Does anyone have an "easy" doodle?

[April Cliber]

I know there have been lots of discussions about how much work doodles are and how they take time and LOTS of training.  For many doodles, including ones I've bred that is true.  However, does anyone have a doodle that is pretty well behaved by nature?   ....House trained really fast, doesn't jump up much and is generally very eager to please?  Overall I think our doodles that live with us are this way.  Maybe I'm very tolerant, but it seems that others have to have a similar experience.  About four months ago I placed a pup in a guardian home with a family that had never owned a dog and has three kids (5, 7 & 10)  We talked at length and I prepared them for all the work a pup would be. Every time I check in with them (usually once a week)  they tell me how amazing she is and how easy she is. She house trained in a week, doesn't jump, rarely nips and stays out of the living room without putting gates up.  When I go to visit I see these things for myself, so I know their not just saying it to appease me. 

My sister is another guardian home.  She had never owned a dog and did great!  This pup is bigger and did jump up some but overall she has a very easy going temperament and my sister always says that she's easier to raise then the cat. :o)  

This last year we've raised two pups together that are from two different breeders and they have never been "bad."  Sure they had accidents sometimes and will get into food if it's left low but overall they are really very good!  Our golden retriever has eaten two pairs of glasses and tracks in mud like no tomorrow, so not all my dogs are good all the time. :o)  And yes, we do have our days! 

 

Anyway, sorry to be so long.... I'm just wondering if anyone else has really good doodles?  I think of doodles as being very lovable, intuitive, smart and eager to please. (Even as pups.)   Am I nuts or do other DK-ers have dogs like this?

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I was trying to write something here but.......... after taking my dogs to the park in the middle of a horrible snow storm to blow off some of this cabin fever energy, one is barking to go out AGAIN and the other has crawled in my lap with his ball and is bumping my  hand away from the keyboard.  Didn't we just play with this ball at the park ?   ...........  maybe latter folks.

[Carole (*Koda*Monty*Bindi)]

Cute visual Joanne! LOL 

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Joanne you crack me up!!!

[Natasha]

Yes! Rouser was pretty darn easy but we were also pretty darn consistent.

 

He came to us at 8 weeks already knowing sit. He didn't like water then and doesn't like it now, but he's always been really easy when it comes to baths.  He was potty trained in a few days (we had one mess-up a few weeks later, but that was our error).  He has never jumped on anyone, but we also never bent down and slapped our knees to call him and we asked others to avoid that as well.  He was just a bit of a biter when we would play the first week or so, but we were very consistent with yelping and turning around and ending the game and he responded very well to that. He learned the basics, sit, down, up, shake, paws up, roll over, etc. quickly. We also taught him from day one to go get on his pillow when we tell him and especially at feeding time and he respected that (if it involves food, it only takes him a few times to learn something).  We took his food bowl away from him several times per feeding for the first few weeks and stuck our hand in his bowl so he had no issues there, but he came to us highly food motivated but also very submissive so I suspect that he wouldn't have been a guarder despite our training.

 

The one difficulty that we had with him came around 5 months when he learned that he could lay down like dead weight on our walks if we went some direction (like away from a dog he wanted to meet) that he didn't want to go. VERY unusual and defiant and really annoying. We happened to be going away for two weeks shortly after that behavior started so we had a trainer work with him while he was boarded and he stopped doing that. We do have a bit of latent defiance when it comes to coming when called. He will almost always come immediately, but not if he's found something very interesting like a rodent hole. We're working on that as it's a safety issue.

 

So, yes, his temperament is amazing and he LOVES people and loves to please people. HOWEVER, we have also worked with him consistently since we got him. We started PetSmart puppy training as soon as he was old enough and we moved to advanced training and then agility at a local facility around 1 years old. He's 2.5 and we still go at least once per week (agility is especially good for strengthening the human/dog bond).  We also walk him about 1 hour a day. Both of these things have been critical to us having a really amazing doodle in our family.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

My Gracie Doodle is the best ever!!!!!  She is the perfect Doodle and will go along with whatever we say or do.  Nothing bothers her.  I vacuum around her, my DH works on his car and revs up the engine and she doesn't even blink.  Mowers...nothing bothers her.  Yes, when she was a baby she ate a cell phone, countered surfed once or twice, chewed up a remote for the TV and that was about it.  None of that behavior continued and we can leave anything we want out on the floor or counters and she will never even consider touching them.  Looking around you would never even know there was a dog living in this house unless she sneaks in a muddy tennis ball...then there are mud streaks all over the carpet where she has rolled her ball.  Not her fault...the fault of a certain DH who continually forgets to take the ball away when they come inside!!!  Gracie lets me groom her, pluck her ear hairs, Dremel her toes and never even makes a move towards me.  I can dress her, pose her and ask her to do whatever I want and she willing does it. She is not aggressive nor an Alpha.  She is very friendly to everyone and never has even attempted to bite anyone or any thing.  She is a gentle giant!  She is my sidekick, buddy and best friend and the perfect Dog!!!  Oh...and I LOVE HER!!!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Oh Gracie Doodle you are just as lucky to have her as she you! Both are gentle souls!

