Wanted: Perfect Doodle

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

When we got Fudge, I don’t remember what research I did on the computer regarding Doodles, but I remember the no shedding was the icing on the cake.  I had spent years vacuuming up after two Labs and for a short haired dog, those dogs shed like nobody’s business.  A Labradoodle seemed like the best of both worlds for our family.  The wonderful personality of a Lab combined with no shedding just seemed perfect to me.  Luckily for us, without knowing what we were doing, we decided on Fudge, a F1B Labradoodle and she absolutely does not shed a hair.  What she does do is mat and mat and mat.   Imagine my surprise when I got on DoodleKisses AFTER we got Fudge and found out that many Doodles do indeed shed, and many shed buckets of hair, and others need lots and lots of grooming.  Next, we got our Vern, a F3 Labradoodle and while he sheds just a little, he does not mat like Fudge, although he should have come in a different color because he does like to roll in everything.  Sometimes, it is true that God looks out for fools, because we sure got lucky with our Doodles and the no shedding.

 

I also kept hearing that Doodles have the absolute best personality of any dog.  They love all other dogs, people, children, infants, and small creatures.  Well, guess what?  I socialized Fudge with other dogs at a very early age.  She has been to Puppy classes, doggie daycare, the pet sitter, and on play dates, but there are lots of dogs she does not like.  We no longer go to the dog park for this reason, yet I feel I did everything right, so why doesn’t Fudge love all other dogs?  Why isn’t she perfect? Everyone said Doodles get along with all dogs.  What I have come to terms with regarding Fudge is that she gets along with the dogs I care about, Vern, my daughter’s dogs, and my pet sitter’s dogs, and while we will probably never go to a Doodle Romp or back to the Dog Park, it does not diminish the love I feel for her.  She is also the most wonderful dog around the elderly, family and friends, nieces and nephews, and I am her favorite person in the whole wide world and she lets me know that every single day.

 

Next, we have our Vern, the sweetest dog on the planet, but not the bravest.  He spends half his life looking over his shoulder for the bogeyman and is much more cautious than Fudge is with people.  Once he loves you, he does not forget, but he wants to be sure you are worthy first.  Maybe I didn’t take him as many places as we did Fudge, because taking two dogs is a lot harder than taking one dog, but still we got out every single day and he has been to all the same places as Fudge, doggie daycare, dog sitter, puppy classes, and obedience classes.  When we brought him home and he met Fudge for the first time, he peed all over himself and made fearful sounds like you cannot believe.  It didn’t take long for him to fall in love with Fudge, but Vern is never going to be as brave as Fudge or let a stranger into our house without a word of warning first.  Why isn’t Vern perfect?  Everyone told me Doodles love everyone.  What I have come to terms with regarding Vern is that what he lacks in the bravery department, he makes up for in his ability to make me smile every day with his goofy ways and his infectious spirit.  Even when he peed in the Vet’s office after seeing himself in the mirror, I still was proud he was my dog and it did not diminish the love I feel for him.  I also feel safe when Vern is around because for a big old Chicken Doodle he has the absolute fiercest bark around and I really believe he would find a way to be brave if anyone threatened his much loved humans or Fudge.

 

I am a firm believer in that dogs and kids come with their own personality.  You can teach children right from wrong, but there is always going to be some kid that tests his parents daily and some kid that doesn’t.  My mom always talks about how much energy I had as a kid and how hard I was for her at times.  She claims my middle sister was far easier and the oldest preferred to stay in her room and read.  She also likes to tell everyone that her aunt made some sort of a lid for the top of my crib and a harness for me that kept me from climbing out of the crib.  The funny thing is she thinks crating a dog is mean, but apparently crating her own young child did not seem to bother her in the least.  The point I am trying to make is not that my mother should probably never speak of her parenting methods in public, but rather that every kid is different and you get what you get, in my opinion.  I feel the same way about dogs.  There is no breed of dog that arrives perfect or is perfect.  There is no human being on the planet that does not have quirks, flaws, and qualities that makes that person unique.   Aren’t we told as parents not to compare our children, yet we do it all the time with our dogs?

