Bordoodle Puppies: Adopt or Buy in Australia?

What exactly is a Bordoodle?

A Bordoodle is a cross between a Border Collie and a Poodle. The Poodle comes in more than one size, so ask which was used: a Standard Poodle gives a different dog from a Miniature. It is not a breed in the formal sense. Dogs Australia publishes a breed standard for each purebred breed it recognises, and the Bordoodle is not on that list. For a buyer that means:

• No standard to measure a puppy against. Adult size, coat and temperament depend on the parents, and can vary within one litter.
• No breed club. Nobody sets minimum health checks for Bordoodle litters or publishes a reference price, the way purebred clubs do.
• No Dogs Australia pedigree. Member breeders' codes forbid crossbreeding without prior approval; that has its own section below.

Ads often carry labels such as “F1” (a purebred Border Collie parent and a purebred Poodle parent) or “F1b” (an F1 dog crossed back, usually to a Poodle). These are breeder shorthand that no registry checks. University of Sydney geneticists, writing about Labradoodle research in The Conversation, explain that the first-generation offspring of two breeds is similar, in contrast to the substantial variation in later generations, so a label is not a promise about coat or shedding.

Should you adopt or buy a Bordoodle?

Adopt if you can be flexible about age. An adult Bordoodle or Border Collie cross in rescue arrives with the vet work done for a published fee, and you can see its size, coat and, above all, its energy before you commit. That matters more for this cross than most, because a dog with a herding parent can be far busier than a family expects. Buy if you need a young puppy and are ready to do the checking that the lack of a breed standard and a breed club leaves to you.

If what you really want is a dog of predictable size, coat and health screening, look at the parent breeds, which have breed standards and Dogs Australia registered breeders. Our Border Collie and Poodle adopt-or-buy guides cover each side, and oodle breeds compared sets the Bordoodle beside the other Poodle crosses.

Why is there no Dogs Australia registered Bordoodle breeder?

Because the codes Dogs Australia members follow forbid crossbreeding unless their state body approves it in advance. The Dogs NSW Code of Ethics (clause 17) says a member shall not knowingly permit a purebred dog to be mated to a dog of a different breed or a cross-bred dog unless the mating is for the health, welfare or development of a breed and the Board has approved it in advance; it adds that the prohibition does not apply to guide and working dogs. Dogs Victoria's code (20.1.15) says dogs “are not permitted to be mated to a dog or bitch of a different breed, to a cross bred dog or bitch”. The national Dogs Australia Code of Practice (clause 16) says a member shall not permit its purebred dogs to be mated to a dog of a different breed or a cross bred dog “without the prior approval of the member’s Member Body”.

So the Border Collie and Poodle breeders who belong to a state canine body are bound by those rules, and Bordoodle litters are generally bred outside that system. Some belong to other registries, which Dogs Australia says are not affiliated with it and cannot issue its certified pedigrees. That does not make every Bordoodle breeder a poor one. It means the checks a breed club would push for are now yours to make.

How big does a Bordoodle get, and what is it like?

Somewhere between its parents, so start by asking which parents. This is what the official standards say:

From the Dogs Australia Border Collie, Poodle (Miniature) and Poodle (Standard) standards, read 11 November 2026.

The Border Collie standard describes a working sheep dog with enough substance for “long periods of active duty”, and the Standard Poodle standard calls that breed very active. Put the two together and plan for a dog that needs daily exercise and something to think about: training, games and a job. The coat can be curly, wavy or a double coat closer to the Border Collie's, so grooming needs vary from dog to dog. Our Sydney guides cover the detail: Bordoodle exercise and training, Bordoodle health issues and adopting a Bordoodle in Sydney.

Are Bordoodles hypoallergenic or non-shedding?

No dog is hypoallergenic. The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) says: “All dog breeds cause allergies, although some do not shed as much dander, and therefore less allergen is spread.” It also says the main source of dog allergen is saliva.

A Bordoodle is a particular gamble on coat, because its parents sit at opposite ends. The Border Collie standard gives both coat varieties a soft, dense undercoat; the Poodle standard describes a dense, curly coat. A puppy can take after either. Treat a “guaranteed hypoallergenic” or “non-shedding” promise as advertising. If anyone at home has asthma or a dog allergy, see a doctor before you choose a dog, spend long, repeated visits with the actual dog, and read our guides to hypoallergenic dogs in Australia and dogs that don't shed.

Which health checks should a Bordoodle breeder show you?

