A Poodle Pitbull mix is a crossbreed of an active Pitbull and an elegant Poodle. These dogs have both the strength of Pitbull and the intelligence of Poodle.
These dogs are sometimes referred to as Boodle and Poodlepit.
Poodle Pitbull mixes can be great family additions and wonderful companions to you as well as your children.
Read the article to know more about the Poodle Pitbull Mix.
Pitbull Poodle Mix
Quick breed summary of Pitbull Poodle Mix (Pit Boodle)
| Height | 18 to 24 inches |
| Weight | 40 to 70 pounds |
| Lifespan | 9 to 15 years |
| Colors | White, grey, fawn, brindle, blue, brown |
| Intelligence | Good intelligence |
| Breed type | Mixed breed |
| AKC Breed Popularity | Not recognized by AKC |
| Temperament | Lively, playful, active, intelligent |
| Daily Food Consumption | 2 to 3 cups of high-quality food per day |
| Common Health Issues | Infections, bloating, heart disease, dysplasia |
Facts about the Pitbull Poodle Mix
Pitbulls were used as America’s mascots during the First and the Second World War.
Because of their aggressive past of being involved in bloodsports, there are places where Pitbulls are prohibited.
Poodles were used as retrievers and for duck hunting.
A Poodle’s hair keeps growing throughout its lifetime. So you might have to take your dog for a hair cut occasionally and flaunt your dog’s new hairstyles after every hair cut.
About the Poodle Pitbull Mix
Poodle Pitbull mixes are loyal, lively, and family-oriented dogs obtained by cross-breeding Poodles and Pitbulls. The two breeds are quite different from each other both in looks and nature, so the resulting offspring of a crossbreed can have various unexpected outcomes.
These are medium-sized dogs having a single coat which can either have short and smooth hair like Pitbulls or tight curly hair like Poodles.
Their coat can be of a variety of colors like white, black, fawn, blue, gray, brown, etc.
These dogs can be amazing with children if they are socialized and trained properly. Being a medium-sized dog, you might not have to worry about them hurting your child by chance. Still, a little supervision is advised.
They need about two to three cups of food daily and nearly an hour of exercise every day for proper development of their body and to keep lifestyle diseases at bay.
A healthy Poodle Pitbull mix can live about 9 to 15 years.
The appearance of the Pitbull Poodle Mix
It is often hard to predict the physical attributes of a designer breed. You cannot be sure about what features it gets from which parent and grows up to look more like which of its parents.
Talking about the Poodle, it stands apart in the dog crowd because of its strikingly attractive features. They can come in 3 varieties of sizes- standard, miniature, and toy. The standard Poodle has a height of about 15 inches or more and weighs about 45 to 70 pounds. The miniature Poodle grows up to a height of 11 inches and weighs 12 to 20 pounds. The toy variation has a size of less than 10 inches and can weigh about 5 to 7 pounds.
Poodles have a tight and curly single coat which gives them their unique appearance. They have a long muzzle, long and elegant neck, and a square outline of their body, all of which together gives them an elegant look.
Pitbulls, on the other hand, have a very different appearance. They have a single short and shiny coat, a shorter muzzle, square face with little wrinkles, and can grow up to a height of 17 to 19 inches, weighing about 30 to 85 pounds.
With the wide variety of looks that its parent breeds flaunt, a Poodle Pitbull mix can have any combination of looks. Your Poodle Pitbull mix can grow up to be either an elegant looking dog like his Poodle parent or a sturdy-looking dog like his Pitbull parent.
These dogs have an average height of 18 to 24 inches and their weight ranges from 40 to 70 pounds. They will definitely have a single coat but its length will depend upon the dominant gene that the dog will inherit from either of its parents.
The coat comes in a diversity of colors like fawn, blue, black, grey, brown, etc.
History and origins of the breed
Designer dogs have been well known only in the past few decades. So, there is not much history to most of the modern designer dogs. But what can be done to understand such dogs is to take a glance at the parent breeds of these dogs and know about the history of those parent breeds.
This section will take you through the history of Poodles and Pitbulls.
