Is the doodle a one person dog?

[Brenda Hetzel]

I know the doodle is a great family dog but my dog is more attached to one member of the family-me. If I'm not awake yet and everyone else is up and about, my doodle will stay in the bedroom until I get up. If I move from a room, my doodle will follow me. If I'm on the computer and other people are home, guess where my doodle is-laying at my feet. I just wondered if this is characteristic of other people's doodle's also. I love it because I'm just as attached to him as he is to me but when my children want Lucky to sleep with them he will not have it and the kids feelings are hurt.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Brenda, I have the same with three. Three by my side, three in the bed, three at my feet. Three that follow me all over, three who won't let me out of their sight. They will play with my husband or sons, but if I get up and move, three who break off to see where I went. I think they KNOW who their pack leader is, they love to extremes and will love and protect for the rest of their lives.

[April Cliber]

Lynne, is absolutely correct. :o) My husband calls our dogs my entourage. They do love my husband and kids and if I'm busy will go to them for attention. They love company and are friendly with everyone. For the most part they are my dogs though. My husband gets up at 4:30 AM for work, none move or get up then. They wait for me.

There is a difference between one person dogs and dogs that prefer a certain family member. Some dogs only like one person and that's not a good situation, they can become overly protective and aggressive with others. As long as your dog is friendly to others, it's normal, IMO. :o)

[Brenda Hetzel]

Yes, Lucky likes all of us, just prefers me.

[Ali]

Awe. I'm sorry. I know golden retrievers and labrador retrievers are very loyal dogs to their leader, so I am guessing your doodle inherited this quality. I am not sure if poodles have this quality as well. Maybe it would help if your children start feeding, walking, and caring for the dog more, so if becomes more of a family dog. This is only a guess, I live alone with my doodle and if I have a guest or even at the dog park, you would not think my doodle belongs to me. She is all up on other people. This could be because she misses other people so much and she is just used to me/sick of me... haha.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't think it's a doodle thing; I think most breeds that are responsive to people attach to one person in particular, usually the person who spends the most time with them, feeds them, etc. This doesn't mean they don't like or respect the other family members, but given a choice, they will stay near "their" person rather than another member of the family. I can tell you that poodles are definitely the same, as are German Shepherds.
I think it's also fairly common for the attachment person to be someone other than the head of household or "pack leader"as the dog sees it...I know of an awful lot of situations where the dog will respond more quickly to the husband in the household, and maybe show more deference to him, but prefers to sit & lie near the wife. In my home, my DD is the one who gets the best behavior & fastest responses to commands from Jackdoodle, but will he leave my bed to go to hers? Not without being dragged, lol!
I know there are some dogs who sleep with the kids, but in my experience, that only happens when the dog has never been allowed to sleep in the parents' room, and has learned that the child's room is where he is supposed to sleep.

[Adina P]

It seems that most dogs tend to pick one person. Rosco is totally as you describe above with me. I woke up early this morning (relative to when I went to bed!) and Rosco immediately popped up from my side of the bed and followed me to my computer. Awwwwwwwwwwwe. Thule and Cass are more Daddy's girls.

While Clark was gone last weekend I went to the video store to get a movie. When I returned and was making popcorn I noticed Cass standing, staring at our front door...EXPECTING and HOPING that Clark was just slow at coming inside and he would be entering shortly. Of course he did not, but that Cass is devoted to her daddy!

[Sue & Willy Babe]

Willson likes to be near me but if my DH is sitting in his chair he will go and lay right by his side But I am the one who feeds, walks, takes to puppy class, but with play time in the neighborhood he doesn't mind going with my son, Willy I would say gives eveyone fair love, but once Karen (my daughter) comes home from college Willy will be by her side like glue!! LOL I do like it when he is in the kitchen right by my side so now taht I am thinking about it I guess I am the Person, but its okay He does share his love!!!!

[Tracey]

My Golden used to do the same...loved it, but it would occasionally drive me whacko when he wouldn't go to someone else to be let out, fed, etc. if I was busy with something ;). Son is an early riser and could've let him out to pee, etc. in the mornings, but he wasn't having it until I got up. And my son always wanted him to sleep with him, but he always ended up back in our room.

I agree that though my husband was totally the 'pack leader', I think they tend to connect with the one that primarily feeds and takes care of them. I think they know the 'mommy-person' is the go-to ;). Though maybe it's a protection thing? When I was pregnant both times, he was especially close to me, following me around more than usual...I always wondered about that!

Maybe try and come up with certain things/times that only the kids do with him, so they feel like they have a special connection with him too?

[Brenda Hetzel]

I wonder if it would have been different if we would have gotten Lucky when he was a puppy and could have attached to the kids when he was a "kid". He was a rehome and was not a cute little 8 week old puppy when we brought him home to our family.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I had that same situation. Jackdoodle was 14 months old when I got him, and for the first couple of weeks, he was not allowed in my bedroom at night because I was afraid he would might go after the cat while I was sleeping. We put his bed in my DD's room.
He was never happy about that; he would stand outside my bedroom door a long time before sighing and going into her room to sleep. Any time I opened my bedroom door during the night, he came running. He just seemed to feel from day one that he belonged in my room. Of course, he was right!

[Kelli, Fenway, & Dustin Pedroia]

I'm right there with you on this one. Our labradoodle, Fenway, is my dog. She loves her Daddy and she loves any guest or person that will show her attention, but if I leave a room she's going to follow me. If I'm on the couch she's generally right next to me or under the couch right where I'm sitting. She's much more attached to me, but I'm the one who does most of the work with her. I train her, feed her, and exercise her. My husband and I share the bathroom trips, but otherwise I'm the main caretaker. It may also be because when we got her I happened to be home for the summer so we were pretty much together 24/7 for 8 weeks. She's formed a pretty strong attachment to me and that hasn't really changed. Not sure if it's a doodle thing or not. My parents also have a doodle and he is more attached to my Dad. He also prefers attention from a man over a woman. Our girl is the exact opposite. She prefers women to men. That being said either doodle loves whomever will give them the most attention at the time!

[Ginny Nightingale]

My hubby is home all day with my doodle and feeds her dinner most days while I am at work, but she still is more attached to me--she sleeps on my feet every night and follows me as I work around the house all weekend. I think they attach to someone and that's it. Not sure there is any solution to the issue with sleeping in the kids' room--maybe you could get them some fish--they'll stay in the room all night with them!!