baby friendly?

[BecKate]

hi all

we're thinking of getting a doodle, and am due in a few months time....anyone have any experience with doodles and babies / young toddlers?.....are they are easy to train? (the dog that is! :))

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Well, I don't have any babies, but I have seen lots of pics on here of Doodles and babies, so I guess it is possible that they co-exist. My concerns would be: Doodle puppies require a lot of time. Although they are wonderful, fun loving, smart dogs, they are only as good as the parents that raise them. As well as, every puppy is different. Many are nice and mild mannered and are very easily trained. Others are not so mild mannered and challenge every thing you ask. It takes a lot of time (and energy) to train a doodle puppy into a good dog .... they don't get that way on their own. If you don't have the time to invest in the training, you would have a lot of problems on your hands because of their size. My concerns would be with a new baby (especially if you are a first time mom) that you would be overwhelmed with both responsibilies at the same time. That would be further complicated if you planned to work outside the home as well. It would also depend on things like do you have a fenced in yard where you could let it out to play, is your husband a hands on type (will he be lots of help with both baby and dog) or is he gone 12 hours a day. There are also the grooming issues. That is time consuming as well. Even if you planned on using a groomer for the bathing and haircuts, you still have to spend time brushing and combing to avoid matts. You could also add in if you ended up with a shedder you add on additional house cleaning time. That is a big addition of time at my house just because of the tracking in dirt and wet paws. So, bottom line, is it possible, yes, but is it dooable is a really personal situation. It just depends on your life style and family budget. I personally think properly trained Doodles are wonderful with children .... but it takes a lot to get there!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Very well said. I think about how much time I've put into Guinness in these months as a puppy, and I think it would be a real challenge with a new baby. Don't get me wrong...he's an awesome dog who is great with children, but it has taken lots of work to get him to this point. Housebreaking in itself requires lots of "hands on" time. Then there's the chewing stage, the beginning obedience training, lots and lots of grooming, and exercise (at least two to three good walks a day). Things are easier now, but these past eight months have involved an awful lot of my time. So, it really is a personal decision. If you will be home with the baby and feel like you'll have the time to devote over the first 6 - 12 months, a Doodle would be a great choice. It's just good to go into it knowing what to expect.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

The only thing I would add to the fantastic advice written above is that obedience classes are a must!! Whether outside classes or you train by yourself, you must be preparted to spend at least working 3 times a day for about 15 minutes each in order to have your Doodle be the kind of family member you want.
YES, it can be done but it is not 'easy'. Doodles require lots of attention - whether it is grooming, training and snuggling. Left bored, they get into trouble because they are so smart they get bored easily.
I am an empty nester with 2 doodles. Our lives revolve the girls - between grooming two, walking, working, cooking and snuggling.
Whatever you decide, good luck!!!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Agree 100%.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Peri is 9 months and although things are much calmer, she still requires a lot of energy. Doodles are AWESOME dogs. They are incredibly smart; however, sometimes the smarter the dog, the more headstrong and challenging they are. I look at Peri and think about what is going on in that mind of hers - she seems to need constant stimulation. And my husband and I have been very diligent with training - practice on a daily basis, took 2 formal classes and planning to do more, groom her daily, etc....
I do not have children yet, but will in the next few years. I purposely got a doodle now (already have another dog), so that she would be 2-3 when the baby comes. My dogs will certainly not be put on the backburner when baby comes, but I know I will not be wanting a puppy running around.
That being said, I agree with Lucy and Sophie's mom completely! If you think you can handle it and will be staying at home or will have help from your hubby, go for it! Totally depends on your situation.
And to let you know, Peri had never been around a baby until Thanksgiving - she laid on the floor with our family friend's 5 month old. She was the most gentle thing you've ever seen - cuddled next to him, licked his forehead, etc...!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

A fenced yard factors into your situation enormously. Here's why.
You do not have a fenced yard and you must take your dog on walks for potty and exercise. You are home alone with the baby, it is pouring rain, (or 10 degrees) and the dog must go out. The baby is sound asleep (or has a cold, etc) and cannot be taken out in the rain. What do you do?
Most doodles are relatively easy to train, but training takes a lot of time and work with any puppy, as the others have mentioned. Getting a dog from an excellent breeder will help. But there will still be issues with any puppy that can drive you crazy, lol. There have been many posts here on DK from puppy moms at the ends of their ropes who truly despair of ever seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Chewing, nipping, barking, are some of the issues. Even potty training alone involves someone keeping an eye on the dog every minute, and acting quickly when he has to go outside. You also must go outside with him, to praise and observe, this is crucial for successful housebreaking. Even with a fenced yard, you will have to go outside in all weather and at all hours.
I strongly suggest you join the "Puppy Madness" group here on DK and read through the discussions there to see what kinds of issues you will be facing with a puppy. I think that will help you make a decision.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

To answer your first questions, I personally know of 3 doodles who are around babies and are awesome, sweet and except for some doodlekisses and sniffs, are just fine around them. One doodles parents just had a baby, but that doodle was 10 months old at the time and the other two were 7months and 2 yrs old when introduced to my grandson.

