How Big Do Sheepadoodles Get? A Guide To The 4 Common Sizes

With their plush coats and big round eyes, Sheepadoodles puppies look like stuffed toys. However, like all dogs, they grow up. So how big do Sheepadoodles get? Sheepadoodles are not a pure breed but a hybrid of the Old English Sheepdog and the poodle. As a crossbreed, there are no hard and fast rules about how big or small they grow to be.

How Big Do Sheepadoodles Get? A Guide To The 4 Common Sizes 1

How Big Do Sheepadoodles Get? 

The average height of a Sheepadoodle can be anywhere between 18 to 24 inches. However, exceptions always exist, and large Sheepadoodles can reach as high as 27 inches and weigh over 80 pounds. Mini and micro Sheepadoodles are around 14 to 20 inches in height.

If you own or want to own a Sheepadoodle, I can help you understand how big the different crossbreeds of Sheepadoodles grow up to be and what are the factors that influence their size.

As a dog lover, I own several pooches, many of which are crossbreeds, including a Sheepadoodle. I have also added verified information from reputable sources like the American Kennel Club in this guide to provide you with the most accurate information.

How Big Can Sheepadoodles Get?

Standard Sheepadoodles can be anywhere between 18 to 28 inches tall on average, though they are sometimes smaller and larger than this range. If a smaller poodle is used for breeding purposes, the resulting puppies will be smaller in size.

That said, the size of a Sheepadoodle can be difficult to predict since it depends on a number of factors and also since it is a mixed breed and does not have specific breed standards.

Size of a Standard Sheepadoodle

The standard Sheepadoodle is the most common type of Sheepadoodle. This is a crossbreed of the Old English Sheepdog and the Standard Poodle which are large breeds.

Hence, standard Sheepadoodles are usually around 18 to 24 inches tall on average with a weight of 45 to 80 pounds when fully grown. Keep in mind that this size range is not an exact estimation and there are standard Sheepadoodles that grow to be over 27 inches in height and over 100 pounds in weight.

It can also be difficult to predict a standard Sheepadoodle’s height and weight since some dogs inherit the longer legs of the poodle while others get the shorter legs of the Old English Sheepdog.

How Big Do Sheepadoodles Get? A Guide To The 4 Common Sizes 2

Size of a Moyen Sheepadoodle

A Moyen Sheepadoodle is a less common type of Sheepadoodle than a standard one. Moyen means “medium” in French, which means the size of the Sheepadoodle will be similar to a small Standard Sheepadoodle or a smaller-sized Old English Sheepdog.

Medium Sheepadoodles are about 18 to 22 inches high and weigh about 33 to 55 pounds.

Size of a Mini Sheepadoodle

Mini Sheepadoodles are smaller than Moyen Sheepadoodles and are born from breeding a Mini Poodle and the Old English Sheepdog. Although they are called “Mini,” these Sheepadoodles can still be quite big and can be anywhere between 17 to 20 inches in height as adults.

Unlike other Sheepadoodles, Mini Sheepadoodles attain their full adult height in between 7 to 13 months, which is much less than what Sheepadoodles of other sizes take.

The weight of an adult Mini Sheepadoodle can be around 50 pounds.

Size of a Micro Sheepadoodle

The smallest type of Sheepadoodle is known as a Micro Sheepadoodle. This is an umbrella term for several varieties of Sheepadoodles including the Toy Sheepadoodle, Micro Mini Sheepadoodle, etc.

The Toy Poodle is only 10 inches or less in height and weighs only 10 pounds so it is not practical to breed it with the Old English Sheepdog. Instead, the Toy Poodle is cross-bred with the Mini Sheepadoodle.

The Micro Sheepadoodle is around 15 to 16 inches in height and can weigh less than 25 pounds.

Factors That Determine the Height and Size of a Sheepadoodle

The height and size of a Sheepadoodle are determined by several factors. These include the dog’s parentage, generation, gender, and nutrition of the Sheepadoodle.

Parentage

Just like human beings, Sheepadoodles also inherit one half of their genetic makeup from one parent and the other half of their genetic makeup from other parents. The traits that are dominant will be expressed in the puppy. 

However, with Sheepadoodles, predicting hereditary attributes can be a bit tricky since the Old English Sheepdog and the Poodle are two different breeds.

According to the American Kennel Club, the weight of the Old English Sheepdog is not taken too much into account as compared to the dog’s character and overall conformation. Hence, a weight of anywhere between 60 to 100 pounds is acceptable.

It is widely accepted that the size of the puppy is heavily influenced by the mother rather than the father. Since Sheepadoodles are bred using a female sheepdog, this is why Sheepadoodles are slightly larger than the average Standard Poodle. However, if the sheepdog is small, it will produce smaller puppies.

The AKC also states that male Standard Poodles are around 60 to 70 pounds and have a height of 15 inches. With these parents, the resultant puppy is expected to be larger than the male Standard Poodle but smaller than the female Old English Sheepdog.

Generation

The generation indicates how genetically similar your Sheepadoodle is to the Old English Sheepdog or the Poodle. The closer the Sheepadoodle puppies are to the Old English Sheepdog, the larger they will be. 

You also need to keep in mind that not all Sheepadoodles are first-generation, meaning they were created by breeding a Poodle and the Old English Sheepdog.

In some cases, a first-generation Sheepadoodle will be bred to a Standard or Mini Sheepadoodle to make smaller puppies with low-shedding coats. The puppies will be referred to as F1b generation, with the “b” donating backcross (crossing a hybrid breed with one of its parents).

Gender

When it comes to dogs, males are usually bigger and heavier than female dogs. Of course, exceptions always exist but typically, male dogs are larger.

If you cross a Poodle and an Old English Sheepdog, and you get male puppies, they will typically be 10% bigger than female puppies. 

However, you should also remember that this difference in size will not be as noticeable if you are talking about smaller Sheepadoodle breeds like Micro and Toy Sheepadoodles.

Nutrition

Sheepadoodles who do not get the required amount of nutrition will experience stunted growth, like all dogs, and will not be able to achieve their full height or weight, even as an adult.

On the other hand, if you do not regulate how much your Sheepadoodle is eating, it can easily become obese by gorging on food and its weight will exceed the recommended weight. In addition, it will also result in a number of health issues for the dog.

When Do Sheepadoodles Attain Their Full Height?

If we take a look at the Sheepadoodle’s parents, an Old English Sheepdog will attain its full height at around 12 months but it can take two or three years for it to achieve its full weight. On the other hand, Standard Poodles will reach their full height and weight at around 18 months.

As a result, any Sheepadoodle bred from these dogs will take around 2 to 2.5 years to achieve its full height and weight.

Smaller Sheepadoodle varieties on the other hand, like Mini or Micro Sheepadoodle, will reach their full height at just 13 months.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *