What are furnishings?
Most of the doodles that we produce here will have furnishings, but we will also occasionally have unfurnished doodles. Furnishings are what give poodles, and many doodles the bearded, scruffy look. Furnishings also affect how much a dog will shed. Both furnished and unfurnished doodles generally shed less than their Australian Shepherd or Bernese Mountain Dog parent, but doodles with furnishings will shed less than doodles without furnishings. Each have advanatges and disadvantages, therefore, some people prefer one over the other. While the furnished doodle sheds less, the unfurnished doodle's coat can usually be managed with just brushing at home. A furnished doodle is most likely the best option for a family with severe allergies, or that just wants a very minimally shedding companion. However, prospective owners need to be aware and prepared for the amount of grooming and upkeep of a furnished doodle's coat. Unfortunately, as of late, there has been much posted on social media about the number of doodles that are being surrendered to animal shelters. Sadly, many times, owners aren't willing or able to make the sacrifices that the upkeep of a furnished doodle's coat requires. A furnished doodle requires very frequent brushings and clippings. The clippings are normally done by a professional groomer, which can become quite expensive and time consuming. It is because of the high maintenance of the furnished doodle's coat, that we are happy to occasionally be able to offer an easier to maintian doodle: the unfurnished doodle. An unfurnished doodle may be the best option for the family that wants a dog that generally sheds a little less, yet does not require expensive, time consuming trips to the groomer. Unfurnished doodles may be a better option for active families who like to swim, and hike with their dog, as their coats are much easier to maintain. From our experience, the majority of our customers do not have a strong preference, since each has advantages and disadvantages. However, some prefer the traditional, bearded, scruffy look of the less shedding furnished doodle, while others prefer the easier to maintain coat of the unfurnished doodle. For owners who prefer a furnished doodle, we want to make sure that they are aware and pepared to maintain the coat of their doodle for his or her entire life. As of 2024, we test our puppies so that we will know whether each will be furnished, or unfurnished. However, since the genetics behind the coat of a doodle are complex and most doodle coats will vary greatly from doodle to doodle, ranging somewhere between the Aussie or Bernese Mountain Dog, and the Poodle, we cannot guarantee the amount of shedding your doodle will have. We will, however, be happy to give you our opinion to the best of our ability. When you are ready to get on the waitlist for one of our amazing doodles, we will put you on the list for whichever doodle you prefer.
Merle (above) is a Louie x Sadie Aussiedoodle with furnishings.
Bolt is a Louie x Sadie Aussiedoodle without furnishings. He is a brother to Merle.