The Schnoodle can have a straight, closer lying coat, a longer wavier coat or a short and tight curly coat because it depends on which of the parent breeds a puppy has thrown to. As such the grooming needs of each dog can differ quite a lot, but as a rule of thumb all dogs need to be groomed several times a week on a regular basis to keep things tidy and to prevent any knots or tangles from forming. They also need to be professional groomed several times a year which is usually every 6 to 8 weeks so they can be clipped or trimmed which makes keeping their coats looking good in between visits to the grooming parlour that much easier. The good news is that Schnoodles shed little hair throughout the year.
Because Schnoodles have whiskers and beards, it's important to clean a dog's face after they have eaten to remove any food or debris that might have got stuck in the hair around their muzzles. It's also important to check a dog's ears on a regular basis and to clean them when necessary. If too much wax is allowed to build up in a dog's ears, it can lead to a painful infection which can be hard to clear up. In short, prevention is often easier than cure with ear infections.
Schnoodles, whatever size are energetic, lively dogs and as such they need the right amount of exercise every day combined with as much mental stimulation as possible to prevent them from getting bored. They need anything from 20 to 60-minutes exercise a day with as much off the lead time as possible. If they are not given the right amount of mental stimulation and exercise every day, a Schnoodle would quickly get bored and could even begin to show some destructive behaviours around the home which is their way of relieving any stress they are feeling and not necessarily because they are being naughty.
A shorter walk in the morning would be fine, but a longer more interesting one in the afternoon is a must with as much off the lead time as possible. These dogs also like to be able to roam around a back garden so they can really let off steam. However, the fencing has to be extremely secure to keep these lively dogs in because if they find a weakness in the fence, they will soon escape and could get into all sorts of trouble.
With this said, Schnoodle puppies should not be over exercised because their joints and bones are still growing. This includes not letting a dog jump up and down from furniture or going up or down the stairs. Too much pressure placed on their joints and spines at an early age could result in a dog developing serious problems later in their lives.
If you get a Schnoodle puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.
Older dogs are not known to be fussy eaters, but this does not mean they can be given a lower quality diet. It's best to feed a mature dog twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. It's also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories or they might gain too much weight which can lead to all sorts of health issues. Obesity can shorten a dog's life by several years so it's important to keep an eye on their waistline from the word go.
Because Schnoodles are known to suffer from bloat, it is really important for them to be fed twice a day instead of giving a dog one larger meal a day. It's also a good idea to invest in a stand for their feed bowls which makes it easier for dogs to eat comfortably without having to stretch their necks down to reach their food. Dogs should never be exercised just before or just after they have eaten either because this puts them more at risk of suffering from gastric torsion.