 

What does all this mean?  It means that one of the big problems with all the hype about Doodles is it is not fair to Doodles. People see an ad with a cute Doodle or hear a heartwarming story about a Doodle and right away think a Doodle is the dog for them.  After all, they must all be exactly like the dog in the story, right?  What they don’t take into consideration is the owner probably spent hours and hours training that dog and another few grooming the dog, because they sure don’t come that way.  I am not saying we don’t have some great dogs, because we definitely do, but when we use words like perfect, never, and always, we are making broad assumptions and setting expectations at an unattainable level even for our much loved Doodles.  Doodles have medical problems, some can shed, none are immune to illness, they all go through the puppy biting stage, some are easily trained, some not so much, some have separation anxiety, others do not, some are fearful, some are not, some have food issues, and I think you get the picture.

 

All I know is I am tired of seeing those Doodles scroll down the front page; many of them purchased by people who wanted a perfect dog and when reality sets in, out goes the dog.  A dog is a huge commitment and lots of research, questions, and soul searching should be done before bringing one home to be a member of the family.  Every dog, Doodle or not, deserves a commitment by the person taking that dog into their home.  If you are a parent and your child wants a dog, make sure you know you will be the primary caretaker, no matter what they say.  I was dumb and fell for that line and while my daughter was talking on the phone and out with friends, I was running home at lunch letting out the dog, cleaning up throw up, walking the dog, going to the vet, and filling food and water dishes. My daughter says all the time, “mom, I was ten, let it go,” but I guess I can’t just yet.  I think a dog is one of the best things you can do for your children and I think it teaches them love, selflessness, and kindness, BUT, and it is a big but, kids and dogs equal more work for the adult, and it is not fair to get rid of the dog because you didn’t think about that beforehand. I don’t know what to do to get people to stop buying dogs impulsively and to realize that a dog is a living creature with feelings and shouldn’t be tossed out like trash when the going gets tough.  All I know is that it starts maybe with all of us and when someone asks us about our Doodles, we should make sure we say and I am going to misquote Forrest Gump, “Doodles are like a box of chocolate.  You never know what you are gonna get.”

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

What a wonderful blog Laurie and so true.

I have been thinking a lot about doodles that get re-homed, not to mention the ones that get dumped in shelters and hopefully find new homes. The FOREVER part is the thing that some do not get. Yes some get new forever homes but some don't, they get passed around like a football. "oh it just didn't work with our family" really?

Let me just say this. Some believe that dogs live in the moment I say dogs live just like you and me. Daddy is away from home this week. Yes I have stepped in and we play in the backyard after work like Daddy does, and yes I take her for her morning and evening walks just like Daddy does. I am even willing to do the 2 hours of play in the evening, chasing the doodle and the toy up and down the stairs and running circles in the living room (I can use the exercise) but guess what, Daisy doesn't want me. Last night after play, and after dinner and our half hear-ted attempt at play like DH, Daisy planted herself in front of the door Daddy comes in and refused to leave. She would come to me and then turn right back and go there again. It broke my heart. She is there now, Daddy would normally be coming through that door.

Anyway my point is this. Dogs love their families, I can't imagine the heartbreak these little creatures feel when they are given up.I know they probably finally get over their hurt but to me they should never ever feel that pain.

I too am tired of the same things on the front page, I wish it would end.

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

Love the blog. People are not perfect, yet they expect their animals to be perfect. And in many cases, it's the humans who cause their dogs to act up by providing not enough exercise, discipline, and too much/little attention. We are not the supreme beings as we many times like to think. We are so out of tune with the nature it's not even funny. If you want a dog, you better dig deep since it is a life-long responsibility. But wait, children are having children these days so who cares about disposing off an unruly dog. Just breaks my heart!

[BG and Gavin]

Great blog Laurie.  Gotta love that Vern, peeing himself at the vet after seeing his reflection.  Whadda guy! 

I must admit, I feel a bit sorry for the people who say they are preparing to get a puppy, but can't decide male or female or want a chocolate or a parti or a whatever and may wait for the breeder's next litter to get a certain type of coat etc..  I want to scream out it ain't about the colour or coat type, it is all about the temperment and training and exercise.  Gavin is not perfect, but he is near enough perfect for me and that is because I lucked out on choosing a dog with a good temperment and work hard on training him and exercising the heck out of him to keep him happy, healthy and calm.  He was about the mouthiest puppy I have ever encountered and without total supervision and redirection until the age of about 6 months, he would have ruined alot of things in the house.  In the early months, you could not even pet him unless you shoved something in his mouth to keep his mouth off of you.  I suspect that if he went to a family where there were children around and the owner did not have "time" to provide the structure he needed the early part of his life, he would have ended up on Kijiji with the usual explanation:  "very sweet but deserves more time than we can give him".  What a waste that would have been!  Makes me sad even thinking of it.

