Whoodle

No two Whoodles are alike, and with a parent that can be a Standard, Miniature or Toy Poodle the spread is unusually wide. Work out a feeding plan with your vet against your dog's age, size and health history rather than a generic chart.

Most adults eat twice a day, morning and evening. Whoodle puppies have a faster metabolism, so a midday meal on top, making three, generally suits them better.

The nutrition label gives a daily guide based on weight alone. Your vet will factor in body condition score, lifestyle and health for a figure that actually fits the dog in front of you, which matters here because the same breed name covers a 30-pound dog and a 70-pound one.

On an Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) compliant food a Whoodle needs nothing extra. Supplements and prescription diets have their place in treating specific conditions, and the kidney problems this cross carries are exactly the kind of thing a prescription diet is for, but that is a veterinary decision rather than a shelf one.

The Whoodle's soft, curly coat barely sheds and mats readily, which means it must be combed and brushed every day. Not most days. The comb is the half that finds what the brush skims over.

A professional groomer every four to eight weeks handles what home grooming cannot, and keeping to that interval is cheaper than the shave-down that follows a coat left to felt.

Watch the skin for sebaceous adenitis, which comes from the Poodle side and is easy to miss under a long coat. Hair loss, an odour along the hairline, small clumps of matted hair, dull or brittle hair, white scales and clusters of lesions on the head are the signs, and treatment ranges from antibiotic-based shampoos to oral medication depending on severity.

Because this cross carries a bleeding disorder in its Poodle ancestry, mention any planned procedure to your vet in advance. Most vets recommend testing high-risk breeds for von Willebrand disease before a spay, a neuter or any other surgery.

Whoodles need close companionship and daily exercise, and the exact amount scales with the dog: the larger the Whoodle, the more energy there is to burn. PetMD publishes no number, so read your own dog rather than a target.

What is certain is that a bored, lonely Whoodle with unspent energy chews and barks. Those are the two complaints the breed generates and both have the same cause.

Above-average intelligence and real athleticism want outlets on both fronts. Long walks, running, swimming and structured work like agility all fit, and training sessions count toward the mental half.

Bear the jumping in mind when you plan where the exercise happens. A Whoodle greeting people with a full-body hug is a charming habit in a yard and a hazard around a small child or an unsteady adult.

Whoodles are extremely intelligent and extremely active, and they do best with owners who have both the time and the skills for consistent positive training. This is not a beginner's dog.

Channel the enthusiasm early. The jumping and the full-body hugs are affection rather than misbehaviour, but they need redirecting into something you can live with before the dog reaches full size.

Around children, supervise everything and teach the child as well as the dog. Whoodles love children; the problem is that a Standard Whoodle's enthusiasm can flatten a small one.

Keep the brain in work. Ample outlets for both intellect and athleticism is the requirement, and a Whoodle that gets one without the other is only half satisfied.