Goof-a-Doodles!

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Just finished relating this story to Stephanie( and Ragley).

We had another encounter today. Sitting at Starbucks, a couple starts discussing Enzo. He remarks what a cool looking dog, She says: oh that's one of those expensive , snooty Designer dogs". And follows up with: " people who buys those are soooooooo dumb".
Now my snooty designer dog has her nose buried in the Starbucks cup finishing off her puppicino( whipped cream) ( insert rolling eyes here)
Now, they decide they want to meet and pet her.
She comes over and asks what kind of Designer dog is she? I reply she is actually a very rare breed: a Goof-Doodle. She replies " oh...I never heard of that one! How do you spell it? She's typing into her phone....I spell it for her......and wait for the reaction. Nothing! LOL....whose the dumb one??? She left still doing a search on her phone!

[Nancy and Georgia Brown]

I love that picture of Enzo!

I was expecting to get more of that reaction when I got my dog.

Especially in the Berkeley area where getting a rescue dog is the "right" thing to do. And getting a pure breed is acceptable but not cool. But getting a designer dog is the worst of all things.

Most people think Georgia is gorgeous and most comments are positive. Most seem to know she is a doodle of some sort, although as she is getting older people think she is a poodle. 

My dog is out in a public area with lots of people daily, so I have gotten all the comments you could imagine. I feel often like an ambassador for the breed. 

I tell them, no, doodles are a mix of a non shedding breed and a shedding breed so it's a 50/50 chance unless you have a multigenerational dog. No they aren't hypoallergenic, but can be less allergenic.

They all seem to think these dogs are really smart. I tell them the jury is still out on her, cause compared to my last dog she's not that smart, but she doesn't need to go to Harvard and she is very lovable. I had one woman saying she was thinking about getting a doodle but all the doodles she had met were very hyper, but mine didn't seem to be that way at all...I didn't have a response.

I have had so many people wanting to know the breeder, but I didn't get her by way of what is recommended here, and I wouldn't go that route again, so I educate them on the proper way to get a doodle and the risks of not going that direction, often referring them to this site. 

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Great post Nancy! Sounds like you are doing the best a Doodle owner can do...set the record steaight, on the good, the bad and the "snooty" ;)
For the most part, the remarks we get are all very positive. In fact, I think this woman, was probably the one standout. I have had people say she was a Labradoodle and when I corrected them....asked me if I was sure!
Enzo goes everywhere possible with us, so I guess we are bound to hear comments.....good and bad.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Nancy, if every doodle owner did what you are doing to educate others on the truth about these dogs, there would be far fewer doodles in rescue. Good for you. 

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

WTG Nancy!  Georgia is so beautiful, I bet you get stopped a lot. Recently, I've had several people contact me about getting a doodle.  I seem to have become the "go to" person in town which is fine because I love to talk "doodles" (especially after all the great doodles I've met on DK and all I've learned here) and if I can intervene when a puppy mill is being considered, all the better for everyone.  Once we get through the non shedding myth, the two things I try to get across --these are active dogs, physically and mentally so training them and exercising them them has to be something you enjoy --and two, these are "people" dogs. If they can't go places with you and be an active part of for life, find another breed.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Bingo!

[Stephanie and Ragley]

I do something similar, but it does always tend to make me feel guilty about bad-talking the doodle breed that I love so much as I stand there with one on the end of the leash I am holding. I always ALWAYS dispel the shedding myth and I usually present Ragley as an exception in the energy department (most of the time I pause too long in a store, she lays down for a snooze lol). I usually talk about all the grooming involved as well. If I'm feeling gutsy, I even throw the "m" word out there...(mutt)

I mostly just try to help people realize they are just like any other kind of dog in that they are all different, unique individuals. There is no prototype that they all follow and there is a lot of grooming, work, and training that goes behind all those glamorous calendar and "teddy bear" pictures everyone sees

[Sally S Miles]

Stephanie,  much the same here - I think it's very important to remind people that dogs are individuals and that  Nothing In Life is Free - applies to humans most of all. 

The M word - my vet said I can't use that one, she is definitely not of 'undetermined breeding'  = however we do refer to her as a Standard Poodle mix - and yes more than once I have been 'informed' just how spastic, silly, and so on a Poodle can be.  However if I tell someone we have a Golden Retriever mix, the responses are vastly different! Those who meet her, swear she is a Poodle - period.

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

OMD, OMG this is the BEST story ever Ro!   I am still laughing and you got her good!  Too bad Enzo didn't accidentally spill her Puppicino on her!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

HAHAHA.....

[Brittney & Cally]

Haha, perfect!

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

What a Quick wit! good for you!

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

By the time anybody stops me (and they do frequently) I hope I have put them right off. I say they are Poodle mixes  and that they need tons of grooming, that they are high energy and need lots of excercise. Also they need good food and pet insurance and on days that I can't walk them I have a dog walker and the day care.  I say they are a HUGE commitment. I am pretty sure I am known as the crazy dog lady by the  end of the conversation but that's fine by me. It;s probably me that is the Goofdoodle LOL