Anonymous wrote:I have two goldendoodles. They have perfect temperaments. They are smart, easy to train/eager to please, happy, playful, snuggly. They do require lots of exercise and mental stimulation - the neurotic doodles are the ones who don't get enough of this. They go to the groomer every 8 weeks - it could be less often if I brushed them more at home - they will let me do it so it's not them, it's me!
Anonymous wrote:Doodles are at the fairfax co shelter every day. They almost outnumber the pitts. I would reconsider your dog choice.
Anonymous wrote:Doodles are at the fairfax co shelter every day. They almost outnumber the pitts. I would reconsider your dog choice.
Anonymous wrote:Doodles are at the fairfax co shelter every day. They almost outnumber the pitts. I would reconsider your dog choice.
+1 I personally decided to get a poodle over a doodle because there is no breed standard for doodles and I did not want an unethically bred dog. I'm not a fan of those traditional poodle cuts so I keep my dog in a puppy cup. I'm often asked if he's a doodle, which is sometimes irritating but not enough to make me shave his face.Anonymous wrote:We have a standard poodle who is the sweetest, best dog.
(If you don't mind $$ for grooming!)
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The grooming is pretty intense to do properly (full brushing to the skin every day to prevent mats) which is why so many are shaved.
The issue with doodles is that no high quality breeder is going to sell their poodle (or the other half of the mix) to a person who wants to create doodles. That means you are starting with lower quality breeding stock to begin with. Likely no health testing was done on the prior generation, almost certainly no health testing was done on the current generation. I would not buy one for that reason (and I'm not anti-purchasing a healthy dog! I own 1 rescue and 2 purchased dogs)
But if you're going to rescue anyway, the health reality is the same for nearly any dog in a shelter or rescue, so that doesn't really differentiate.
I tell all my clients who want to rescue that they should choose a specific dog, not a specific breed or mix. The standardization isn't there in non-responsibly bred dogs, so just because you're adopting a ______ doesn't mean it will behave like ______.
I never brush my dog and she has no mats.
The hair on doodles can vary greatly. You can end up with a dog that does not need frequent brushing, or you can end up with one that does. We keep my toy poodle in a very short clip because she hates being brushed; but that means paying the groomer $100 every 6 weeks.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:tell me about your doodle! I am looking for a dog (young or puppy) and I am curious about doodles. They seem to be everywhere - is there really something to them? I have had rescues before - large lab/shepherds. Are doodles all they claim to be - smart, friendly, trainable? How often/how much do you spend on grooming. I'm not interested in a mini. Thanks!
They are not particularly smart. Some are friendly, some are anxious, twitchy, and kinda absent, mentally speaking. It's hard to say because they aren't bred from the best quality parents of either breed, and even if they were, behavioral genetics aren't directly transferred as neatly as we'd like. Trainability is the same; they may or may not be easy to train, depending on what breed you "doodled" with and what the poodle parent was like. Poodles in general are smart enough, but kinda aloof and not the warmest or friendliest of dogs. Again, generally speaking.
Grooming is a major PITA and requires daily upkeep and likely regular trips to a professional for trimming, especially if you don't keep up with the daily work.
If you must have a doodle, please adopt one of the many in breed rescues. They're easy to find, and the world really doesn't need any more of them. Giving an existing doodle a home is the only way to ethically come by one; all your other options are going to be mills or backyard breeders.