Poodles
There have been some theories about the origin of Poodles. While one of the theories says that these dogs were developed from Asian herding dogs which were captured by Berbers (North Africans). Another theory says that these dogs were the descendants of dogs which left Asian steppes and went with the German Tribes called Goths.
It is popularly believed that the Poodles were originally from Germany and can be dated back to the 15th century.
This belief is supported by the drawings of a German artist named Albrecht Dürer which featured the dog.
According to the British Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club, the dog originated in Germany as a duck hunting dog and was called Pudlehund, a name derived from the word “pudle” meaning ‘to splash in the water’ and ‘hund’ meaning a dog.
Provided the fact that Poodles were used as duck hunting dogs and as retrievers, these dogs were not owned by the common folks, but by the wealthier families involved in hunting fowls.
In the 18th century, it had become the principal pet dog in Spain, as can be seen in the paintings of the Spanish artist Francisco Goya.
An international organization named Fédération Cynologique Internationale, which had both Germany and France’s main Kennel Club as its members claimed that the breed descended from the French Barbets. When the FCI, officially, recognized the breed, Germany recognized the breed to be originated in France.
Pitbull Terriers
The history of Pitbulls dates back to the 1800s, United Kingdom. Games like Bullbaiting where Bulldogs were made to fight and kill bulls were very popular for entertainment purposes. Such games came to a halt after the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1835 was passed, that prohibited baiting of bulls.
Thereafter emerged other games which excluded bulls, like dogfighting between Bulldogs and Ratting, in which the Bulldogs competed to kill rats.
Such games continued to gain popularity which led to the development of higher needs for tougher competitions, such as the need for better-skilled dogs.
Thus the Bulldogs were crossbred with Terriers, giving rise to Pitbulls which had the genes for gaming that they got from Bulldogs and the genes for swiftness, that they got from Terriers.
Later, Pitbull traveled to America where they found a new identity as working dogs, helping in hunting, protecting livestock, and families. Thereafter the journey of Pitbulls as loyal and helpful family dogs began.
These dogs became so famous that they were also used as the mascot of America in the First and the Second World War.
In 1976, with the passing of the Animal Welfare Act, dogfighting was banned completely and Pitbulls began being recognized as trusted pets.
Is Pit Boodle good with children?
Poodle Pitbull mixes can be great with children and bond well with them, provided they are socialized properly. These are medium-sized dogs which usually are not much of a danger to kids. They are careful, gentle, and playful. But, as said earlier, it would be best, if they are socialized since the initial days of their life.
Also, some supervision is always recommended, until your child is big enough to take care of himself.
Care of the Poodle Pitbull Mix
Before bringing any pet home, it is always better to see what are the pet’s daily requirements, so that you are well prepared to experience this new change in your life and also, so that, you can give your pet a healthy lifestyle.
Food requirements
One of the most crucial aspects of your dog’s needs, which should always be your topmost priority when it comes to your dog’s health, is the type and amount of food you give him. It essential that you give your dog the best quality food to keep your dog in his best health.
The amount of food to give your dog depends on factors like age and weight. An average adult Poodle Pitbull mix should be given about 2 to 3 cups of food daily.
Divide your dog’s food portion into 2 to 3 meals and also save some as treats to be given throughout the day, to inculcate a routine in your dog’s life. Treats that you give can either be some low-calorie snacks suitable for dogs or sometimes, you can give the same food that you give to your dog for his meals.
When you feed your dog, you should be aware of what nutrients the food has and whether you are over or underfeeding your dog with a particular nutrient or not.
You need to make sure that there is no allergen in your dog’s food and should be well aware of what suits your dog and what not.
An important thing to keep in mind is that these dogs are prone to obesity. It is most likely that you might end up giving more treats than what is the required daily portion which might make him susceptible to obesity. So, do not get carried by his puppy eyes while you are treating him.
Exercise requirements
Exercise should be of the kind that satisfies both the Pitbull’s and Poodle’s genes. Pitbull is quite an energetic dog while the Poodle has a sharp brain. To satisfy both these traits, the Poodle Pitbull mix needs to play games which not only get them good physical activity but also help stimulate their brain.
