GoldenDoodle 101 anybody?

[Chris H]

Hi folks, 

I'll be moving to the LA area soon, and once we plant our roots we'll be looking for a GD to add to the family. I've been a long-time Golden Retriever lover, my girlfriend a long-time Labradoodle lover. (I grew up with goldens, she with LDs). So we decided the GD would be perfect for us. 

I've got a few questions for the group (and would also welcome any links to good resources on the topic)

1. Can you tell if an F1 puppy will grow up to be a light shedder by it's coat? Or is it pretty much a 50% gamble? (I don't care about the shedding, but she does - I only ask because I think the F1 puppies would have a lower probability of health problems, no?). 
    
2. Can anyone recommend a breeder in the California/Nevada/Arizona area? We'll look to pick up our (probably F1b) GD by this Fall of 2012. 

Thank you so much!

[Elizabeth & Cosmo]

I found that, once we had narrowed our discussion down to a specific litter, our breeder was very forthcoming with the test results on both parents.

Before you get to that stage, however, you can probably see basic test results on the breeder's web site and/or a confirmation of which tests are done on the breeding dogs. If not, you can use the questionnaire in the What to Look for in a Breeder discussion, and just ask. If you explain that you are trying to do careful research, I can't imagine any breeder being offended.

A breeder probably won't want to share test results on every dog with someone who is still looking at multiple breeders, but, once you have chosen your breeder and a specific sire and dam, asking for specific test results is important and a reputable breeder should be very willing to provide them.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree with this. Any breeder who is offended by a request for copies of the test results doesn't deserve your business, and IMO, has something to hide. If the results are good, the breeder would be proud to show them, and if not, you're not interested anyway. 

With quality purebred breeders, the testing results are all a matter of public record and are available on the pedigree databases.

Let's not forget that the buyers are the ones who are making it possible for the breeders to stay in business. The breeder is not doing you a favor by selling you a puppy, you have lots of other options. There are no shortages of doodle breeders or available puppies.  For $2000 - $2500 a puppy, you should not even have to ask for the test results, it should be offered.

[Chris H]

Thanks! I would consider adopting a younger pooch... any recommedned resources for GD adoption?

Also- what are the general reasons for families putting their healthy GDs up for adoption? 

Cheers,

[Adina P]

There are two main national reputable doodle rescue organizations: IDOG and DRC-- each has dogs available throughout the USA and often in SoCal.  You can see a preview of some of the dogs they both have on our front page here in the center column, toward the bottom.  A very common reason that people give up their GDs is due to suddenly realizing that dogs require more time commitment and work than they had anticipated, or they had another child, or they had to move, etc...etc.  Usually it's not because there's some major issue with the dog but that they were not prepared to care for the dog any longer.  Sometimes it is because they believed the hype about non-shedding and bought one and it turned out to shed.  Two of my doodles were from a rescue (one was adopted via the DRC) and one is from a breeder.  All have been healthy, but be prepared that a doodle in rescue may or may not have been from a quality breeding program.

[Chris H]

Great! Thank you :-)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The DRC will not adopt to first-time owners. Many other rescues have the same policy. There must be vet records in the adopter's name. Since these dogs are in great demand in rescue, the competition is very stiff to adopt, and the rescues can afford to be very rigid with their adoption policies.

Also, health insurance is a must for any dog from any source. One illness, accident, or injury can run you thousands of dollars. We have lots of info on insurance here, too.

The reasons that most doodles are put up for adoption are varied, but they usually involve an owner who did not have realistic expectations of the amount of time, training, and money owning one of these dogs requires. Not enough time is the most common excuse reason. Behavioral issues which could be corrected with training are another. And some people actually give them up because the dog sheds and they believed it would not, or because the "breeder" told them it would weigh 50 lbs and it weighs 80. Or because they thought these are automatically perfect, well-behaved, calm quiet, great-with-kids dogs from birth, and of course, no dog is.

Many people also got them as a kind of living toy for their kids, which never works.

 

 

[Bonnie and Kona]

Congratulations on the move and on becoming doodle parents soon!

