Educating the public about the doodle rainbow

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

I've been noticing more and more doodles at the dog park... and so I've been asking people what types of doodles they have. However, lately I've run across a lot of people who seem to know very little about just how varied the different types of doodles are.  It always amazes me how varied and unique all our DK doodles are, which is what makes them so wonderful.  

Ginny's adorable trio are a great example of this!

To be fair, Luna doesn't look much like a typical goldendoodle so most people are surprised by her breed... but you'd think people would figure out she's not a pure Golden by her pint size...she fits under the belly of a pure golden!  I really need to get a "me and minime" picture of Luna and a golden sometime.

For now, this will have to do!

Comments in the last few weeks after telling people Luna is a mini goldendoodle:

"Oh?  My dog is a pure doodle... he is a poodle crossed with a golden retriever"  (WTD?  What is a "pure" doodle...)

  (A white doodle from these two!?  Really?...This is from a breeder website btw.)

"Are you sure she's a goldendoodle?" (I actually get this one a lot...)

"She doesn't look much like a goldendoodle" (This leads me to believe that a lot of people don't know there's a possibility their doodles could turn out straight-haired... and makes me sad because of the possibility some people would give up their doodles if they didn't land up with the "right look")

"Looks like someone made a mistake there"  (What?  My doodle is beautiful, no mistakes here!)

I think that as (in my opinion) generally more highly educated dog owners, DK members do a great job of teaching the public  about our wonderful doodles and dogs in general.

Things I use to teach people about doodles: (Especially prospective doodle owners)

- Doodles come in all sorts of shapes, colours and sizes

- I tell them they don't always come out curly.  If they want a curly doodle they should go with a F1B or higher generation doodle or even an Australian labradoodle.

- I tell people that she sheds, and breeders that advertise that doodles don't shed are just doing that to sell puppies

(I'm sure I'm missing some here.. but those are the most common)

Anyone else have things they hear themselves saying over and over again about our beloved doodles?

[Robyn, Greg and Snickers]

My favorite is when people ask if Snickers is a Wheaton umm if he was he would be one of the largest.

[Angela Carter]

My little 'Missy' is only 15 weeks old.  Her mother was a standard sized (Groodle), black and dad was a mini-golden(Groodle).  Mum was curly and dad wore a coat of ringlets. Missy had nine siblings and only one of them was golden.  All ten of them were different.  Missy has curly ears, but her coat is lightly wavy and fluffy in texture.  I love her inside and out.  I have no idea whether she'll be pint-sized or standard, curly or straight.  She is our little surprise package, whom we will enjoy sharing with you all.  Please excuse my use of the 'Groodle' name? That is primarily what the breed is called over here.  (They are both the same, to me).  :-)

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

my favorite (and I hear it a lot) is..."Oh, I didn't know they made them in a mini size"  lol

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Rooney my ALD is often mistaken for a Portuguese Water Dog, Rooney is only 22 lbs but with his coat left long, he does resemble one.  Everyone can tell Stuart is a Golden Doodle but I LOVE it when I see them tell me "oh so he doesn't shed" - no I explain - my vacuum never gets to cool down - lol.  I tell them that there is always a chance that a Labradoodle or Goldendoodle might shed - although I have never heard of a ALD shedding that was from one of the better breeders. 

[Christine & Camus]

Even though Camus has a short coat (very dense & curly on his back and around his neck) most people recognize him as a doodle, but they think I am keeping his coat short, which I am not it just does not get long (and he sheds). He is an F1 Labradoodle and got a heavy dose of Lab DNA.  It is always interesting when I try to explain the wide range of Doodle "looks". 

[Joanna, Zoe & Bender]

Most people can tell my dogs are doodles right away so they don't really ask me questions about them.

 There was one lady at the Vet when Ben was about 3 months old cooeing about how he looked like her dog she had when she was younger and then proceeded to ask me his breed.  So I said "oh he's a Labradoodle", then she looked at me questionably, tossed her head, and said "Are you sure?  My dog was a terry-Poo.  he's not a terrier?".  I said "NO, He's a LAB and POODLE mix".   And then had to explain that his mom was a second gen labradoodle and his dad was a full poodle and that I dont know why he looks like a terrier.