Guardian Homes

[Heather Green]

Hello doodle-lovers!  I'm seeking some feedback on what it is like to be a guardian home for a Labradoodle.  Anyone out there have any insight they would like to share with me?  I also have two young children, so I'd love to hear what it's like to raise a doodle alongside little ones.  Thanks!

Heather

[Ginny Nightingale]

Most of the families I know who have gotten a doodle and have small children have had a wonderful time--crazy and busy, but wonderful. My children are grown so I can't be sure, but there are lots of people on DK with small children and maybe they will answer this. Of course, you need to have enough time and energy to train a pup and give them the attention they need--but if you are up for that, you should be fine.

As far as being a guardian home, I have a female and a male that I am a guardian for right now. The female will have her third litter this winter and will then be spayed. There is a lot to it but the main thing is that you need to work closely with the breeder and be willing to be observant about your dog--when she goes into heat the breeder needs to know right away--the breeder can fill you in on what special things you need to do at that time--it isn't difficult. She will need to go to the breeder briefly to be bred and then should be home for the rest of her pregnancy until the very end.  The dog will need to be fed a bit more towards the end of the 63 day pregnancy and then she will leave your house for 8 weeks to have the pups--that is the hardest part for some families. If the breeder lives close by, she will probably let you come visit your dog and the pups after a few weeks---you should have a written contract that details your responsibilities and how many litters the dog will have. There is always a bit of risk to the dog also and some people don't want to have the hassle of having an unspayed female--something to think about!

[Heather Green]

Thanks for your reply!  What are some of the negative behaviors I can expect from an un-neutered/un-spayed dog??

[Adina P]

We have a guardian home GROUP here on DK...you can read about the experience of others there too =)

[Ginny Nightingale]

Yes, good idea Adina--I will just add that my unneutered dog is always marking all the bushes in the yard--some neutered males do this too, but none of his brothers (all neutered) even lift their leg! He can get a bit growly with other dogs too, although again both males and females can do this whether they are "fixed" or not. Some dog parks do not allow intact males to come in. My unspayed female (his momma) can be hyper and crazy at around time of her heat, but then she gets demure and affectionate when pregnant. She happens to have trouble eating during pregnancy (she loses her appetite and has to be fed boiled chicken and rice), but not all mommas do that.