Goldendoodles What Do You Think?

[Tiffany]

Hi,

My husband and I are thinking of getting a dog. We have been married for over 11yrs and we are child free by choice. I grew up with dogs but my husband has allergies and asthma so that is what has prevented us from getting a dog. I have been researching Goldendoodles as they are reported to have great tempermant, are smart and are hypoallergic.

I have researched breeders and there is one in RI Kathryn Lee of Make Way for Doodles that seems great and is only about an hour and a half by car from our home.

Does anyone out there own a doodle? Does anyone know about this specific breeder?

 

[crz4mm2]

What is a goldendoodle?
Never heard of them before.

 

[Keli]

They are a cross between a golden retreiver and a poodle. I've heard good things about them and I've wondered about getting one myself.

 

[CEDmom]

I don't know about this particular mix but a friend has a cockapoo (sp?) which is a cross between a cocker spaniel and a poodle. It's a very friendly easy going dog that doesn't shed and cause allergy flairups. Her DH has bad allergies and doesn't have any problems with this dog. She also did a lot of research before buying it.

 

[Papa Deuce]

They are a cross between a golden retreiver and a poodle. I've heard good things about them and I've wondered about getting one myself.

Or get a schnoodle, or a labradoodle...... Basically any breed that is half poodle and half something else. The idea being the the poodle part doesn't shed and hopefully is a dominant feature of the mixed breeds.

I can't swear it but I think they even breed German Doodles.

 

[CyranoJones]

I want a doodle so badly. I'm down to a choice of two breeders. As soon as I pay off some medical bills, one is going to be mine!

 

[Tiffany]

Thanks for the replies so far. Anyone else have opinions on Goldendoodles?

 

[airhead]

I work at a doggy daycare and we have 5 of the golden poodle mix and 1 Lab/poodle mix. Out of the 6 mixes,4 have the high energy of the Poodle. The temperment of 2,not so good(actually,one will be asked not to return. These 2 are from a rescue)). I think as long as people know that there is no standard to compare the dog to.
You really don't know what you'll get. So I suggest to learn about both breeds
of your mix so there will be no surprises. Good luck with your new dog!!

 

[kikipug]

Hi,

I grew up with dogs but my husband has allergies and asthma so that is what has prevented us from getting a dog. I have been researching Goldendoodles as they are reported to have great tempermant, are smart and are hypoallergic.

You might want to also look into a retired racing greyhound... they are also hypoallergenic, smart, and have a great temperment too... we love ours!!!!

 

[minkydog]

Why not just get a poodle or a Wheaten and be done with it? Why a goldendoodle in particular? Just curious, since this is a relative newcomer on the dog scene.

 

[Jennifer S]

I have a Goldendoodle and she is the BEST dog in the world!!! I love her and would not trade her for a million dollars. She has a GREAT temperment, gentle with kids and listens well. Ask me anything. Our GD will be 2 this month. I highly would recommend this breed.

Check out www.goldendoodles.com. It has a list of recommended breeders and a discussion forum on the resource page. I was just on it a minute ago. It's a forum for goldendoodle owners and breeders. Go check it out!!!


PM me if you want.

 

[Tiffany]

Why not just get a poodle or a Wheaten and be done with it? Why a goldendoodle in particular? Just curious, since this is a relative newcomer on the dog scene.

We love the way golden reterievers look and and behave but with my husband's allergies we could not get one. I heard about the goldendoodles and they are beautiful.

Here is link with some great info about goldendoodles.

http://www.makewayfordoodles.com/

 

[Tiffany]

I have a Goldendoodle and she is the BEST dog in the world!!! I love her and would not trade her for a million dollars. She has a GREAT temperment, gentle with kids and listens well. Ask me anything. Our GD will be 2 this month. I highly would recommend this breed.

Check out www.goldendoodles.com. It has a list of recommended breeders and a discussion forum on the resource page. I was just on it a minute ago. It's a forum for goldendoodle owners and breeders. Go check it out!!!


