question grooming about poo mix

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#1
I know all of the different opinions on poo mixes and purposely breeding them.
I have been thinking about specifically the poodle/cocker mix and the poodle/golden retriever mix. I myself love poodles and think they are one of the best all-around pets--they are so versatile. The only reason I can think of to breed them with another breed would be the following: and I'm sure I will hear if I have it all wrong or not. Just my thoughts.
The biggest downside for me owning a poodle is the grooming involved. Correct me if I am wrong, but a poodle should be groomed(meaning combed out) every day or at least a few times a week. Because their curls are so tight they matt easily; now I could keep it cut very short to lesson this, but they still need a lot of grooming/scissoring, plus they look so nice with more coat.
Am I correct in saying a poodle mix with a cocker or golden retriever would produce dogs from straight/wavy to tighter curls(but with curls looser than a poodle). (I am not including the popular lab/poodle mix since curly and straight coat often produces wire. ) Would this trait-looser curls--not make them easier to groom, perhaps matting less? They may or may not shed less, depending upon which parent's coat they inherited more of.
Or do I have it all wrong? Forget about if you think actually breeding them is ethical or not, but if their combination produces an easier to care-for coat. They still need more grooming and clipping and I would consider them a higher maintanance dog in that regard.
If a person was to breed purely for coat type (obviously temperament and good health too) would they be able to produce an dog with an easier-to-care-for coat than the purebred poodle?
 

Gempress

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#2
I see what you're saying about making the coat easier to care for, but I don't think that is the motivation behind the cross. For example, almost all of the popular poodle crossbreeds--yorkiepoo, cockerpoo, maltipoo--are made by breeding poodles to dogs that also have high-maintenance coats. My mom has a maltese in full coat, and maintaining that mass of hair is a full-time job. I don't see how any gain is to be made by crossing one "high-maintenance coat" dog to another.

Another thing is this. Say you do crossbreed to try to get a shorter coat. The result is NOT a short-coated poodle! Thanks to the genetics of the other breeds involved, you can have a dog that is radically different in temperament, mannerisms, physical build, intelligence, etc., from a poodle.

The coat is an integral part of the poodle breed. think if you love the poodle personality traits but not the coat, it makes much more sense to just get the dog shaved than to try and crossbreed. Or, just find another breed that has all the traits you desire.
 
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#3
I have 2 standard poodles & although they do need to be clipped every 8 wks the in-between grooming is quite easy. As you can see from my avatar I keep them in a short all over clip. I only leave their ears long. Every couple of days I give their ears a quick comb and once a week clean their ears. That's about it. They stay neat looking and don't get matted. In the summer they do get full body brushing more often as they do quite a bit of swimming and brushing does help them dry.
 

mojozen

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#4
I had a lhasa-poo mix growing up. Sparky was a bit straighter in coat, but the upkeep was still intense. We had to have it clipped every couple of months to keep the mats down. That can get really expensive.

Right now i have a pit bull mix, and the most I have to do is rub him down when he's not shedding. If he's shedding it's brushing every couple of days just to help keep his itchiness down.

Comparing the two coats I think I will stick with short haired breeds with a slight hardness to the fur because it's just easier to groom.
 
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#5
Cockapoo

My cockapoo was low-shed and the grooming was not as bad as many might have thought. I got her professionally groomed approximately once a month and I would brush her a couple of times a week, nothing major though.
 

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