Why We're All Obsessed With Oodles (And What Our Anxious Little Frida Taught Me About Big Feelings)

Let me tell you about the drive to the groomer.

Frida — our cavoodle, the actual heartbeat of this house — knows. She always knows. The second she clocks which way the car’s heading, the trembling starts. Little whole-body shakes, the saddest eyes you’ve ever seen, a soft cry the whole way there. My anxious girl, in her anxious little body, absolutely certain the world is ending because we’re off to see the nice lady who trims her hair and nails.

And honestly? I get it. Because she comes from a family that feels things big. All of us. We’re a household of tender hearts and busy nervous systems, and somewhere along the way we picked the one dog on earth who fits right in.

The dog who holds us all

Here’s the thing nobody warns you about bringing a dog into a family: you think you’re getting a pet. What you’re actually getting is an emotional anchor with four legs and zero chill.

In our place, everyone has their creature. My daughter and I are cat people when the going gets tough — when I need to feel steadier, I go and find Baba Ganoush and bury my face in that gorgeous little neck and Bernie the cat basically lives a second life as a scarf around my daughters neck when she is lying down.

But my son? It’s Frida. Only Frida. When there’s something hard to say, when the big feelings rise up and there aren’t words for them yet, he reaches for her. He’ll scoop her up and hold her close, and suddenly the impossible conversation becomes possible. She sleeps on his bed every single night like it’s her sworn duty — and in a way, it is. She’s his soft place to land. His best mate who never once asks him to explain himself.

If you’ve got a kiddo who feels the world at full volume, you’ll know exactly what I mean. Sometimes the thing that helps most isn’t a strategy or a chat or a well-timed snack. Sometimes it’s just… the dog.

So why ARE we all obsessed with oodles?

Look around any Aussie park and you’ll spot them — the cavoodles, the groodles, the spoodles, the labradoodles. We are, as a nation, completely smitten with a dog that’s got “oodle” in the name. And it’s not just the teddy-bear faces (though, come on).

A little fun for Interntional Dog Day this week — here’s the lowdown on the oodle family:

• Cavoodle (our Frida): Cavalier King Charles Spaniel x Poodle. Famously devoted, famously velcro. These are your shadow dogs — they’ll follow you to the loo and back and consider it a privilege.
• Groodle (Golden Retriever x Poodle): The gentle giants. Big golden softies who are convinced they’re lap dogs.
• Spoodle (Cocker Spaniel x Poodle): Bright, busy and bursting with personality. Never a dull moment in the house.
• Labradoodle (Labrador x Poodle): The original oodle and still an icon. Sociable, clever, up for absolutely anything.

Here’s what ties them all together, though — that poodle heritage. Poodles are some of the most sensitive, intelligent, deeply-bonded dogs going around. They read the room. They feel the shift in your mood before you’ve said a word. And that sensitivity gets passed right down the oodle line.

Which means a whole lot of us have chosen, without quite realising it, a dog who feels everything. A big-hearted, big-feeling companion for our big-hearted, big-feeling families. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

And yes, they are chosen for the non-shedding bonus (which unfortunately means the DIY groom or paying way too much for a dog haircut every 4-6 weeks) but families that need this type of dog for sensitive noses/allergies or just particular housekeeping needs ;) often fall in the sensitive big feeling, big hearted families!

They carry so much of us

The wild part is how much these little souls carry for us. They soak up the mood of the house, they show up for our kids in ways we sometimes can’t, and they do it without a single complaint.

So the least we can do — on Dog Day and every day — is hold a bit of space for their big feelings too. The wobbly car rides. The out-of-sorts days. Grooming Time. The vet-visit nerves. The “everyone’s left the house and I don’t like it one bit” wobbles.

A little something for the big-feeling fur babies

This is where our Fur Baby Pet Support drops come in — made with sensitive little souls like Frida in mind.

Now, before every vet trip, Frida’s drops go in. It’s become our little ritual — my way of saying I’ve got you before we’ve even reached the car. Whether it’s the groomer, a storm rolling in, fireworks season, or just an unsettled, out-of-sorts kind of day, it’s the gentle bit of comfort I reach for. And the best part? Fur Baby works for all our animals — dogs, cats, the whole menagerie — so nobody misses out.

To celebrate Dog Day this week, Fur Baby Pet Support is 50% off — starting today (23rd August) and running until International Dog Day this Wednesday 26th. No code needed; the discount’s already sorted for you at the checkout. Free shipping on orders over $99, and Afterpay’s there if you’d rather split it up.

Shop Fur Baby Pet Support →

Because our fur babies hold so much of us. This week, let’s hold a little of them right back. 🐾

Give your 'Frida' a scratch behind the ears from me,

Alisha x