WHAT THE STUDIES SHOW

Love the dog,
not the label.

A poodle cross is still a dog.

Cockapoos, Labradoodles and Cavapoos are often bought on promises: fewer allergies, better health, an easy family dog. UK researchers asked the owners of more than 9,000 dogs how those promises hold up.

9,402 DOGS in one UK owner survey

Check a promise

A curly-coated apricot poodle-cross dog trotting on a lead across a grassy park on an autumn morning — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Health: mostly the same
Allergies: no free pass
Meet the mother
Choose on the parents, not the name

THE SHORT ANSWER

Not healthier, not
allergy-proof, not easier.

Three UK studies compared doodles
with the pure breeds they come from.

HEALTH

Mostly the same as the parents

Across 342 comparisons with their parent breeds, 86.6% showed no clear difference. Doodles came out worse on 7.0% of disorders and better on 6.4%.

See the numbers

BUYING

See the puppy with its mother

Doodle puppies were less likely to be seen with their mother at purchase (73.1% against 79.8% for pure breeds) and more often bought through selling websites.

How to buy well

ALLERGIES

No breed is hypoallergenic

A Dutch study found higher levels of the main dog allergen in the coats of so-called hypoallergenic dogs, including Labradoodles, than in other dogs.

Check the promises

A QUICK PROMISE CHECK

What do you
hope a doodle brings?

Pick a common reason people choose a poodle cross. The bar shows how well the studies on this page back it up.

Promise check

Choose a hopeFewer allergies at homeA healthier dogA calm LabradoodleAn easy Cockapoo or CavapooA puppy raised with its mother

Fewer allergies at homeNot supported

So-called hypoallergenic dogs had higher allergen levels in their coats, and airborne levels did not differ between breeds. The authors found no evidence for calling any breed hypoallergenic.

A healthier dogMostly no difference

In 86.6% of health comparisons doodles did not differ from their parent breeds. They were neither clearly healthier nor clearly less healthy.

A calm LabradoodleMixed

Labradoodles scored worse than a parent breed on five behaviour measures and better on six, out of 24 comparisons.

An easy Cockapoo or CavapooOften harder

Cockapoos scored worse than Cocker Spaniels or Poodles in all 16 comparisons where they differed. Cavapoos scored worse in 11 of the 12 where they differed.

A puppy raised with its motherAsk to see it

Under Lucy's Law, puppies under six months can only be sold by the breeder or a rescue centre, and breeders must show the puppies with their mother where they were born.

Sources: Bryson et al. 2024 and 2026 (PLOS ONE), Vredegoor et al. 2012 (Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology), Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council on Lucy's Law.

Based on UK owner surveys (2022 to 2026) and a 2012 allergen study. General information only: talk to a vet or GP about your own situation.

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

What buyers hoped,
what the data found.

One figure on why people chose a doodle,
one on how their health compared.

47.1%

Doodle owners who cited low allergy

Almost half of owners of designer crossbreed puppies bought in 2019 to 2020 said perceived hypoallergenicity guided their choice, against 7.86% of purebred owners.

WHY THEY CHOSE · UK SURVEY 2022

86.6%

Health comparisons with no clear difference

Owners of 9,402 dogs reported on 57 common disorders. In 296 of 342 comparisons, doodles and their parent breeds did not differ significantly.

HEALTH · PLOS ONE 2024

The researchers suggest basing the choice on breeding conditions, temperament, body shape and the health of the parents, rather than on the crossbreed label.

FOUR STEPS BEFORE YOU BUY

Slow down,
look closer.

The studies found doodle buyers more often bought online and saw less of the puppy's family. These steps turn that around.

Buy from the breeder or a rescue
Since 6 April 2020, Lucy's Law bans third-party sales of puppies under six months, so a dealer or pet shop should not be selling one.
See the puppy with its mother
Visit where the puppies were born and watch the mother with her litter before you commit.
Ask about both parents
Researchers say the parents' health and temperament matter more than the crossbreed name.
Do not rely on the allergy label
No breed has been shown to be hypoallergenic, so a doodle is no guarantee for anyone at home with a dog allergy.

A hand stroking the thick curly coat of a cream poodle-cross dog lying on a rug — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

A litter of curly-coated puppies snuggled against their mother on a blanket in a family kitchen — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

BEHAVIOUR

Training still
comes with the dog.

A 2026 study compared 12 behaviour scales across the three doodles and their parent breeds. In 44.4% of comparisons the doodle showed more undesirable behaviour than a parent breed, and in 9.7% it showed less.

The authors warn that beliefs such as doodles needing little training, or suiting homes with children particularly well, can lead to disappointment and dogs being given up when expectations are not met.

Questions

Questions people ask

Are Cockapoos and Labradoodles healthier than pure breeds?

A 2024 UK study of 9,402 dogs found no significant difference in 86.6% of health comparisons with their parent breeds. Doodles were worse on 7.0% of disorders and better on 6.4%.

Are doodle dogs hypoallergenic?

A 2012 study found higher levels of the main dog allergen in the coats of so-called hypoallergenic dogs, including Labradoodles, and concluded there is no evidence for calling any breed hypoallergenic.

Are doodles easier to train?

Not on the evidence so far. In a 2026 UK study, Cockapoos and Cavapoos often scored worse than their parent breeds on undesirable behaviour. Labradoodles were mixed: worse on five measures, better on six.

What is Lucy's Law?

Since 6 April 2020, puppies and kittens under six months can only be sold by the breeder or a rescue centre, not by third-party sellers or pet shops. Breeders must show the puppies with their mother at their place of birth.

Do doodle puppies cost more?

In a survey of puppies bought in 2019 to 2020, 25.7% of designer crossbreed puppies cost £2,000 to £2,999, compared with 15.1% of purebred puppies.

Love the dog,
not the label.