Do people make you feel bad for buying a doodle?

[Angela Maynard]

When I first took Charley to the vet at 9 weeks and told them that he is an Aussidoodle, the lady said "why in the world would they cross those two breeds?" She then proceeded to say it's just another mutt.  Which I guess is true.......  I've had a few others look at me crazy when I told them Charley's breed.  And then today when I took him to the vet to get neutered the visiting vet said the same thing the other vet said, why in the world would they cross those two breeds?  She then proceeded to call him a mutt also. 

I know this is mainly a Labradoodle/Goldendoodle forum, but I was just curious if you guys get the same reactions about your breeds and does it make you feel bad?  I'm sure your breed has been around longer than the Aussiedoodle so it may not have the same impact.  It just feels like the people are upset that I didn't adopt my dog from the pound and instead bought one. But my thought process when I got Charley was that I wanted to know where my dog came from and know who his parents were and the testings done in "hopes" to ensure a healthier dog.  Obviously there are no guarantees but that was my hope.

[Diane, Hurley and Sidney]

Ricki,

Hurley has been my biggest concern.  I kept feeding him ice cubes.  He just laid around staying close to me when usually he lays on the kitchen tile.  I got nothing done that I had planned.  Just to hot to move or think other than doodle kisses conversations.  But the house is cooling off now. Actually down to 90 degrees and that feels cool. 

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I would be concerned too. The pups have a much harder time cooling themselves than we do. The ice cubes were a great idea!  Glad the AC is up and running again. Hope things are back to normal for you soon!

[Diane, Hurley and Sidney]

Thank you, Ricki.  We are heading over to the kid's house so Hurley can get in the pool.  We might just join him.  

[Jennett Pulley]

When I first read this thread, we had not yet picked up our pup, nor had we talked to any strangers about what we were getting.  The other day we saw a woman with an absolutely drop dead gorgeous Sheepdog whose coat was groomed to perfection.

I stopped her to ask her who her groomer was and of course the first thing she asked was what type of dog we had.  I told her we were picking up our Doodle in a few days and the sneer on her face about knocked me for a loop.  Her exact words were "How DISGUSTING is it that breeders care more about money than they do about the purity of a dog!  You should be embarrassed."

I picked myself up off the floor and informed her that I, too, am a mutt, a mix between Mexican and Italian, and valued heart and compassion over purebred papers.  I then informed her that it was really bad for her dog's hips to be jumping in and out of the back of a Ford Expedition (those things are HUGE!) and she might want to consider getting her dog stairs.


;)

Needless to say, she huffed off and I snickered all the way back to my car. 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I don't understand people that think they have a right to make comments like this about a decision you made as an adult. It sounds to me like she is unhappy and I would not give it another thought. Enjoy your puppy!!

[Diane, Hurley and Sidney]

Jeannette, you sure had me chuckling. I am impressed at how quickly you responded back letting her know she was causing her dog harm and should take better care of her own dog instead of concerning herself with other people's choices..

[Emily & Wispa]

I've never met anyone who was rude about wispa. And anyways, the Australian labradoodle is a recognised breed now. So they are definitely not mutts, even if a straight lab poodle cross is a mutt.

I can't help but wonder if perhaps people in England are just more accepting about dos in general than back home in north America. People pass us on walks and say, "oh, is she a labradoodle? What a great breed!"

[Cristiana Witkowski]

I've had people say very odd things to me about my dog, but I don't think it's specifically because we have an ALD; rather, I think it's because we didn't adopt our dog.  At first it irked me, but then I reminded myself, "I've adopted dogs before, this is my first dog from a breeder, and a puppy at that".  I'm not sure if I'm a little more sensitive to it because I am adopted myself (and have been asked my whole life about my specific situation), but I do often notice that people say things with a total lack of regard for others' feelings.  Who cares what kind of dog you have, or where you got it, or why you got it?  Who is to say what's "right" or "wrong"?

You know why you got that dog, and only you know how much you truly love him.  Don't you ever think that you have to explain yourself to others.  Am I surprised that your vet said that to you?  Definitely.  Would I look for a different vet?  Yes.  But that's just me.  You just go on loving that dog to pieces, that's what truly matters.