Encounter with Angry Woman who HATES Goldendoodle

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

I apologize in advance for awful writing but I am enraged with what happened to me yesterday. I thought to share it and to see if other people have encountered any similar situations and what they did to deal with it.  

I am writing this to share a very strange experience with a very hateful woman I've had yesterday at the dog beach-Dunes Park at New Smyrna in FL.  What kind of person walks up to a stranger and starts a rampage about their dog's breed? I have a 5-month-old Goldendoodle puppy named Lucky, a pug, and a pomeranian. The pug and the pomeranian love the beach and so we thought it would be a nice way to introduce our puppy to the beach.

So here is EXACTLY what happened: I was minding my own business and playing in the ocean with my Pug and Pomeranian and trying to get my Goldendoodle to come into the water.  Along came this middle aged woman with a brown Husky. She asks if we had a Goldendoodle because he was really wet so it was hard to tell what he was.  I was having a hard time getting Lucky to come into the water because he was a little bit scared.   She says "Oh your dog probably doesn't have webbed feet and if he doesn't he won't like the water." She then commands me to look at his foot to look and he does have webbed feet.  And YES he has webbed feet!! Then she proceeds to tell me that Goldendoodles are not a breed. What I have is a mutt and with mutts they are very unpredictable. I said that he is an F1b Goldendoodle with 75% Poodle and 25% Golden Retriever and both breeds have webbed feet.  Then she says "people can call them whatever they want but at the end of the day your dog just isn't a breed and what you have is a mutt." I am pretty pissed at this point and wanted to leave but I let her finish because I didn't want to be rude. 

She goes on to tell me how unlike my dog, her dog is a SHOW dog from a well known Husky breeder with predictable traits.  Goldendoodles are not recognized by the AKC and they should NEVER be but that might change with the young generation.  She complains how the young generation is not well mannered (I'm in my late 20s btw). The young entitled generation, aka my generation, doesn't want to work (yes a common complaint against millennials *eye roll*).  We want a dog that doesn't shed and have that retriever sporty dog personality, but in the end, we don't have a breed.  People are trying to get Goldendoodles recognized by the AKC and trying to change traditions. Your generation is lazy and that's why you end up with mutts.

Why go up to a complete stranger and antagonize them when they are trying to have a nice day at the beach?  She finally tells me that she is a vet tech but proceeds on the tirade about mutts.  At that point, I finally got fed up and told her that what she said was offensive. I get no apologies and she becomes indignant. I told her to please leave.  She doesn't leave and sits 10 ft away from us and so I thought we should go.  As I get up to leave she tries to continue to yell at me she says "Opinions are like a******* and everyone has one."  

I've rescued all my dogs with the exception of the Goldendoodle, I felt kind of bad about that but this is plain cruel. I've also fostered of "mutts" from rescues but have NEVER received anything close to this kind of treatment!!  Have any of you dealt with this?  Thankfully I don't like in a small beach town and most of my neighbors love Lucky.  

What kind of psycho has this kind of serious discrimination against Goldendoodles? Why pick on a complete stranger? What should I do to prevent this from happening again?  I still want to go back to that beach because I am not going to let one person ruin a place I like. 

[Renee]

Wow. Interesting take from someone that is so ignorant. Breeds have been mixed for years. So ones that were developed on their own, years before us, are they less of a breed? i would have dug deep into her heritage, finding that her mother was 100% German and father 100% Irish, there making her 50% of each and yes, A mutt. Would that mean that she is not a true human? Hmmm, any less of human? Why does it matter anyway. You love what and who you love. It should not be judged. People that want to spread sadness and negativity are not worth my time. Sorry to hear about your encounter and brush it off. Everyone deserves happiness and love including pets.

[33bn7f8evnuyd]

THANK YOU!! Seriously! Well said! I felt racially dog slandered...if such thing could exist!! 

[Mark Rostek]

I have not been active on Doodle Kisses, but your email was disconcerting to the point where I would have made all kinds of derogatory comments about the lack of good judgement, taste or respect displayed by the woman. I know that put in the position you were in I would not have been as nice and may have, even, asked my F1 Doodle (Mutt) to wipe his muddy paws all over. She was having a bad day.

[Karen Murray Boston]

Yes, I had a similar situation, but with a woman who had a "service" doodle. I commented how beautiful this woman's dog was, only to have her scream, "I hate this dog. it's awful. It's supposed to be a service dog and he does not payattention. He wants to always play, especially with kids. He is the worst dog ever!." She then proceeded to jerk the dog around on the leash and drag him off as she walked past. The doodle was only 1 year old! I later approached her again and gave her my card, saying that if she ever wanted to get rid of the dog to cal me. I was appalled at her mistreatment of the dog. She scream at me then saying she would never use my card that she would give him to her mother. She then again screamed at the doodle to shut up as it was barking. OMG! This woman was in her 60s so no mother of hers could exercise the dog as needed I am sure!

