New Owner...Need some advice

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

We took the plunge three weeks ago and got an 8 week (now 11 week) golden doodle puppy. 

We are at the stage of OMG what did we do.

With kids at home and one still in diapers, we may have jumped into this too soon. I understand that its a puppy. and after 11 weeks, it will pretty much do anything for treats, but nevertheless I am having some anxiety over what kind of commitment this will be and the toll it will take on our family.

The problem is I am thinking about the negative and not the positive and that alone tells me we may have made the wrong decision.

I have imagined our life without the dog, and I would feel bad but would get over it. With the dog I only worry about what that means for the future, boarding it while on vacation, having friends and family over who are afraid of dogs and don't want to see it, the barking, all the negative stuff.

We always said we wanted a dog but now I am the only one who really thinks, this is too much and maybe theres a family better equipped for this.

I am crazy? Is this just a puppy stage thing? How do we know when we need to cut our losses and move on. 

[AliandShooter]

It is a handful I have a 5 year old a 2 year old and 7 month old plus I work 3 days out of the week 12 hours shifts we have him crate trained which that helps out a lot my husband also is a huge help he gets the kids and the dog tired out by the end of the day. Our dog, Shooter, has gotten so much better I have to remind the kids that he’s still a puppy and not to run and scream because he thinks they’re playing with hi. The nipping has ended now we’re dealing with jumping but we enjoy and love him

[AliandShooter]

He’s just a couple days shy from 4 months if i work I let him out at 4am out to potty, eat, play and he usually sticks by my side while I get ready for work then he goes back in his crate at almost 6 my husband comes home at 4 and he’s out with us till bedtime 10 on days I’m off he’s in his Crate till we’re out (except for potty’s) I let him out in the backyard or he hangs with us in the room. I’m currently deep cleaning though so he can have a little more feeedom but he gets everything in his mouth so we limit him just to our bedroom and the living rooms and kitchen. In the evenings he gets to play with us he loves jumping on what trampoline or following us outside and playing fetch 

[AliandShooter]

Yes we close close It and he’s usually pretty tired he gets comfy and naps

[AliandShooter]

Shooter doesn’t cry but he only cried the first 2 nights I actually tell him to go inside his crate and he listens I put his favorite toy and a kong. Good luck!

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

OMG....looks like my Teddy blown up 200% !!!!  LOL

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

Teddy is a Toy Goldendoodle so genetically he's much more poodle than your puppy.  I think he started to go curly at about 3-4 months, but his "puppy coat" is nothing to what he looked like at about 9-12 months or today.

I believe you should NOT have him clipped for some time.  Check with the experts here.

[April S.]

It is so hard, but a puppy should bring you joy, not angst.  What about the times ahead where your pup goes with you on adventures (to the beach, to the park, walks with you to take your kids to school, etc). Dogs are great therapy too, bad days, you have them to talk to and pet them.  Puppy stage is so hard but every week should bring improvement if you actively train, teach, and enrich your new baby.  We've had our new pup for not even 3 days and she's learned so much already.  I am sleep deprived but she is so loving and sweet.  

[Ginny Nightingale]

Judging from your picture, your doodle will be wavy--no poodle curls--it is funny to realize that you know so little about doodles, but you bought one! :) You can learn a lot from our site! Some have a straight "hair" coat that sheds a lot, some have a wavy fleece (like yours) and some are "wool" like a poodle. and then there are combinations so really, there is no one type of coat that all doodles have. If he is not shedding, he probably won't--but people can be allergic to a non-shedding dog if they react to the saliva--not everyone does.

And YES! You lock the crate! NO wonder you are discouraged! A pup should never have the freedom to just come and go as they please--for example, when a pup wakes up, the first thing they do is pee--and if you do not CARRY them from the crate to the outdoors, the pee will end up on your floor....and then there are all the things lying around that the pup can walk out of the crate, grab and then bring back in and destroy! Yes, he will whine when you close the door--that is why it is called crate training--they have to be trained to be quietly confined when you need them to be. You can give him treats in the crate and even give him his dinner in the crate so that it becomes his happy and safe place.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I beg to differ about "if he is not shedding, he probably won't". Lots and lots of doodles puppies who didn;t shed start to shed when they go through the coat change, and that continues as adults. As I mentioned, statistically, 7 out of 10 F1s are going to shed to some degree as adults.

Some information from The Labradoodle Trust: http://doodlerescueinc.ning.com/group/isadoodleforyou/forum/topics/...

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

From what you are saying here, I think you should cut your losses and give that puppy a chance to find a home where he/she is truly loved. Do it soon. Don't confuse the puppy further. I also feel as if maybe this pup was purchased as a whim, since you don't seem to know much about crating, training, breeder contracts, potty training, shedding, etc......all things that should be thought out before getting a puppy. I don't mean that as a criticism, but more as a feeling I have. Now that you have the puppy, maybe reality kicked in and your lack of preparation has you second guessing your decision. That's ok, if you make the right choice ahead for your puppy. Either you commit wholeheartedly to raising that puppy and making him a member of your family or let him go. Contact the breeder and if she won't take him back, let the DRC (Doodle rescue) find him the home he deserves.  

[Cathy and Daisy and Harper]

That puppy is adorable and my advice iis that if you truly do not want a lifetime of dog responsibility,

that you will be doing it a huge favor if you rehome it when it is still cute and adorable. People love young puppies and they do go through a scraggly stage in a couple of months and now would be easier to find a quality home. 

My story is similar in that I questioned my sanity and regretted it immensely , and I did talk to the breeder about taking her back and my reputable breeder was ready if I wanted that. We decided to hire an amazing but expensive trainer and it did help.

One year later we are so much in love with our Harper. But it is still not easy in every aspect , although much easier  than the beginning. I come home at lunch everyday to let her out and yes, vacations are not easy. She does take a great deal of time. But to our life she has brought fun...we walk (healthy for us) and we take her places and generally laugh at her antics.

I hope you are able to make the best decisiom for you and your dog.

[Amy and Annabelle]

When my kids were 5,3 and 1, I bought a puppy off my neighbor. I had never had a dog or puppy in my life. This was 35 years ago, so no googling for help. I did have my neighbor though, until they moved. It was hard, and he was a great puppy. If he had behaved the way Annabelle my goldendoodle behaved when I first got her, I'm not sure if I would have kept him. He didn't bite, jump or growl and was easy to train. Good with the kids. But Annabelle tested our patience. It was her biting and aggression that we had problems with. My husband was ready to send her back to the breeder, but he is a cranky old man. I on the other hand didn't want to. I already loved her and was committed to getting her trained.  I have young grandkids, so her behavior was a problem for awhile. She had to be crated when they were in the same house, which was often. From 6 months on we saw a slow improvement in her behavior. By a year, she was a totally different dog. But I spent a lot of time and money training her. She is 3.5 years old now. My husband just loves her to pieces and they are best buds. But like I said, I'm not sure I would have had the time and patience to get her to that point with 3 young kids. She was a handful. Dogs are a big commitment for their lifetime. For vacations we have either boarded or had friends come to the house to care for the dogs. With Annabelle, boarding was too hard on her, so we have been bringing her with us when we travel. Sometimes you reap what you sow. If you put in the time with training, commitment and love, you will have a wonderful member of the family. If you are too busy to do that at this time, it is better to let her go to another family asap. The longer you wait the harder it will be for the dog and the kids.