The short answer
You can adopt a Bordoodle in Perth, and for an active, engaged home it is a rewarding dog. As a designer cross it appears in rescue as doodle and Border Collie crosses, so set alerts across Dogs' Refuge Home WA at Shenton Park, RSPCA WA at Malaga, the foster-based SAFE Perth and SAFE, and PetRescue, and stay open to an older dog. Adoption runs about $600 for an adult, all-inclusive, against several thousand dollars from a breeder, and the breed is not restricted in WA. The cross needs real exercise, daily mental work and regular grooming of the low-shedding coat. Meet those needs and you have a clever, devoted, trainable companion.
Why Bordoodles end up in Perth rescue
The doodle boom. Designer crosses have been bred and sold in huge numbers on the promise of a cute, low-shedding family dog, and more have been produced than there are prepared homes. When the reality of the dog does not match the marketing, a share end up surrendered.
Two working breeds in one dog. A Border Collie and a Poodle are both intelligent, energetic working breeds, so a Bordoodle typically needs serious daily exercise and real mental stimulation. A bored, under-exercised one becomes destructive, anxious or difficult, and owners who expected a calm companion are caught out.
Grooming cost and effort. The low-shedding coat that sells the dog also needs regular brushing and professional clipping, or it mats badly. The ongoing grooming cost and effort surprise some owners and become a reason for surrender.
What this means for you. A Bordoodle in rescue is usually a clever, affectionate dog whose exercise, mental and grooming needs outran its last home. If you can meet all three, you are looking at a superb, highly trainable adoption.
Where to adopt a Bordoodle or doodle cross in Perth
Because Bordoodles are a designer cross rather than a rescue staple, a wide alert net is the right approach. Set listing alerts on every rescue you would consider. For a fuller directory, see our Perth adoption resources hub.
1. Dogs' Refuge Home WA
A dogs-only, not-for-profit shelter at Shenton Park in inner Perth, running since 1935. Adoption includes desexing, vaccination, microchipping and a vet check, and doodle and collie crosses turn up regularly. Browse the current dogs at dogshome.org.au.
2. RSPCA Western Australia
The state welfare body, with its Animal Care Centre at 108 Malaga Drive in Malaga. Every animal is health- and behaviour-checked before it is listed, so you get an honest read on energy level and how a dog is with people and other animals. Apply at rspcawa.org.au.
3. SAFE Perth and SAFE
Both run a foster-care model rather than a central shelter, so a Bordoodle lives in a home while it waits, and the carer's notes on energy, trainability and coat care tend to be detailed and honest. SAFE Perth lists at safeperth.com.au and SAFE at safe.org.au. Confirm which organisation holds a given dog.
4. PetRescue
A national aggregator that lists Bordoodles and doodle crosses from many smaller WA rescue groups in one searchable place, at petrescue.com.au. It is the fastest way to scan many WA rescues at once.
Be wary of any group that asks for money before you have confirmed a real address, a current adoptable-dog list and registered status. Browse the current Bordoodles and doodle crosses on the Perth Bordoodle listings.
What a Bordoodle costs: adopt versus buy
Adoption is far cheaper at the outset. A rescue fee for an adult Bordoodle or doodle cross through a Perth rescue commonly runs about $600, with the rare puppy usually more, and that fee already covers desexing, vaccination, microchipping, worm and flea treatment and a vet check. A Bordoodle from a breeder in WA, by contrast, often runs to several thousand dollars with none of that vet work done yet, so adopting is many times cheaper up front and the dog arrives already vetted.
Council registration is a separate legal step. Under the Dog Act 1976, a dog must be microchipped by 3 months and before it changes hands, and registered with your local council from 3 months, with a substantially reduced fee for a desexed and microchipped dog. Check the WA Government dog ownership hub and your own council for the current amount. The defining ongoing cost is grooming, so budget for a regular professional clip or a committed home routine.
Bordoodles are not restricted in WA
The Bordoodle is not a restricted breed in Western Australia. Under the Dog Act 1976, only five breeds are restricted: the American Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa and Perro de Presa Canario. The Bordoodle is legal to own and to rehome normally, needing only to be microchipped by 3 months of age and before it changes hands, and registered with your local council from 3 months, with a reduced fee for a desexed and microchipped dog.
Browse adoptable Bordoodles in Perth
Bordoodles appear in rescue as doodle and Border Collie crosses more often than purebred puppies. Browse live WA listings and set an alert so you hear the moment one comes in.
See Available Bordoodles →If you have been searching “Bordoodle for sale Perth”
Plenty of people arrive here after searching for a Bordoodle to buy, because the for-sale listings dominate for designer crosses. Before you spend anything, know that doodle crosses are among the most heavily marketed and scam-targeted dogs online, and a cheap puppy or a deposit request for a dog you have not met in person is a warning sign rather than a bargain. Scamwatch has documented deposit scams for puppies that do not exist.
WA does not run a Pet Exchange Register or a breeder supply-number scheme, so there is no source number to look up here. The practical safeguard is the microchip: a dog sold or given away legally in WA must be microchipped and registered, so ask to see the microchip paperwork before you pay anything. Adoption sidesteps much of that: it costs a fraction of a breeder price, gives a vet-checked dog a home, and an assessed adult tells you the actual coat and temperament rather than a gamble. The RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase has good guidance on choosing a dog and avoiding poorly bred puppies.
