What should the next Doodle info page be?

[Adina P]

So far we've got two new doodle info pages/infographics:

Feeding a New Doodle Puppy: Feeding%20Your%20Doodle%20Puppy%20Final.png

Choosing a Responsible Doodle Breeder: Choosing%20a%20Responsible%20Doodle%20Breeder.pdf

What is important to create next?  If someone has an idea you love or you agree is most important, respond with a vote of "YES" or similar.  Then I can get an idea of what you'd like to see most.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

This was such a great blog, Karen. I teared up all over again.  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Cheryl. I had an amazing muse, lol. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

From the blog:

I wonder if they bought him because they had read or heard that Labradoodles are the "perfect dog". I wonder if they were told that he was non-shedding and hypo-allergenic, that he was going to weigh about 50 lbs, that he wouldn't need a lot of exercise, that he was so smart he wouldn't need much training, and that he was healthier than a purebred. Maybe they were unprepared when he shed hair all over everything like crazy, grew to be 26" inches tall and 70 lbs, (he's now 80 lbs), pulled them down the street like a freight train, licked his paws raw, and needed to chase a ball at full-speed for an hour a day. Maybe they gave him up because he just wasn't what they had been led to believe he was going to be, and they weren't equipped to handle what he was: a dog. 

Maybe the reason that a good dog lost his home was "failure to meet expectations."

I also hope that you will remember JD when someone asks you about your doodle. It is so easy to rave about them. We love them. We think they are the sweetest, cutest, most wonderful dogs in the world. 

But they are not "perfect",  they are dogs, with all of the challenges and needs of every other kind of dog. They need training, they need grooming, they need time and attention, they can have health issues, they get dirty, they get sick, they get into the garbage, they jump, they bark, they dig, they eat things they shouldn't and then they throw up on your rug. And yes, many of them shed and affect their owners' allergies. They are not easier to own or care for than any other kind of dog. And they are definitely not "teddy bears" or stuffed animals. 

When we talk about them as if they are something more than, less than, better than, different from, or somehow something other than dogs, we do them a great disservice. Because sometimes, that makes people who really don't understand or like dogs very much think about getting a doodle, and when that doodle isn't perfect, when he fails to meet expectations, when he turns out to be a dog after all, he might just end up with a broken heart. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I also think that if we have an infographic on coats, we should include Laurie's very helpful photos of the various coat types:

[DonMarie and Picco]

Hilarious!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I had forgotten about this.....so funny.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I loved it so much, I saved the pictures to my computer. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I forgot too and agree.

[DonMarie and Picco]

I think grooming with correct ways to use tools would be helpful!   Some people are surprised to hear their doodles have mats when they say they brush often so it may be that they aren't brushing properly and getting to the skin.  Maybe links to some good videos.

And different Doodle coats but I think Karen & Jackdoodle took care of that issue!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

LOL!
The grooming thing is complicated, because some doodles (like mine) have coats that shed, never mat, and are basically "wash n wear", like Golden Retrievers. Others have coats like Poodles, that require frequent combing as well as brushing, dematting, and trimming/clipping. And you have everything in between. Tools are different, everything's different. Even ear maintenance. 

And then, even with the non-shedders, you have the clippers versus the hand scissoring only methods. 

It's a topic where there are very few absolutes or universally applicable recommendations. 

[Adina P]

Lots of great ideas here.  Will need some help in compiling the best info on these topics. I'm NOT a grooming expert, I've got shedders and when I groom I'm okay if I do a botched up, unfinished job.  Any volunteers to collect key points and photos from within DK?

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I sort of think there are two different topics here.  The most important is that people need to understand the amount of grooming that could be required.  Not necessarily teaching them to do it (although that could be a separate page) but rather if you get this type of doodle you are going to need to do this ... with a curly coat you might have less shedding but your maintenance time is going to be greater.  They need to understand what is involved in maintaining the different type coats.  As for teaching them to groom themselves, that would be so hard because everyone likes a different cut/style not to mention the many types of coats.  I've been grooming for 8 years and I still learn things every time I do it.