Our Program
The breeds and the Philosophy
Our goal was to breed what we see as the very best of the doodle mixes: one line of smaller pups (Our Cavapoochons, also known as the Forever Puppy) and one line of medium pups (Our Irish Doodles), and one line of standard sized doodles (Bernedoodles). So our family, along with dear friends of ours, set out on this adventure together. One family raises the Cavapoochon and Bernedoodle puppies, and another family raises the Irish Doodles. We’ve found this to be the best way to delegate work while still giving enough attention and focus to our puppies, this program, and our families.
Everyone wants healthy, friendly, well-loved puppies raised by responsible breeders (you’ve done your homework on your breeder, right?!). Lots of people have a need for a low to non-shedding puppy due to allergies and/or preference. But size? THAT, people do not agree upon.
We chose a small breed and a medium breed to base our program on, and I can’t even decide on my own preference. We all love them both dearly and are thankful to have them both in our lives!
The Cavapoochons truly look like little stuffed animals walking around. If you don’t believe it, you can check out our YouTube channel. But, hey… I am NO professional videographer, ok? These are super casual.
The F1b Irish Doodles are amazing and everything people want in a doodle. These medium sized pups are affectionate, fun-loving, and loyal. Sometimes called “Irish Poo Setters”, these gorgeous curly pups are perfect companions.
Our Bernedoodle pups are either F1b from our Bibi (a sable Bernedoodle beauty) or F1 from Meg (our pure bred Bernese).
So whether you are looking for a larger doodle mix or a smaller, you can still work with Giggle Tails to give you the most socialized puppy on the block! With the health and looks to boot.
Interested in some more information? Fill out the form below and we will be back to you as soon as possible. And don’t worry. We won’t spam you.
The Breeds
Cavapoochon
Our Sassy, affectionate and “in-charge” Cavachon Mama, Penny
Our always smiling, up for a cuddle Cavachon Mama, Pippa
Above - Penny and Pippa - Cavachon mamas to our Cavapoochon pups
Ok - but, what’s a Cavapoochon?
Penny and Pippa are Cavachon dogs - a cross between Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Bichon Frise dog breeds.
We breed Penny and Pippa to a pure-bred, AKC registered mini poodle stud, which makes Cavapoochon puppies.
Cavapoochon — “Forever Puppies” — CVC pups, they go by many names
Ok - but, why?
The benefits of a mixed dog are well-known. To put it simply: by mixing two different healthy lines of canine genetics, you are decreasing the risk for disease and health problems most common to each individual breed.
(For instance, The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is at an increased risk for heart diseases and cataracts. While any illness is possible in any pup, those are not common illnesses to the Bichon. By mixing their lines, you reduce the likelihood of “doubling up” on their weaker traits.)
Ok - but, why not stop with the Cavachon? Why add the poodle?
You mean, other than the adorableness?! Besides the undeniable cuteness, there are several very good reasons for crossing a Cavachon to a Poodle. Cavachon pups are, like their parents, sassy, yappy (while not an official term, you all know what I mean), get separation anxiety rather quickly and traditionally have a very hard time learning to be house-broken.
The Poodle’s strengths are a perfect match for the Cavachon. Extremely intelligent dogs, they take well to training and have far less separation anxiety than most breeds. It doesn’t mean that potty training will be a piece of cake or that your pup won’t whine - just that genetically speaking, you are getting the best chance of a puppy who will make an easy transition into your life.
All that, while being as cute as a stuffed animal and a low chance of allergen? Amazing, right?
F1b Irish Doodles
Our Beautiful Lady, an F1 Irish Doodle
Our Beautiful Lady is a stellar example of everything we love in an Irish Doodle. She’s friendly, smart, sweet as can be and a best friend.
We chose to breed Lady to a mini-red poodle because we were wanting to produce a line of healthy, gorgeous, and smaller sized Irish Doodles.
Irish Doodles
Irish Doodles are wonderful mid-sized doodles. Sometimes referred to as: Irish Doodle Setter, Irish Poo Setter, Irish Setterdoodle, or Irish Setterpoo, this intentional hybrid breed is intending to pair the intelligence and low to non-shedding coat of the Poodle with the temperament and loveliness of the Irish Setter.
