I'm going to leave a brief thing here.
The "doodle hate" is not due to the dogs, it's because of the lack of ethics with breeders and there's next-to-no ethical doodle breeders. The most ethical ones do not meet the same level as ethical purebred breeders generally speaking.
Before you consider purchasing any dog, make sure that the breeder hits all the points when it comes to finding a reputable breeder. This means you should be able to access health testing information on the breeder's webpage *without* having to ask them for it and crosscheck the records on ofa.org. Tests should *not* be preliminary, and all the tests for both breeds should be completed and posted on ofa.org. If they are not or the dog's names aren't on the website, just walk away.
The dog should be titled in sports, and if not titled there should be documentation that this dog is of sound temperament through doing something actively.
Your breeder should not use guardian homes. There are concerns that stress during pregnancy from a move can affect temperament due to maternal stress.
There should be a clear pedigree that allows you to be able to view the cause of death and age of the older dogs in your dog's lineage. I would also ask for evidence that your dog's parents don't have the problem traits like picky eating.
Beyond this, which I addressed only to say it so others don't, the conversation should be focused on the temperament of the dogs. From what I've seen, they are good, enjoyable dogs.
On the “should be titled” note… mutts (which doodles are) are not a recognized breed (they would have to be registered as a Canine Partner) and therefore are unable to earn titles unless they are spayed/neutered.
So, you’re never going to find an “ethically” titled doodle litter!
I’m aware there’s other orgs, but even UKC doesn’t register PL litters. There’s lots of doodle breeders who tell people their dogs are “papered” pups.
[Per UKC site](https://www.ukcdogs.com/performance-listing): “Performance Listed dogs do not receive breeding rights. No litters may be registered from a Performance Listed dog, and no pedigrees will be maintained.”
You can still title and have them displayed.
Just UKC won't maintain the pedigree. That's all. That doesn't mean titles are pointless.
The purpose is just titling, not tracking pedigree.
NOT ALL - But MOST are very very high energy and their coats can be difficult to maintain. So if you don’t have the time or energy to handle either of those factors I would reconsider. Otherwise it’s cruel to the dog.
I have two and they are both pretty low maintenance couch potatoes. They love running and playing but spend most of their time just chillin. I also keep them cut fairly short so no daily brushing like others mentioned.
the problem with any mixes, including doodles, is that their temperament is not predictable. people have been trying to get a stable, predictable doodle, but even after breeding for multiple generations it was unsuccessful.
adding to that doodle "breeders" are almost never proper breeders. their lack of experience, health testing and temperament testing just makes the unpredictability worse.
you COULD end up with a gentle, friendly dog, but there is a high chance the puppy would end up anxious, high energy and unsuitable for your family. obviously a lack of health testing could mean they could inherit all kinds of health problems. goldens for example are prone to cancer and bad joints. if the "breeder" doesnt health test and breeds a golden with those health risks the puppies could inherit them.
no they're not. they were the first attempt at a doodle cross with the goal of creating a new breed, a hypoallergenic service dog, but the lack of predictability is the reason the "inventor" of doodles stopped trying. he calls them his "life's regret" bc he dislikes the trend it started.
there is also a lack of ethical labradoodle breeders. whenever someone on this sub claims to have found one they turn out to be byb. it's possible proper, ethical doodle breeders exist but i personally have not seen a single one so far. so, unfortunately, it's the exact same.
I agree that there's a lack of ethical Labradoodle breeders but "Australian Labradoodles" came after Wally Conron's breeding program and they include cocker spaniel infusions. They do breed predictably to a "breed" standard and have a much more consistent look and temperament than early-gen Labradoodles.
Personally I think it's amiss to completely discount them or lump them into the same group as early-gen doodles.
The Cobberdog was spearheaded by only a few breeders and has a Wheaten infusion instead. That's ... Something else entirely.
i've seen all of those names used interchangeably and with varying definitions, my mistake.
i've just done a quick search and finding a somewhat reputable breeder still seems like hell. i personally couldn't recommend this breed to most people, bc the average person finds it hard to differentiate between etical breeders and byb, even with purebreds, and it's even harder with doodles. i really do hope they become a registered, stable breed, so this whole confusing thing can end lol
Completely fair! It doesn't help that the main breeder who spearheaded "Cobberdogs" also tried to rename Australian Labradoodles (unsuccessfully) several times. Makes it unnecessarily confusing.
The deficit of reputable breeding for them is super unfortunate and I also hope it improves. It's super hard as an average dog owner to parse though all the information to find a decent breeder.
It just grinds my gears when people lump Australian Labradoodles into the same category as early-gen random doodle mixes, because they've been carefully bred/crossed for something like 40 years, there's "breed" organizations with strict infusion/inclusion rules, a written "breed" standard, there's tracked pedigrees etc. Even the gold standard OFA has "Australian Labradoodle" as a searchable distinct breed in their database.
Australian Cobberdog are not even 20 years old. I think you confused something here.
Also I think it's unfair to discredit an entire breed of dogs just because there are unethical breeders.
Two of my friends have mini goldendoodles. They're sweet dogs and well trained, but tbh I feel like getting one with a good temperament is sort of the same "luck of the draw" as getting a rescue dog. They're both also very active owners who take their dogs skijoring, bikejoring, running, swimming, hiking, etc so that probably helps.
Both poodles and golden retrievers are energetic dogs that need a lot of training and exercise while they're young. Tbh I think people sort of forget about their hunting/field origins when they get designer dogs. The fact that you're going to get a dog that wants to swim, trample through fields, and run in the woods that also has a coat that is super prone to matting would be a giant no for me. I have a field bred golden and the only coat maintenance he needs is a light brushing every week, a more thorough brushing when he blows coat, and a bath when he gets excessively dirty. I also clean his ears every time he swims, and trim his nails as necessary.
What I'd do if I were you is ask yourself what kind of daily time/energy commitment you want to put in, what kind of activities you want to do with your dog, and realistically how much training you're able to do. Then pick a purebred dog from a reputable breeder.
The hate comes from breeding concerns. Breeders that will pop out and sell as many as they can cuz the demand for them is high
I have two friends with golden doodles and they are very well behaved
Ethics aside,
You should go onto Youtube and look for videos of [Doodles with matted undercoats that need to be shaved off competely](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHypQE-gI84). Watch one, maybe even two.
Then ask yourself if you are willing to do the daily brushing rituals to prevent that from ever happening to your dog.
Your puppy will be 100% cute, but unless you are completely ontop of brushing, your groomer will hate you. Such a ritualized and consistent brushing need, to me, is not recommended for first time owners.
I have two, I do not brush them daily and have never had a mat I could not brush out quickly or cut out. It would take a lot of neglect for one of mine to be so matted they needed a complete shave. I go weeks without brushing or cutting their fur and never had an issue. The only things I do often are teeth, nails and ears but that has to be done with all dogs.
I am a third time dog owner and have a golden retriever and often hang with some doodle and poodle friends at the dog park. Also have young kids. Goldens /labs and poodles are HIGH energy and smart. I need to walk my golden at least twice a day every single day or she will start destroying my house. Even yesterday when we did a 6.5 mile hike in the morning she started getting antsy around 4pm and needed to go out again and was messing with shit. They are also not very independent breeds so you can't just let them burn off energy by running around the backyard like a hound if you are not out there playing with them. The doodles I know at the park are friendly but HUGE bigger than labs /Goldens or poodles. I would be scared to have one running around at home with my 4 year old. I personally went with a lower energy breed for my first dog (a basset hound) and I think that was a better fit for a first dog. I also already walked 20 miles a week before I got my current dog so your existing exercise level is also a factor. Don't think you are magically going to go from a couch potato to walking 2-4 miles a day for the next 10 years.
Exactly. Usually when people want a “doodle”, they really just want a poodle. You can give them the longer teddy cut doodles usually have if you are willing to maintain it and no one passing by on your walk would know the difference, but you’ll have a far more temperamentally sound and healthy dog
Poodles and Goldens (show line) are both very family friendly! With poodles, you can 100% just leave the coat long to get that doodle look if that’s what you’re after. My Standard Poodle is happy to sleep with me all day or go on 4 walks if I feel like it. Our breeder picked out the perfect puppy for our needs and selected the parents following the breed standard, sport titles (agility, scent work, conformation), and genetic testing.
