Looking for a toy sized doodle? How about the foodle, they are a hybrid combination of a Poodle and the Toy Fox Terrier. The foodle is cuddly and lovable in a tiny doodle package. 🎁  They can be very affectionate and can enjoy being a lovable lap dog. They like to claim their person and bond strongly with them. 💗

The foodle is not all love and kisses though. They can be feisty, fun and energetic. They can have huge charismatic personalities with the attitude of a terrier. The foodle tends to forget how small they actually are and will need a considerate playmate in regards to other dogs and children. They can be hurt easily if handled too roughly. 🛑

The foodle can also be a diligent and useful non-aggressive watchdog. They are very alert and have quite a large bark for their size.

 The foodle can thrive in a house, apartment or condo as long as they get their required amount of exercise. 🏘️

Let’s take a quick look at the parent breeds of the foodle and how those traits make up this tiny doodle package. 

The history of the Toy Fox Terrier can be traced back to early in the 20th century. The Toy Fox Terrier was created by breeding litter runts of the Smooth Fox Terrier called the “Foiler” with other toy breeds such as Chihuahuas. Once the Toy Fox Terrier was created it was initially used as a barn yard ratter, catching barn vermin.🐀 After its ratter days it moved into the role of a show dog in circuses, performing alongside clowns. 

The Toy Fox Terrier was entered into the United Kennel club in 1936 and then the American Kennel Club in 2003.

Let’s take a quick look at the other half of the foodle hybrid.

The Poodle is called Pudel in Germany 🇩🇪 and Caniche in France 🇫🇷 . Both of these names are a nod to the Poodles original breeding use as a water retriever. The German Pudel name translates to puddle or splashing water . The French Caniche name translates to duck dog. 🦆

The Standard Poodles were originally bred as hunters of wildfowl to retrieve the game out of the water. The Miniature Poodle was also bred in France as a talented circus performer 🎪 . These Miniature Poodles were trained to walk tightropes and even perform card tricks and skits. 

Both the Toy Fox Terrier and the Poodle have long histories as circus performers and companion dogs. 

Sizing it all up

The foodle does not have as many size variations as some of the other doodles. This doodle is usually very small weighing between 9 to 13 pounds. The foodle is usually between 10 to 12 inches tall.

Color Coding, Fur Real

The foodle can have a combination of hair types. They can be either thick and curly more like their Poodle parent or they can be fine and thinner more like the Toy Fox Terrier. The foodle may also be any combination of these hair types. 🧬

The foodle coat can come in many different colors such as black, white, tan, cream and shades of brown. 

The foodle will need to be brushed daily or every other day in order to prevent matting. They will also need a bath 🛁  once per month but be careful selecting products for them because they can have sensitive skin. The foodle will also need to have its ears cleaned once per week to remove debris and trim ear hair to prevent ear infections.👂The foodle will also require a hair trim about every 4 to 6 weeks, this can be done by a groomer or owners can learn the grooming skills and do it themselves. 💈

 The AKC states that “there is no such thing as a completely hypoallergenic dog”. Unfortunately people with dog allergies are usually allergic to the dog dander 🦠, not the dog’s fur. Granted the dog fur can be a carrier for the dog dander it is not the cause of the allergen. The old school of thought was that less dog hair = less allergen. So breeders would attempt to have as many Poodle genes in a dog breed to lessen dog hair shed. Unfortunately, this does not change the level of dander. Please be cautious regarding the labels of “hypoallergenic” if you have dog allergies. If you would like more info on this please read 22 Hypoallergenic Doodles. ◀️

Working it out

The foodle is a fairly active doodle who requires about 60 to 90 minutes of activity per day to stay happy and healthy. 🎾  Both of the parent breeds are fairly active dog breeds with a  history of chasing down prey. The Toy Fox Terrier has been described as “non-stop action on four legs”. They are very active for a dog of its size. 

The foodle is playful and fun loving and will play as long as you let them. They enjoy running and chasing things. 🥏  The foodle would excel at fetch, agility courses and obedience training to name a few. 

⚠️ One word of warning, it is not recommended to have your doodle participate in highly strenuous activities prior to the age of 10 months due to underdeveloped joints and bones. ⚠️

Come, Sit, Stay

The foodle is a very intelligent doodle that can be easily trained. They learn commands quickly and respond well to consistent and positive training methods. Training activities need to be new and varied because the foodle can become bored and distracted easily. 👍

 The foodle will need to be kept on a leash or harness when it is not within a fenced in area. They have a very strong prey drive and may want to take off and chase squirrels 🐿️ or other small animals. It also may not be the best idea to bring a foodle into a home that has rodents as pets, due to its previous history as a barn ratter. 

The foodle is also prone to separation anxiety and can become destructive if left alone for a long period of time. They may start a habit of barking, chewing or digging. ⛏️

As with all doodles, the foodle needs early socialization and puppy classes in order to develop healthy habits for life. 

Quality of Life

The foodle is a fairly healthy doodle. They can live between 10 to 13 years. Foodles can still be susceptible to the same medical issues that thier parent breeds are prone to. 🩺  These medical issues include patellar luxation, digestive issues and heart issues to name a few. The foodle can also have skin sensitivity issues as well. Many of these medical problems can be tested for by your veterinarian. 🧪

So now you want a Foodle….

If you are thinking about getting a foodle you must make sure that you are in love with any combination of traits that a doodle surprise could offer. 🎁 Your doodle may look exactly like a Toy Fox Terrier but act exactly like a Poodle. Would you be ok with that? What about the other way around? If you can love 💗 ALL of the traits of both parent breeds then DO IT! Doodles are the best! 

I would check at Poodle rescues and also at Toy Fox Terrier specific rescues, they may have a mixed breed/hybrid there as well. Also check regular rescues. Just realize that if you want to rescue you may have to wait to find your dog or travel to pick it up. But there are great benefits to rescuing instead of buying. 👍👏

If you decide to buy a puppy please do your research on the breeder and don’t be afraid to ask the right questions. And good luck to you! I hope you find your forever puppy! 🥰