These pups will be 30-45 pounds, mild mannered, fun-loving pets that can also be successful at hunting and sport.
Our Irish Doodle Puppies are raised by our Sister Program in Tennessee, in their home with the loving care only a family can provide. They benefit from having Giggle Tails’ expertise and program and all pups are still offered the one-year Health Guarantee.
Bernedoodle
Our Bernedoodle program is currently on hold. We hope to have pups available in 2022/2023.
You can still read about Bernedoodles and our program’s opinion on them below!
Elise - a Pure Bred Bernese to our beautiful Bernedoodle Puppies
The F1 Bernedoodle
Ok - I get it. Bernese Mountain Dog meets Poodle. But, is everyone just doodle obsessed?
Yeah, maybe. But there truly is a very good reason to “doodle” the Bernese Mountain Dog. Here are a few:
The Bernese is so large that it often puts undue stress on the joints and ligaments of the dog. The build of the poodle helps to compensate for this lumbering, lovable pet.
The average life-span of a Bernese is just 6-8 years. The poodle? 12-15 years.
The Bernese commonly suffers from von Willebrand's Disease, which the poodle does not.
The Bernese sports a GORGEOUS but THICK black coat - read: sheds heavily. The poodle brings this mix down to a low to non-shedding pet.
The Bernese is the most friendly, almost air-headed dog. They are silly, scare easily, and very, very laid-back. (I didn’t say lazy, but you could.) I swear their own means of natural protection is the fact that they look like a black bear. Now, that doesn’t mean that a Bernese would defend you against trouble! They are loyal to the core. The poodle adds intelligence, confidence, trainability, lowers the fur shed.
Ok - why do some of them look so different?
A poor understanding on the part of the breeder doesn’t help. Without getting into a whole genetics explanation here, there are very specific Bernese’s that you want mixed with very specific poodles to get the perfect coloring like our pups have.
Outside of poor pairing, there are also many varieties of coat patterns for Bernedoodles past the F1 mark, including sable, brindle and merle. We soon hope to be offering some of these additions in F1b form (a Bernedoodle bred to a doodle - even MORE hypoallergenic).
Bernedoodle puppies win the heart of anyone who spends more than 10 seconds with one. They are friendly, affectionate, have a fantastic balance of activity and chill factor, live longer lives than their Bernese counter-parts, and the list goes on.
I expect the Bernedoodle will continue to increase in popularity over the coming years.
Elise’s sweet Bernedoodle puppies - 5 weeks old here
What makes our program different?
We have worked to make sure we are knowledgeable about these relatively new “hybrid” breeds, and were very picky about what parent pups we chose for our program.
It’s more than genetics, though. The first 8 weeks of life for a puppy of any breed are of vital importance not just for their stability and trainability, but for overall emotional well-being.
Our puppies are raised in our home, on our laps, loved as our pets - just like they will be when they go home to you.
What we are aiming for is a confident puppy who has enough success behind them to not be afraid of the big, wide world. But introducing too much too soon isn’t good either! So a conscientious approach to each individual puppy is needed to help them ease their way into the world. These types of behaviors include: fear of children, fear of wheelchairs/walkers, fear of being covered, loud sounds, bathing/grooming, etc. A smart and hands-on breeder is watching for readiness cues and introducing environmental changes as they deem best. When do you introduce a commercial hair-dryer, for instance? Or the startle-reflex? Or tummy time? These are a very small fraction of what we are watching for, and what we are raising.
We have gone through many, many different philosophies and schools of thought, including the famous Puppy Culture program, which you can learn more about here, to help create a balanced approach. Our goal is to raise a puppy that is just as loved in our home as it will be in yours, all while helping them gain their footing for a smooth transition to their new life with you. In addition to environmental health, we also ensure that our dogs and puppies receive the very best nutrition available. If you know anything about Cavachons, Cavapoos, or Cavapoochons, you know that finding a food they will eat can be difficult as they are often particular little pups. We make sure to supplement our pups diets with NuVet to help cover any of the dietary deficiencies that their picky habits may cause. We strongly encourage anyone with one of our pups to use NuVet as well. You can learn more about NuVet and and click here to order some. We also are thankful to have a reproductive specialist for our vet, who is always teaching us and willing to help at any hour of the day or night.