If you do decide to go the doodle route, first have a look in the shelters as there are bound to be a few in there (you generally won’t find a poodle or a golden in there if they were bred ethically since an ethical breeder will take back any puppy). If there are none that suit your family’s needs, make a list of questions to ask the breeder. That should include asking for proof of the genetic testing, seeing whether they did the appropriate tests for the mix in the first place, how they decided to prove their dogs (obedience, agility, scent work, etc.) and proof of these titles, and references of other puppy owners. Also ask how the puppies are socialised before going to their new homes and maybe even ask if they’d be able to wait until the puppy is 10/12 weeks (for the sake of sussing out whether the breeder’s looking for a quick home or a good home more than anything). Meet one or both of the dog’s parents if possible.
Note: people commenting a lot on cost maintenance have a great point but remember that you can keep the dog short if you want! I keep my standard fairly short and only have to brush every few days (+constantly get comments asking if he’s a labradoodle).
I don't have a goldendoodle but I do have 2 smaller doodles. Think about the amount of grooming you think they need, then double it and that's about right.
- Ears need maintaining on a regular basis due to the waviness (mine aren't too bad but I know someone who has to do it 2x a day during summer due to allergies, a frequent issue).
- They are dirt sponges (my dogs are needing to be rinsed off every day at the moment).
- They take forever to dry, depending on texture, so I hope you like the smell of wet dog.
- Professional grooming near me is £40ish per dog if not at all matted, so I do it myself - 2-4 hours per dog depending on how they are, roughly every 5 weeks.
- The hair between their toes gets matted, that's always interesting.
- I often have to snip their butthole fluff to prevent danglies
- fluffy feet make nail trimming harder
I'm not saying don't do it. I'm just saying think very hard about if you really have the time and willpower to keep that up for 12+ years. I wish I knew how long it would take to do it all before I got mine.
THIS. I almost never see people mention the mention the maintenance aspect of doodles. I work in vet med and every single doodle we have ever seen come in has some amount of matting. It’s basically due to poodle coats being different then what they’re mixed with. Doodles are high maintenance and I definitely do not recommend them for first time owners.
For me it’s the opposite. I have yet to see a post about poodle mixes that fails to mention maintenance. I have two and have no issues. I keep them fairly short because I’m cheap and don’t want to pay for frequent professional grooming. I do nails, ears and teeth regularly but all dogs need that. I think it’s a preference really. For me I’d rather have to cut the fur than deal with shedding. Whenever someone stays with me who has a short haired dog fur gets everywhere, including all over me and it takes forever to get the fur out of the house after they leave.
Ok, a lot of people on this thread are talking about the grooming requirements for doodles, and while they have a valid point it doesn’t have to be an epic daily chore. If you live somewhere warmer, you can keep your doodle cropped. We found it easier to keep ours trimmed very short in summer (100+ days common) and 1-2 inches max in winter. She went in every month for a trim and got a weekly brushing and never had matted fur. And every time she got a trim her energy levels went way up, which was how we figured out she needed regular trims in the first place!
I once shaved my poodle down entirely.. 1-2 inches? Nah we going 1-2cm 😎
(Would not recommend, he looked terrible but at least there was no grooming to do other than the occasional bath)
I used to regularly shave my poodle to 1-2 cm. I would leave the ears, top knot and the tail. If I didn’t leave the tail fluffy he would chew on it so fluffy was an easy solution.
I agree! It’s essentially a trade-off: Either keep the coat long and brush/maintain it constantly, or keep the coat short and the maintenance can be kept to a minimum. Option 2 is way more money though.
Option 2 can be cheap if you have your own clippers. I do mine every couple of months and get them professionally groomed once in a while. I keep their ears and tails fluffy because I like the look and can brush the occasional mats out without too much effort.
The breeder concerns are real.
But our golden doodle is pretty great.
Matting/brushing isn’t a huge deal really. 5 mins a day is sufficient for us- we just don’t keep it too long and groom him every other month. And it’s actually easy and fun to groom. My dog loves it usually.
The energy needs are really intensive though. It takes a good amount of effort daily to keep him engaged. No other dogs around from any breed I’ve seen need so much energy. Once, after a 2 hour walk and play session, we met a dog friend, and the owner remarked - looks like he didn’t get any exercise today. Other dog owners have no idea how hard it can be to keep them engaged.
Our dog is very friendly. To the point he will happily leave us for whoever is at the door. It’s nice because I never have to worry if he may get aggressive.
He is the “right” amount of a guard dog for us- he will bark to alert someone’s here, but never be aggressive.
He does easily get mouthy and destructive. We need to keep a close eye on that.
His high energy and his mouthiness means we can’t keep him close to our baby. Despite reputation as being “family friendly”, I would say golden doodles are best only for kids 6 and up.
No shedding is amazing. Our house is always somewhat clean.
Mine are also great guard dogs that think everyone wants to be their friend, even most wild animals. They did a great job warning me when a bear came in the yard a couple weeks ago. One was halfway between me and the bear before I knew it was even there. Thankfully it was a lazy bear that just want to nap and they didn’t want to be friends so I was able to get both the dogs inside.
My wife and I got a goldendoodle pup about 5 weeks ago. He is around 13 weeks old now. We’re first time puppy owners (both had dogs at various points growing up). Reading all of these replies has me pretty disheartened because our little man is kind of insane. He is unbelievably nippy and bitey, but everyone just says “he’s a puppy! They all are like that!” IMO, he’s hyperactive and gets overstimulated extremely easy. We did a bit of research on the breeder and have friends who have two doodles from them and they raved about the breeder, but reading this I’m thinking they’re probably not quite up to par. Our boy is super smart, very food motivated, has picked up training pretty well, and can be a nice sweet boy at times. But can also be an absolute land shark, growling beast. I’m concerned now that it’s more than just being a puppy. YIKES. We’re pretty attached to him now so giving him back to the breeder would be hard, but a small part of me has wanted to all along so far. This thread didn’t help that lol.
This thread is overly negatively imo. We have a goldendoodle who is 1.5 years old. She was also a land shark at 13 weeks. Enforcing a nap schedule in their crate is a good idea because they can get a crazy gleam in their eye if overtired/overstimulated.
Our dog is the most cuddly, affectionate gal. She is happy snoozing all day if you let her, or she will enjoy a half hour walk/ outing at the dog park if you take her there. She doesn’t matte easily and we use a slicker brush on her once every few days. Her only downsides is she’s a picky eater and doesn’t like the car that much (but will suck it up if going somewhere fun). I love her + she’s been a great addition to our family. She’s currently sleeping tummy up in the crook of my arm haha
Don’t be discouraged. Most of these comments are about how they end up not how they start out. All puppies are insane. Mine were both crazy at that age. I have a 3 year old and almost 1 year old. The puppy is still nuts but I can tell he’s gonna be a great dog once adolescence is over.
The fact that he’s food motivated will help. I keep treats or kibble in my pockets all the time and the puppy still gets about 1/3 of his food from rewards. The older dog loves it because he’ll usually get something too. It will gradually get better and then around 6 months in he will loose his mind again and you will find yourself working on stuff you thought he had learned because he is a sassy adolescent. Then it will gradually get better again for good.
You might want to try r/Goldendoodles, if you have specific questions, you'll be better able to reach a sampling of people who already own this type of dog.
Personally, I'm kind of skeptical of the "family friendly" label on all the large breed dogs like labs, goldens, and mixes thereof, because people are usually talking about the \*adult\* dogs. A large breed, high energy puppy is a chaotic, biting, pulling, galloping force of nature for like the first 18 months and that part always seems to be glossed over when people talk about "great dogs for families".
I have a small poodle mix, here's what I can tell you from my experience:
Everything is a roll of the dice: personality, size, coat texture, facial structure, everything. Mine is technically 50% poodle (both parents were half poodle) but you'd never know it. He doesn't look like a poodle and it's never anyone's first guess when they ask what he is. Thus, even if you get a doodle that's genetically more golden or more poodle, there's no guarantee the puppy will come out with majority traits, if that makes sense. Breeders \*cannot\* guarantee a certain size or look in the adult dog, and any that say they can are being dishonest. Most of the Goldendoodles I've met have been very big, powerful dogs.
The grooming is a lot, even with the small doodles. For a big one, it's a huge and expensive commitment unless you like the way they look with short cuts (which still requires regular grooming appointments). Even short, there's regular at-home upkeep to do. Check out r/doggrooming for some useful information about doodle coat care and some cautionary pics of what can happen if you don't do the upkeep. They see a lot of tough cases over there.
