Goldendoodle puppy (11 weeks) can get it today. Has not been around ANY children! I have 3 young ones.

[Greg Scott]

Hi, first time poster here.  I've been searching through the posts but can't quite get the answer I'm looking for.  We are a family of 5.  Have raised dogs our entire lives.  We have a 6 year old, 18 month old, and a 6 month old at home.  We know we are ready to adopt a golden doodle puppy - some think we're crazy (only 10 weeks, ready to go) but the puppies have not been around any children at all.  I've read about puppy-kid socialization and it seems the "standard" time frame is up to 12 weeks of age, after that, it becomes increasingly difficult to socialize your pet.  Obviously, the last thing we want is to have an aggressive, or even standoff-ish dog with the children.  

So a question to everybody out there:  Is it too late, or too much of a risk, to get this puppy?  Or are their natures generally great around kids regardless? Is anyone able to speak of personal experience in a similar situation?

Thanks for listening :)

Greg

[Greg Scott]

PICTURE OF THE PUPPIES!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The temperament of any dog, of any breed or mix, depends on many factors, including the temperaments of the parents and puppy's experiences in the early weeks. No dog is born "good with children".  Doodle Rescue gets dozens of puppies and dogs each year who are relinquished by their owners because of issues with young children in the home. 

Bringing any puppy into a home with three children, two of whom are under the age of two years, is going to be extremely challenging at best, even if it is the sweetest, best natured, best socialized puppy in the world. Bringing in a puppy who has had no socialization with children at all is going to be a nightmare. All you have to do is read through a few of the discussions in the Puppy Madness group to see how many people are struggling with puppies nipping, biting, and jumping on children. It is probably the most discussed issue among new doodle puppy owners. 

To complicate matters, If you have found a goldendoodle breeder who has an 11 week old goldendoodle puppy available today, you have not found a reputable or responsible breeder. You have found a backyard breeder or worse, a puppy mill. Even if you had no children, it would be a very bad decision to buy a puppy from such a breeder. In your case, it would be a disaster. If you are determined to bring a puppy in, you need to find a well-socialized puppy from a very experienced and responsible breeder who can match you with the right puppy for your family. 

Please read What To Look For In A Breeder and use it as a guideline to assess any breeder you consider. These are the minimum standards you should require. For your family's sake as well as the puppy's, I hope you will take this advice to heart. 

[Greg Scott]

Thank you very much for your input.  I'll be honest and say you are right about the breeder not being a responsible breeder.  I asked all the right questions, and many of the answers given seemed to be pulled out of thin air.  But, after speaking with them for 15 minutes on the phone, I'm convinced it's not a puppy mill, but yes, it is likely a backyard breeder.  No contract, no returns if dog doesn't work out, no health guarantee, had to ask them 3 times on the phone how many females they have - finally got an answer after "oh, we have lots".  The dogs are a great deal, only $500.  That's the trigger for me to overlook all of that (unfortunately) we have never been concerned with these issues, as most of our dogs in the past, were from farms, or the humane society.  It's not a big deal to me.  But I am definitely going to take your advice to heart as it's not worth the risk to the children, or the puppy.

[Kris and Sawyer]

Run!

[Kris and Sawyer]

Besides all the wonderful tenets listed in the "What to look for in a breeder" area, I had a prerequisite of finding a breeder that raised the puppies with children for the reason you are concerned about. My youngest child at the time we got Sawyer was 11 and I was still concerned. We were very lucky to find Sawyer's breeder. He was raised with 6 children (from under 2 to 16). I believe it made a difference. But even so, it was still challenging with my youngest. Sawyer did not recognize him as an alpha. My observation is just that my son's behaviors are not predictable and Sawyer saw him more as a playmate. It took a lot of work not just with Sawyer, but with my son, teaching him how to behave around him. I hope that makes sense. Sawyer is the best, most loving dog. But he did not "come that way". :-)

[Greg Scott]

Thank you very much!  We have decided not to go ahead with this puppy, and to wait for the right time!  He's just so darned cute.  But, it'll be a better fit in the end.

Thanks guys!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

All puppies are cute. :)

There's a real good chance that the puppy in the photo is not even the puppy available. The BYBs and mills have been known to do that. :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Greg, you couldn't adopt an 11wk old goldendoodle puppy from a rescue group for $500. That's a puppy mill. Bet your mortgage payment on it. 

In fact, if you Google the phone number, you'll probably find the evidence yourself. 

Puppy mill operators can be very charming on the phone, as many people have learned the hard way. 

[Adina P]

I'm glad you've decided to go elsewhere.  One thing to think about, regardless about whether the breeder problems worry you personally, is what your money would be supporting.  Just for the future.  A breeder who doesn't health test and offers no guarantee could be hurting A LOT of puppies in the long run.  Even if most puppies turn out fine, it's those ones who do not (due to breeding dogs that shouldn't have been bred together) that will suffer and/or cause heartache for their owners.  And it promotes poor breeding in the long run too.  Just my two cents.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Amen. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

We have a now ten year old Springer Spaniel from a backyard breeder.  We didn't know any better then, but in his life some of the things we have dealt with include tons of separation anxiety (never cured), two operations for torn CCLs, skin issues that are-ongoing, and ear infections.  We are just beginning to deal with tooth issues.  He is the sweetest dog, but he cannot be left alone and can't even be left alone with his doodle brothers in our RV. He was very destructive as a pup due to his anxiety.  Springers are known as high energy dogs, but they tend to mellow out - not our guy and he gets the doodles overly excited and we have three wild guys.  I would never get a dog from an irresponsible breeder again.  Would I take a rescue - yes, but I would do it knowing that there might be tons of health and behavior issues.  I am also retired and don't have little ones to think of.

[Sally S Miles]

Amen