Trying to decide if a doodle is for us.

[Elizabeth]

Hello everyone,

I am a new member and I have been looking through previous threads on the forum and am trying to learn a little bit more about doodles (specifically labradoodles) to determine if one is a good fit for our family.  We recently lost our lab and and we really love labradors.  My dog worked with me for many years in my practice with abused kids.  He had a wonderful sweet temperament and was unusually calm for a lab, even as a puppy. I spent over a year researching and meeting with breeders to find a great one and then put a great deal of time into him in terms of training.  He was literally with me all of the time so training him seemed super easy.  We are starting to think about another dog and I want to consider labradoodles as an option as well.  I recently saw (on a different forum) a lot of people talking about how super active and high energy their doodles were.  It sounds like lots of them came from less then reputable breeders and possibly the owners did not put the right amount of time into training etc.  So, while I know nothing is a guarantee, I am just trying to learn a little bit more about labradoodles and what the "norm" is.  Since they are not AKC, how do you go about finding a reputable breeder?  I did look at the list here and all of the ones I pulled up near me, came back with an error message.  Generally speaking, would you consider doodles to be more active then labs as young dogs?  I see a lot of information about shedding/ allergies but I don't see much about the amount of grooming they require.  We are looking for a family pet first and foremost.  Our Daughter would like a smaller dog and my husband agrees that maybe a medium size versus large would be best.  At some point, I will return to work and would like to be able to train our new dog to work with me so temperament is really important.  I would love any feedback that anyone has to offer.  TIA

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There are not many doodle breeders who are breeding for temperament, but there are a few out there. Message the member who posted THIS blog and ask her for her breeder's name, that's one of the few I know who do breed primarily for temperament.: http://www.doodlekisses.com/profiles/blogs/atticus-is-featured-on-t...

Doodles who do have non-shedding coats require a ton of grooming; probably about 2+ hours per week of brushing/combing/de-matting, and then either regular professional grooming every 6-8 weeks, which is fairly expensive, depending on where you live, or you can spend a fair amount of money on equipment and learn to do it yourself at home. Even the brushes you need for non-shedding coats are pricey. They also need their ears cleaned once a week, to prevent ear infections, which Poodles and other breeds with floppy ears and non-shedding coats are prone to. The doodle who shed don't need more than a little brushing once a week, and grooming them is much less labor intensive and expensive. 

Some time back, the members of this website put together a fairly detailed discussion about doodles for members such as yourself who are Considering a Doodle

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

"I recently saw (on a different forum) a lot of people talking about how super active and high energy their doodles were.  It sounds like lots of them came from less then reputable breeders and possibly the owners did not put the right amount of time into training etc."  EXACTLY   I don't think doodles are any more active than labs - My daughter has a lab, we have doodles.  Doodles do have lots of energy, need exercise and training and lots of people time - just like labs.  I do envy that her dog can go anywhere and not pick up every sticker and leaf and keep it saved in his coat.  I envy that she can pretty much hose him off if necessary.  I don't envy that weeks after she leaves, I am still finding black lab hairs!  My doodle that sheds - is a pretty heavy shedder, but he doesn't shed like the lab. I like that doodles tend to be more graceful in build than labs.  I was unprepared for the amount of work my first doodle's coat needed.  He really mats and needs lots of brushing and combing.  I say, find a good breeder wherever he is and take a road trip to get your new puppy.

[Sally]

I am sure a lot depends on the individual dog.  Some labs have more energy than others as some doodles have more energy as others.  I had a black lab before I got my doodle.  My lab definitely had more energy as a puppy than my doodle.  It took my lab about 3 years to calm down but then was the best dog.  My doodle calmed down closer to a year and is also a fantastic dog.

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

In the big scheme of things, I’m new to dog ownership - I was in my 50’s when I owned my first dog ever. Our first, a labradoodle, passed away unexpectantly at age six. We now have two young labradoodles. Clearly, my “research pool” is very small. However, although I would consider all three to be active and spirited, especially as puppies, we’ve not felt overwhelmed by their activity levels. Currently, our two generally play the energy out of each other.

As far as grooming needs, we keep our doodles fairly short so we don’t have to do a lot of brushing between groomings, which are every six weeks. We’ve learned where they tend to tangle and address those areas as needed.

Good luck in your decision making.