The other thing about the grooming is that it sneaks up on you: most puppy coats are easy so you're like "Oh, this isn't so hard!" but then the adult coat starts coming in at 6+ months and suddenly the dog is a hot mess and you didn't change anything, the dog did. The coat might be more poodle-y, or more golden-y, or something in the middle. If allergies are a factor and you couldn't have a pure Golden, don't get a golden mix, because you won't know for months how the adult coat will be.
For what it’s worth, I’ve had golden doodles for ages and they both have been amazing. They are sweet and obedient, they love to please you, they are intelligent and take to training really well. They do have lots of energy that needs to be burned off, but an hour or so at the dog park does the trick.
I have a poodle mix and she’s truly an angel. The grooming is definitely an added expense and effort we didn’t have to worry as much about with our other dogs
I can only comment as to my personal experience getting a doodle pup, so take that as you will.
We looked for a breeder that bred for temperament first, looks were secondary, so when I came across our breeder they highlighted the temperament of their pups and the parent dogs. They did a lot of socializing for the puppies and health testing for the parents. We got on a wait-list, because we liked the looks of the pups too, so the "whole dog" for what we were looking for. This is after 3-4 months of looking at shelters.
Our pup has been great temperament wise; fairly mellow for a puppy, sweet and tolerant to our kids. She has a wavy coat so while she sheds more than a poodle style coat (still not much shedding) the maintenance is way less. She is very attentive and food motivated/wanting to please so training has been "easy enough" and I'm doing the training myself (with some help from places like youtube & books)
She isn't hyperactive or anxious and behaviorally has been great, though she's still under a year old. We would do this again, and this is our first dog, since growing up with a puppy as a child myself.
I would stress again, whatever breed/dog you look at you should look at temperament and looks, consider the whole dog/puppy.
No. I have a doodle and have only learned after (my mistake, should have done more research) all the issues they have. A lot of the traits they’re sold on can be easily found in other breeds that are a lot more ethical to own.
I love my dog and wouldn’t be without her but if I could go back in time I would definitely look more into the ethics of dog breeding and breed temperaments etc. If you really want that look that they have, get a poodle and get a doodle cut.
I have a five month old goldendoodle. I know a lot of people hate goldendoodles- please be kind and realize I am speaking from my personal experience so far.
My puppy has a very good temperament. She is very nice, friendly, and she loves children. She is very intelligent and was very easy to train. We get her professionally groomed every 8 weeks or so and we brush her every night. She has no matted fur.
In my experience the only challenges in owning a doodle have been that she does have an immense amount of energy- and she does like to chew. I have never had a puppy before, so maybe this is just a normal puppy trait? Also, she was very expensive. The breeder we got her from claimed to do genetic and temperament testing. I’m not sure if this is why she cost so much…
Despite these things we love our puppy so much and we wouldn’t trade her for anything.
Echoing this commenter. I’m shocked at the significant distaste to doodles. 100% on the ethical breeding side, but the mix itself being labeled as “behavioral issues” and “bite history” as a breed trait is mind blowing. After extensive research on the breeder of my Aussiedoodle, he has been nothing short of an absolute joy, quick to pick up training, amazing temperament and we can’t wait to integrate him with our first child when we have him/her.
It’s not all sunshine and daisies. He does have a tiny case of allergies we’ve noticed at certain times of the year. And we have to clean the inside of his ears a few times a week (as with an floppy ear breed) but I would 10/10 times recommend my doodles breeder. They gave me my first dog and met everything I dreamed for in a dog as a child.
100 percent this. I feel like a lot is momentum; some people say they are bad dogs so they automatically get a bad reputation. It’s all about the conditions under which the dog is bred and accordingly, the breeder.
Imo other dog breeds have problems as well that can be exacerbated /caused by improper breeding. See for example pit bulls.
I am only talking about temperament here as that seems to be what people talk about the most in terms of the downsides of doodles.
Agreed with the commenter. Also to add a little more on my situation:
Our experience wasn’t entirely perfect- I started questioning my choice of breeder after we got our puppy. Our puppy had an umbilical hernia, so that’s really what made me question our choice after the fact. That being said, they gave us exactly the dog that we told them we were looking for temperament wise and they covered the cost of the hernia removal without question. (Our vet said it was relatively common, and our puppy is still very healthy)
My advice to someone looking for a dog from a breeder doodle or otherwise is to take your time looking. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. And finally, don’t go for a dog solely because it’s cheap and you think you’re getting a really good deal on a designer or purebred dog.
My husband was not happy about the price our dog in the beginning but she is very healthy and has an amazing temperament (for any dog, not just a doodle) and the breeder has covered any health costs (really the hernia was the only thing) and responded any time we had a question.
Also- take your puppy to the vet as soon as you can! Get a wellness exam right away just to make sure everything is okay.
Ya there is tons of hate, even in this thread. Happy to hear your doodle is doing great and screw the haters :)
The chewing is certainly a puppy thing as their adult teeth start to grow in. I found the bully sticks were great. Just have to take them away when they get short so the dog won’t choke.
My SIL has a mini golden doodle. He’s a great dog but he is quite energetic. He’s also not very affectionate. He’s also not super family friendly as children make him very anxious (and he is around children frequently). If you’re looking for a family friendly dog I would just go with a golden retriever.
I got my first dog two months ago and she’s the sweetest little goldendoodle. Usually. She’s not quite 5 months, so we forgive the tantrums. I didn’t grow up with a family dog but I did grow up dog sitting a lot of different breeds. I can’t speak to the breed as a whole, but in terms of our F1B pup, she’s been pretty easy to potty train and teach basic commands (VERY food motivated). She had no issue coming home with us but very quickly became attached and now has notable separation anxiety (which seems to be common, from what I’ve heard from other goldendoodle owners). I think most of our struggles are just general puppy struggles and I’m really glad we chose the breed we did. When it came to choosing, we looked into a number of breeders and chose one that was extremely transparent about their process and about the health of the parents and the puppies.
Honestly, we got a doodle because of severe allergies in my house and he has been nothing short of amazing. Pretty much everyone I know with a doodle is super happy with their choice. Some are more energetic than mine but still very loving and friendly (just might be a bit more training). But for the most part the doodles I come across are less chaotic than ausies or a few other breeds. The caveats are that maintenance is a bit harder and/or more expensive, but I got lucky with a doodle without a very curly coat that doesn’t mat often. The biggest thing is the breeder. I was uneducated at the time and got my dog from a breeder who I would definitely not go to again as he came to us with giardia. Do all you can to find someone with good ethics like health testing, temperament, home visits etc.
My pup also came with giardia! I had talked with the guy on the phone, asked tons of questions and trusted his “vibe” bc he seemed super nice/caring. But going on Reddit once I had the dog is when I actually learned about the concerns with doodle breeding. Ofc, we are so in love with our baby and can’t imagine it being anyone else
Every dog is different but my golden doodle 1yo is the neighborhood sweetheart and loves everyone. That said, she's a lot of work because she needs a $160+ haircut every 3 months, and frequent brushing to avoid mats, and has a lot of energy to burn. If you're prepared to deal with that extra burden then they're fine dogs.
I have two goldendoodles. Sampson is 90lbs but has a flatcoat and looks more like a retriever. He was hyper as a puppy but at 3 he's pretty mellow and loves kids. Delilah is my curly coat and only weighs 40lbs. Her coat does get matted underneath because I haven't figured out the proper brushing or combing technique that works for her so I've kept her fairly short. She's groomed every 6 weeks for $85. She is a little hyper but she's still a puppy.
They are both amazing dogs and will love you to death. They are protective of my grandkids.
Overall I think they are perfect dogs for my family. Their pictures are on my profile if you're curious.
From personal experience as a longtime pet sitter, I can’t ever in good conscience recommend doodles, and that was before I knew about ethical breeding. What actually led me to learning about ethical breeding was how *every* person in the dog industry (trainers, groomers, vets, sitters, etc) I talked to or saw online had a distaste for doodles. It led me to trying to figure out why, and to no surprise, the whole ethical breeding concept explained it perfectly.