I tried to find out who she was from the place we were shopping at, but know one knew. I fear for the dogs spirit, let alone its life! I wish I could find her. Any advice on another Doodle Hater? I called all the Service Dog training places in my area and all of them said if they had trained the dog he would be wearing a vest. This one was not.

[Renee]

What a good gesture on your part. I feel soooo bad for that dog.

[33bn7f8evnuyd]

LOL love your comment about her mother. Unfortunately, it is true.  Goldendoodles are a bit bouncy but mine is very calm but even he would never do well with my 90-year-old grandma. It is really sad to see idiot owners with nice dogs. This woman would probably give the dog to her mother who would surrender the dog to a rescue. My neighbor has a lab who is a service dog bred from birth. That dog plays like a dog when he doesn't have his vest on but when he works he is very serious.  This dog knows left right when going up the stairs. In my opinion, people should be amazed that dogs can work and provide the disabled a service.  But at the end of the day, a service dog is still a dog and needs to relax and play.  Don't people come home from work to relax and unwind? Why should we expect differently from other animals? 

[Trina Martinez]

Thats like really rude..i have a labradoodle named benji..i love the look of the dog and the temperment.. that is why i went and purchased one from a person with well breed purebreeds of the lab and poodle. I also was not paying a pricey tag..

i have 5 dogs 2 st bernard purebreeds that are 12 and 11 years old. Benji my labradoodle 2 shelter rescues pit mix and a goldendoodle. That was turned in because its hair type wasnt curly enough ( not joking thats what was on her sheet)

I got benji because my st bernards are older and they are my pride and joy but unfortunatly a st bernard that old rarely exists. So i looked for a pup that would grow with them and hopefully their qualitys and mannerism would rub off on the pup plus training a pup is easy when u have 2 very well trained dogs.

At the dog parks people love my st bernards benji and penny get the ohhh so cute but some pure breed owners turn their noses up at them which is fine by me....while their great dane is knocking people over and jumping on them and knocking kids down. My 160 and 145 lb st bernards, 80lb and 75lb doodle dogs walk up to people and sit so they can be rubbed and petted. Play ball with the little kids and no kid is fearful they run up and play and pet..

Pay no mind to those people that turn their noses up to doodles and mutts..most of the time i see their purebreed acting as a menace. I never claim my doodles a labradoodle or goldendoodle to people i even classify them as mixed dogs. Great dogs and i love them but they are mixed and they r penny and benji.. i take no offense if someone calls them a mutt however i have never encountered such an unpleasant person as u have that went to that extreme of meanness. I would have told her off..honestly

[Marianne K]

Don't let her get to you. We lost our Goldendoodle last April quite unexpectedly. She was the MOST WONDERUL dog imaginable. Most people do know what a goldendoodle is. Sounds as if she might've been a bit jealous of your dog. Even if they aren't considered a breed, which I think they are, there is no better dog out there.

[Debbie & Gibbs]

I probably would have told her that my non AKC dog is happy, the delight of my life and is loved by everyone that he meets.

[Susie]

I have had this happen to with a vet that was filling in for my regular vet when I brought my labradoodle. She even had the nerve to ask me how much I paid for her. I told her that was personal information and would rather not share. Lectured me on puppy mills and breeders. Meanwhile, she had the ugliest mini schnauzer I had ever seen and I asked her about the dog as I had a mini schnauzer that had passed so I was curious. Keep in mind, my schnauzer came from an extremely reputable breeder that does not have puppies available all the time and she enters them into shows. She tells me she got him from an ad in the paper!! Lol And this dog was no mini. I just felt like what gave her the right to question my research while she clearly didn't do hers. I think this breed is easy to target because of the cost and no CKC OR AKC registration. I just try and not take it personally anymore. It gets easier and when people ask too many questions or give opinions I just cut them off and let them know Our family is happy with her and thats all that matters.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

 I am sorry that you had to endure such an awful encounter.  It really is a bummer when a complete stranger just dumps on you.  Just know that she is a very unhappy person and it has absolutely nothing to do with you or your dog, it is all about her. 

I cannot give you any better advice than Karen and Jackdoodle did in her posts.

Thanks for being a foster and a rescue adopter and know that "I Love Lucy" and I don't even know her!!

[Charlie]

After the Wolf aren't all dogs mutts?