PM me if you want.

Thanks. I have already checkedout that site it is great. They are so beautiful.

 

[jtm1631]

I think as long as people know that there is no standard to compare the dog to.
You really don't know what you'll get. So I suggest to learn about both breeds
of your mix so there will be no surprises. Good luck with your new dog!!

This just is not true. I know a number of people with goldendoodles and I own a labradoodle. Like with any dog you get, the key factor is the breeder and the breeding stock. With any mix like a golden or labradoodle you need to know what generation the dog is. If you have a first generation puppy (one parent is a golden retriever one is a poodle), than yes you will have no idea what type of dog you get until your dog matures. A first generation goldendoodle may shed and may affect your husbands allergies.

The key when talking to breeders is finding out what generation their puppies are and what the parents of your litter are like. Any reputable breeder will "test" the puppies to get an idea of what type of personality they will have and if they are a good match for a perspective buyer.

Our labradoodle came from Ausralia and is a 4th generation doodle. Our dogs personality, coat type and size we're known prior to our dog being matched with us. We could not be happier with our dog. He is exactly what we wanted in a dog and does not affect our youngest daughter's allergies.

Do your homework, talk to breeders and I would suggest you do not get a first generation dog.

 

[Tiffany]

This just is not true. I know a number of people with goldendoodles and I own a labradoodle. Like with any dog you get, the key factor is the breeder and the breeding stock. With any mix like a golden or labradoodle you need to know what generation the dog is. If you have a first generation puppy (one parent is a golden retriever one is a poodle), than yes you will have no idea what type of dog you get until your dog matures. A first generation goldendoodle may shed and may affect your husbands allergies.

The key when talking to breeders is finding out what generation their puppies are and what the parents of your litter are like. Any reputable breeder will "test" the puppies to get an idea of what type of personality they will have and if they are a good match for a perspective buyer.

Our labradoodle came from Ausralia and is a 4th generation doodle. Our dogs personality, coat type and size we're known prior to our dog being matched with us. We could not be happier with our dog. He is exactly what we wanted in a dog and does not affect our youngest daughter's allergies.

Do your homework, talk to breeders and I would suggest you do not get a first generation dog.

Thanks for the info on the diff. between a first generation doodle and older generation doodles.

 

[mckryan]

Do your homework, talk to breeders and I would suggest you do not get a first generation dog.

Thank you for posting that! I was about to post the same because I think many people turn to this new breed as something good for allergies when it isn't always true.

To the OP: I also suggest many visits to homes with these dogs to see how your husband reacts. I would hate for you to get a puppy home and find out that he's having reactions.

edit: BTW, a couple of things on the makewayfordoodles website that send up flags for me are that she does not allow visitors and that she gives you a pedigree. AFAIK, there is no way she can truly 'pedigree' these dogs as the resulting breed is not a recognized breed with any organization. Having said that, she can give you the pedigree of her Golden and of her Poodle, but that does not mean that the resulting pup has a true pedigree. Any breeder should allow you to visit to see where the dogs are kept, where the puppies are kept, allow you to meet the puppies, etc. A breeder that doesn't let you visit just sends up red flags to me. I would also hope that she would visit your home to make sure you have an acceptable house and yard before selling you one of her puppies. She states many great things on her site, but those things that she does/doesn't mention really send up flags for me.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Not all people fare well with dogs that are supposed to be "hypoallergenic" - for one, there is no such thing, and also, some people are allergic to their hair, dander, saliva, etc, so sometimes you can't rid the dog of whatever you are allergic to. You can't be completely sure you will be okay with that dog, unless you spend time with that particular dog for a lengthy amount of time. Supposedly, poodles are supposed to be good for those with allergies, but I haven't met one yet that doesn't send me into an immediate asthma attack - yet my Shih Tzu doesn't bother me at all. So a poodle golden retreiver would bea quick ticket to the ER for me. It is SO SO important with any dog to spend lots of time with that dog before taking it home, just in case. A good breeder will allow you to do this.