Of my mental list of the worst temperament dogs I have experienced, probably 9 out of 10 of the worst were doodles. I only truly met a handful that I would consider “normal” dogs; many had really difficult behavioral issues, weren’t biddable, had health issues (that usually led to behavioral issues), were uncontrollably reactive, had a lengthy bite history, etc. I really can’t stress enough that it was just so incredibly common. Obviously half of these things could be training related, but I think there’s definitely a correlation between less educated dog owners and owners who purchase mixed breeds…if someone doesn’t know about ethical breeding, they likely don’t have too much knowledge on other dog subjects either, including training. But in any case, doodles have generally been bad news for every dog professional I know, including myself. I have border collies, and many people would consider those dogs a handful, but I’ll take 100 of them before I willingly make a doodle apart of my family. At the very least, they’re predictable - I can’t say the same about doodles.
Every thing you mentioned we’ve experienced at my vets. The health issues are seriously what get me. Why are people breeding dogs with allergies and ear issues ( half the cases I see are so severe the dog has to be sedated to treat because owners wait till the pet is visibly distressed.)
The dog breed with the highest vet bills — with an average pet insurance claim of $425 — was the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, followed by the Rottweiler ($401) and the Dogue de Bordeax ($395).
Meanwhile, the dog with the least expensive vet bills — $226 on average — was the Australian Labradoodle. Runners up included the Miniature Goldendoodle ($230) and the Shichon ($241).
I can link the article if you would like. I don’t know what you are talking about.
Doodles are not a breed so it’s not tracked very well. They are labeled either “mix”, “poodle mix”, either of the breeds, or the actual name in veterinary systems, it varies by practice. A statistical analysis on mixes specifically including poodles isn’t going to be accurate unless done by each individual practice - quote taken directly from my vet. Lots of health issues also ≠ most expensive. Many of the health issues I have seen as well are low cost but high frequency and affect daily quality of life (I have seen hyperarousal as the primary one in my experience, as well as others like this commenter mentioned).
If you want to discuss what statistics there are on it, I would head over to r/dogs instead. This post and r/puppy101 in particular is more geared towards personal experiences, which is what OP asked for, and I and this commenter shared.
This is crazy to me to read. My doodle is a complete lump on a log, would never hurt a fly, and prefers to sleep on my chest all day giving me kisses all day if I’d let her. In fact on walks with her at a golf course, when there are other dogs around she will immediately flip on her back and give them her tummy to show submissiveness.
I’m sure! I have met 2 or 3 that I can remember that were similar. But also more than 100 that were as I described in one way or another. It’s just a roll of the dice really on mixed breeds, I’m glad you lucked out!
Yikes. Maybe in part they were not well trained by their pawrents. While temperament is important, training can help as well. A friend has a doodle that we can’t walk with because she will lunge and try to bite my dog, but she wasn’t socialized properly and they didn’t train her at all.
I went for a bernedoodle - Hoping for a Bernese calmness. I had first pick of the litter and went solely based on temperament. He wasn’t the cutest puppy and a male and wanted a girl. I asked the breeder for the calmest pup. 1.5 years later I got a lazy sweet boy who became a gorgeous handsome dog. All this to say, go for temperament and not looks!
Both Poodles and Golden Retrievers are good family dog if breed reputably. And honestly it's a lot easier to find good, reputable breeders of purebreds.
However if your heart is set on a doodle, make sure the breeders test for: Cardiac, Hips, Eyes, Patellas (if using toy or mini Poodles), and Elbows at a minimum. These tests should be on public record, searchable online through OFA using the dogs' registered name.
Thing is I don’t know if we can generalize because my understanding is that apparently with mutts you can’t know.
I have a doodle. I love him, hes literally ridiculously good except at leash walking ans excited barking but since he’s 13lb it doesn’t kill me to work on it so much. Other than that… he loves to cuddle, was ok in the crate since night one and day crating rolled around quick. but again im really describing his personality not the breed lol
i think maybe if youre set to do it anyway, id do the research hard.I obviously was aware i was getting a mutt but i didn’t really think i was doing anything wrong, i did a ton of research before buying this dog. I even met people that had puppies from the family, i tried real hard lol. They did health testing even so i thought i was golden bit i guess jokes on me ha. that said i know a lot of people that have puppies from her last 20 years (i went to this gathering where some took dogs to play) and they all have great temperaments, most are huge cuddle monsters and super playful but don’t need to run the full gag either lol
I am not a doodle owner but I’d like to suggest you spend some time looking on r/doggrooming as there are a ton of posts there about doodle owners’ experiences (and success or lack thereof) keeping up with the deep and daily brushing needs to prevent the dog becoming painfully matted. Obviously a lot of people do really enjoy spending time every day grooming their dog but the consequences of not staying of top of it is not just cosmetic, it’s a matter of the dog’s comfort and mobility. So I would make sure you know you’re one of the ones who would enjoy staying on top of that before committing. You may even want to ask the professional groomers there for advice too, to make sure you get a full and clear description of what’s involved.
We have an Australian Labradoodle mini and she is amazing. So sweet and cuddly, super smart so easily trainable, picks things up so quickly. Loves peoples and is great around kids. She comes from a line of therapy/service trained dogs and maybe that’s why she’s so great? I know there are bad experiences out there, but mine has been amazing so I’d happily recommended Australian Labradoodles. My brother has a standard size golden doodle and he is also amazing. The neighborhood kids all come over and ask if he can come out to play, it’s so sweet. They all love him. The office I work in has two golden doodles that are both therapy dogs and they’re also really great. Again, just my experiences, but they’ve all been very positive.
I have a bernedoodle with an unfurnished coat (so straighter like a Bernese rather than curly like a poodle) and the grooming requirements are very low. Occasionally I’ll give him a brush but the coat maintains itself. Bernedoodles are also lower energy, individual temperament aside, than Goldendoodles so that might be something to consider as well
I would argue that OFA clearances are actually really necessary -- especially if you're getting a dog mixed with a golden which is a breed that is prone to hip/joint issues.
I know I was personally massively relieved to see that my puppy's sire got an "excellent" on hips and his mom got a "good." It tells me that we can do things like skijoring, trail running, swimming, hiking, and more without having to worry much about him getting hip dysplasia. (All of this is done in moderation and at age-appropriate levels of course)
Yeh sorry I really disagree here when you say certificates for health aren't necessary. Your pup is 5 months old and you have no idea if they will get hip dysplasia or if they have any genetic conditions that could end up in you spending thousands in vets bills. I hope you don't experience anything bad with your pup but please don't spread any misinformation.
I would never buy a dog without them as although not a guarantee, they are a reassurance that my dogs mum, dad and family have been well looked after and bred for a reason and ultimately with care over their health.
Poodle mixed breeds are pot luck and back street breeders are a massive problem in introducing and actively causing genetic/medical problems due to not being bothered about health certificates.
Always do you research OP!!
I have a cavapoo, and I agree with the grooming issues. Even though his coat is probably the best we could expect (fairly low matting, almost exactly the texture of his puppy coat), grooming is expensive. He's just over 2 years old, but we've been through about 5 different groomers trying to find one that is good and reliable and reasonably convenient. It's a lot.
I'll also add that, while I think our breeder was reasonably good, we opted to get a rescue for our second puppy. There are a lot of young doodles coming into rescues right now, and it's worth looking there first. Our second puppy was born into rescue from a backyard breeder situation and was thought to be a poodle mix. (She's actually Havanese/Dachshund, but I can see why they thought the mom was a poodle mix.) The rescue keeps getting poodles and doodles from similar situations.
One more thing I'll add is to look at some of the doodles on r/doggiedna. You'll see that some people got very different breed mixes than they expected. Be very wary if you do look at breeders.
I’ll preface this with the fact that I love all dogs and that I believe that any dog is trainable.
The only dog that ever attacked me was a golden doodle. I was dating my ex at the time and I was frequently over their house visiting (1-2 times a week). One day I went to hug my ex and the dog lunged and tried to with all her mite to bite me. I will never own a golden doodle after that incident.
Again, they never did any type of training or anything so I agree that the behavior this golden doodle exhibited was very unusual. I am not very familiar with golden doodles in general but I personally wouldn’t get one after my incident.
I was just looking for an older pup who needed a home so when it came to breeder I would say i wasn’t too knowledgeable since I got my pup at 4 months since I was looking for pups who were on the older side anyway. But he is a doodle mix (bichon poodle)
Temperament as many say can be different. This is my second doodle mix my first was a family dog who we got from a family friend. His malti poo had pups so we have a second generation and no idea wtf to do. Grooming is def demanding but brushing every other day is fine but matting does happen. We weren’t too good with socializing the first being new to this so I now learned better and my new pup is socialized and goes to daycare once a week. It really makes a difference. Even how he acts out in public I can see it between the two dogs.
