I've seen those corded poodles. The cords aren't practical when hunting in the bushes. They snag and tear, often causing injury. The best cut for a sporting poodle is the sporting clip. That's what I keep my dog in except in the winter I let him grow out for warmth.
I agree about the cords, but they are cool looking. I love the mustache/beard.
As for all of the doodle mixes, the problem is, you cannot predict what the coat will be like. My pastor has a golden/poodle mix, and she shed ALL over me (I wore black pants, that was stupid). Doodles are quite popular out here in S FL and they come in every type of coat you can imagine. Long, fluffy, poodley, almost wirey. They are a scam perpetrated on the public. If these folks are serious about creating new breeds they would breed well past the F1 generation and set type, so coat and such could be predicted.
I always tell people considering a doodle to just go get a good standard poodle.
What I learned when I looked up info for my friends who have a Goldendoodle (pound dog) is they were bred to use for service dogs for people who have allergies and needed the non-shedding of the poodle and the attributes of a golden or lab. I will say our friends who have a beautiful black Standard and the GoldenDoodle the doodle is a real clown, while the standard is more regal — though this one not so much as the one they lost to cancer a couple of years ago. This Standard is more of a tom-boy.... and hopelessly in love with the doodle... she spends hours grooming him... Bichette NEVER would have lowered herself to do such a thing.