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

What a great post Laurie......  Bailey is "our" perfect doodle. See for yourself how perfect she is hehe

I think you get the idea......But I love her anyway!!!!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Thanks, J. Luna sounds like a great dog. I wouldn't say mine are high energy, but Vern definitely needs to be entertained far more than Fudge. I think when they get older it will get better...at least, I keep telling myself that statement. Our first dog, Hershey, was really almost perfect and we did no training, no socialization, etc. and she just loved everybody.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Thanks, Linda & Kaytlin!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Julie, I love that you have a three legged dog, two imperfect Doodles and two imperfect cats. Sounds like the nursery rhyme about the Crooked House....LOL!! Yes, Fudge and Vern certainly could have found a more "perfect" human, but none that love them like I do :) Thank you for the great comment!

Lindsey, Thank you!

Joanne, LOL...I would rather vacuum or do neither :) What a lot of work goes into fostering a dog that the rest of us don't even understand. Thank you for helping Sweetie :)

Karen, Awww.....I love your comment....every word of it :) It means a lot to me. Everything you said is so spot on and comes from a person that, I know, is a wonderful dog advocate and cares so much about ALL dogs. Please don't ever change!! Thank you!!

Camilla, Amen!!

Mimi, Thank you!!

Doris, The reason they are so darn cute is because they are NOT perfect....LOL!!! Awwww... I like what you said about Knox :)

F, Your dogs sound like mine....one an over eater and one not so much. Can you guess which one is Vern??  You are so lucky about the children, because I would think you have about as much children come to your home as I do...I don't know....but we have very little small children around us or that visit. When my young great niece and nephew come, I am very nervous with Vern, because he is nervous. I don't know if I would have enough nerve to ever bring Fudge to a romp. I wouldn't want her to become a Doodle outcast...LOL!! Someday........there is always the cruise :)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Ricki, Thank you! It really does look like you have yourself a not so perfect Doodle :) Although, I must say in Tara's defense, the first picture does not really show her in the act of destroying that envelope. I think we need more proof :) I am sure the second picture was taken AFTER she got wrongly blamed for the mess. LOL

Thanks, Christine!

Carol, Thank you so much! I hate to see that BUT, too!! There are so many Doodles I love on DK and I love to read their stories!

Nicky, It really does seem like Fudge and Vern are the most expensive dogs I have every owned in terms of care, grooming, food, etc.  Thank you!!

Amy, Wow....I love my high grade :) I didn't always get those in school....LOL!!

Cheryl, Thank you!! You are right. Fudge and Vern are my heart dogs :)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Jane, I am so proud of you for sticking with Stuart. He is one of my favorites on DK. I think his personality shines through in every photo. Thank you!

Donna, Thank you! I know Quincy is almost perfect and I would steal him, if you didn't live so far away. We are in total agreement about dog owners :)

Anna, Thank you!! Believe it or not, Vern is our dog that needs a lot of exercise. He doesn't look like it, but he does like his walks..LOL!!

Charlotte, Thank you for adopting Bo and sticking with him. He is very lucky!! Very well said about the stuffed animal.

Jennifer, So true about adding a second Doodle....very well said :) Thank you!

Colleen, Thank you so much. I have never posted anything on the DRC website. I will have to find out how to go about it. Thanks!!

Joanna, That is what I say about my two. They are so far from perfect it is funny, BUT they are perfect for us!!

Doris, Thank you for thinking about my big head before posting....LOL!!! Thanks for the nice comment!!  Don't think it is going to make me go easy on you in WWF....LOL!! 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

We fell in love with the idea of a dog that was like a golden retriever (personality-wise) but a bit smaller.  We also wanted a dog that would possibly shed less, but that wasn't our main reason for getting a doodle - if it was we would have gone for an F1B doodle.

Luna is a very high energy, rascally, sock-stealing, mud-and-stick crazy lady but we wouldn't have her any other way.  (By high energy I mean.. I took her to the park 2 hours ago for fetch 'til she wouldn't run anymore and she just bugged me to go for another round...)

I think too many people fall in love with the idea of a "doodle" without considering that it takes a lot of effort to get a well-trained and well-socialized dog... and even if you try your hardest every dog will still have their little "quirks".  Luna loves kids but is a bit scared of them - if one "charges" at her with arms flailing she initially backs away, but then stands very calmly while they pet her after I've settled her down (only takes a few seconds, we're working on it...)