We Do A Disservice To Our Dogs

[Brittney & Cally]

We truly do a disservice to this doodle breed when we say we have the perfect dogs and this is the perfect breed. I know this topic is discussed a lot but we truly need to think before we tell an inexperienced dog owner about our dogs. We need to start off with all their bad qualities, how much research we did, how training is for life and so on. Instead a lot of people say we have the perfect dog. That may be true, you may have a dog that suits your family well but do not use the word perfect! This is why so many dogs are dumped and what has kept all those involves with DRC so busy!


http://www.alternet.org/culture/heartbreaking-truth-about-those-cut...


Just think about this the next time someone asks about that puppy that suits your family so well!

[Sue Z. + Finley]

My daughter's roommate adopted a female boxer mix. My daughter complains that the dog (Lily) grabs anything that lands on the floor, counter surfs, is "hyper", etc. My daughter said that Lily is a pain and wants her to be more like Finley (our Goldendoodle). I was quick to remind her that Finley is almost five and it has taken hundreds or more hours of training to get to this point. Finley finally passed his Therapy Dog examination and it only took a year of training to accomplish! Even with all of his good qualities, Finley pulls like a mule on his leash unless I use a halti harness, loves people to the point of being obnoxious, and sheds. And I wouldn't trade him for anything; however, it has taken a lot of time, money, and energy to get to this stage.

[BG and Gavin]

In my experience the tables are turning a bit.  I hear more often than not how wonderful Gavin is because ALL of the other doodles they know are hyper.  There are no guarantees, but Gavin was very carefully raised from a puppy in a very quiet adult home.  He has hours and hours of training into him and at least an hour a day of walking and hard running as well as pretty much constant companionship.  He also had a job. Yes he is usually very calm and well behaved, but I would like to take some credit for that :)  I wonder how my ball-crazed, land-sharp, pully on leash, jumping machine would have ended up without our dedication to him.  At four and a half, he is pretty perfect (biased opinion).

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I hear "they are all nuts" too, usually at the vet clinic. And unfortunately, I can see why. JD is really the only doodle I ever see at the vet clinic who is not jumping and pulling. 

[jenn D]

I really enjoy this conversation and appreciate reading everyone's perspective and thoughts. Here are my thoughts.  I think only a handful of people really research what type of a dog (if any) would fit their (honest) lifestyle best.  I have found a lot of people go by word of mouth (i.e. "dogs X are so easy to train" etc) but also a lot decide the type of dog they want by looks alone. I've known so many people who do this. They love what boxers look like but hate lots of dog drool. They want a trainable off lead dog but select a beagle or two, They hate shedding and hair but get a Bernese Mountain dog, they love the looks of Aussies but are couch potatoes . Then they get upset that the dog doesn't fit into their lifestyle or tastes and the dog gets dumped. I really wish folks would have to take a questionnaire, answered honestly to profile the dog that would suit their true lifestyle the best and have an option that says "Sorry you aren't a dog person. Any dog you chose requires more work than you are willing to put in".Im not sure if this makes any sense to anyone else but I see so many human/dog mismatches its just sad. As far as kids, I wish parents would know that bringing a dog in means that they themselves are getting a dog FOR THEMSELVES not the kiddos. I am under no illusions-I am the family dog lady. Everyone knows it, most importantly me. This means I know I need to not only be responsible for training and caring for the dogs, but also I need to be their advocates when they are around my kids. My kids are growing up with a strong respect for animals. They know to not treat them like big stuffed animals or tease them, and they know when the dogs go to their resting spots in certain parts of the house that they are off limits.  Im not saying my kids or dogs are perfect but constantly supervision and teaching goes a long way to a harmonious and happy household for 2 legged and 4 legged members.