Goldendoodles are not a breed - yet - though there are breeders working to make it recognized as such. They are also quite trendy right now, and a fad breed, which means more backyard breeders are popping up and less testing is done on them. It's SO imperitive that you find a breeder who has been doing this for many years, and really knows her animals. Otherwise, you will have NO guarantee of the health or temperment of the animal, they could very well get the worst of both parents. Make sure you find a breeder that does health testing and genetic testing on their dogs, can prove the lineage, give you references of past buyers to contact, etc. For a good breeder, expect to be interviewed as well - breeders that breed for the quality of the breed are very choosy in who takes home their babies. Expect to pay a good amount of money for one, since the testing can be expensive and good breeders don't pump out puppies quickly - usually 1-3 litters a year, to ensure quality.

Just be cautious.

Good luck! =)

 

[Tiffany]

Thank you for posting that! I was about to post the same because I think many people turn to this new breed as something good for allergies when it isn't always true.

To the OP: I also suggest many visits to homes with these dogs to see how your husband reacts. I would hate for you to get a puppy home and find out that he's having reactions.

edit: BTW, a couple of things on the makewayfordoodles website that send up flags for me are that she does not allow visitors and that she gives you a pedigree. AFAIK, there is no way she can truly 'pedigree' these dogs as the resulting breed is not a recognized breed with any organization. Having said that, she can give you the pedigree of her Golden and of her Poodle, but that does not mean that the resulting pup has a true pedigree. Any breeder should allow you to visit to see where the dogs are kept, where the puppies are kept, allow you to meet the puppies, etc. A breeder that doesn't let you visit just sends up red flags to me. I would also hope that she would visit your home to make sure you have an acceptable house and yard before selling you one of her puppies. She states many great things on her site, but those things that she does/doesn't mention really send up flags for me.

Thanks for the info. So what she writes about Parvo Virus is not a ligit reason?

 

[Tiffany]

Not all people fare well with dogs that are supposed to be "hypoallergenic" - for one, there is no such thing, and also, some people are allergic to their hair, dander, saliva, etc, so sometimes you can't rid the dog of whatever you are allergic to. You can't be completely sure you will be okay with that dog, unless you spend time with that particular dog for a lengthy amount of time. Supposedly, poodles are supposed to be good for those with allergies, but I haven't met one yet that doesn't send me into an immediate asthma attack - yet my Shih Tzu doesn't bother me at all. So a poodle golden retreiver would bea quick ticket to the ER for me. It is SO SO important with any dog to spend lots of time with that dog before taking it home, just in case. A good breeder will allow you to do this.

Goldendoodles are not a breed - yet - though there are breeders working to make it recognized as such. They are also quite trendy right now, and a fad breed, which means more backyard breeders are popping up and less testing is done on them. It's SO imperitive that you find a breeder who has been doing this for many years, and really knows her animals. Otherwise, you will have NO guarantee of the health or temperment of the animal, they could very well get the worst of both parents. Make sure you find a breeder that does health testing and genetic testing on their dogs, can prove the lineage, give you references of past buyers to contact, etc. For a good breeder, expect to be interviewed as well - breeders that breed for the quality of the breed are very choosy in who takes home their babies. Expect to pay a good amount of money for one, since the testing can be expensive and good breeders don't pump out puppies quickly - usually 1-3 litters a year, to ensure quality.

Just be cautious.

Good luck! =)

Thanks. I was trying to narrow it down to a breeder that was within driving distance because I did not think that having the dog flown to me would be good for the dog. What do you think?

 

[Mad4Mickey]

I work at a large vet clinic the only 2 I have been in contact with have been pretty to look at but not very nice . With that being said I have a little tiny weenie dog ( 8 lbs) and he is the son of Satan . Mean little thing he was a rescue and we have never been able to get him to trust people outside of this house .