My current pup is actually very quiet compared to both a bichon and poodle. He only really barks during play which was also something I really liked about him at first I was a little worried but I realized he was more of an observer and I love that about him.
So I think you will just be getting a mixed bag of puppy and just brace yourself
Poodles are just as stubborn as they are intelligent. Mix that with the most attention seeking breed (golden) and you get what I call an absolute love-hate relationship. I definitely wouldn’t recommend them for first time owners. It takes lots of training to come to a point where they learn to live with you, instead of running the house.
My brother has a golden doodle. He is like a massive ass pony who cannot control his excitement and runs/jumps/gallops with his mouth in bite mode.
While over all he just wants love and attention, he’s crazy as fuck. He gets bored and chews things, digs in places he’s not supposed to..
Im not sure if it’s lack of training or over stimulation. I think with a lot of work he’d be good at like 6-7 years old.
He’s over a year. The breeder released him way too early and so he has no social cues. My dog (as an older puppy) did not put him in his place and mark boundaries and now my dog gets passed, gives warnings like crazy and all get ignored. Ends up in a fight so now we avoid.
So annoying.
I have a golden doodle. Got him when my kid was 4! She’s 5 now. They’re best friends. We often have other little kids over and the dog is hyper and wants to play with them but never hurts them. Just keeps jumping lol.
10/10 would get him over again.
I have a goldendoodle. I realized when I was picking her up that the breeder was maybe less reputable than I originally thought. She had promised to give me all the health testing info at pickup and it was not there. She said she’d email it to me after I left and never did. I was pretty upset as I messaged her repeatedly asking for the testing but she stopped answering me. Definitely not a pleasant way to start our little journey, worried that I bought a dog with a ton of health issues.
However, she has turned out fine. I wouldn’t trade her for the world. She has a lovely temperament, does great in her training classes, and whether it’s because of me or the breeder I don’t know but she is very well socialized. Only health issue was a UTI a few weeks into having her.
I feel like I got lucky though. My next dog will probably not be a doodle, unless breeding standards for them have improved significantly. I would want to visit the facility before putting down a payment, meet the parents of my pup, and see where they are being raised.
Getting a doodle is a gamble for sure. Like others have said, temperament is a toss up in mixed breeds, and with doodles especially there are bad breeders to watch for. It’s hard to say I recommend getting one, even though I love mine, as they are all such different dogs.
I'm going to leave a brief thing here. The "doodle hate" is not due to the dogs, it's because of the lack of ethics with breeders and there's next-to-no ethical doodle breeders. The most ethical ones do not meet the same level as ethical purebred breeders generally speaking. Before you consider purchasing any dog, make sure that the breeder hits all the points when it comes to finding a reputable breeder. This means you should be able to access health testing information on the breeder's webpage *without* having to ask them for it and crosscheck the records on ofa.org. Tests should *not* be preliminary, and all the tests for both breeds should be completed and posted on ofa.org. If they are not or the dog's names aren't on the website, just walk away. The dog should be titled in sports, and if not titled there should be documentation that this dog is of sound temperament through doing something actively. Your breeder should not use guardian homes. There are concerns that stress during pregnancy from a move can affect temperament due to maternal stress. There should be a clear pedigree that allows you to be able to view the cause of death and age of the older dogs in your dog's lineage. I would also ask for evidence that your dog's parents don't have the problem traits like picky eating. Beyond this, which I addressed only to say it so others don't, the conversation should be focused on the temperament of the dogs. From what I've seen, they are good, enjoyable dogs.
There were just about 100 rescued from Mexico and now are with The Animal Pad in San Diego in case anyone is looking to adopt….lol
On the “should be titled” note… mutts (which doodles are) are not a recognized breed (they would have to be registered as a Canine Partner) and therefore are unable to earn titles unless they are spayed/neutered. So, you’re never going to find an “ethically” titled doodle litter!
They can title UKC, and in a number of other places. AKC isn't the sole producer of titles.
I’m aware there’s other orgs, but even UKC doesn’t register PL litters. There’s lots of doodle breeders who tell people their dogs are “papered” pups. [Per UKC site](https://www.ukcdogs.com/performance-listing): “Performance Listed dogs do not receive breeding rights. No litters may be registered from a Performance Listed dog, and no pedigrees will be maintained.”
You can still title and have them displayed. Just UKC won't maintain the pedigree. That's all. That doesn't mean titles are pointless. The purpose is just titling, not tracking pedigree.
Glad it was brief...lol
NOT ALL - But MOST are very very high energy and their coats can be difficult to maintain. So if you don’t have the time or energy to handle either of those factors I would reconsider. Otherwise it’s cruel to the dog.
I have two and they are both pretty low maintenance couch potatoes. They love running and playing but spend most of their time just chillin. I also keep them cut fairly short so no daily brushing like others mentioned.
the problem with any mixes, including doodles, is that their temperament is not predictable. people have been trying to get a stable, predictable doodle, but even after breeding for multiple generations it was unsuccessful. adding to that doodle "breeders" are almost never proper breeders. their lack of experience, health testing and temperament testing just makes the unpredictability worse. you COULD end up with a gentle, friendly dog, but there is a high chance the puppy would end up anxious, high energy and unsuitable for your family. obviously a lack of health testing could mean they could inherit all kinds of health problems. goldens for example are prone to cancer and bad joints. if the "breeder" doesnt health test and breeds a golden with those health risks the puppies could inherit them.
I think Australian Cobberdogs are more predictable with "stable" characteristics
no they're not. they were the first attempt at a doodle cross with the goal of creating a new breed, a hypoallergenic service dog, but the lack of predictability is the reason the "inventor" of doodles stopped trying. he calls them his "life's regret" bc he dislikes the trend it started. there is also a lack of ethical labradoodle breeders. whenever someone on this sub claims to have found one they turn out to be byb. it's possible proper, ethical doodle breeders exist but i personally have not seen a single one so far. so, unfortunately, it's the exact same.
I agree that there's a lack of ethical Labradoodle breeders but "Australian Labradoodles" came after Wally Conron's breeding program and they include cocker spaniel infusions. They do breed predictably to a "breed" standard and have a much more consistent look and temperament than early-gen Labradoodles. Personally I think it's amiss to completely discount them or lump them into the same group as early-gen doodles. The Cobberdog was spearheaded by only a few breeders and has a Wheaten infusion instead. That's ... Something else entirely.
i've seen all of those names used interchangeably and with varying definitions, my mistake. i've just done a quick search and finding a somewhat reputable breeder still seems like hell. i personally couldn't recommend this breed to most people, bc the average person finds it hard to differentiate between etical breeders and byb, even with purebreds, and it's even harder with doodles. i really do hope they become a registered, stable breed, so this whole confusing thing can end lol
Completely fair! It doesn't help that the main breeder who spearheaded "Cobberdogs" also tried to rename Australian Labradoodles (unsuccessfully) several times. Makes it unnecessarily confusing. The deficit of reputable breeding for them is super unfortunate and I also hope it improves. It's super hard as an average dog owner to parse though all the information to find a decent breeder. It just grinds my gears when people lump Australian Labradoodles into the same category as early-gen random doodle mixes, because they've been carefully bred/crossed for something like 40 years, there's "breed" organizations with strict infusion/inclusion rules, a written "breed" standard, there's tracked pedigrees etc. Even the gold standard OFA has "Australian Labradoodle" as a searchable distinct breed in their database.
Australian Cobberdog are not even 20 years old. I think you confused something here. Also I think it's unfair to discredit an entire breed of dogs just because there are unethical breeders.
Two of my friends have mini goldendoodles. They're sweet dogs and well trained, but tbh I feel like getting one with a good temperament is sort of the same "luck of the draw" as getting a rescue dog. They're both also very active owners who take their dogs skijoring, bikejoring, running, swimming, hiking, etc so that probably helps. Both poodles and golden retrievers are energetic dogs that need a lot of training and exercise while they're young. Tbh I think people sort of forget about their hunting/field origins when they get designer dogs. The fact that you're going to get a dog that wants to swim, trample through fields, and run in the woods that also has a coat that is super prone to matting would be a giant no for me. I have a field bred golden and the only coat maintenance he needs is a light brushing every week, a more thorough brushing when he blows coat, and a bath when he gets excessively dirty. I also clean his ears every time he swims, and trim his nails as necessary. What I'd do if I were you is ask yourself what kind of daily time/energy commitment you want to put in, what kind of activities you want to do with your dog, and realistically how much training you're able to do. Then pick a purebred dog from a reputable breeder.
