terriers and Poodles. On the whole, the Scoodle can be very suitable for people who want a canine companion with characteristics from both breeds.
1. Not Guaranteed to Be Hardier than Purebred Ancestors
It is common to see claims about mixed breed dogs being hardier than their purebred ancestors. There is some evidence to support this on the whole. However, interested individuals should remember that a particular mixed breed dog may or may not conform to general trends, meaning that they aren’t guaranteed to be so. As such, they need to keep a watchful eye out for health problems that are common in both Scottish Terriers and Poodles.
2. It Is Possible to Get a Scoodle Closer to Either a Scottish Terrier or a Poodle
Speaking of which, it is common for people to imagine mixed breed dogs being an even mix of characteristics from both sides of their heritage. This isn’t necessarily the case, not least because a particular mixed breed dog isn’t necessarily a first-generation mix. On the plus side, this means that if interested individuals want a Scoodle that is more like a Scottish Terrier, they can look for Scoodles that have more descent from Scottish Terriers than from Poodles. The same can be said for the reverse as well.
3. Life Expectancy of 12 to 15 Years
Smaller dogs tend to be longer-lived than bigger dogs. This can seem very strange to interested individuals. After all, there are well-known examples of smaller mammals being shorter-lived than bigger mammals. It isn’t clear why this is the case for dogs, but this hasn’t stopped people from offering a number of potential explanations. For example, smaller mammals tend to be shorter-lived than bigger mammals, but smaller members of the same species tend to be longer-lived than bigger members of the same species, which is important because dogs of different breeds are still members of the same species. Alternatively, it is possible that the increased weight is putting more stress on bigger dogs. Whatever the case, Scoodles are said by some places to have a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years, which isn’t bad by the standards of the average dog.
4. Its Ancestor Is Far From Being the Sole Scottish Terrier
Generic names can sometimes make for some very confusing results. For instance, there are four breeds of Scottish terriers besides the Scottish Terrier, which would be the Skye Terrier, the Cairn Terrier, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, and the West Highland White Terrier. On top of this, Scottish Terriers are one of the Scottish terriers that were once called Skye Terriers, thus making for even more potential confusion over the matter.
5. Its Ancestor Was Popular with James VI and I
Scottish Terriers have been around for a long time, so much so that it isn’t clear when the breed came into existence. Having said that, something similar seems to have existed by the time of James VI and I, who is said to have sent six terriers to his French counterpart. For context, said individual was the King of Scotland before becoming both the King of Scotland and the King of England because of the union of the two crowns on March 24 of 1603. The latter happened because he was a close male relative of his predecessor Elizabeth I, who had no child of her own.
6. Its Ancestor Seems to Be Popular with U.S. Presidents
Other notable people are known to have owned Scottish Terriers. To name an example, multiple U.S. presidents have owned Scottish Terriers at various points in their lives. One example would be Franklin D. Roosevelt, who owned a number of Scottish Terriers. The other examples would be both Dwight D. Eisenhower and George W. Bush.
7. Its Other Ancestor Was Used to Retrieve Game
On a similar note, it isn’t clear how the Scoodle’s other ancestor came into existence either. Most experts believe that the Poodle was bred into existence in Germany. However, there are those who believe that the Poodle was bred into existence in France instead. Whatever the cause, the breed was meant to retrieve not just game but also ammunition that had managed to miss their mark, which explains much about its distinctive characteristics.
8. Its Other Ancestor Diverged in France
It is interesting to note that there seems to be a clearer picture of how the Standard Poodle gave rise to the Miniature Poodle and then the Toy Poodle. In short, the breed was very popular in France, so much so that it started seeing use for other purposes. One example was circus performances, which prompted people to start breeding Poodles smaller and smaller for increased convenience while traveling about. This process produced the Miniature Poodle. Later, people started breeding Miniature Poodles even smaller to create a breed to serve as household companions, thus resulting in Toy Poodles. Given the Scottish Terrier’s size, interested individuals should have no problem guessing which Poodles are more common as the ancestors of Scoodles.
9. Tends to Be Smart Dogs
Both Scottish Terriers and Poodles tend to be smart dogs. After all, they started out as working animals, meaning that they needed a fair amount of intelligence for them to carry out their tasks in a competent manner. As such, it should come as no surprise to learn that Scoodles tend to be smart dogs as well, though interested individuals will still need to put in serious effort to make the most of that intelligence.
10. Tends to Be Hypoallergenic
Both ancestors of Scoodles also tend to be hypoallergenic. Due to this, Scoodles tend to be hypoallergenic as well. Having said that, regular bathing and brushing will still help out by minimizing hair, dander, and saliva. Something to keep in mind for people who are sensitive to such allergens.