[cheryl & oliver]

Nancie, Ollie lets me do anything to him too, I could put my hand down his throat and he wouldn't bite or growl, he has never growled, If I need to put medicine in his ears, or any type of meds, he will let me do what I have to, and then waits for a treat for being such a good boy...I am totally in love with this dog, in my eyes he is my best friend and my best buddy too....and he is very gentle with our older dog, he seems to realize that he is getting on in years, and that he can't play hard like Ollie can.  But he does play with him, and they are good buddies...Oliver seems to sense my moods, and knows when I need to be cheered up, or just need my buddy by my side...Amazing these doodles!!!!

[Becky & Sheeba]

Sheeba is 2 yrs old now. As a puppy I couldn't believe how easy it was to potty train her, only 3 accidents in the house. She knows the usual commands: sit, stay, lay, shake, high five and go to bed. I'm not sure if it was so easy because I was home with her from the start at 8 wks old. We were consistant with training, but I must say she picked up things very easily. The only problem we had was her jumping on visitors. We have tried different techniques trying to get her to stop and finely found one that worked for her. Occasionaly she will jump, but we give the command "down" and more times than not she obeys. We brought her home when she was 8wks old...the beginning of Dec 2008. After I had her home, I asked myself what was I doing bringing a puppy into the house with all the Christmast decorations. We have never had a problem with her concerning her destroying property. Although lately she has this thing about socks ;)

[Bonnie and Kona]

Our Kona is a dream come true. He is 3 years old now but from 8 weeks he was gentle and quiet and eager to please. We actually never have done obedience training with him because he seems to speak English and does exactly what we want him to do... including heeling better than any other dog we have owned and had professionally trained as well as worked with daily. He walks with his nose right at our thigh and never pulls on the leash. He is a miracle dog! His half brother Owen is 4 months old. He did not get the miracle gene. He's a funny, wild-eyed puppy.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

My Daisy is the easiest dog I have ever owned. She doesn't chew things that aren't hers, she never counter surfs, gets in trash or anything obnoxious like that. She does have a  fear/barking issue sometimes but is getting really good with the "quiet, inside voice" command, not perfect but getting it.

Daisy was potty trained in a week, she cried a little the first night in her crate and never again. She now sleeps in her crate if she chooses or in her doggy bed in the living room cause the crate door is open.

She received her CGC certificate at exactly 6 months and also passed all the Therapy Dog tests at the same time but was too young to earn it, we still have to do that but haven't.

Seriously she is so laid back and calm...she truly took on our laid back and quiet personalities. She goes to work with me 4 or 5 days a week and to doggy daycare 1 day most of the time.

I had to be convinced by all the wonderful friends on DK that she was okay cause I was certain she may have had something wrong, even after a declaration of a clean bill of health at the Vet. Many others have the same type personalities so I think Doodles are just easier.

Daisy is our Joy!

 

[cheryl & oliver]

April, I am not sure if it was me or Oliver that needed the training, but when we got him, he was up many nights crying and carrying on for what seemed like hours.  Once we figured out that he didn't want to be alone, and moved his crate in our room, that was the end of that, he slept thru the night,not a peep out of him till we got up.  I guess he was around 10 weeks at that point.  He housetrained fairly quickly, of course I took him out every twenty minutes, lol, and after that he was fine. He is such a good boy, and loves to be praised and loved by all.  Of course he did eat my new glasses one day after I got them, but that was my fault too, I left them where he could reach them, so who is to blame? I am the adult, he was the puppy.  He has never counter surfed, and knows he cannot eat from the table when we eat.  He sits and waits until dinner is done, and DH cuts up an appe or somethingl to share with him and my 14yr. old aussie. He knows and loves his toys and crate, and knows that night nite means bedtime, and he goes in his cratre, although he really doesn't have to, it is his choice.  His only other prob. is when he hears the doorbell, or we open the door to company, he wants to say hello, and runs to the door, and barks and gets very excited.  That is my fault too, I have to train him not to do that...He is good on a leash for the most part, and will listen to me outside, most of the time.  He is not off leash around here, and he loves to walk, so that is not a problem.  He is the best dog we have ever had, and I could not picture of lives without him.  He is just so special. I am not sure what easy means, but to me he is an easy dog, or doodle...

[cheryl & oliver]

oops I almost forgot he did chew some of the baseboard in my office when he was teething, but he did love all the chew toys he had, so that quickly was stopped. He is not a cuddler, at all times, once in a while he will cuddle, but he is so big, a lap dog he is not. lol, but he is always near us, sitting with us, and he likes to have his paw held when he is near us.  DH and Ollie watch tv together DH in his recliner, Oliver next to him, and they hold hands, I really have to get  a picture of that...he will sit next to me on the couch and loves to be petted or belly rubs are his thing...the only one he will hug and she lets him stand up on her and he puts his paws around her neck and kisses her face is my best friend, and she comes nearly everyday on her way home from work to see him...He is not allowed to do that to anyone else, and he doesn't.