Goldendoodle vs. Labradoodle -- Ability to be left alone occasionally

[Stephanie Neufeld]

Hi,

My husband and I are looking to get a puppy in the near future and are debating between a labradoodle or a goldendoodle.  As we both work, we have someone who could look after the puppy a couple days during the week (and maybe moreso when it's a young puppy), but there would be a couple days where we would have to leave it at home.  We would of course take it for a walk in the morning and late afternoon before we left and came home.  I'm wondering if either a goldendoodle or a labradoodle would handle being by themselves better and not (a) destroy the house and (b) develop physcological abandonment issues?  Any advice would be appreciated.  Thanks :)

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

Hello.  How long are you planning on leaving the dog, and for how many days a week?  It doesnt matter which breed of dog it is, no dog likes to be left alone.  But, the reality of it is, is that most people work. So, it is important that you have a plan to have someone look after while you are both away..which it looks like you do, and of course, you must exercise and train the dog (obedience, for mental stimulation). Are you planning on crate training?  That will prevent the puppy from destroying the house, and more importantly, harming itself. The first few weeks, months (years) (lol) will be important for house training your puppy.  There is a ton of information here, doodles/most dogs are very active, loving dogs, which require a ton of work, hygiene, exercise, etc the list goes ON!!...please make sure you consider all aspects before getting a dog!  Best of luck to you, and welcome!

[Adina P]

Hi Stephanie,

To answer your question directly, it doesn't make a whit of difference which you get.  They are both pretty social.  And like most dogs, they can't hold their pee/poo for more than so many hours during the day when they first come home as 8 week olds.  I think the rule of thumb is they can hold their potty for as many hours as their age in months plus 1.  So a 2 month old could hold it up to 3 hours.  A 3 month old for up to 4 hours.  During the day, that is.  Obviously there are exceptions on both extremes, but there is absolutely no way to pin point a difference between labradoodles or goldendoodles on this point. 

As far as separation anxiety...I think it's just as possible in either breed mix.  It's either there or it isn't in each dog and you may not know for a few months.

[Heather]

Gosh, I'm not an expert by any means, but I would think it's the puppies individual personality that would decide how much alone time it will handle and Not the breed!! I have "2" Goldendoodles, My female is "2" and my male just turned "1". We got Ellie our female at 9 weeks, and puppies need lots of socializing.....They also need to go out frequently!!! Both breeds also require lots of exercise. I am obviously partial to Goldendoodles, but BOTH breeds are Wonderful~

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

I do not believe if makes a difference in the breed.  As for crate training, I would definitely begin when the puppy comes home.  Our experience has been nothing but positive with the crate.  She slept through the night from the beginning, she has no problem going in it when we leave the house and I believe it is a comfort zone for her.  As a puppy she did chew on everything she could get her hands on, so when we were away it was a safe place for her.  She is now two and she still goes in it when we leave, but at night she sleeps on our bed.  She slept in the crate at night until about two mos. ago.  As a puppy you need someone to come in a couple times a day to let her go out and walk her, but they do get very comfortable in their crates.  Every puppy is different, every family is different and it may not work for everyone, but it was the best situation for us.

[Traz, Karen & Dale]

Traz is a Labradoodle and he is 9 months old.  We received him when he was 4 months old and he was already crate trained.  He still sleeps in a crate at night without any problem.  My husband and I are both retired and Traz still doesn't like to be away from us.  Our trainer said that we need to left him in the crate every day, during the day, so that feels secure AND also knows that we will return.  We are going on a cruise in May/June for 8 nights and it will be the first time he will be with someone else.  We are hoping to dog swap with another couple, so we are planning some overnight stays with them and their Goldendoodle so Traz will be comfortable when he is left with them while we are gone.  I think it is good that you will have someone come in to spend some time with him so he doesn't feel abandoned.  Good luck with your decision and enjoy your doodle; Goldendoodle or Labradoodle :-)

[Jennifer and Jack]

No difference... They are very social beings... They need lots of love and attention. My little guy who is going to be four will not sleep well if he is not exercised enough.. He is only around 15 pounds and he requires a lot of exercise.. He is a toy golden doodle. 