It would be good to set a schedule for walking and playing, just like you would do with your dog’s meals, for the sake of building a routine.
Keeping 2 sessions of 30 minutes of walking and good physical activity and playing games a bit throughout the day would be a good idea.
Such a schedule will help your dog stay engaged and will keep him from getting bored and idle which can otherwise lead your dog to adopt harmful behavior like excessive barking and chewing.
You can play games like ‘hide and fetch’, or various sniffing games or play with his favorite ball. Playing such games will not keep your dog physically and mentally fit, but also help you bond with your dog and spend quality time with him.
Training requirements
Start training your dog from the very beginning. It might be a little challenging to train in the beginning, but once you get hold of your dog and start getting his full attention, it will become easy for you then.
Remember to use the rule of positive reinforcement and try to erase the word “punishment” from your dog training dictionary. Punishments can only lead to adverse effects on your dog which will hamper your training session.
It is always good to have a plan about how will go on training your dog; the types of commands and lessons you will teach him, the day you will teach a certain lesson. It is good if you have all that pre-planned, in the absence of which, you might find yourself jumping from one lesson to another and might not be able to teach your dog any lesson properly.
Just like you would do with his exercises and meals, prepare a schedule for his training as well, with short training sessions. This way, you will be able to get your dog’s undivided attention without getting bored.
Grooming requirement
Grooming requirements of a Poodle Pitbull mix depends completely on which gene it inherits from which parent. While Pitbulls have a short coat that does not need much grooming, Poodles have curly tight hair that requires proper “grooming sessions”.
With Pitbull’s genes, you can go on with brushing once a day and giving him baths only when required.
Poodle genes will need a lot more attention. You will have to deal with more brushing and shedding. You might need special good quality brushes to brush them and remove the knots and dead hair.
You will also need good shampoos which will suit his skin type and hair.
Apart from the coat, you will need to take care of your dog’s dental hygiene, nails, and ear. Brushing his teeth daily is important to prevent any dental problem.
Keep a check on his ear to make sure that it is clean and dry, which will prevent infections.
Taking your dog occasionally to a vet for a routine checkup would be a good idea.
Common health issues
Taking care of all the above-mentioned requirements is very necessary to give your dog a healthy life, failing in which, can lead your dog to suffer from various health issues which, in worst cases can even be fatal. So it is better to take precautions and know beforehand about the possible health issues that your dog is prone to.
Bloating:
this is a very common health issue that usually occurs due to improper diet and exercise. If not checked and treated well in time, this condition can even be fatal for your dog. So, take good care of your dog’s diet and exercise to prevent bloating.
Obesity:
this is another condition caused by improper diet and exercise. It is possible that you unknowingly make your dog overeat while treating him, which can also lead to obesity in the long run.
Hip dysplasia:
dogs are susceptible to dysplasia, a condition in which joints in the pelvic region come out of their sockets and results in extreme pain. The best way to prevent this is by giving your dog enough exercise.
Ear infections:
moist and dirty ear can be an invitation to germs and bacteria causing infections. So, it is crucial to keep your dog’s ear clean and dry.
Summary:
Poodle Pitbull mix is an adorable bunch of joy that can fill your house with positive vibes. It can get along with your family well and do great with your kids if you train and socialize them properly.
Grooming the dog having Poodle genes for a coat can be a little time consuming and tiring as you will not only have to take more time for your dog but also have to put an extra effort to keep your house clean, because of the extra shedding.
But you cannot hate him for this, but fall for him for his playful and active nature.
Dr. Aram Baker has been with Santa Clarita Animal Hospital since 1995 and his special interests include behaviour medicine and dermatology. He graduated from the Cleveland Humanities Magnet Program in Reseda, CA and attended California State University at Northridge where he received a Bachelor’s degree in biology. He went on to pursue his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at the University of California at Davis. He also spent time in the zoological medicine department at U.C. Davis during his Junior and Senior years. He is dedicated to caring for all pets big or small, young or old with compassion, patience, kindness, and love.