Adult or puppy, and how to choose
For almost every adopter an assessed adult is the more responsible choice, and with a cross it is the only way to see the actual coat type, size and energy rather than gamble. An adult often has some training in place and comes with a lower adoption fee. Read the foster carer's notes closely: they will tell you how a specific dog does with children and other pets, how much exercise it needs, and what its coat is really like, which predicts the fit far better than the label.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I adopt a Bordoodle near me in Perth?
Start with the main Perth shelters and rescues: Dogs' Refuge Home WA at Shenton Park, RSPCA WA at Malaga, and the foster-based SAFE Perth and SAFE. Bordoodles are a designer cross, so set listing alerts across every rescue you would consider and stay open to a doodle or Border Collie cross or an older dog. PetRescue lists dogs from many smaller WA rescues in one place. Never send money before you have confirmed a real, registered rescue.
Why do Bordoodles end up in rescue?
Usually a mix of two things: the demands of the dog and the boom in designer crosses. A Bordoodle blends a Border Collie and a Poodle, which means a very intelligent, high-energy dog that needs serious exercise and daily mental work, plus a low-shedding coat that needs regular grooming or clipping. People drawn in by the cute, hypoallergenic-sounding marketing are often unprepared for the exercise, the brain that needs a job, or the ongoing grooming cost. When the dog becomes bored, destructive or anxious, or the grooming bills mount, it is surrendered. The doodle boom has produced more of these dogs than there are prepared homes.
How much does it cost to adopt a Bordoodle versus buy one?
Adoption is far cheaper up front. A rescue fee for an adult Bordoodle or doodle cross through a Perth rescue commonly runs about $600, with the rare puppy usually more, and that fee already includes desexing, vaccination, microchipping, worm and flea treatment and a vet check. A Bordoodle from a breeder in WA, by contrast, often runs to several thousand dollars with none of that vet work done yet. The ongoing cost that defines the breed is grooming: a low-shedding coat needs regular professional clipping or a serious home routine, so build that into the budget.
Are Bordoodles restricted in Western Australia?
No. The Bordoodle is not a restricted breed in WA. The five restricted breeds under the Dog Act 1976 are the American Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa and Perro de Presa Canario. A Bordoodle is legal to own and to rehome normally. Like any WA dog it needs to be microchipped by 3 months of age and before it changes hands, and registered with your local council from 3 months, with a reduced fee for a desexed and microchipped dog.
Are Bordoodles hypoallergenic?
No dog is truly hypoallergenic, and a Bordoodle is a cross, so the coat varies from dog to dog. Many inherit the Poodle's low-shedding, curly or wavy coat, which sheds less and can suit some allergy sufferers better, but there is no guarantee, and a more Border Collie-type coat sheds more. The low-shedding coats still need regular grooming to avoid matting. If allergies are the deciding factor, spend time with the specific dog before committing rather than relying on the label.
Are Bordoodles good family dogs?
For an active, engaged family, yes. Bordoodles are typically affectionate, clever and people-oriented, and they bond closely with their household. The catch is that both parent breeds are working dogs, so this is a high-energy, highly intelligent cross that needs exercise, training and mental stimulation to be a settled family pet. A bored Bordoodle can become destructive or anxious. A foster carer who has lived with the dog can tell you how a specific Bordoodle is with children and other pets.
How much exercise and grooming does a Bordoodle need?
A lot of both. Expect to provide real daily exercise plus mental work such as training games, puzzle feeders or a dog sport, because a Border Collie-Poodle cross is one of the smarter, busier dogs around and gets into trouble when under-stimulated. On grooming, a low-shedding coat needs brushing several times a week and a professional clip every one to two months, or it mats. Factor both the time and the grooming cost in before you adopt.
Should I adopt an adult Bordoodle or a puppy?
For most adopters an adult is the better choice, and it lets you see the actual coat type, size and energy level rather than gamble on how a cross will turn out. An adult often has some training in place and comes with a lower adoption fee. A vet-checked, foster-assessed adult Bordoodle, matched to an active home that can meet the exercise and grooming needs, is the sensible way into the breed.
Is it safe to buy a Bordoodle online?
Be careful. Designer doodle crosses are among the most heavily marketed and scam-targeted dogs online, and a cheap puppy or a deposit request for a dog you have not met in person is a warning sign rather than a bargain. Scamwatch has documented deposit scams for puppies that do not exist. WA does not run a Pet Exchange Register or breeder source-number scheme, so the practical safeguard is the microchip: a dog sold or given away legally in WA must be microchipped and registered, so ask to see the microchip paperwork before you pay anything. Adoption sidesteps most of that risk.
Keep reading
Adoptable Bordoodles in Perth
Live listings of Bordoodles and doodle crosses across Perth and WA rescues.
Best Dog Rescues in Perth
The verified WA shelters and foster rescues to set alerts with.
Registering a Dog in Perth
Council registration, microchipping and the WA rules for a new dog.
All Dogs for Adoption in Perth
Every adoptable dog we track across Perth and WA shelters and rescues.