Selecting a breeder for temperament

[Josh Adams]

Hi everyone!

I am new to the site and so happy I found it. Our family is on our journey on finding the perfect pup. 

We’ve always loved the Golden Retriever, but since we have mild allergies, we feel the Goldendoodle is a good choice for us.

One thing that’s important to us in selecting a breeder is a solid record addressing temperament. We recently spoke with a professional dog trainer who has seen a big increase in doodles with aggression and fear issues. We’ve also read some stories online of Goldendoodles who developed aggressive behavior from 6 months to a year old.

I am wondering if anyone has any thoughts on what specific questions we can ask potential breeders?

Meeting the parents is a must for us. But we’ve noticed quite a few of the breeders on the recommended breeder lists (including the “premium” breeder list) don’t allow visitors prior to selecting a puppy. We understand parvo is a serious concern, but how are potential owners supposed to feel comfortable with selecting a breeder? This makes the process of finding a breeder very overwhelming. 

We appreciate any advice anyone can offer us. Also, if someone knows of a breeder on the east coast that specifically addresses temperament issues (and allows home visits), please send us a private message.

Many thanks!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Hi Joshua, welcome to DK. I'm glad to see your are doing your research before getting a puppy. 

If you haven't already done so, please read our excellent guidelines on What to Look for in a Breeder and take them to heart. Run from anyone who can't meet these minimum standards. 

I personally think that breeders who give the "parvo excuse" are hiding something. Yes, parvo is a very serious concern, but there are ways to minimize risk. If the pups are truly "raised underfoot" in their homes with their families, do they forbid friends or family to ever enter their homes? I think not.

Also, regarding allergies, keep in mind that any goldendoodle of any type or generation can shed and affect someone's allergies. No breeder can guarantee otherwise. 

Good luck in your search.

[Josh Adams]

Hi Karen, thank you for the warm welcome! We did read the guidelines on selecting a breeder and found it very helpful! Look forward to updating you on our journey!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

I agree Karen, but I would think someone looking for a goldendoodle would have better luck with the shedding issue if they do not use a breeder that is breeding a goldendoodle back to a golden retriever.  It seems of late, I am seeing new puppies that are a product of this type of breeding.  I don't get it, do you?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No, and the reputable breeders I have known wouldn't do it. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I agree with Karen, that you should be able to visit the breeder and tour where the dogs are kept or live (my choice would be in their home or in a guardian home). 

[Ginny Nightingale]

I just want to say that guardians in our breeding program are under no obligation to allow people to visit their dogs when they are not being utilized for breeding--that is their "down" time--And I think that you can have a variety of temperaments in a litter regardless of what the parents are like....

And it is also impossible to "order" a calm, well mannered dog, as all of us at DK know. Temperament is largely a result of training, socialization and experience. I have a dog here now with pups--she is a lovely dog, as is the sire, but who knows what the pups will be like. We do our best to weed out any temperament issues in the potential breeding dogs, but it still takes work on the part of the puppy owners to assure that it will be a good dog. I think people believe that they will be guaranteed a good dog if they choose parents with good temperaments--just wanted to throw that in.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ginny, I am sorry I implied that the guardian home should be open to visitation. I didn't mean that at all.  I meant the breeder's 'place of business,' so to speak.  If it is the breeder's home that is where the dogs live - not the parents of a specific litter necessarily, but dogs... then there should be a place that puppies are picked up, chosen, and prospective purchasers could visit.  If the breeder keeps the dogs in outbuildings, I would want to see that also - of course if that were the case, I wouldn't be there - but that is just me.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Joshua--welcome! A lot of those fear and aggression issues result from a lack of training and socializing--people think that every breed has a guaranteed personality and that all they have to do is buy a certain breed (or in this case, mixed breed!) and PRESTO! They get the dog they ordered! NOT THE CASE!

It requires time and patience to get that good dog you want--and even the temperaments of the parents won't guarantee anything although it is certainly a sign of a good breeder when they consider temperament as one of their breeding criteria.

I have a friend with a 6 month old pup that she got from the breeder I work for--I groom this pup and as she has gotten older I have noticed more and more whining and fear issues--I asked her about it and she replied that her husband babies her and gives in to every whine --this has to stop or they will have a fearful and perhaps aggressive dog. So, this is an example of what can happen when everyone is not on board with regards to training.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree that temperament is a combination of nature and nurture. That said, certain types of temperaments run in purebred lines, and certain purebred breeders are known for their dogs having a particular type of temperament and/or ability. This is why every Labrador Retriever doesn't make a good service dog, even though the puppies may have been bred and raised for service work from birth, and every German Shepherd doesn't make a good police K9, even though, again, they may have been bred and trained for it from birth. I for one am very glad that people are aware that the temperaments of the parents do play a huge role in the temperaments of the offspring. 

[Ginny Nightingale]

Yes, they CAN play a role, but not a guarantee as some people think it is--and then they are surprised and dismayed when their pup does not automatically end up with a temperament like the parent. I have seen many temperaments emerge among littermates and some are nothing like their parents at all. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think you get a greater mix of temperaments in mixed breed litters than you do with purebreds...at least with well-bred purebreds. But yes, every dog is not exactly like their parents. :) 

[Andrea, Belle and Honey]

I can add another example of what Ginny is talking about:  My mini labradoodle Belle, who will be 2 in June, was initially a rather difficult pup, starting with flunking out of puppy school, moving on to several unseemly incidents at the dog park, and culminating with her being denied admission to a doggie daycare. (Detailed in my early messages and blogs.)  However, with the help of a dedicated and experienced day care director, and a LOT of work with me, with guidance from people on this site as well as Doggy Dan, Belle has turned into such a sweetheart that people who meet her frequently ask where they can find a dog like her. She is mellow when I need her to be mellow, and lively when we are involved in activities with our dog-walking group, where she happily keeps up with the larger dogs.  But I suspect that she could easily have turned into the kind of troublesome doodle that has been mentioned to you.  Of course, the work never stops - I think the training needs to be pretty consistently reinforced. Whether this history means that she inherited a "bad temperament" I don't know, but I do know that she is now a loving, intelligent and funny companion that is welcomed wherever we go, and I wouldn't trade her for anything. May your search for a puppy bring similar good fortune to you and your family.