We Do A Disservice To Our Dogs

[Brittney & Cally]

We truly do a disservice to this doodle breed when we say we have the perfect dogs and this is the perfect breed. I know this topic is discussed a lot but we truly need to think before we tell an inexperienced dog owner about our dogs. We need to start off with all their bad qualities, how much research we did, how training is for life and so on. Instead a lot of people say we have the perfect dog. That may be true, you may have a dog that suits your family well but do not use the word perfect! This is why so many dogs are dumped and what has kept all those involves with DRC so busy!


http://www.alternet.org/culture/heartbreaking-truth-about-those-cut...


Just think about this the next time someone asks about that puppy that suits your family so well!

[Deborah Brown]

I understand the point of this article and I can attest to the fact that the two doodles I got as puppies were/are absolute hellions!  They've kept me on my toes.

HOWEVER, reading the first few paragraphs and how these people treated their doodle just made my blood boil.  That part is truly heartbreaking to me.  Who puts an electric fence in their house??!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You have no idea how heartbreaking it really was, Deb. The children and the non-dog-loving nanny were also in charge of the settings for that indoor electric fence, and let's just say that it was not the same from one day to the next. :( 

[Brittney & Cally]

I am a nanny and am currently in a similar situation but at least I love dogs and know a thing or two about them. They always go wow how did he learn that he is so smart, but in reality I am working with the dog all day because I cannot take having an untrained dog running the house while I am there, so really it is for my own sanity.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

And while this was an extreme case, I will say that almost every ALD who has been rehomed through DRC was purchased as a gift for children, and lived in homes where there was no adult owner committed to the dog. 

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Stomach churning words :(. Ya gotta think...what the hell are people thinking? Oh yeah...they are not. :(

[Deborah Brown]

I believe that.  Every doodle we fostered was about 10 months old and untrained.  These were perfectly find dogs who grew into big dogs and just needed some guidance, to learn to walk on a leash, etc. (Wayne was one of those exceptions who needed more help.)

[Chelsie]

I love my goldendoodle and he is the best dog I have ever had. Now let me share some negatives. Sam sheds some. He doesn't love to be brushed, but I have to do it at least 2x a week, which amounts to about 2-3 hours a week of brushing. He has to be groomed on top of the weekly brushing. I pay $90+tip to have him groomed 3-4 times a year. He is also large and barley fits in my bath tub for a bath which takes about an hour to do every 2 weeks! He eats...a lot! He barks...loudly. Training never ends...he is "easy" to train, but it is something we work on everyday. I have paid for 2 trainers to help guide me in his training. He is large, bigger than my breeder guessed he would be. But since doodles are a mix there isn't a breed standard for size. This "breed" can be the perfect dog for the right person who is willing to work with them. Sam loves to walk in downtown Carmel, which is the meca of dog-friendly, he gets so much attention. The first is always,
"Oh he is so beautiful." Yeah, see above for how much I groom him.
"What kind of dog is he?" "Oh a doodle, so they don't shed!" Ummm no, again see above. Doodles can shed and lots do!
"He is so well behaved." Yeah now, he wasn't this calm when we first started, again see above with his training! And please come to my house and see how calm he is when other dogs walk by. This is where the loud barking comes in!
"Oh he is big for a doodle!" No breed standard so not really sure he is big for a doodle, I've seen bigger!

None the less I love Sam to pieces. He is a great dog for my family! I always tell people honestly when they inquire about him. The one I hate the most is the shedding myth. I always put an end to that if anyone asks! I pray everyday that more people will stop funding puppy mills and look for a reputable breeder or adopt.

[Texas Doodle Mom and Molly Rose]

I cannot even read the article, knowing it will haunt me. I'm a researcher and will research something almost TOO much. Hearing about impulsive puppy purchases, and then neglect, makes my blood boil. Getting a dog, any dog, is a commitment over the life of the pet. It's entering into a marriage of sorts. I'm nervous about having a breed I have not had before, but I am coming to the relationship armed with plans for training, a commitment to leading the dog through learning to be a member of our family, and lots of love. It is a good point not to bedazzle people with doodle positives, and an even better point that these positives usually follow a great human leader teaching them.

[Abigail *George & Juno*]

Such a sad reality. I love our George and she gets frequent attention when we're on our walks for her good leash manners. Goldendoodles don't have a fantastic reputation in the area we live, but there is a lady in our neighborhood who has a rescued one, she took him before he got posted on craigslist. :(

I usually, reply to them saying "OMG she's so cute! I wish we could get one!" With a "she's a LOT of work, but we love her"

We actually had some friends over last week and George had been bringing us leaves inside all day, as I was vacuuming the rug they walked in the front door. My response "I don't mean to be rude, just cleaning up after our "hypo-allergenic" dog!!!" This couple happens to be fosters for a pit bull and chihuahua rescue, so they got a good laugh. :)

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

Yes, there is a lot of preaching to the choir on this thread, but it is still a topic that needs to be "refreshed" now and then IMP.

I don't have the perfect dog, but the (mostly) good dog I do have came from lots of positive training and could still use lots more! 

Every time I pick off the little fur balls that accumulate in my dryer and stick to the clothes I think about the non shed myth.  No, nothing like the gobs of hair rolling around when we had with our yellow lab, but Quincy can mess up a floor with wet mouth dribbles and dirty paws faster than any other dog known to man!  

[Jen W]

Even this article makes it sound like you can find the perfect dog:

"You'll be hard-pressed to find a real Australian labradoodle in a shelter," Widman said. "They have wonderful temperaments, no smell, no shedding—they're brilliant dogs and they simply do not get given up." 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Of course; she's the president of the ALAA, lol.