Are they easy to train? Absolutely, but the operative word here is TRAIN. And that you must spend a LOT of time doing. I totally agree with all previous posts and personally have never had a dog before, but have had babies, and the thought of the two at one time would send up red flags that someone or something is not going to get the deserved time it requires. And we both know it won;t be the baby!!! So give this lots of thought. Maybe next year? Just enjoy your new baby. If you are a first time mom, you can't begin to imagine the time a baby takes, and if you are an experienced mom...well, you know already. A new puppy and a new baby would be like having TWINS!!!!! 2 babies at once. yicks.

[Chelsea and her doodle Piper]

I agree with everyone. As a new doodle owner (piper is 5 months) and a stay at home mom with a 4 year old, I personally could NOT have handled getting a puppy with a new baby. No way. I thought the puppy was harder than having a new baby, and that surprised me. Piper is a WONDERFUL dog at 5 months, but like everyone else is saying, he needs so much attention and stimulation. He is very good (finally) around our 4 year old but even at 5 months, I would never put a kiddo younger than 4 or 5 in the same room with him. He is just not ready. If you are super mom with lots of patience, you may be able to make it work, but it will be a huge challenge either way! Good luck with your decision and congrats on your upcoming bundle of love! --Good point Karen and Jack!

[Adina P]

I have three dogs and just had my first baby 7 weeks ago. I have two F1 Labradoodles (nearly 4 and 5 years old) and a 14 y.o. border collie. For me it has been much harder than I thought it would be to manage 3 generally well behaved adult dogs AND a baby. I would recommend against getting a puppy before baby arrives simply because of the time required for both. Just when I'd sit down to nurse, one dog would be needing to be let out. Then I'd try to eat and another would be needing something. With three dogs...they constantly want something or need something or get under foot practically tripping me with baby or "sneak" into the nursery just when I need some space (because I've got nursing/pumping supplies out or whatever). And few if any of these things that needed attention were training issues or 'bad' behavior (except barking but baby's been hearing barking for months in the womb and is barely fazed)... It is just that they are living creatures with needs and it's hard to meet the needs of many other creatures WHILE meeting the needs of a baby.

It HAS gotten easier but was frustrating (which frustrated me further because I love dogs and couldn't believe what a difficult time I was having and kind of embarrassed about it!) at first as I got the hang of mommy things. In any case...my advice would be to wait, have the baby and guage your readiness for a dog by "Do I feel like I have quite a bit of extra time on my hands?" If you think you DO have loads of extra time...then get a dog =)

And I would say doodles are smart so they learn fast...but that doesn't make them 'easy' to train because they can also outsmart training methods and find ways to evade obeying commands. They can also be difficult to train in the sense that they are super friendly and social and a big problem many have is getting their dog to be polite and not jump enthusiastically on guests, etc.

I think any dog that is easy to train is rare in any breed. Because to me 'easy' equates to fast. And I would say it's not a fast process. It's a time consuming process that requires daily attention and time away from home on a regular basis and lots of patience LOTS of practice.

As to whether doods are good with kids...SURE! They are a combo of poodle and retriever (except Australian Labradoodles) and thus tend to be good with kids, but it helps if they grew up with kids and are exposed to them. Since baby will likely come first for you...your puppy WILL be used to kids.

Good luck in your decision!

[Shannon Querry]

We have a 5 year old son but also have a 16 month old niece. Fleury is AMAZING with both kids but honestly, there's no way I'd get a puppy with a brand new baby!! Is this your first child? The time (and patience) just isn't there for some time after the baby is born to give to a puppy regardless of the breed. That said, I love my labradoodle and think that when you're child is older you just might find you love one too!

[Karen P]

I have to agree with the other posts. I have a 7 year old and I told my husband that I am glad that we did not have Chewie when my son was a baby. Chewie is a good "puppy" for the most part. But it took awhile to get there. I have told several people that taking care of the puppy was harder than taking care of a baby. I agree with checking out the Puppy Madness group to see what all is discussed in there. I never realized how different a doodle puppy was than other puppies. But that is one of the main reasons that I love that little booger so much too !!!

[Tamara & Giada]

I agree with the others a puppy and a new baby..............yikes!