A dog is classified as a giant once it hits 100lbs in weight. There are many Doodle crosses that fall into the category. These include the Newfypoo, the Bernedoodle, the St Berdoodle, the Great Danoodle, and the Irish Wolfadoodle. Giant Doodles can weigh in at over 150lbs and stand up to 36″ tall.
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Introduction to Giant Doodle Breeds
What qualifies as a giant dog breed? A dog that weighs over 45kg (99lbs) is generally referred to as a giant dog, literally a dog of gigantic size. Some of our well-known giant breeds include the Great Dane, St Bernard, Irish Wolfhound, Newfoundland, English Mastiff, Great Pyrenees, Bernese Mountain Dog, and the Leonberger.
You may be familiar with some or all of these giants but how about giant Doodle breeds? Many of the world’s best-loved giants have been crossed with Standard Poodles, the largest size Poodle, to create wonderful giant Doodles.
Why has this been done? Well firstly many of the giant breeds are known for their wonderful friendly, low-energy personalities, and many people, me included love giant dogs. Literally more to love. Secondly, many of our giant breeds are sadly afflicted by shorter lifespans than their smaller counterparts, and by crossing them with the Poodle, which is known for longevity we hope to produce giant dogs who will be around for longer.
Lastly, many of the giant breeds are prone to slobber and shed, and for many people less shedding and drooling is desirable. By crossing these gentle giants with the Poodle (who doesn’t shed or drool) we hope to combine these traits with the huge size of the giant breeds. In this article, we will take a look at some of the Giant Doodle breeds. Be warned, you might just fall in love with these giant teddy bears of the dog world.
The Great Danoodle
The Great Danoodle is a cross between the Great Dane and the Standard Poodle as the name suggests. This impressive hybrid dog stands between 23 and 30 inches tall and usually weighs between 80 and 100lbs although as with all crossbreeds this can vary considerably.
Both parent breeds are ‘leggy’ so expect lots of comments such as ‘is he half giraffe’ if you choose this mix as your canine companion. Both parent breeds are very intelligent and as such your Great Danoodle will need lots of training, exercise, and stimulation to keep him happy. Both Danes and Poodles are extremely sociable so expect this giant Doodle to want to be with his family most of the time.
The Great Danoodle also makes an excellent watchdog and is inclined to be vocal so if you want an active, low shedding companion that will also guard your home this could be the one for you. As both breeds in the mix are fairly active and athletic this Doodle is also a great choice for active families who would like their canine friend to join them on hikes and even as a jogging buddy once they reach maturity.
As with all giant breeds, it is important not to over exercise your Great Danoodle pup until he reaches maturity to avoid damage to immature joints due to the great weight they have to carry. Don’t let your Great Danoodle puppy climb the stairs or jump on and off furniture as this greatly increases the risk of developing issues such as hip dysplasia.
Appearance-wise, as with all Doodles, the Great Danoodle can vary significantly but most, especially first crosses, have dense, wavy coats in a wonderful variety of colors and large blocky heads. Shedding should be minimal, but drooling will depend on whether or not your Danoodle has inherited the loose floppy jowls of his Dane parent or the tighter lips of the Poodle.
Either way, you will have a highly intelligent, trainable companion who bonds closely to his human pack and is generally great with other animals too. If you have a large yard and lots of time for outdoor exercise the Great Danoodle makes a beautiful, wonderful natured larger than life family member.
The Newfypoo
What is a Newfypoo? The clue is in the name. This giant Doodle is a cross between the bear-like Newfoundland and the Standard Poodle. Also known as the Newfidoodle or Newdle, the Newfypoo is one of the giant Doodle mixes growing quickly in popularity. Being owned myself by a Newfypoo I can easily see why.
The huge Newfoundland dog originates from Canada and is best known as a water rescue dog. Referenced throughout history books for heroic rescue missions he was first bred to pull heavy fishing nets in from the sea assisting his fisherman masters and pulling carts to market in much the same way as a pony. The Newfoundland possesses great size and strength as well as a thick water-resistant coat and webbed paws making him an excellent swimmer.
The Newfoundland stands 28-31 inches tall and weighs between 100 and 150lbs so this is truly a huge bear of a dog. However, he is not suitable for the house-proud as that profuse coat is a mud magnet (he will jump in the water at any opportunity, after all, it is in his blood) and sheds heavily.
The Newfoundland also tends to have loose jowls and as such is a drooler. However, combine these characteristics with the Poodle and the Newfypoo is born! Newfypoos also love, and I mean love, water (I can’t keep my girl out of it). As the Poodle is also a gundog bred to retrieve ducks from water, he has it fully in his genes. If there is nowhere available for a dip the Newfypoo will often submerge his head and front paws in his water bowl frequently (then come to you for a cuddle afterward) meaning you get soaked too.
The Newfypoo is one of the largest and fluffiest Doodles around standing 22 – 30 inches tall and weighing, on average, between 70 and 110lbs and really does look like a big cuddly bear. That prolific coat does need a lot of maintenance though so be prepared for daily brushing if you choose this giant Doodle mix.
Temperament wise I truly can not praise this mix highly enough. Steady, calm, and gentle yet energetic enough for a daily hike (once he is an adult) this dog will be your best friend. The Newfypoo tends to be calm and kind and is often especially good with children and smaller animals however that bark is big enough to deter any would-be intruders away.
