Worried about choosing goldendoodle breed

[Elizabeth Anderson]

I'm hoping that I can get some opinions from experienced doodle owners. I thought I'd researched pretty thoroughly when I chose the goldendoodle breed - I wanted a friendly, happy dog who would be good with my 5 year old. I chose a Northern California breeder who I found a recommendation for on this site. Shortly before our puppy choosing day, I read threads by people who said this is an extremely high energy, stubborn, hard to train breed. It really scared me. We went down and chose a puppy yesterday - he's a mini, although he's big and will probably get to 55 pounds the breeder said. I only had an hour to choose and was very confused, and scared after seeing all these negative reviews of the breed and especially minis, and we chose the male who the breeder said was more boisterous than his sister but not a wild child. Anyway, I know puppies are hard, but we contiually need to keep him from jumping up and biting and humping and destroying things and barking, and while I'm fine going through this with a puppy, I'm now questioning my choice to get this breed as I don't want to deal with a too high energy, stubborn dog who's hard to train for the next 15 years and am having thoughts about returning him before we get in too deep. I'm signed up for puppy training in a month (he's 10 weeks old) and contacted a trainer today about private training so I can get started right away, but I guess what I'm wanting to hear is whether there are people out there who regret getting this breed of dog after they've matured past puppyhood. I know this isn't the most likely forum to get those kinds of views, but thought I'd ask anyway. Or I'd love to hear from others who were concerned about this negative reputation but stuck it out to end up with a sweet, manageable dog in adulthood. Also, how long before things calmed down with your puppy? Thanks for any advice!

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

Amy-that's great because it is all about the hard work.  I think that doodles give you good "raw material" to work with and some are more malleable than others, but it is consistency and hard work with training, patience, puppy proofing, and repetition, among other things, that pay off in the end.  Puppies are like babies, our maker made them as cute as they are so we would fall in love from the start and have the patience of a saint in bringing them up!  We were very lucky with a very mellow ALD and unless he becomes a teenage terror, we dodged any misbehavior beyond "normal" puppiness.   

Elizabeth, That being said, it's a huge commitment that may not be right for everyone, but the fact that you are looking for answers and guidance makes me hopeful you will have a good experience too and mold a loving and essential part of your family in your doodle.  

[Diane Sloan]

Being a mom of several German Sheperds and now having a rehomed golden doodle I wanted to chime in and say if you have any questions about a breeder than trust your gut and find another one.  As someone else mentioned there are backyard breeders (in every breed) and if a dog is not bred for temperment and stability no matter what breed you choose you will have trouble.  Dogs need guidelines and consistency. 

Molly came to us 5 weeks ago as a rehome because she was purchased as a hypoallergenic pet.  The parents admit they should have done better research.  They had a few families that came to look at her but the grandmother of the family told us that they could not find a home for this 13 month old girl because she was to high energy.  We went to meet her and she jumped all over us, was on a harness-we were told she does not walk on a leash, she sits if she wants and comes when she wants and likes to run the other direction.  Never was in a crate.  Within 3 days of her being with us we had her walking on a training collar nicely, sitting when I stopped walking and not pulling at all, she learned not to jump on most people-still learning that one as it depends on who is there ( I have teenage kids that think its sweet), and she learned to sit and down and even give paw.  I was amazed at how smart she is!  We worked with her every day several times a day, lots of praise and treats.  I started socializing her on day one.  She would not even get into the car unless I lifted her and she stood there shaking and pulling back planting her feet going that car will eat me!  We went for car rides every day even if it was to the corner and back.  The previous owners can not believe she is the same dog that would drag them around and knock over gates.

It really is about what you put in if you have a well breed dog and you work with it you should be fine.  (that being said I have fostered some puppies that I could not wait for them to be out of my home as they were crazy energy balls even with working with them)

Good Luck!

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

I'm not sure if its pre-puppy jitters, as you already have him, or if its buyers remorse, or disappointment that he's not what you expected from this wonderful "perfect"mix of dog you've heard so much about . You are going to read mostly about doodle issues on a doodle site. Not many posts are about how well behaved, easy to train, calm, and sweet our dogs are. There wouldn't be much to talk about really, or show support for or help each other with would there be?
I have two Goldendoodles, a male and a female. They are as different as they are similar in their personalities. One was an easy puppy and one made me crazy. But they were very typical puppies and i just had faith they would mostly grow out of it and with lots of training and consistency i would get them to be a great family member.

