Sheepadoodle: Not a Shepadoodle

3 Common Sheepadoodle Behaviour Problems (And How To Fix Them)

Remember: Sheepadoodles were created as one of the earlier doodle crosses with genuine intention—combining Old English Sheepdog's calm temperament with Poodle intelligence. Understanding their size and grooming needs helps you prepare for the reality of owning this fluffy companion.

Where Do Sheepadoodles Come From?

The Sheepadoodle emerged in the 1980s-1990s as one of the earlier "doodle" crosses before the trend exploded. The intent was combining Old English Sheepdog (OES) calm temperament with Poodle intelligence and creating a large "hypoallergenic" companion dog.

The name "Sheepadoodle" suggests herding ability, but most have zero working drive—they're large companion crosses, not working dogs, though some inherit OES herding genetics which can create behavioural challenges.

Most Sheepadoodles are F1 (first generation) crosses, creating unpredictability in temperament, coat type, and adult size within single litters.

What were they bred to do?

Sheepadoodles have no working purpose—they're purely a companion cross. Understanding their parent breeds explains their characteristics:

Old English Sheepdogs were bred as English herding and driving dogs, moving livestock to market. They required strength, endurance, and calm steady temperament. They're actually more "driving" dogs than "herding" dogs—pushing livestock rather than precise control work. They're "Velcro dogs" who bond intensely to family and struggle when separated.

Poodles were originally water retrievers requiring high intelligence and handler focus. They're similarly handler-focused and prone to separation anxiety.

The unpredictability makes placement challenging—families expecting calm gentle giants sometimes get energetic, reactive dogs. The marketing emphasises size and appearance ("teddy bear look") over temperament or appropriate placement.

Key breeding traits:

Sheepadoodles are large dogs (30-40kg+) with calm to moderate energy. This is lower than most doodle crosses but still requires daily exercise. They show potential for herding behaviours if OES genetics are strong (stalking, nipping), though this is less common than in Aussiedoodles.

Their extremely high-maintenance coat requires professional grooming every 6-8 weeks at $100-150+ and daily brushing, or it becomes painfully matted. Black and white "panda" colouring is common (Poodle parti-colour gene combined with OES black and white).

The coat is the biggest challenge. Neither OES nor Poodle have low-maintenance coats, so combining them creates grooming requirements that many families are unprepared for.

Why Do Sheepadoodles Have These Behaviour Problems?

Your Sheepadoodle isn't misbehaving—they're expressing traits from two breeds with specific care requirements. They're marketed to families wanting large, calm, "hypoallergenic" companion dogs good with children.

Many families are attracted to puppy appearance (fluffy "teddy bear" look) without understanding adult size or maintenance requirements. Adolescence (10-18 months) is when many owners become overwhelmed—the cute fluffy puppy is now 30+kg, potentially reactive, and requires constant grooming.

Problem 1: Extreme Coat Maintenance & Matting Issues

What's happening: Your Sheepadoodle's coat mats constantly despite your best efforts. Professional grooming costs are astronomical. Areas behind ears, armpits, and rear end become severely matted within days. You weren't prepared for this level of maintenance.

Why it happens: Both parent breeds have high-maintenance coats. Old English Sheepdogs have double coats (dense undercoat plus long outer coat) that mat extremely easily, especially behind ears, armpits, rear end, and anywhere there's friction.

Poodles have continuously growing single coats that curl and mat without regular maintenance. Combining these two coat types creates grooming challenges that exceed what either parent breed faces individually.

The fix: Accept high-maintenance coat is a non-negotiable reality. If you're not prepared for daily brushing (15-30 minutes) and professional grooming every 4-6 weeks ($100-150+ per session = $1,300-2,600+ annually), this cross is not appropriate.

Start grooming conditioning at 8 weeks: daily handling sessions whilst feeding high-value treats, gentle brushing whilst rewarding, touching paws, ears, and face whilst treats flow.

Invest in proper tools: slicker brush, metal comb (this reveals mats the slicker misses), mat splitter for emergency mat removal, high-velocity dryer if bathing at home. Check "problem areas" daily: behind ears, armpits, collar line, rear end, where legs meet body—these mat first.

Bath only after thorough brushing. Water tightens mats making them impossible to remove—always brush, then bathe, then brush again whilst drying.

Consider shaving short in summer. A cool, comfortable dog is more important than aesthetics—keeping them long in hot weather for "looks" prioritises your preferences over their welfare.

Overwhelmed by grooming demands? The reality of doodle coat maintenance surprises most owners. Join our free Skool community for home grooming tutorials, mat prevention strategies, and realistic budgeting advice.