The only downside to the Newfypoo is that he does tend to be stubborn like his forefather the Newfoundland and training as a pup, by means of persuasion not bullying as he is a sensitive soul, is essential. The Newfypoo comes in a fabulous variety of colors such as brown, black, grey, parti (a combination of any other color and white), and even occasionally merle.
We have a full article on the Newfypoo where you can read about him in more depth, everything you need to know about the Newfypoo breed written by our resident breeder Jo.
The St Berdoodle
Now we come to the St Berdoodle, not to be confused with his cousin the Bernedoodle. Based on average weight this Doodle is the biggest of all the giant Doodle breeds (you can find a comprehensive guide to Doodle sizes in our sister article what is the largest Doodle breed.)
He is a cross between the massive St Bernard, one of the most instantly recognizable dog breeds in the world (partly due to the movies ‘Beethoven’ and the classic Peter Pan where Nana was portrayed as a St Bernard despite actually being based on the authors Newfoundland ) and the Standard Poodle. The St Bernard stands between 26 and 32 inches tall and weighs a whopping 120 – 200lbs so bear in mind that even crossed with a Poodle your St Berdoodle is going to be a jumbo-sized dog.
The St Bernard was traditionally used to rescue travelers stranded in the snow and is usually as sweet as he is large, devoted to his family, and adored by all who meet him. Combined with the charismatic, canine clown the Poodle, who wouldn’t find the St Berdoodle a very appealing addition to the family.
St Bernard’s are one of my own all-time favorite breeds and having bred them in the past and presently owned by a St Bernard pup I am very much looking forward to breeding them in the future.
The St Bernard is a people pleaser, although mischievous, and in my own experience easier to train and less stubborn than the Newfoundland. He also tends to be a little on the lazy side requiring less exercise than you might expect with a dog of this size.
So why cross this amazing gentle giant at all you might ask? Well, the St Bernard is a heavy shedder, even the short-haired variety has a thick double coat. He is also very much a drooler which means he is not a good choice for allergy sufferers or clean freaks. This makes the St Berdoodle a better choice for some as he combines the looks of the St Bernard with the coat type of the Poodle.
Almost all St Berdoodles have a thick wavy or curly coat and many also sport the famous St Bernards color and markings. This coat does require daily brushing and regular trips to the groomer and there is no guarantee he won’t drool as this depends on which parent he takes after more. However, he is always eye-catching and if your home and car are large enough you won’t regret sharing your life with one of these enormous teddy bear dogs.
The Bernedoodle
Possibly the most popular of the giant Doodle breeds today is the Bernedoodle, a cross between the beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog and the Poodle. This large hybrid is truly stunning especially if he inherits the Bernese Mountain Dogs signature tri-colored coat. This isn’t always a given and you can read about how to breed a tri-colored Bernedoodle in our article of the same name.
The Bernese Mountain Dog originates from the Swiss Alps and was bred as a general farm dog accompanying the alpine dairymen and often pulling small carts. He is large and sturdy although not quite as massive as some of the other giant breeds we have already looked at in this article. He usually has a calm and friendly disposition.
Bred as an all-round farm dog he is also slightly more energetic than some of the other giant breeds and also has a tendency to bark having also been used as a watchdog and livestock guardian. He is a great choice for the active owner with a large yard. However, he does shed, can drool, and is sadly known to have a shorter than average lifespan. Crossing him with the Poodle should, providing both parents come from health tested lines, mean you get to enjoy all the attributes of the Bernese for longer.
So how big is the Bernedoodle? The Standard Bernedoodle stands between 23 and 29 inches tall and weighs between 70 and 90lbs (32 to 41kg) although some are considerably larger. Although sometimes he is technically large rather than giant, we have included him in this article as some do indeed grow big enough to be worthy of classification as a giant Doodle.
Bernedoodles have wonderful soft curly or wavy coats and are often black, black and white, tri-colored, or phantom (black with brown markings) making them incredibly attractive looking dogs.
They are also happy, smart, and loving dogs being very similar in temperament to the Goldendoodle just on a slightly larger scale. The Bernedoodle can have a tendency to be headstrong, however, especially whilst young, and due to their size and exuberance are often better suited to families with slightly older children as, like many other large/giant breeds, they don’t realize their size.
The Irish Wolfadoodle
Now we come to one of the less well known but no less wonderful giant Doodle breeds, the Irish Wolfadoodle. You’ve guessed it, this gigantic Doodle is a cross between the noble and ancient Irish Wolfhound (another of my favorite breeds as I owned one as a young adult) and our charismatic favorite the Poodle.
The Irish Wolfhound is the tallest of all canines standing between 31 and 36 inches tall and weighs between 105 and 120lbs (48 and 70kg) so this Doodle mix is very tall standing between 24 and 30 inches and weighs 90 to 120lbs. The Irish Wolfhound despite his size is incredibly gentle and again tends towards laziness (my father used to joke that the only time my Wolfhound would come to life would be if she actually saw a wolf).
Crossing him with the playful, energetic Poodle the Irish Wolfadoodle is an easy-going, highly sociable family pet. Wolfadoodles were first bred in the 1980s with the goal being to produce a slightly smaller, healthier (like many giants the Irish Wolfhound has a shorter lifespan than smaller dogs) and hypo-allergenic version of the Irish Wolfhound.
In spite of his size, this gentle giant is relatively quiet, loyal, obedient, and bonds closely to his family making him a wonderful companion dog. The Irish Wolfadoodle is always ‘furnished’ and his coat is typically low shedding whether he inherits the wiry scruffy coat of the Wolfhound or the Poodle curls so he will need regular grooming to keep him in perfect condition.