Most Doodle dog owners will agree, that the Doodle community is awesome. It’s filled with amazing people who love their pups and will happily share the experiences they’ve had along the way. What you’ll find here is proof.
In an effort to help those of you who are considering getting an Aussiedoodle out, we reached out to the owners of a cute pup we found on Instagram.
Her name is Mera and at the time, she was 4-months old.
We asked her some questions and wanted to share her responses with you. It should be some really helpful info for you and covers things like shedding, exercise, toys, and more.
Ok, let’s get into the questions we asked…
Q: How would you explain the shedding habits of your dog?
Mera sheds minimally. If she does shed, it is typically so little we don’t even notice it. Even after we brush out her fur, there isn’t much hair on the brush or on us/the surface we brushed her on.
Q: Does your Aussiedoodle like to swim? What’s been their experience with water? How’d you introduce them?
Mera still isn’t sure of water as a whole yet. She doesn’t mind bath time, and she seemed to enjoy playing in some deeper holes. Her first big exposure was at Matthiessen Park where we went hiking. I brought a floaty with us to put her in, and I first coaxed her into the water by wading out and calling her to me. She was unsure at first but took to it like a fish.
Q: How would you describe Mera’s exercise needs? What does daily exercise look like?
We exercise Mera with one to two daily walks, and she typically spends the time in between playing with our cat Shadow. She is very energetic, and she loves to run around. Her daily walks are typically one to two miles around the lake we live next to, and sometimes around the complex.
Q: What are some of Mera’s favorite things to do?
Her favorite thing is to herd people into groups. Even at just a few months old, she has a sense of ‘together’ and if one of the group walks too far in front of or behind the others she gets anxious and tries to corral them together. If one of us is out of sight, she will cry and howl to get us all to pay attention to her.
Aside from that, she loves rides in the car with the window down (she tries to bite the air) or playing games for treats. She’s mastered sitting and speaking, and right now she is learning “high five”. Tug of war is sometimes okay, and sometimes boring, she hasn’t figured out what she thinks of it yet.
Q: Does she have any funny quirks or habits?
Her funny habits are her ‘zoomies’. She will tuck her tail in and run with her back legs hunched like a rabbit. It’s both incredibly endearing and also very funny. She loves belly rubs, and when I get home from work she will run to me and plop herself in my lap with her belly facing up. Other than that, she is just a typical puppy!
Q: What are their 5 favorite toys to play with?
- A rope ball toy. This puppy pack has a rope ball and 11 other awesome puppy toys.
- A chewy elephant. This one has bite shield technology so she can’t destroy it easily.
- An octopus squeaking toy, like this one.
- A stuffed brown rabbit. Here’s a really realistic looking one!
- A Nylabone. Amazon has a huge selection of these.
Q: What grooming supplies and tools do you use with Mera?
Shampoo: For bathing, we use TropiClean Berry and Coconut dog shampoo (grab it on Amazon), or Lifes an Itch by pethead.
Blow Dryer: We have a Conair 1875 watt hair dryer that is typically used to blow her dry (using the diffuser). This one comes with a free diffuser.
Brush: For brushing, we use a stiff bristle brush that is generic and came from Amazon.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
I think it should be mentioned that the breed’s intelligence is quite impressive. Mera is just shy of 4 months old but is completely housebroken and knows several commands. She sleeps on a bed with her humans all night and patiently waits to potty outside in the mornings.
I’ve owned dogs in the past, such as a German Shepherd, multiple labs, and a boxer (to name a few) and none have come close to the speed at which she learns. It took three days after I picked her up for her to learn her name, and she sits, speaks, and comes on command as well as signals to us when she has to potty by sitting near the door/touching her leash to her nose.
I don’t think that her training is anything above what she would receive elsewhere, but rather a pleasant surprise.
Q: What tips or recommendations do you have for others considering an Aussiedoodle?
You should expect a puppy who has lots of energy, needs lots of playtime, and who learns very quickly. The toys you give them should be durable and have a variety of texture and noises to keep them occupied.
If I would change anything, I would have gotten her at 12 weeks rather than 8, so she learned puppy etiquette from her parents (no biting and no nipping).
While it would be hard waiting those extra few weeks to bring your puppy home, it’s something to ask your breeder about.
