Doodle Non-Lover

[Chelsie]

Just had to post about this! Just got back from our walk today and we passed a couple walking their dogs as well. The lady was really nice and said how cute Sam was. The husband asked, "What does he do?" I looked at him and said, "Well he is obviously pretty cute to look at...isn't that what you mean?" Then he continued with, "I mean why do they breed them?" I told him that he is my companion puppy, but that they are very smart. He looked shocked to think this big fur ball could be smart. He then walked away...no good bye or good day! I guess my goldendoodle puppy is no match for his Gordon Setters! His loss!

[Bonnie and Kona]

Hmmm... For me, "loves me unconditionally" is the only answer I can think of that really fits the question. My dad was a hunter, but he also loved his dogs and would get that answer, I think.

[BG and Gavin]

I have a friend with a pretty great sense of humour.  When she is with me and someones asks something about "my dog" she rushes over and covers Gavin's ears, confiding in a whisper "shhhh he dosen't know he is a dog."  In the moment people cock their heads until I burst out laughing.  I like Nicky's response too!

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I think I love your friend - she just gets it!!!!

[BG and Gavin]

Yes Adrianne, she is pretty great.  She also has a darling ten year old Golden Retriever who does not know he is a dog either I suspect :)

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Brucegirl? That is funny and probably true for most of our dogs. They hear "Family member, furry kids, lovebugs, tons of other nicknames, and esp. " doodle" so much that they probably think they are some kind of special species, but heavens me, not just a dog.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Never just a dog!!  Never just anything but my sidekick, best friends and comedians!!  

[Adrianne Matzkin]

What do they 'do'??
Retrievers and Poodles were bred to retrieve! Just ask anyone whose doodle is possessed by the ball. They could be true working dogs if that is what someone wants. They certainly are smart enough to train in whatever world they live in.

Poodles are retrievers or gun dogs, and are still used by hunters in that role.Their coats are moisture-resistant, which helps their swimming.

Contrary to popular belief the poodle is NOT a French dog. True it IS the national dog of France but they are actually a German dog. In fact the word poodle originates from the German word "puddeln" meaning to splash in water. In France this breed is called Caniche which means duck dog. In England they were known as "Rough Water Dogs" and were hunting companions. As you can see no matter the country, these beautiful dogs were originally bred for water retrieval and hunting. It is believed that the poodle is one of the oldest breeds used for water retrieval. It is also believed that the poodle has its beginnings in many European countries such as, Russia, Germany, and Portugal from their water retrieval dogs. Later in time as the poodle became a more distinct breed, they were bred down in size to become more of a companion dog give us the Miniature and Toy sizes of the breed. The standard poodle used to be smaller than it is today though. It is believed that it was bred with larger breeds to make it larger and more sturdy.

Because of their high intelligence and easy trainability the poodle excelled in whatever it did no matter its size. Poodles have been used for a variety of jobs in history as hunters, circus dogs, court and companion dogs for the rich and powerful, and truffle dogs (for sniffing out the truffle used in French gourmet cooking).

[Adina P]

That is all true, but although the parent breeds may have come from dogs whose ancestors were bred for work, not al retrievers are well suited for that work. People into working dogs can attest that just because a working dog has a litter doesn't mean all the pups will fit the working bill. Since doodles are NOT bred FOR hunting I don't think we can say doodles are bred for hunting or retrieving when most doodle parents aren't even necessaroly from working parents themselves. Doodles aren't bred for that kind of work...at least that isn't the goal of most breeders I know of.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

  The question makes perfect sense if you know the context. We also have a Springer and we get asked if we use him for hunting all of the time.  Honestly, I would assume that the man was coming from a hunting perspective.

[Chelsie]

I honestly don't think he was curious in the sense of being nice. He was quiete rude and did not correct his dogs from running up to mine and barking at them. I was born and raised in the Midwest and was taught to say hello and good bye. Just ending a conversation by walking off is rude. I don't even want to think what he thought of my Chorkie! Good thing is, my dogs didn't even notice and we loved our walk regardless, we went home and enjoyed each others company!

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

I totally agree!  Being nice to people is not hard if you were raised right!

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

What does he do?  He brings love and laughter to me every single day.  You pompous donkey.