Results for both parents, from each parent breed's own list. The National Border Collie Council of Australia says copies of the DNA test results for the sire and dam, and hip and elbow scoring results, should be made available to puppy buyers. That is a fair standard to hold a Bordoodle breeder to as well.

Sources: National Border Collie Council of Australia and the Dogs Victoria Standard and Miniature Poodle profiles, read 11 November 2026. A buying checklist, not veterinary advice.

Degenerative myelopathy appears on both parents' lists, so ask for that result from both sides. MDR1 is a gene that can change how a dog handles some medicines; if the breeder gives you the parents' MDR1 results, pass them to your vet. Dogs Australia also suggests asking whether your own vet can check the puppy before you buy.

What does a Bordoodle cost?

We cannot give you a breeder price we can stand behind. For purebred breeds we read the prices that Dogs Australia member breeders publish on their own websites and report the range. That method has nothing to measure for a Bordoodle, because member breeders' codes forbid crossbreeding without prior approval, and there is no breed club guide either. Any figure on a listing site is one seller's asking price, not a benchmark, and a high price does not buy health testing. Ask what the price includes.

What we can show you is what rescues publish:

Reference only, not a quote. These are the fees each rescue published on the date shown; fees change and some dogs are priced individually, so check with the rescue. Adoption fees normally include desexing and microchipping, which you would pay a vet for after buying a puppy.

The purchase price is the smaller number over a dog's life. Food, insurance, vet care, training and any clipping add up, so run it through the dog cost calculator and read our guide to cheaper vet care before you commit.

What do Bordoodles in rescue look like?

Mostly adults, now and then a young dog. They are listed under several names (Bordoodle, Border Collie x Poodle, Border Collie cross, Poodle cross), so search more than one. Border Collie crosses come through rescue too, and if the Border Collie side is what draws you, they are worth a look: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide.

An adopted adult answers the questions a puppy cannot: its coat has grown in, its size is settled, and you can see how much exercise it really needs and how it behaves with people, children and other dogs. The rescue will usually have had it vet checked, desexed and microchipped. What you usually will not get is its parents' health results, so book a baseline vet check in the first weeks. Our Sydney Bordoodle adoption guide covers why they come into rescue, and adopting a dog in Australia walks through the process.

How do Bordoodle scams work, and how do you check a seller?

Scamwatch says scammers set up fake websites, social media profiles and marketplace listings for popular breeds and pets that do not exist, and that if a pet is very cheap, it is likely a scam. It advises viewing the pet in person or on a video call. A Dogs Victoria fact sheet says popular breeds and mixes feature commonly in scam ads, and warns that ads may display microchip, source or membership numbers lifted from legitimate breeders. Bordoodle versions of the pattern to watch for:

• “Guaranteed non-shedding” or “hypoallergenic”. ASCIA says all dog breeds cause allergies, and a Border Collie parent can pass on a shedding double coat.
• “Calm” or “low energy” promises. Both parent standards describe active, intelligent dogs. Nobody can promise a puppy's energy level.
• Health talk without paperwork. Ask for both parents' certificates from the table above, with names that match the litter.
• Photos of someone else's litter. A reverse image search and a search of the ad's exact wording often find the same material elsewhere.

Because a Bordoodle does not come with a Dogs Australia pedigree, the check that matters most is the one every breeder must pass: the state number. That is a breeder identification number in NSW, a Pet Exchange Register source number in Victoria, a supply number in Queensland or a DACO breeder number in South Australia. Look it up on the official register yourself and confirm it matches the seller and the microchip. Our puppies for sale guide sets out every state's scheme and what to do if you have already paid.

Is a Bordoodle the right dog for you?

Be honest about three things before you apply anywhere: time every day for exercise and training, a home where a clever dog will not be bored, and a grooming budget that depends on which coat it gets. If long days alone are the norm, a calmer breed or an older rescue dog with a known energy level is the kinder choice. Not sure the cross fits? Try the what dog breed is right for me quiz, the dog exercise calculator and the adoption readiness check.

Weighing other dogs too? Other adopt-or-buy guides cover the Schnoodle, Groodle, Bernedoodle and Havanese.

Find a Bordoodle near you

Each page shows Bordoodles listed right now by rescues in that city, and each listing links to the rescue where you apply directly.

• Bordoodles for adoption in Sydney
• Bordoodles for adoption in Melbourne
• Bordoodles for adoption in Brisbane
• Bordoodles for adoption in Perth
• Bordoodles for adoption in Adelaide