Problem 2: Size Management & Strength Issues

What's happening: Your Sheepadoodle's normal puppy behaviors—jumping, lead pulling, enthusiastic play—have become dangerous now they're 30-40kg. Their fluffy appearance made you underestimate their strength. What was cute at 15 pounds is dangerous at 35kg.

Why it happens: These dogs regularly reach 30-40kg+. At this size, normal behaviours (jumping, lead pulling, play) become dangerous and difficult to manage. A jumping 40kg Sheepadoodle knocks people over, injures children, causes falls. Lead pulling by a large dog dislocates shoulders and makes walks impossible.

Their size combined with fluffy appearance makes people underestimate their strength until the puppy is 25kg+ and habits are already established.

The fix: Train from 8 weeks before size is an issue—every behaviour allowed as a puppy becomes an adult habit. Implement strict management: no jumping ever (everyone turns away ignoring until four paws on floor), loose lead walking from first walk, no furniture until invited (prevents resource guarding, maintains your control of resources).

Socialise extensively (100+ positive experiences before 16 weeks) to prevent territorial or fearful behaviours—under-socialised large breeds become dangerous. Exercise appropriately for giant breeds: avoid running and jumping until growth plates close (18-24 months)—focus on mental work and moderate walks during growth.

Physical reality check: if you cannot physically manage a 40kg+ dog, you need professional trainer help immediately. Waiting until they're full grown makes training exponentially harder.

Finding size overwhelming? Large breed management requires early intervention before strength becomes dangerous. Our Skool community has giant breed training protocols and size-appropriate exercise guidelines.

Problem 3: Separation Anxiety & Co-dependency

What's happening: Your Sheepadoodle becomes distressed when left alone, follows you everywhere (even to the bathroom), can't settle unless touching you, shows signs of panic when separated, or develops destructive behaviors during absences.

Why it happens: Old English Sheepdogs were bred as farm dogs working alongside farmers all day—they're "Velcro dogs" bonding intensely to family and struggling when separated. Poodles are similarly handler-focused and prone to separation anxiety.

Combining these traits creates dogs who genuinely panic when alone. Many owners inadvertently reinforce this by providing constant companionship during puppyhood without building independence skills.

The fix: Practice numerous mini-departures throughout the day (starting with just 20 seconds), returning without any greeting, eye contact, or touching for 5 full minutes until they're completely calm—you must wait them out.

Never make departures dramatic by picking up keys and putting on shoes only when leaving. Instead, do these actions randomly throughout the day to desensitise the cues (if you're already struggling with separation anxiety).

Practice 20-30 mini-departures on weekends with very short absences (even just to your car and back) to rapidly build the skill. When you return home and they're excited, freeze completely—no movement, speaking, or acknowledgment—until they settle to a calm state, then quietly invite interaction on your terms.

You cannot exercise separation anxiety out of your dog, but it's important that they have sufficient mental and physical stimulation to prevent anxiety from under-stimulation.

Struggling with co-dependency? This genetic trait requires systematic independence training from day one. Join our Skool community for separation anxiety protocols and mini-departure training plans.

Is a Sheepadoodle Right for a New Owner?

A Sheepadoodle might be perfect for you if you're looking for:

A calm, gentle family companion - When well-bred, many inherit the Old English Sheepdog's steady, gentle temperament, making them wonderful with children.

A large, affectionate dog - They bond deeply with their families and thrive on companionship and closeness.

An intelligent, trainable companion - They combine intelligence from both breeds and respond well to positive training methods.

A stunning, unique-looking dog - Their fluffy coats and often striking black-and-white "panda" markings are genuinely beautiful.

If you can commit to 15-30 minutes daily brushing plus professional grooming every 4-6 weeks ($1,300-2,600+ annually), train from 8 weeks old before size becomes unmanageable, provide extensive independence training to prevent separation anxiety, have realistic expectations about their 30-40kg+ adult size and strength, and have significant space for a large dog, a well-bred Sheepadoodle can be a wonderful family companion.

Get the Full Support System for Your Sheepadoodle

This guide gives you real solutions you can start using today. But raising a well-behaved Sheepadoodle is an ongoing journey, not a one-time fix.

That's why we created our free Skool community—to give you continuous support every step of the way.

Inside the community, you'll get:

• Weekly live Q&A sessions where you can ask about YOUR specific Sheepadoodle and get personalised advice from experienced trainers
• Full breed-specific courses covering everything from coat maintenance to large breed management
• A supportive community of other Sheepadoodle owners who understand the grooming commitment and separation anxiety challenges
• Video demonstrations of grooming techniques and mat prevention strategies
• Troubleshooting help when things don't go to plan (because they won't always!)
• Updated resources as we add new courses and training blueprints

Best part? It's completely free. No subscription. No catch. Just dog owners helping dog owners.

Join The Toe Beans Co community today and get the ongoing support you need to build the best relationship with your Sheepadoodle.