Puppy or retired breeder with kids at home: Looking for experience stories and breeder referrals

[Julie]

Hi Everyone,

Hello from SoCal. I'm new to the group and have spent already hours reading through the wonderful posts and discussions. I love this group!

So, I am a stay-at-home mom with two boys, 15 months and 5.5 years. My older son suffers from anxiety and delayed development of emotional regulation. This is partially due to him having to have open heart surgery when he was just 2.5 months old, plus anxiety just seems to run in our genes. He's all good and healthy now, but we have been working with his teachers and counselor to help give him tools to cope with his anxiety. It has been recommended to us that a family dog that has the temperament of a therapy dog may be a wonderful addition for us and our son. If we get a doodle it would be at the end of 2016 at the earliest, but my boys would still be on the young side for a new dog in our house. 

I have prior ownership experience with medium and large dogs, so I know how crazy puppies can be. I'm not sure if a puppy is the way to go for us (but I still love them so much I may still do it).  I would love to hear experience from people who have adopted a puppy vs. a retired breeder into a house with children - want to hear the good and bad stories. If you want to tell me about your specific breeder please PM me, I'm looking at breeders in Cal, OR and Washington. 

Thanks so much!

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Friend me - I am from so CA and can share my breeder, she has four children at home about 2-12 years old.  They started breeding puppies when only had 2 kids.  She might be able to help you find an appropriate dog or at least give really good advice.

[Julie]

Done, thanks!

[Kaitlin and Ludo]

I have a 5 month old puppy and a 4 (almost 5) year old niece whom we see every day and I have to say that the hardest part about having a puppy is having a 4 year old. I'm not saying don't do it, but know that young children can make the job WAY harder... sometimes it feels almost impossible for a single person to truly supervise both of them during their interactions.  My niece is only around in the evenings and I try and wear Ludo out as much as possible during the day so he's a little more docile but she has a tough time with loving him too much.  She wants to hug and kiss him and talk right into his face or she'll get excited and run around or shriek and Ludo wants to treat her as a litter mate and bite and chase her.  I have to work daily with both of them to have good manners but 3 months in, I still have to have a hawk-eye and probably will for quite some time.  

Having said that, every dog is different and every child is different.  Puppies who are born to homes with children might be better equipped to handle young children.

Also, I'm from Ohio but my puppy came from Southern California... feel free to message me about it if you'd like!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No puppy in the world is equipped to handle a young child hugging and kissing him or talking into his face. These are all behaviors that lead to kids being bitten and dogs being rehomed or even euthanized. You are very wise to supervise closely as you are doing. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Because you need a dog with a specific temperament to help your son, I would not be hung up on any breed specifically, but on the dog that suits your needs.  You might want to research different breeds and find one that is naturally calm.  Doodles tend to be high energy, especially when young, and while many eventually make great therapy dogs, many absolutely do NOT- with a pup you won't know.  We also had English Springer Spaniels - another high energy breed that I wouldn't recommend for your son.  If you have had experience with large dogs, have you considered the Mastiff, Irish Wolfhound, or even Great Dane - all seem to have calm and accepting temperaments. 

IF you get a retired breeding dog, do your research.  Many breeders do not well-socialize or housebreak their breeding dogs, so older may not be better. My advice would be to contact a reputable service dog organization and see if you might adopt a dog that failed becoming a service dog.  You would get a dog that has had excellent training and be past puppy madness - and might even be a doodle.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree completely. DRC has rehomed many, many former breeding dogs who were completely unsocialized and had never even lived in a home as members of a family. Those breeding dogs who do are usually in guardian homes who will be keeping the dog after he/she is retired. I doubt you will be able to find a retired breeding doodle who is looking for a home and who is also suited to be a therapy dog for a child.

On the subject of big dogs who are calm and accepting with children, Newfoundlands would top that list.  

[Julie]

Great thoughts everyone and I agree with a lot of what has been said. My reasoning for the doodle was low shed since husband and son are slightly allergic, but I'm not totally set on the breed. I LOVE Newfoundlands, but I'm concerned about all the drool. I wonder if there are doodles that have gone through service dog training in one of the organizations but failed to make the final cut. I'll definitely look into that.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I have a friend who volunteers as a puppy raiser for service dogs.  Her dogs go to the prisons for the actual service training.  She said some simply are too sensitive for the prison setting for that final training so fail the program. These dogs still make fine pets.  You want to make sure the service organization you contact is reputable.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

When you bring up allergies, you open up a whole other can of worms, lol. It is an absolute myth that doodles are hypoallergenic and non-shedding. Some are and some are not, and there is no way you can tell whether any given doodle puppy will be. A significant percentage of doodles do shed and do affect people with allergies, as you would expect when you have heavily shedding breeds like Goldens and Labs in the mix. 

I am deeply involved in doodle rescue, and I can tell you that the top three reasons doodles are relinquished to rescues or shelters by their owners are

1. Issues with young children in the home

2. Owner did not realize how much time owning a doodle requires, with their high exercise, training, and grooming requirements

3. Allergies

[Julie]

Oh I hear you I hear you, lol! Their allergies are very mild, I feel that choosing a lower shedding dog breed would be a better choice. I do understand though that there is no true hypoallergenic dog breed. Your concerns about issues with children echo my own and they are why I'm taking my time on this. I guess what I'm trying to figure out right now is if it's actually possible to add a dog into our mix and have it be a positive thing. Love the feedback. Keep it coming.

[Nancy]

I would say do your homework and take time to research breeders!  Temperament should be your main concern.  If you have not seen the parents of a puppy or don't know anything about them, you are taking a chance on temperament!  Not all dogs make good therapy dogs, doesn't mean that you can't get a good dog but just not necessarily a good therapy dog.  For example....I have a 4 year old Australian Labradoodle.  He is the most gentle, soulful, loving dog but he get nervous around noises like crying or loud voices.  He loves to be pet, but is not a big snuggler.  I think people who rescue are wonderful but personally, if you are looking for a specific temperment and or quality, I would not suggest a rescue.  If you research Australian Labradoodles, you will find true Multigenerational Australian Labradoodles do not shed.  As with all breeds, although they are not really considered a "breed", there are good and bad breeders so RESEARCH is most important.  Good luck!!

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

I think you are wise in being cautious about getting a doodle pup. I has taken Winnie nearly 2 years to calm down, and she is very excitable around children.

I don't want to hijack your thread, but we are considering getting a second dog with similar criteria- medium/large, calm temperament with children AND low shedding. Anybody have suggestions?? My nephew's Great Dane is beautiful around children, but sheds like crazy...