I have two F1 Goldendoodles. Their coats are very different. Kona has a curly/wool-fleece coat and I keep his hair short except the legs where it is longer to give the squared-off look. Owen has straighter thick hair. His coat can be longer without matting, but it is way easier to care for when it is about 2 inches long. I clip both of them myself. It is a big job but soooo much cheaper and I get the look I want. Kona does not shed at all. Hair does come out in the brush but it never falls to the ground. Owen sheds a tiny bit. We had two Goldens before these guys and they shed like crazy. Well, one more than the other but in comparison to these doodles, well, Whew! Anyway, an F1 can shed tons or not at all. I've read about all different amounts of shedding here on DK. It's worth reading about if it is a major concern for your girlfriend. My DH runs with our dogs almost every day. He loves having the companionship of running partners in our doodles. With your active life-styles, your doodle will fit right in. I'm so glad you work at home because doodles seem to relish companionship from their families. 

Karen has pointed out how to find out about breeders here on DK. Good luck in your search! Post photos of your pup when you get it, please!!!

[Chris H]

You bet! Thanks for the tips

[Chris H]

What's the story with all these "doodle haters" online? I've met enough GDs to know they can be wonderful and beautiful dogs.. The only argument seems to be "they're not a real purebred" and "they're mutts"... but so what? I grew up with a Golden Lab mutt and he was the best dog in the world... 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It has to do with the number of BYB's and puppy mills churning them out, as well as the prices being charged for what are, after all, mixed breed dogs without substantial heritage or background behind them. For a long time, there were no reputable breeders breeding doodles in this country. While there are bad breeders of every breed, in this case, since mixed breeds cannot be shown in conformation, and only recently have they been allowed to compete in other activities for which championships can be earned (agility, obedience, etc), the sole purpose of breeding them was to sell puppies for profit, and many people have strong feelings about that.

There is also a poodle backlash, because after all, there have always been large, athletic dogs who didn't shed, and so many people who like doodles also bash poodles at the same time. "I wanted a dog that didn't shed, but my husband hates poodles, so we compromised", that kind of thing. As a long time poodle owner and lover, I can tell you that's very insulting to poodle breeders and owners.

And of course, there's a lot of inaccurate hype about these dogs, which we have tried to address in our answers here to you, which is unfair to both potential owners and to the dogs themselves.

You will find just as many "haters" of purebreds on-line (and even here on DK) as you will find doodle haters. There are people who just think it's wrong to purchase any dog when so many are homeless and at risk in shelters. You have to do what feels right for you and ignore the opinions of others. You can't please everyone, so you might as well just please yourself. Nobody should feel the need to have their personal choices validated by strangers.

[Lori, Rooney & Zuzu]

Great answer, Karen.  I especially appreciate your last paragraph.  As a natural born "pleaser" I was a bit thrown when I encountered some of the "doodle haters" online.  But, that is the danger of the internet, it gives everyone a "voice" and makes some voices appear louder than they really are.  In truth, I have yet to meet anyone in real life who has had a negative reaction to our doodle (or at least they have been tactful enough to keep their thoughts to themselves).  Generally it is the complete opposite with people gushing over Rooney and having nothing but positive things to say.

However, I also try to be a good Doodle owner by never disparaging the poodle part of my dog's lineage and being honest about the realities of dog ownership in general (No, he's not perfect. Yes, he's smart but he still peed on the house for awhile and ripped holes in my daughter's clothes. Yes, he's mellow but he has also been known to counter surf and is on a one-dog crusade to give all of our backyard bushes a nice trim...)

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Funny you should mention that today as my husband and I were walking our two doodles (one mine one is a friends) over the weekend at a lake. A gentleman also walking his two dogs, one a stafordshire terrier and one "mutt". We passed him and he nodded as did we. Our two never gave his two a glance, they are goofy, friendly and in their own zone most of the time and his two were basically walking sideways on their leashes to get over to us.

Anyway at the end of our walk it was pretty warm so we went into a picnic area under a shelter to let them cool and he walked past and then turned around to see if his dogs could "meet" ours. Okay....after 1 minute he was complaining about how much our "designer" dogs cost (we did not offer that info, he assumed) and "people" (us apparently) were really stupid for paying more than $100 for such mutts.I just looked at him and told DH, well that being said lets get going, our mutts are tired.

Why do people think they have the right to say these things. I would never say a bad thing about another breed of dog, I don't feel that way about any other. We were really uncomfortable, what I said was NOT what I wanted to say.