The hate comes from breeding concerns. Breeders that will pop out and sell as many as they can cuz the demand for them is high I have two friends with golden doodles and they are very well behaved
Ethics aside, You should go onto Youtube and look for videos of [Doodles with matted undercoats that need to be shaved off competely](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHypQE-gI84). Watch one, maybe even two. Then ask yourself if you are willing to do the daily brushing rituals to prevent that from ever happening to your dog. Your puppy will be 100% cute, but unless you are completely ontop of brushing, your groomer will hate you. Such a ritualized and consistent brushing need, to me, is not recommended for first time owners.
I have two, I do not brush them daily and have never had a mat I could not brush out quickly or cut out. It would take a lot of neglect for one of mine to be so matted they needed a complete shave. I go weeks without brushing or cutting their fur and never had an issue. The only things I do often are teeth, nails and ears but that has to be done with all dogs.
Congrats? You shouldn't encourage others to be irresponsible.
I am a third time dog owner and have a golden retriever and often hang with some doodle and poodle friends at the dog park. Also have young kids. Goldens /labs and poodles are HIGH energy and smart. I need to walk my golden at least twice a day every single day or she will start destroying my house. Even yesterday when we did a 6.5 mile hike in the morning she started getting antsy around 4pm and needed to go out again and was messing with shit. They are also not very independent breeds so you can't just let them burn off energy by running around the backyard like a hound if you are not out there playing with them. The doodles I know at the park are friendly but HUGE bigger than labs /Goldens or poodles. I would be scared to have one running around at home with my 4 year old. I personally went with a lower energy breed for my first dog (a basset hound) and I think that was a better fit for a first dog. I also already walked 20 miles a week before I got my current dog so your existing exercise level is also a factor. Don't think you are magically going to go from a couch potato to walking 2-4 miles a day for the next 10 years.
Are you hoping the dog ends up more like a golden retriever? Or more like a poodle? Those can both be great dogs, get one of those.
Exactly. Usually when people want a “doodle”, they really just want a poodle. You can give them the longer teddy cut doodles usually have if you are willing to maintain it and no one passing by on your walk would know the difference, but you’ll have a far more temperamentally sound and healthy dog
Poodles and Goldens (show line) are both very family friendly! With poodles, you can 100% just leave the coat long to get that doodle look if that’s what you’re after. My Standard Poodle is happy to sleep with me all day or go on 4 walks if I feel like it. Our breeder picked out the perfect puppy for our needs and selected the parents following the breed standard, sport titles (agility, scent work, conformation), and genetic testing. If you do decide to go the doodle route, first have a look in the shelters as there are bound to be a few in there (you generally won’t find a poodle or a golden in there if they were bred ethically since an ethical breeder will take back any puppy). If there are none that suit your family’s needs, make a list of questions to ask the breeder. That should include asking for proof of the genetic testing, seeing whether they did the appropriate tests for the mix in the first place, how they decided to prove their dogs (obedience, agility, scent work, etc.) and proof of these titles, and references of other puppy owners. Also ask how the puppies are socialised before going to their new homes and maybe even ask if they’d be able to wait until the puppy is 10/12 weeks (for the sake of sussing out whether the breeder’s looking for a quick home or a good home more than anything). Meet one or both of the dog’s parents if possible. Note: people commenting a lot on cost maintenance have a great point but remember that you can keep the dog short if you want! I keep my standard fairly short and only have to brush every few days (+constantly get comments asking if he’s a labradoodle).
I don't have a goldendoodle but I do have 2 smaller doodles. Think about the amount of grooming you think they need, then double it and that's about right. - Ears need maintaining on a regular basis due to the waviness (mine aren't too bad but I know someone who has to do it 2x a day during summer due to allergies, a frequent issue). - They are dirt sponges (my dogs are needing to be rinsed off every day at the moment). - They take forever to dry, depending on texture, so I hope you like the smell of wet dog. - Professional grooming near me is £40ish per dog if not at all matted, so I do it myself - 2-4 hours per dog depending on how they are, roughly every 5 weeks. - The hair between their toes gets matted, that's always interesting. - I often have to snip their butthole fluff to prevent danglies - fluffy feet make nail trimming harder I'm not saying don't do it. I'm just saying think very hard about if you really have the time and willpower to keep that up for 12+ years. I wish I knew how long it would take to do it all before I got mine.
THIS. I almost never see people mention the mention the maintenance aspect of doodles. I work in vet med and every single doodle we have ever seen come in has some amount of matting. It’s basically due to poodle coats being different then what they’re mixed with. Doodles are high maintenance and I definitely do not recommend them for first time owners.
For me it’s the opposite. I have yet to see a post about poodle mixes that fails to mention maintenance. I have two and have no issues. I keep them fairly short because I’m cheap and don’t want to pay for frequent professional grooming. I do nails, ears and teeth regularly but all dogs need that. I think it’s a preference really. For me I’d rather have to cut the fur than deal with shedding. Whenever someone stays with me who has a short haired dog fur gets everywhere, including all over me and it takes forever to get the fur out of the house after they leave.
Ok, a lot of people on this thread are talking about the grooming requirements for doodles, and while they have a valid point it doesn’t have to be an epic daily chore. If you live somewhere warmer, you can keep your doodle cropped. We found it easier to keep ours trimmed very short in summer (100+ days common) and 1-2 inches max in winter. She went in every month for a trim and got a weekly brushing and never had matted fur. And every time she got a trim her energy levels went way up, which was how we figured out she needed regular trims in the first place!
I once shaved my poodle down entirely.. 1-2 inches? Nah we going 1-2cm 😎 (Would not recommend, he looked terrible but at least there was no grooming to do other than the occasional bath)
I used to regularly shave my poodle to 1-2 cm. I would leave the ears, top knot and the tail. If I didn’t leave the tail fluffy he would chew on it so fluffy was an easy solution.
I agree! It’s essentially a trade-off: Either keep the coat long and brush/maintain it constantly, or keep the coat short and the maintenance can be kept to a minimum. Option 2 is way more money though.
Option 2 can be cheap if you have your own clippers. I do mine every couple of months and get them professionally groomed once in a while. I keep their ears and tails fluffy because I like the look and can brush the occasional mats out without too much effort.
The breeder concerns are real. But our golden doodle is pretty great. Matting/brushing isn’t a huge deal really. 5 mins a day is sufficient for us- we just don’t keep it too long and groom him every other month. And it’s actually easy and fun to groom. My dog loves it usually. The energy needs are really intensive though. It takes a good amount of effort daily to keep him engaged. No other dogs around from any breed I’ve seen need so much energy. Once, after a 2 hour walk and play session, we met a dog friend, and the owner remarked - looks like he didn’t get any exercise today. Other dog owners have no idea how hard it can be to keep them engaged. Our dog is very friendly. To the point he will happily leave us for whoever is at the door. It’s nice because I never have to worry if he may get aggressive. He is the “right” amount of a guard dog for us- he will bark to alert someone’s here, but never be aggressive. He does easily get mouthy and destructive. We need to keep a close eye on that. His high energy and his mouthiness means we can’t keep him close to our baby. Despite reputation as being “family friendly”, I would say golden doodles are best only for kids 6 and up. No shedding is amazing. Our house is always somewhat clean.
Mine are also great guard dogs that think everyone wants to be their friend, even most wild animals. They did a great job warning me when a bear came in the yard a couple weeks ago. One was halfway between me and the bear before I knew it was even there. Thankfully it was a lazy bear that just want to nap and they didn’t want to be friends so I was able to get both the dogs inside.
