Doodle This, Doodle That

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Doodle This, Doodle That

Several times a week I get emails regarding Labradoodles & Goldendoodles. According to the people sending the mails, these dogs have absolutely no health problems, are extremely easy to train, do not shed at all, and are the perfect, mellow, non barking pet. Apparently if I write anything different, they feel that I don't know what I'm talking about. I suppose that I'm the only person in this world who has met a Doodle that is crazy and sheds? I highly doubt that!   I'm convinced that the people who are sending these emails are Doodle breeders who want to keep pushing their Doodles on the world as the 'perfect dog'.

I'm sure that there are some Doodles who are very mellow, low shedding, easy to train, etc., however the vast majority that I have met, are the complete opposite of that.  I've personally never met one who was shed-free. We have dozens who come into where I work for grooming, and the owners want them totally shaved because of the shedding issue.  On more than one occasion the customer stated that they should have just gotten a Labrador Retriever since they were putting up with so much hair all over the house.

As for being hyper, I've personally only seen one who has mellowed out, and she is now four years old and her owner admitted that he was very heavy-handed with her. Others are very badly mannered, which I attribute part of that to the owners neglect to train. However when I mentioned that I recommended obedience training for the Doodles, I still got hammered with emails because these people felt that I was singling out the Doodles.  There are many breeds that I highly recommend obedience training for- all breeds can benefit from it, but some of the bigger, stronger breeds it's pretty much a 'must' for the average pet owner. 

I also stated on the Doodle profile page that they may innocently knock over small children or elderly just by brushing by them- this is for many large breeds, especially when young, since they can be a bit clumsy. Again, these people felt that I was singling out the Doodles for this. Why can't people get a grip?  

No, I don't agree with breeding Doodles. I don't feel there is a purpose for the breed.  I know they were originally created to assist blind people who had dog allergies, but why couldn't a Standard Poodle do this job?  Why create this new breed, slap a high price tag on them, and market them to pet owners?  I personally don't understand any motive other than greed.  Now, if Doodle owners would show proof of health clearances on the parents of these dogs, I may be a bit more supportive of the quest, however nearly all of the breeders I've found of these dogs do not show any health testing. 

I've also gotten slammed because I don't allow Doodle breeders to be listed on the website. Again, show some health clearances and maybe I'll change my mind, until then, go away.


Posted by sidyboy on Monday, December 28, 2009 2:02 PM
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Comments

Melissa United States

Monday, February 22, 2010 7:31 AM

Melissa

Thanks for being honest about lab-poodle mixed breeds.  I have one I got from freecycle.  She was from an unplanned litter.  The mother was a first generation lab-poodle mix and the father was full lab.  No curly hair so no one really wanted her.
First of all, she is a high energy puppy.  Obedience training has been a must but it has also been a challenge since she is sixty pounds now at a year old.  While she is highly intelligent, she is also very independent and an accomplished thief.  I'm a single adult who lives alone and it is a challenge to keep all items I don't want to disappear placed in a drawer (she can reach as high as the fireplace mantle and learned to open cabinet doors early on).  Living with a child who has toys lying around would be difficult.  She accidently ran into me one evening in the dark and knocked me completely off my feet.  It was entirely an accident; the obedience training was successful in keeping her from jumping and the collision shocked her as much as me.  For an older person, that accident could have resulted in a broken hip.
Also, she sheds so much that I won't use a dish or pot anywhere in the kitchen without checking it for dog hair first.  When I sweep my floors, it looks like I've swept a barbershop.  Her coat is beautiful, a silky flat coat that is glossy and easy to care for, but I think the fur sticks everywhere but on the dog.
Finally, she is not hypoallergenic in the least.  My mother can only stay for short periods of time in my house before having to leave due to allergies.
I love her to death, but in no way do I consider her superior to any other lab mix dog.  The sporting traits from both the poodle and the lab come out, which means she needs a lot of physical and mental exercise and more attention than perhaps some other dogs.  For me, it works, but it isn't as carefree as some people seem to want it to be.