Goldendoodle vs Wheaten Terrier - Getting a puppy soon

[Aaron Killian]

Hi All,

 

I know I'm in the doodle forum so the answers to this question may be a little biased!

 

But I want to know if any of you have had experiences with both Wheatens and Goldendoodles? Which do you prefer and what are the pros and cons to each?

 

I am currently looking at doodles from Timshell Farms in Arizona. The puppies are priced around $1900. Have any of you bought from Timshell? If so, how was your experinece?

 

I haven't been able to price a Wheaten yet but I'm assuming around $1000.

 

Honestly the price is not a huge deal to me, I just want a happy and healthy puppy that has an entirely healthy life.

 

Looking into Timshell Farms petite Goldendoodles; 25% Spaniel 25% Golden and 50% poodle. Is this a common mix? 

 

Any and all help is appreciated! Looking to get a puppy in the December timeframe in case any of you were wondering!

 

 

 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

If you're looking for a puppy that doesn't shed, go with the wheaten.  There is no guarantee that a goldendoodle puppy will not shed.

If you are looking for a puppy with a specific look, go with the wheaten.  Goldendoodles come in a WIDE variety of looks (even within the same litter).  

If you don't care about a specific look or shedding, then go with the breeder with the best health and genetic testing on the parents.  That's your best guarantee of a healthy pup!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree. One advantage to a purebred is that you are guaranteed certain things, like size, color, non-shedding, etc.

With a mixed breed puppy, you can't know for sure how big the dog will end up, what kind of coat he will have, or whether he will shed until he a year old. 

[Kyoko]

This is a very good advice.

 

[Maryellen and Curly Lambeau]

I've had three wheatens and now I have a two y/o goldendoodle Fb2. Energy level, about the same, my goldendoodle does not shed, both breeds trained easily, wheatens tend to be a little more high strung-terrier in them. Biggest difference for me, health-I checked lines, looked for reputable breeders and still ended up losing two wheatens to PLN and one at 5 to a brain tumor. My goldendoodle has a little bit of a sensitive stomach, but other than that is a healthy pup.
I loved my wheatens but I can't handle their health problems . I'm hoping with my goldendoodle (some people call an expensive mutt) she will live a long and healthy life.

[Adina P]

I guess it depends on what characteristics you are wanting in a dog.  I'm sure there is a Wheaton club of America you can google and read the description of the dog's character/temperament and see if that is something you want vs. the temperament of the poodle and golden retriever.  I am not a fan of the terrier group as far as a dog *I* would personally want, but some love the terrier personality.

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

I did lots of research while looking for my mini Doodles. I specifically crossed that breeder off my list because they do breed with spaniels to get a smaller dog. In my opinion that is not a true Goldendoodle with the traits of just the Golden & poodle. If you want a smaller size, there are plenty of breeders that do have mini's using just Poodles and Goldens. Again, This is just my opinion so I sincerely hope I have not offended anyone! I just did not want a third personality introduced in what I think is the perfect personality mix!

[Jill Grealy and Charlie]

I Totally Agree with you. Retriever and Poodle is all that is needed to make a perfect Puppy.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Regarding questions for those who have dealt with this breeder, reviews/recommendations of breeders are not permitted here in the forum, but people can send you messages about their experiences.

I can tell you that it is NOT common for Goldendoodles to have Spaniel in them, and if it is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, run for the hills. More health issues than you can imagine, and there are enough potential health problems in Goldendoodles without adding more. (Golden Retrievers are the number one breed affected by cancer, and there are lots of genetic health problems in both Goldens and Poodles.)  It sounds like the Spaniels are being used just to downsize the dog, which is not the right reason or the right way to do it. If you want a "petite" sized dog, there are dozens of non-shedding breeds to choose from. 

Regarding the price of Wheaten Terriers, there is a huge range. A puppy from a top-ranked Wheaten show breeder can cost much more than $1000. Your best bet is to locate a breeder through your local AKC Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier Breed Club. 

Terriers can be very stubborn. You will want a breeder who breeds for temperament. And in either case, Wheaten or Goldendoodle, it's important to meet the parents.

[Julie and Charlie]

Several of the "Australian" labradoodle lines do contain some amount of Cocker Spaniel (I would bet that Charlie has more Cocker in him than lab!) . The particular breeder referenced appears to be doing this, in addition to the Cavaliers for even smaller dogs.

I don't see anything necessarily wrong with adding Cockers to the lines, but as with any breeding, one needs to be careful about genetic conditions and testing. Cavaliers, on the other hand... oh my.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Wheatens can also be very expensive--I think $1000 would be less than their cost if it is a GOOD breeder.

I had one that was a total nut and they have a terrible reputation for being crazy--BUT, I also know other owners who have had very good luck with them--I would research the breeder very carefully and visit them to meet their dogs--do not order one from far away. They have been overbred due to the mislabel of hypoallergenic (there is no such thing in any breed) and there are problems within the breed because of that.

My Wheaten shed a bit and it was about the same as my multigen labradoodle, who is a low shedder. Wheaten was territorial though and could be aggressive--again, an isolated case--oh and he was 60 ponds instead of the 40-45 pounds I expected....lots of people think purebred and AKC registered means consistency--even though the purebreds are MUCH more consistent than ANY doodle would be, there are still variations within a litter.

I am also not sure why one would mess with putting a spaniel into the mix of a doodle--makes no sense to me and just increases the variety within the litter--I do not think it is common and I think that the breeder may be experimenting to some degree--(That said, we are not allowed to recommend or comment on any breeder on the forum and I really have no idea what the spaniel infusion is all about)--I do know that Australian labradoodles have some cocker spaniel and other spaniel in their lines, so maybe that has something to do with why they are doing this cross.

No matter what you decide, there is no guarantee of a puppy with an entirely healthy life! I sure wish someone could guarantee that--but getting a healthy pup from a reputable breeder is a good start. A breeder who does the job right will charge more for their pups because of the cost of health testing the parents, etc, so be prepared for that.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

"Purebred" and "AKC registered" only mean that both parents are of the same breed, and that the litter was registered with the AKC. I agree, not guarantees of size, etc. But pet store dogs from puppy mills can be AKC registered purebreds. 

Dogs from purebred show breeders, on the other hand, are pretty much guaranteed to be consistent in appearance, coat, size, etc. or the breeder would not be able to put titles on them, and championships are easily verified. A dog who was oversized, undersized, had the incorrect coat, or had a nasty temperament would be disqualified. So in terms of there being consistency with purebreds, there absolutely is IF you buy from the right breeder. 

[Aaron Killian]

WOW thank you for all the replies. From what I understand is that Wheatens can have some serious health issues that may not be able to be avoided even by going through reputable breeders. I really do love Wheatens but the health concerns really do scare me.

I really like the temperaments of both poodles and goldens so I really want to go that route. Would it be a safe assumption to say that a goldendoodle would be easier to train than a wheaten?

I'm pretty upset about the spaniel in Timshell Farms goldendoodles. Is there mini F1Bs that range in the 30 pound area?

I guess I need to do some more research on breeders in Arizona.