I get a lot of questions about doodles since I take one of the boys most days to pick up the kids at school. I try to dispel the myth that they are perfect. If someone comments on how well behaved they are I explain someone is seeing the result of many hours of training and working with them. I make sure the children that approach the boys know the rules on how greet/pet them. For all those that say to me "They don't shed, right?"  I tell them its a crapshoot-some do and some don't. And if by chance you get one (or more) that are non shedders, be prepared to spend many hours brushing, trimming, bathing, drying, clipping or paying someone to do this frequently.

I was a bit turned off at some of the DRC feelings toward kids, but as I begin to understand the issue around these dogs and their relinquishments I can see  why they have frustration and resentment.  I only wish the myths could be dispelled and families and persons would  take an honest look at why and what they really want a dog before investing in a life.

Now Ill get off my soapbox.

[Ashley, Sadie and Coal]

Well, I did describe our pups as "perfect," but with a tongue-in-cheek attitude.  I promise to find a new adjective!  Dogs like humans can't be perfect... none of us can and none of our pups can. If those are our expectations, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment.  We got our doodles in hopes that my allergies could tolerate them... Guess what?  I've upped my meds and had my eye drops refilled.  

Our vet's daughter is in my class at school. She looked at me yesterday and said, "doodles are crazy, hyper dogs, aren't they?"  I'm not sure if she had been discussing our doodles with her mom, or the ones we met the last time we were there that had to be brought out the back, so they wouldn't cause a ruckus with the other well-behaved, non-goldendoodle pups in the front.  I approached the doodle pair as we were headed to our car and was immediately snapped at by the 100+ lb male who was pulling at his leash like Balto on a medicine run!  

I have very little experience with doodles, but lots with other breeds, and have learned that we really can't expect perfection. We can expect obedience and respect, if we put in the time to earn it, and even then, some pups are easy and some are not, regardless of who their canine parents are. I'm glad my puppies don't hold me to the same high standard to which some hold this breed, for I know for certain I would come up short.  I think someone has already mentioned it, but the worst part about advertising a certain breed as "perfect" is the disenchantment felt by those who believe they have adopted a perfect dog... when in fact they probably have a good dog who needs love and training like all the other dogs in the world. 

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I think doodles are endlessly awesome, but perfect? No dog is, but doodles can be complicated. When people tell me Finn is so calm and well behaved, I tell them they are seeing hours of training at work.  At any moment, if someone he loves appears on the street, his joy will be uncontainable :) We are barred from one outdoor cafe for that reason lol And believe you me, he was not voted the most likely to succeed in his CGC class but the little stinker passed his test perfectly.  He was playing us all along lol

When I leave him at the groomer's, she tells me he's her dog after 10 minutes.  But I had a dog savvy friend (that he did not know) watch him for a day and she wanted to take him to the ER.  He wouldn't eat, drink, or play…not even with their golden.  He just laid by the door.   I told her he was most likely clinically depressed  but he'd come around. When I arrived 12 hours later, his tail started going and he woohooed around the room.  Her husband said he'd never seen anything like it :(  

He's very chill in other people's homes and in public but takes his responsibility to guard our home, his yard, and me, seriously. I have to remind him who has pack leader status often :)  

A labrador retriever on poodle springs with a bit of cocker thrown in, whose intelligence may exceed yours - that's what I tell people.  Easy to train but a stubborn streak a mile wide :) BTW get pet insurance. And while no dog should be left alone, these dogs demand to be with their people especially if they are an only dog. Children must be supervised. And don't even get me started on the grooming.  Still interested?

All that said, this doodle's my heart and he's awesome. Sadly, I'm not surprised many end up being dumped. I'm not surprised so many are biters. Makes me angry.  All dogs deserve better. BTW If I had invisible fencing in my home, I guarantee you, my dog would be literally off-the-wall crazy.  

[Jen, Lachlan, and Declan]

"A labrador retriever on poodle springs with a bit of cocker thrown in, whose intelligence may exceed yours -" 

Hah, perfect!

