HELLO from UTAH

[Alisha T.]

Hello all! I am Alisha and the mom to four humans and a very sweet miniature goldendoodle named Lola who was born on August 2nd 2014 and will be seven months on Saturday.  I filled out a registration and profile some time ago but didn't really go into much detail and then became busy and things are slowing down a tiny bit so I am having more time to keep up with all the doodles. Now a little back ground as to how Lola came to be a member of our family.  My son Adam had over the course of one year went through 5, FIVE, Bearded Dragons.  I say Adam because technically they were his but I of course am the one who had to take care of them and since they are all dead it's safe to say I wasn't doing it right.  Anyone who has had the dubious pleasure of taking care of one of those creatures knows what a nightmare and expensive little pet they can be.  And also gross.  So, after the untimely demise of the last one, George I said no more!  RIP Ginger, Chile number one and Chile number two, one that never made it long enough to get a name and then George.  Don't judge me, I really did my best.  Honestly I did.  I am however not a lover of reptiles and always have had a dog.  Our last before Lola was a little Shitzu mix who at thirteen became too old to withstand my boys and was sent to live with a little old lady as a lap dog. No, she didn't die she really is living with a little old lady! Well as soon as George was dead I said no more reptiles but that he could get a dog.  It was difficult convincing him so I had to be quick once he gave his ok.  Problem is I had my own list of conditions that I wouldn't budge on.  No shedding and no shedding and also no little dogs because I thought the kids would be to wild for it.  Everyone knows that Golden Retrievers are great for families with kids and when I found out about the Goldendoodle which wouldn't shed I was hooked.  Finding one however wasn't going to be easy and time was of the essence before he changed his mind so no I didn't get her from an authorized breeder.  She had the mother who was from a breeder Dixie Doodles from St George utah and a Goldendoodle and then the father who is a miniature Poodle.  She had never bred with this little miniature poodle so Lola was kind of an experiment on her part and Lola is the adorable result.  An interesting side note, we paid $500.00 for Lola and the next litter they are selling for $1,800.00 so I guess they were successful.  In any case I couldn't care less and I love our little Lola.  It was really anybody's guess as to what he size would be but right now at 7 months she is 9 Lbs so I don't think she will get much bigger. I would be curious to know how much more we can expect her to get.  It's interesting that one condition was I didn't want a small dog and wanted a medium Goldendoodle or even large but in my haste went with a presumed correctly miniature.  I can say though that her size has been no problem at all.  She has the size of the little poodle but other than that she is Golden Retriever all the way.  She is wild and crazy and the boys love her and she loves playing around with them.  Lola is everybody's best friend as far as she is concerned.  There is not a mean bone in her sweet little body.  She follows me around everywhere I go and minds me for the most part.  As I have mentioned before we flunked out of puppy training class because she was so excited just to be there that she just wanted to play.  Really it's my fault because I didn't work with her on the lessons like I should have been but I'm not really of the "pack" kind of mentality.  Lola is just like one of the kids around here and not just a dog that needs to be always put in her place.  She is a member of our family and we love her very much.:-)   I am looking forward to posting some pictures but I just need to take the time to do it but I will make a point as soon as I can. 

[Stephanie and Ragley]

I'm glad that Lola seems to be working for your family :) Welcome to DK! I would say she is pretty much full grown at this point as the minis tend to reach their mature size by 6-8 months. 

I must say, however, that I think you are confusing "pack mentality" with a more Caesar Millan type of method. Being the "pack leader" is not at all about always putting a dog in its place. It is about providing the social structure to the dog that they psychologically thrive on and are dependent on. Dogs need and crave structure and when the rules are not clear, it creates confusion for them. It is essential not to project human psychology and thought patterns on dogs who have their own set of psychological "rules." I'm not trying to tell you how to handle your dog, but I encourage you to provide a more structured environment for her (whatever that may look like for your family) while she is still young so that you do not see problems and destructive behaviors down the road when she is no longer a puppy and it isn't quite as cute :)

[Alisha T.]

I agree, I do need to set more "rules" the way you put it.  I have read that we as owners tend to let the little dogs get away with bad behavior and I'm sure that's why I let it slide as much as I do.  Part of the problem does have to do with the kids not following the rules and another is my relying on her minding me and not them and also she is only going to mind when I'm around.  

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Lola is full grown. The little doodles mature by 6 - 8 months.  Congrats on switching from reptiles to dogs!  My kids were into Fire Belly Toads, frogs, lizards, snakes, iguanas, bearded dragons as well as water things, rodents, and even snails.  I took NO responsibility for them if the critter wasn't a dog. You are a nice mom. :-}

[Alisha T.]

I wish Lola would get bigger but she is a small dog after all.  Believe me it wasn't so much that I'm such a nice mom it's more that I felt sorry for the poor gross things and snakes would have been crossing the line.  Truth is what really drove me was the stink if I didn't take care of them. 

[Amy and Annabelle]

Hello and welcome. My little f1b mini goldendoodle was born 8/8/14. So Annabelle is just a few days younger than yours. She weighs 12lbs. I think she is done growing for the most part. She has stayed this size for quite awhile now. If she were any longer she would be able to counter surf. She can already jump and grab things sitting on the edge. I have to really watch her. I would have been happy with a 9 pounder. Her dad  is a miniature poodle and weighs 11lbs, so I think she takes more after him than her 30lb mom. The breeder didn't think she would get over 20lbs. I would be surprised if she made it to15. Last time I checked she was 11.5" at the withers. I should measure her again, but she is so wiggly it is hard to do.

[Krista M]

Not sure if you got my message before? I think our puppies are siblings!
It would be so fun to see pictures of Lola. You can email me if you'd like
[e-mail]