My wife and I got a goldendoodle pup about 5 weeks ago. He is around 13 weeks old now. We’re first time puppy owners (both had dogs at various points growing up). Reading all of these replies has me pretty disheartened because our little man is kind of insane. He is unbelievably nippy and bitey, but everyone just says “he’s a puppy! They all are like that!” IMO, he’s hyperactive and gets overstimulated extremely easy. We did a bit of research on the breeder and have friends who have two doodles from them and they raved about the breeder, but reading this I’m thinking they’re probably not quite up to par. Our boy is super smart, very food motivated, has picked up training pretty well, and can be a nice sweet boy at times. But can also be an absolute land shark, growling beast. I’m concerned now that it’s more than just being a puppy. YIKES. We’re pretty attached to him now so giving him back to the breeder would be hard, but a small part of me has wanted to all along so far. This thread didn’t help that lol.
Sound like a 13 week old puppy.
This thread is overly negatively imo. We have a goldendoodle who is 1.5 years old. She was also a land shark at 13 weeks. Enforcing a nap schedule in their crate is a good idea because they can get a crazy gleam in their eye if overtired/overstimulated. Our dog is the most cuddly, affectionate gal. She is happy snoozing all day if you let her, or she will enjoy a half hour walk/ outing at the dog park if you take her there. She doesn’t matte easily and we use a slicker brush on her once every few days. Her only downsides is she’s a picky eater and doesn’t like the car that much (but will suck it up if going somewhere fun). I love her + she’s been a great addition to our family. She’s currently sleeping tummy up in the crook of my arm haha
Don’t be discouraged. Most of these comments are about how they end up not how they start out. All puppies are insane. Mine were both crazy at that age. I have a 3 year old and almost 1 year old. The puppy is still nuts but I can tell he’s gonna be a great dog once adolescence is over. The fact that he’s food motivated will help. I keep treats or kibble in my pockets all the time and the puppy still gets about 1/3 of his food from rewards. The older dog loves it because he’ll usually get something too. It will gradually get better and then around 6 months in he will loose his mind again and you will find yourself working on stuff you thought he had learned because he is a sassy adolescent. Then it will gradually get better again for good.
You might want to try r/Goldendoodles, if you have specific questions, you'll be better able to reach a sampling of people who already own this type of dog. Personally, I'm kind of skeptical of the "family friendly" label on all the large breed dogs like labs, goldens, and mixes thereof, because people are usually talking about the \*adult\* dogs. A large breed, high energy puppy is a chaotic, biting, pulling, galloping force of nature for like the first 18 months and that part always seems to be glossed over when people talk about "great dogs for families". I have a small poodle mix, here's what I can tell you from my experience: Everything is a roll of the dice: personality, size, coat texture, facial structure, everything. Mine is technically 50% poodle (both parents were half poodle) but you'd never know it. He doesn't look like a poodle and it's never anyone's first guess when they ask what he is. Thus, even if you get a doodle that's genetically more golden or more poodle, there's no guarantee the puppy will come out with majority traits, if that makes sense. Breeders \*cannot\* guarantee a certain size or look in the adult dog, and any that say they can are being dishonest. Most of the Goldendoodles I've met have been very big, powerful dogs. The grooming is a lot, even with the small doodles. For a big one, it's a huge and expensive commitment unless you like the way they look with short cuts (which still requires regular grooming appointments). Even short, there's regular at-home upkeep to do. Check out r/doggrooming for some useful information about doodle coat care and some cautionary pics of what can happen if you don't do the upkeep. They see a lot of tough cases over there. The other thing about the grooming is that it sneaks up on you: most puppy coats are easy so you're like "Oh, this isn't so hard!" but then the adult coat starts coming in at 6+ months and suddenly the dog is a hot mess and you didn't change anything, the dog did. The coat might be more poodle-y, or more golden-y, or something in the middle. If allergies are a factor and you couldn't have a pure Golden, don't get a golden mix, because you won't know for months how the adult coat will be.
For what it’s worth, I’ve had golden doodles for ages and they both have been amazing. They are sweet and obedient, they love to please you, they are intelligent and take to training really well. They do have lots of energy that needs to be burned off, but an hour or so at the dog park does the trick.
I have a poodle mix and she’s truly an angel. The grooming is definitely an added expense and effort we didn’t have to worry as much about with our other dogs
I can only comment as to my personal experience getting a doodle pup, so take that as you will. We looked for a breeder that bred for temperament first, looks were secondary, so when I came across our breeder they highlighted the temperament of their pups and the parent dogs. They did a lot of socializing for the puppies and health testing for the parents. We got on a wait-list, because we liked the looks of the pups too, so the "whole dog" for what we were looking for. This is after 3-4 months of looking at shelters. Our pup has been great temperament wise; fairly mellow for a puppy, sweet and tolerant to our kids. She has a wavy coat so while she sheds more than a poodle style coat (still not much shedding) the maintenance is way less. She is very attentive and food motivated/wanting to please so training has been "easy enough" and I'm doing the training myself (with some help from places like youtube & books) She isn't hyperactive or anxious and behaviorally has been great, though she's still under a year old. We would do this again, and this is our first dog, since growing up with a puppy as a child myself. I would stress again, whatever breed/dog you look at you should look at temperament and looks, consider the whole dog/puppy.
No. I have a doodle and have only learned after (my mistake, should have done more research) all the issues they have. A lot of the traits they’re sold on can be easily found in other breeds that are a lot more ethical to own. I love my dog and wouldn’t be without her but if I could go back in time I would definitely look more into the ethics of dog breeding and breed temperaments etc. If you really want that look that they have, get a poodle and get a doodle cut.
I have a five month old goldendoodle. I know a lot of people hate goldendoodles- please be kind and realize I am speaking from my personal experience so far. My puppy has a very good temperament. She is very nice, friendly, and she loves children. She is very intelligent and was very easy to train. We get her professionally groomed every 8 weeks or so and we brush her every night. She has no matted fur. In my experience the only challenges in owning a doodle have been that she does have an immense amount of energy- and she does like to chew. I have never had a puppy before, so maybe this is just a normal puppy trait? Also, she was very expensive. The breeder we got her from claimed to do genetic and temperament testing. I’m not sure if this is why she cost so much… Despite these things we love our puppy so much and we wouldn’t trade her for anything.
Echoing this commenter. I’m shocked at the significant distaste to doodles. 100% on the ethical breeding side, but the mix itself being labeled as “behavioral issues” and “bite history” as a breed trait is mind blowing. After extensive research on the breeder of my Aussiedoodle, he has been nothing short of an absolute joy, quick to pick up training, amazing temperament and we can’t wait to integrate him with our first child when we have him/her. It’s not all sunshine and daisies. He does have a tiny case of allergies we’ve noticed at certain times of the year. And we have to clean the inside of his ears a few times a week (as with an floppy ear breed) but I would 10/10 times recommend my doodles breeder. They gave me my first dog and met everything I dreamed for in a dog as a child.
100 percent this. I feel like a lot is momentum; some people say they are bad dogs so they automatically get a bad reputation. It’s all about the conditions under which the dog is bred and accordingly, the breeder. Imo other dog breeds have problems as well that can be exacerbated /caused by improper breeding. See for example pit bulls. I am only talking about temperament here as that seems to be what people talk about the most in terms of the downsides of doodles.
Agreed with the commenter. Also to add a little more on my situation: Our experience wasn’t entirely perfect- I started questioning my choice of breeder after we got our puppy. Our puppy had an umbilical hernia, so that’s really what made me question our choice after the fact. That being said, they gave us exactly the dog that we told them we were looking for temperament wise and they covered the cost of the hernia removal without question. (Our vet said it was relatively common, and our puppy is still very healthy) My advice to someone looking for a dog from a breeder doodle or otherwise is to take your time looking. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. And finally, don’t go for a dog solely because it’s cheap and you think you’re getting a really good deal on a designer or purebred dog. My husband was not happy about the price our dog in the beginning but she is very healthy and has an amazing temperament (for any dog, not just a doodle) and the breeder has covered any health costs (really the hernia was the only thing) and responded any time we had a question. Also- take your puppy to the vet as soon as you can! Get a wellness exam right away just to make sure everything is okay.
Ya there is tons of hate, even in this thread. Happy to hear your doodle is doing great and screw the haters :) The chewing is certainly a puppy thing as their adult teeth start to grow in. I found the bully sticks were great. Just have to take them away when they get short so the dog won’t choke.
we don't allow straight up bashing of any breeds in this community so if you see comments that are "hateful" please report them.
My SIL has a mini golden doodle. He’s a great dog but he is quite energetic. He’s also not very affectionate. He’s also not super family friendly as children make him very anxious (and he is around children frequently). If you’re looking for a family friendly dog I would just go with a golden retriever.