Funny and true story about Declan, who has been doing agility classes for a while now - the trainer was teaching us how to help the dogs learn to push off for jumps from the rear instead of the front - it came 'round Declan's turn and she had me send him over a low (for Declan, who lives for jumping) bar jump. And then send him again. And again. And pretty soon three trainers were gathered around, trying to work out whether he was pushing from front or rear. I'm just sending him back and forth, he's having a blast, and one of them finally exclaimed "Oh my gawd! He's using all four! He's boinging like a poodle!"

[Brittney & Cally]

Declan sounds like a fun dog, lol!

[Jen, Lachlan, and Declan]

He really is a lot of fun - to me, LOL. I love his energy, but it would make a lot of people crazy to have a dog in the house who flies over the furniture just for the fun of it. And up onto the counters. And up into the cat tree to look out the window. If he had his way his little twinkle-toes would only touch the ground in those moments when he's seeing stars from running head-first into yet another wall.

[Camilla and Darwin]

Great reminder. I know that people can think I'm almost pessimistic when I talk about Darwin. It's just that every time someone approaches me it's always one of those "Oh you have a Goldendoodle? I heard they are hypoallergenic and non-shedding and the perfect family dog!!" and then I launch into one of my "education speeches". LOL. But people need to know the reality of these awesome, but not perfect dogs.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

You make a very good point, a dog is a dog is a dog. 

All dogs are only as good as their training and owners.  Certainly breeds differ in innate characteristics such as energy level, ability to withstand heat or cold, how strong their drive is and so on.  And within each breed each dog will be different. 

Doodles are dogs, our very much loved companions, but mine are as far from perfect as I am.

You remind me that after 101 Dalmations hit the theater for the first time for about three years pounds were flooded with Dalmatians.  Dalmations are particularly high energy dogs and slow to mature.  Way too many families found out that those cute little puppies did not magicly grow up to be a "Disney dog"

[Diane Sloan]

I am honest with people about doodles or at least mine both are rehomes. One purchased as a family pet that was hypoallergenic - the family did admit they should have done more research they would have kept her if the 2 year old was not breaking out in hives and having to take steroids.  she was not trained so they had a hard time finding her a new home as she had too much energy.  The second was on Craigslist, purchased as a Christmas gift and a second dog to the household, however they had 3 year old twins and the dog was given up at 6 months as the toddlers were upset when he knocked into their toys.  The parents decided it was best to rehome the dog before something happened-a case of kids lashing out at the dog.  He was trained walked well on a leash, knew commands but was a 50# 6m old clumsy puppy that was afraid of his shadow.

That being said... we have trained and trained and kept them active as a bored dog is no ones friend.  Molly learned to walk on a leash the family was amazed (they keep in touch) Our 17 year old daughter made her a 4-h project dog and 8 months after she arrived here knowing nothing she took 1st place in obedience, 2nd in rally (by .02 seconds) 4th in showmanship (we worked sit onto her so many times so she would not  jump and every time my daughter slowed she sat).  Trust me that was a ton of work but it paid off she is now working on her therapy certification.  Si was very timid and it took countless hours of socialization and trips to new places to keep him from retreating.

I tell everyone they shed, they require lots of grooming and I now do it myself. They need a job as they are active dogs.  They need constant training or they take over.  Yes they are social and fun and loving but there are also crazy, nutty, misfits as well since you never know what genes you are getting. 

Add in the funny stomach that Si has and the many health issues that can be passed along and you can have a difficult pet to say the least.

I have a friend that has an ALD it is a nut case.  They have worked with trainers trying to correct the issues, it smells but does not shed much.  They are first time dog owners had the puppy flown in and paid a small fortune.  The temperament is not there and has never been.  Not sure the first time pet owner has any ramifications in this case.

I would love to say you get what you pay for but in the world of dog selling and flipping its now buyer beware. 

We need to be responsible doodle owners and let people know they may be cute but they have drawbacks