Is a Doodle for me?

[WADE LIPPMAN]

Our beloved Jessie is a 16 year old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever; our second one.  Although she is in great health, 16 is 16.

We love Tollers, but when we got Jessie I ran 4 miles a day.  I can't do that anymore, and Tollers go crazy if they don't get enough activity.  Another consideration is that Jessie has to be carried into the car now; that is fine as she is only 35 pounds, but in 15 years it will be.  We would like to go smaller.  A miniature Toodles would be great, but they don't exist.  So we are casting around.

Basically we want a 20-25 pound dog that has a sweet disposition and loves to fetch and swim, but isn't overly active.  American Cocker Spaniels and cockapoos have been suggested.  I was excited about Cavaliers until I found out about all their health problems.  How would a miniature Doodle fit?

Any big difference between Goldendoodles, Labradoodles, or Doubledoodles in this respect?  Our vet says that she has found that Goldendoodles seem to inherit all of Golden's health problems, so she does not recommend them.

I would much appreciate any comments or suggestions. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Hi Wade, welcome to DK. 

Some time back, the members of this site put together a discussion/article for members who may be considering a doodle, filled with information that addresses just the kinds of questions you have asked here.. It can now be found under the "Help" tab, but here's a link for you: http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/considering-a-doodle-crowd...

Basically, because doodles of any kind are mixed breeds, it is very hard to make any type of generalization about them. There are huge variations in temperament, coat, size, health, energy levels, etc from one to another, even within the same litter. As far as health goes, you find all of the same issues in doodles that you find in the parent breeds, at about the same frequency. Your best bet if you do choose to buy a doodle puppy is to do your research on finding a good breeder. And here's some help with that, as well: http://www.doodlekisses.com/notes/What_To_Look_for_In_a_Breeder

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

  Aww, Jessie looks like a sweetie! Tara is a mini Australian Labradoodle and is much like the type of dog you describe you may want in the future. She gets a walk in the morning and a playtime later in the day (either retrieving or other games depending on the weather).  The rest of the day she is napping or content to do whatever we do. If we watch TV she's good with that and if we go hiking she is good with that too! She is 21 pounds as we too wanted a smaller dog after having retrievers in the past.  They were just getting too big for us to handle as we all aged. Tara will be 8 in December and has (knock on wood) not had any  health issues other than a broken tooth.   We did, as Karen suggests, research breeders extensively. Also, our breeder was instrumental in selecting the puppy for us that would fit our lifestyle. In the same litter there were independent and people oriented, high and low energy puppies and she was able to make the match for us. Tara has been perfect. :)

One thing to keep in mind is that doodles do require a lot of grooming since they are non shedding.  You might take a look into our Grooming Group to get an idea of what is involved.  

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/doodlegrooming

[Stella]

I have an F1 standard Labradoodle (70lb and sheds, but not as much as a lab) and a multi-gen medium Labradoodle (50lb and non shedding). I also train and am competing at agility with my own dogs and a young Toller that belongs to a client, so I feel I know a bit about both types of dog!! While there are a few doodles with lower activity levels, I would say that on the whole most of them are very smart and very active dogs. Smart, active dogs, if not exercised enough will find their own way of exercising if you get my meaning! So, do your research carefully, speak to breeders and clearly explain what your lifestyle is and what type of dog you want. Good luck with your search!

[Kat and Winston]

We just got a miniature goldendoodle expected to be around 20-25 lbs. While I have no true idea about adult energy since ours is still just a little puppy, I've been told by the breeder that a good walk in the morning and playing catch or another walk later in the yard is usually enough to keep this size goldendoodle quite happy. She's been breeding them for about 8 years and that is her own experience as well as feedback from the new owners of her litters. 

[Kaitee and Orwell]

I would add that mental stimulation can be somewhat of a replacement for physical exercise in doodles. They are smart and I know that at least my boy is keen to play mental games. He gets a walk a day, and some mental play in the house (games like hide and seek). When we're not doing that or I'm doing work on the computer he just naps on my bed and is content. He is a big standard labradoodle, but I would imagine the mini's can be similar in temperament. I'd recommend finding a good breeder based on the criteria on our page, and hopefully being able to meet the puppies before your final decision on which one you want. There are a lot of differing personalities in a litter and you will probably want a more laid back puppy from what I've read in your post. 

I will say that when Orwell was a puppy we did a lot more physical exercise to keep him entertained, but that stopped when he was around a year and a half.  

[Lynda Kamrath]

I recommend goldendoodles as I think they are great dogs.  I have had many types of doodles, and I think they are the greatest.  If you want a smaller dog, maybe an F1b with a goldendoodle bred back to a miniature poodle.  I would not recommend anything smaller.  Australian labradoodles are good medium-sized dogs but more than 25 pounds.  I would say an F1b would be a good choice for you with breeding back to a miniature poodle.   Find the right breeder who is doing this type of breeding for a smaller dog.  There are many in California.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

As I said earlier in this discussion, Tara is a miniature Australian Labradoodle and weighs 20-21 pounds.  Expected adult size for her litter was 16-25 lbs. 

[Lynda Kamrath]

Your idea of a miniature Toodle is a great idea.  They don't exist?  Do some research and I bet you can find a Toodle anyway.  Then you get the breeder of the Toodle to breed one back to a miniature poodle and whoalah you have your ideal dog.  I would suggest a brown miniature poodle.  That should make a beautiful pup.  We had a miniature poodle who lived 17 years and he was a wonderful dog.  They are not hyper but have a great level of energy and are so smart.  I think you are on to something here.  In California, smaller dogs are very common now because we share our homes with our dogs.  I like larger dogs, but they are not the best roommates for us older folks.  I have a sheepadoodle now and am looking forward to a Bernedoodle in a couple of years.  Here is a photo of my little pack now.  Good luck in your search.  You will find the perfect companion if you just look long enough.

[WADE LIPPMAN]

I appreciate everyone's help.

My take is that Doodle are often less active, but not always.

My first Toller's half brother wouldn't go in the water, while mine won't stay out of it.

Dogs are human after all

There are two local miniature doodle breeders; I will talk to them.  But for the moment Jessie is doing well; might outlive me.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Wade, it's good you're looking ahead and doing your homework before making any decisions about adding a new family member. I spent well over a year researching breeds and breeders before finally finding Tara.  In the meantime, I wish you and Jessie many happy and healthy years ahead!