I would for sure look into dog walkers  and even better for a young puppy that has ALL his vaccines Day care. He can romp and play most of the day and not be bored at home, There is so much to explore and a puppy needs a lot of time to be socialized.. to other dogs....cats....people....children... noises..car rides etc.... 

Have you considered a daycare for puppy play? Actually my dog walkers I had for Jack when I worked were way more money then paying full time daycare for Jack.....  I had my mom stay with Jack the first two weeks then a few weeks of a dog walker twice to three times a day, every three hours.... and then massive play time at night.

I didn't do well in the mornings with walking him, I wasn't disciplined enough... I had enough of my own stuff I had to do that is why I had a dog walker come every three hours to play with him in the yard....

If day care is not an option as a puppy I would say you need a good dog walker every few hours...and then the socializing is going to be on you a lot more heavily...

I think it is great you are looking into options now before you have the puppy so you are well prepared.... Just remember a tired doodle is a good doodle.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

As to your question of either being better for being left alone I don't think it matters the breed, just the personality and help it gets along the way. I hope you are intending to crate train. This alone is the single most important thing you can do for your pup. The like the "den" and it helps make them feel secure. There are lots of discussions on crate training.

When we got Daisy at 9 weeks my husband took 2 weeks off, then I took 2 weeks off and then my Mother came to stay with us/her for 5 more weeks. All of this was to get her trained and happy. She loved her crate. After that time period she stayed at home alone for 4 hours at a time and in her crate for about 2 months, she did fine and could have continued in this manner but I hated the drive home and then leaving her again. When she was 6 months she was spayed and then started going to Daycare for 1/2 days.

[Lynda Kamrath]

I don't think the breed really matters.  We got our first doodle when my husband retired so we have always been around most of the time.  However, if we tell them "No, you are going to stay" when we are getting dressed to go out, they go to the master bed, hang their heads, and settle in.  We seldom are gone for more than a few hours.  If we are getting on bike clothes, they are particularly distraught.

I would check out doggie day care in your area.  My neighbor would take her dog (a therapy dog and a lab) there a couple of times a week when she was working full time.  They need some diversion.  When I was working, I would always get a puppy at the beginning of summer when I would be home to train him.  And what about cold, rainy, or hot days?  Lots of things to consider before getting a dog.

[Jen and Annie]

Like the others, I don't think the breed matters.  I think all dogs love being with their owners, and every dog I've ever had have some sort of separation anxiety, at first anyway.  With regard to being left alone - I'm not sure if I will ever be able to leave Annie alone without being in her crate.  I think if you have a proper enclosure or crate for the pup, they will learn (over time) to be comfortable being left in their 'house' while you're gone.  As the others have said - they can't be left for too long as a puppy, just because they can't hold their waste that long. 

All doodles are going to be very smart dogs - the poodle and goldens, labs are very intelligent breed.  So with an intelligent dog can come boredom - meaning they could tear things up or be destructive if left alone for too long - especially when they are young.  I've had a bored (young) dog tear up a 2 foot section of linoleum off the floor, requiring all new flooring.  I've had a bored (young) dog chew multiple holes in my wall, and of course the normal stuff like eating socks, underwear and bras.  (I learned that crating is not necessarily a bad thing when I'm gone, and trust must be earned...!).  The linoleum incident was the first time we left that dog (RIP Henry) out of its crate while we left - and we were only gone an hour....

Annie is in the terrible habit of scratching on doors that I go through - the bathroom, the bedroom - if I'm behind a door and she can't get in - she scratches the door.   I think it will be a long while before I can trust her to be roaming around when I'm not home.  But she doesnt mind going into her crate - they get used to the routine.  Best of luck in your search - I'm sure you will love ANY puppy that you get.  I'm partial to labradoodles - but I think I'm in the minority on this site - there are a lot of goldendoodles here...