What breed should they get?

[Adina P]

Someone who is having trouble signing up for DK has a question for our members.  They are looking to get a goldendoodle and live in Utah.

He and his wife are in their late 40s.  He is a University teacher and his wife works full time too, but he has some flexibility.  They have three kids who are all in school.  He also says:

"We have a fenced yard and live near miles of trails that are three blocks away.  I would like a calmer dog, 35 to 40 pounds, which enjoys walks and hikes.  We also skate ski in the winter and would love to take the dog too. My kids would be very affectionate with the dog.  That said, some days the dog would be home alone for at least five hours."

His wife also has allergies, but they don't want a poodle.  So they were recently looking into a goldendoodle, but are open to other breeds that fit their lifestyle and needs.

What would you advise them?

[F, Calla & Luca]

My first question is why are they having trouble signing up for DK. Then I'd say it all sounds OK except no guarantees about calm or hypoallergenic. An adult dog would be more easily evaluated for those things and could stay home for five hours. But a puppy may not be a good idea. As to other breeds I don't know if they aren't open to poodles.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The allergies limit them a lot. I'd like to hear their reason for not wanting a poodle. I will never understand until the day I die how someone can dislike a breed yet want a mix of that breed. I sure wouldn't want a mix of some breed I dislike. Have they ever even spent any time with a poodle? People meet goldendoodles and labradoodles, they love their personalities, and yet it never occurs to them that this personality they love has just as much to do with the poodle heritage as it does with the retriever heritage. I wish people would use their brains and realize that it just isn't possible for only the poodle's coat and/or intelligence to be passed to the offspring, while all of the personality traits are completely passed from the retriever side. What sense does that make?  

I'd also need to know how old these kids are. "My kids would be very affectionate with the dog" scares me, given the many posts we've had here about people not understanding that a dog's idea of affection is very different from a human's, and all the kids getting growled and snapped at for hugging the dogs. And it sounds like this would be a first dog for this family. No mention of "We have lots of time for a dog". Do they have time for a dog, especially a high maintenance dog? It sounds like the expectation is that besides fitting their needs and lifestyle,  the dog would have to fit into their schedule too, and I'm not sure they've thought about how they will have to adapt their schedules and lifestyle to accomodate the dog's needs.  

 Honestly, before I would recommend any breed, I would recommend that they find a good trainer and have the whole family sit down with him or her for a talk about what a dog needs and what kind of commitment is required to bring one into your home and family.  This sounds like it could turn into the classic situation we see in many of the DRC listings: Busy household with lots of people coming and going, lots of sports and activities, no time to train the dog, etc. Add the allergy issues to that, along with the size specifications and the "calmer" thing, and it worries me.  

Maybe a Standard Schnauzer; they don't shed, they're the right size, and they're pretty rugged and sturdy. They're not real high energy. The grooming requirements are minimal, too. But they don't like to be left alone much, although there are very few breeds that do.

[Adina P]

The youngest child is 9--so not that young.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No, and that's good; they can understand that we don't hug a dog like we hug our teddy bear, lol,  they can remember to put their toys and socks away so the dog doesn't end up in emergency surgery, and they can cooperate with training rules. But that also means the kids are at an age when they are all three busy with homework and activities that are taking them and their parents in three different directions at once, lol. Add all of that to the two working parents and I think it's going to be hard to find time for the dog, especially for training. It can definitely be done, but they need to consider all of this, and it's a much more important consideration than how much the dog weighs.

Why do they want such a small dog? With older kids and all the hiking and outdoor activities, I'm surprised they want a dog under 40 lbs.

[Katherine]

One tip I would give your friends. Most kids are very excited about getting a puppy, and create idealised notions, and are then deeply frustrated when the puppy starts biting, etc. In the months before the puppy arrived I kept repeating to my kid that puppies are the cutest, but also the most annoying - pee and poo and training and biting and favorite things destroyed. Then they grow up to be slightly less cute but the best friends ever. And get the kids to understand that a new puppy is almost like bringing in a new baby - as parents you will need to give focus to the puppy, there will be days of chaos and it will also be a burden on them. My daughter was 7 when we got our first dog, and is now 15 as we get our second dog - great ages for kids to have dogs.

[Chloe, Finley & Mama Shelley]

I'm allergic to dogs & cats..but I have 3 Dogs and I am a pet sitter!~ Go figure. I deal with it, and take lots of meds.

[Adina P]

They didn't demand a dog that fit their lifestyle...I asked about their lifestyle to get more info to help them. We do advise that people look at their lifestyle when getting a dog don't we?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Absolutely. Perhaps it was the wording that made it sound that way to me.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Karen, some people don't want the pure breed of a dog such as a poodle because they are under the notion as you know that cross bred dogs tend to have less of the breeds diseases. I have no idea if it is true or not but that is what a lot of breeders use when they are promoting their dogs is that you get the best of both breeds.

I think JD would disagree with that statement concerning health but that very well could be the reason they don't just want a poodle..

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think anyone who reads the forums here knows that it just isn't true that mixed breeds are healthier than purebreds. When the mix consists of two different breeds that both share some of the same genetic diseases, the offspring are just as likelt to get those diseases as a purebred of either of the breeds would be. It's a shame that so many breeders are still using that piece of misinformation to mislead people.

But the wording says they don't want a poodle, not they don't want a purebred. So I'm thinking that health is not the issue.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

I'm with you Karen, a poodle would be perfect for this family....they can let it's hair grow a bit shaggy and Walla, a doodle look alike!

[Christine & Camus]

Tough question!  That being said, as F said there are no guarantees with doodles.  Camus is a very calm doodle, but a much larger dog than what they are looking for and a much larger dog than I thought I was adopting and although I knew he was a "shedding doodle," there is no guarantee regarding the coat of a puppy.  I love doodles, but would suggest they do extensive research and Doodle Kisses would be a great place to start.  Another breed they might look into (and research) is a Wheaten Terrier.  Since weight guarantees in doodles is also a gamble a purebred may be a better option for them.  Also, as Karen pointed out, the age of their children is an important factor