I have met tons of doodles and they all have a certain doodleness about them. They are playful and joyful and funny and clumsy and graceful and excitable and they all desperately love their people and are happiest with them. I'd say it takes a good 2 years before they really settle down though. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Any dog you get will present some challenges to you, the owner. For example, many, many little dogs are never truly house broken. As a group terriers are very stubborn. Training is the key in turning a 'wild child' into a well-mannered family member. I think that perhaps you are just not ready for a dog at this time in your life.  This is not a slur on your character in any way.  Years ago we got a rescue dog who was a wonderful dog, we just didn't know it.  I found her licking my baby and freaked out.  We found a good home for her because we realized that it just wasn't the right time for us to have a dog.  Doodles are generally smart dogs who need to be challenged to keep them happy.  They tend to be dogs with lots of energy - which can be great for active families.  They are family dogs, but need to learn manners - just like children do.

[Elizabeth Anderson]

Thank you everyone, so much, for your supportive words and sharing your experiences with me. I had a very bad day yesterday, on very little sleep, overwhelmed by my new puppy duties. I tend to worry and change is hard for me. That term "pre-puppy jitters" felt right on to me, even though we already had the puppy - I was feeling scared about what we are getting into. It was so helpful to hear from you about the realities of being a goldendoodle owner. We had a trainer come to our house today. She was wonderful, taught us a lot, and put my mind to rest that he is a normal and great puppy. I feel like the training we did with him made him feel much safer with us and he was a different dog today - so affectionate, following me around all day. Understanding that with ongoing training and plenty of exercise I can have a happy dog was what I needed to know. What an amazing resource this site is. I'm very grateful. I'll post a picture of Snowy (my daughter named him after the dog in the comic Tintin) as soon as I can get him to hold still for a few seconds. All my pictures are blurry :)

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

So nice of you to reply when things are looking up.  Just keep on keepin'on.  Dogs are like children they need a lot of hands on attention and time.  Dogs, unlike children, grow up sooner and are never judgemental.  Wishing you and Snowy and your family all the best.  Stay connected with DK, it is a great place to vent, put things in perspective and get good advice and an occaisonal laugh.

[Christine & Camus]

I'm glad to hear that things are looking up!

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

I think we all have the same blurry puppy pictures lol! So glad you are feeling better about Snowy.

[Jen and Annie]

Training is the BEST way to build a 'relationship' with your pup, in my opinion.  Modern dogs (all breeds) were bred to interact with humans, and when we interact with them - we understand them.  And they learn to understand us.  If you put the time and energy into training your puppy, you will have a better dog than you have ever imagined.  We just have to remember that they are not born knowing what we want them to do - we have to teach them.  I am so glad that you are feeling better about Mr. Snowy today.  :)

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Hooray, Elizabeth, Hooray!!!!!   When I had my third child after a break of 8 years, my dh and I looked at each other and wondered exactly what we had gotten ourselves into. :-}  He was our easiest and most fun child.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

So glad you are feeling better about Snowy. You will still have plenty of days when you question getting a puppy, but hang in there. Having a dog is a wonderful thing!

[Cathy, Fozzie & Shaggy]

I'm glad to hear you are having better times with your new pup.  

When I brougt Fozzie home almost 4 years ago he was my first puppy in 10 years!  I thought, "what have I gotten myself into?" - the crying at night, destroying of things, cleaning up of messes, and the committment of classes 2-3 days a week for the next year. We are still taking classes now almost 4 years later, but they are trick training classes to keep us both actively learning and to having fun.  The following link is to a book that came in VERY handy when I brought home Shaggy, another doodle a year ago who has been a bit more challenging to train than Fozzie but fun in his own "Shaggy" way.  The author, in my opinion, is very practical in her training methods and does a great job explaining the developmental stages of a puppy.  It helped me understand some of the "why is he doing that?", "what does this mean?" and "what do I do when..?"  Perhaps you will find it helpful.  I wish you the best with your puppy.

 

PUPPY PROBLEMS? NO PROBLEM! A Survival Guide for Finding & Training Your New Dog. Includes DVD
The author of Maxwell Award winner Canine Body Language and Get Connected with Your Dog brings you a book that will make your dog owning experience with your new puppy or rescue dog everything you dreamed it would be!

This book goes beyond any of the other puppy books out there and brings you Brenda's 20 years of experience working with problem dogs as a professional pet behavior consultant. This gives Brenda a unique view of what owners should have done to prevent problems from occurring in the first place. She says, "Many of the sad situations that occur do not have to be. Education on the person's part combined with humane and effective technique can make dog ownership the joy you imagined it would be!" Training your dog should be a shared and fun experience that enhances the relationship you have with your dog. This book will lead you through each "problem" and in an easy to understand step-by-step program will show you how to make big differences in your dog's behavior.

This book comes with a DVD that shows you exactly how to carry out the protocols in this book. Take a look at the Table of Contents. It is filled with all of those common, but irritating issues that come up in daily life with a new puppy or dog and solutions for each one. The DVD is super and even children can watch the training steps and then be able to follow the steps to gain success with your family pet. (Of course, children will need parental supervision, as well.)

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BrendaAloff.com