My very un-doodle doodle

[Jaime Appleman]

 Niko is now 11 weeks and is looking more like a retriever and less like a doodle. He wavy hair he had last week is gone. He was shedding a good bit  this week which I thought was strange. I’m thinking less now that he may still get the doodle look. He’s so ornery and is a ball of energy. He hates his crate and he follows us everywhere biting our legs and clothes. 

[Jaime Appleman]

Yeah he will do short periods of time in the crate during the day and he last maybe 2 hours at the most at night. I live in an apartment on the second floor and I have been hesitant to let him cry in his crate for very long because I don't want to upset neighbors. I have noticed i have to crate him anytime we try to eat right now because he goes crazy, barking and jumping so I'm gonna have to work on that 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

As for the barking, I'd go to your neighbors (if you can't catch them personally, leave a note on their door), perhaps with some cookies :-} and explain that you have a new puppy and you are training him, that you realize that he might bark for a while while you are training, but you do NOT intend for it to continue.  Ask their indulgence and their support by telling you if they hear him when you are gone....

[Hua]

My Zoe (F1 standard, 7.5 months) is a flat coat doodle.  She's started to have more waves and curls on her head and back about 2 months ago, along with more fluffiness and a coarser outer coat.  She sheds like crazy.  I've resigned to the fact that I'll probably always have fur in my food and on my clothes.  Roomba helps. 

Early socialization is extremely important.  10 - 20 weeks is a critical period.  I was taking Zoe to weekly class starting at 10 weeks, plus 3 - 4 times/week puppy play session.  Play with other puppies will teach them bite inhibition. 

[Jaime Appleman]

Zoe is so cute! You can definitely see the doodle in her. 

I've been a little upset because I chose the golden doodle because of the low shedding factor (I know there will be a little shedding )but Niko is shedding as much as my golden did. But his cuteness makes up for it 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Jamie, your breeder should have told you that Niko would be a shedder.  Breeders know which of their pups will definitely shed, which ones will not get facial furnishings, etc.

[Jaime Appleman]

yeah, she didn't. she said he should shed very little because his mother hardly sheds. 

[Joani, Skadi & Elli]

Aww.  that's too bad.  My girls are low shedders, they shed a lot less than our last dog. So many breeders are breeding the doodles with little thought given besides making money.  

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Niko is adorable! You can see more Doodles like him on the page "Where's the Poodle in my Doodle?" http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/wheresthepoodleinmydoodle

I have one of those and she sheds buckets. But she is worth more than her weight in gold! I wouldn't trade her for anything! There are lots of photos of her on my page.

[Emily Krohn]

My doodle is just like that everyone thinks she is a golden retriever puppy and really she's turning 5 in July! The biting will stop over time. We bought her a "Chuckit!" rubber ball and that really helped with her biting when she was a puppy, I think its because the ball is very squishy so she can sit and just chew on it. Her shedding also used to be a lot worse, we usually shave her and now she hardly ever sheds.

[Terri Sassone]

He's adoodable! His coat will likely change several times until about a year.  I've had 3 F1's and their coats are all different and went through multiple phases before they got their adult coats.