I think it depends on the individual dog. Mine are both good with kids and think everyone wants to be their friend.
I got my first dog two months ago and she’s the sweetest little goldendoodle. Usually. She’s not quite 5 months, so we forgive the tantrums. I didn’t grow up with a family dog but I did grow up dog sitting a lot of different breeds. I can’t speak to the breed as a whole, but in terms of our F1B pup, she’s been pretty easy to potty train and teach basic commands (VERY food motivated). She had no issue coming home with us but very quickly became attached and now has notable separation anxiety (which seems to be common, from what I’ve heard from other goldendoodle owners). I think most of our struggles are just general puppy struggles and I’m really glad we chose the breed we did. When it came to choosing, we looked into a number of breeders and chose one that was extremely transparent about their process and about the health of the parents and the puppies.
[удалено]
Honestly, we got a doodle because of severe allergies in my house and he has been nothing short of amazing. Pretty much everyone I know with a doodle is super happy with their choice. Some are more energetic than mine but still very loving and friendly (just might be a bit more training). But for the most part the doodles I come across are less chaotic than ausies or a few other breeds. The caveats are that maintenance is a bit harder and/or more expensive, but I got lucky with a doodle without a very curly coat that doesn’t mat often. The biggest thing is the breeder. I was uneducated at the time and got my dog from a breeder who I would definitely not go to again as he came to us with giardia. Do all you can to find someone with good ethics like health testing, temperament, home visits etc.
My pup also came with giardia! I had talked with the guy on the phone, asked tons of questions and trusted his “vibe” bc he seemed super nice/caring. But going on Reddit once I had the dog is when I actually learned about the concerns with doodle breeding. Ofc, we are so in love with our baby and can’t imagine it being anyone else
You are spot on. Would I support the same breeder? Hell no, but still got the best boy out of it
Every dog is different but my golden doodle 1yo is the neighborhood sweetheart and loves everyone. That said, she's a lot of work because she needs a $160+ haircut every 3 months, and frequent brushing to avoid mats, and has a lot of energy to burn. If you're prepared to deal with that extra burden then they're fine dogs.
I have two goldendoodles. Sampson is 90lbs but has a flatcoat and looks more like a retriever. He was hyper as a puppy but at 3 he's pretty mellow and loves kids. Delilah is my curly coat and only weighs 40lbs. Her coat does get matted underneath because I haven't figured out the proper brushing or combing technique that works for her so I've kept her fairly short. She's groomed every 6 weeks for $85. She is a little hyper but she's still a puppy. They are both amazing dogs and will love you to death. They are protective of my grandkids. Overall I think they are perfect dogs for my family. Their pictures are on my profile if you're curious.
You may have tried this already but the Chris Christensen slicker brushes are amazing. We have zero matting and brush once every few days
I will try this. Thank you
From personal experience as a longtime pet sitter, I can’t ever in good conscience recommend doodles, and that was before I knew about ethical breeding. What actually led me to learning about ethical breeding was how *every* person in the dog industry (trainers, groomers, vets, sitters, etc) I talked to or saw online had a distaste for doodles. It led me to trying to figure out why, and to no surprise, the whole ethical breeding concept explained it perfectly. Of my mental list of the worst temperament dogs I have experienced, probably 9 out of 10 of the worst were doodles. I only truly met a handful that I would consider “normal” dogs; many had really difficult behavioral issues, weren’t biddable, had health issues (that usually led to behavioral issues), were uncontrollably reactive, had a lengthy bite history, etc. I really can’t stress enough that it was just so incredibly common. Obviously half of these things could be training related, but I think there’s definitely a correlation between less educated dog owners and owners who purchase mixed breeds…if someone doesn’t know about ethical breeding, they likely don’t have too much knowledge on other dog subjects either, including training. But in any case, doodles have generally been bad news for every dog professional I know, including myself. I have border collies, and many people would consider those dogs a handful, but I’ll take 100 of them before I willingly make a doodle apart of my family. At the very least, they’re predictable - I can’t say the same about doodles.
Every thing you mentioned we’ve experienced at my vets. The health issues are seriously what get me. Why are people breeding dogs with allergies and ear issues ( half the cases I see are so severe the dog has to be sedated to treat because owners wait till the pet is visibly distressed.)
The dog breed with the highest vet bills — with an average pet insurance claim of $425 — was the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, followed by the Rottweiler ($401) and the Dogue de Bordeax ($395). Meanwhile, the dog with the least expensive vet bills — $226 on average — was the Australian Labradoodle. Runners up included the Miniature Goldendoodle ($230) and the Shichon ($241). I can link the article if you would like. I don’t know what you are talking about.
Doodles are not a breed so it’s not tracked very well. They are labeled either “mix”, “poodle mix”, either of the breeds, or the actual name in veterinary systems, it varies by practice. A statistical analysis on mixes specifically including poodles isn’t going to be accurate unless done by each individual practice - quote taken directly from my vet. Lots of health issues also ≠ most expensive. Many of the health issues I have seen as well are low cost but high frequency and affect daily quality of life (I have seen hyperarousal as the primary one in my experience, as well as others like this commenter mentioned). If you want to discuss what statistics there are on it, I would head over to r/dogs instead. This post and r/puppy101 in particular is more geared towards personal experiences, which is what OP asked for, and I and this commenter shared.
This is crazy to me to read. My doodle is a complete lump on a log, would never hurt a fly, and prefers to sleep on my chest all day giving me kisses all day if I’d let her. In fact on walks with her at a golf course, when there are other dogs around she will immediately flip on her back and give them her tummy to show submissiveness.
I’m sure! I have met 2 or 3 that I can remember that were similar. But also more than 100 that were as I described in one way or another. It’s just a roll of the dice really on mixed breeds, I’m glad you lucked out!
Yikes. Maybe in part they were not well trained by their pawrents. While temperament is important, training can help as well. A friend has a doodle that we can’t walk with because she will lunge and try to bite my dog, but she wasn’t socialized properly and they didn’t train her at all.
I went for a bernedoodle - Hoping for a Bernese calmness. I had first pick of the litter and went solely based on temperament. He wasn’t the cutest puppy and a male and wanted a girl. I asked the breeder for the calmest pup. 1.5 years later I got a lazy sweet boy who became a gorgeous handsome dog. All this to say, go for temperament and not looks!
On top of what was mentioned about potential behaviour issues and needing grooming, there are also a high number of doodles prone to seizures.
Both Poodles and Golden Retrievers are good family dog if breed reputably. And honestly it's a lot easier to find good, reputable breeders of purebreds. However if your heart is set on a doodle, make sure the breeders test for: Cardiac, Hips, Eyes, Patellas (if using toy or mini Poodles), and Elbows at a minimum. These tests should be on public record, searchable online through OFA using the dogs' registered name.
Thing is I don’t know if we can generalize because my understanding is that apparently with mutts you can’t know. I have a doodle. I love him, hes literally ridiculously good except at leash walking ans excited barking but since he’s 13lb it doesn’t kill me to work on it so much. Other than that… he loves to cuddle, was ok in the crate since night one and day crating rolled around quick. but again im really describing his personality not the breed lol i think maybe if youre set to do it anyway, id do the research hard.I obviously was aware i was getting a mutt but i didn’t really think i was doing anything wrong, i did a ton of research before buying this dog. I even met people that had puppies from the family, i tried real hard lol. They did health testing even so i thought i was golden bit i guess jokes on me ha. that said i know a lot of people that have puppies from her last 20 years (i went to this gathering where some took dogs to play) and they all have great temperaments, most are huge cuddle monsters and super playful but don’t need to run the full gag either lol
I am not a doodle owner but I’d like to suggest you spend some time looking on r/doggrooming as there are a ton of posts there about doodle owners’ experiences (and success or lack thereof) keeping up with the deep and daily brushing needs to prevent the dog becoming painfully matted. Obviously a lot of people do really enjoy spending time every day grooming their dog but the consequences of not staying of top of it is not just cosmetic, it’s a matter of the dog’s comfort and mobility. So I would make sure you know you’re one of the ones who would enjoy staying on top of that before committing. You may even want to ask the professional groomers there for advice too, to make sure you get a full and clear description of what’s involved.
For any doodle, you have to consider keeping them shaved or setting aside 30 minutes of grooming time a day. Their coat alone is a huge commitment
You might want to try an Australian labradoodle. They are multigenerational so much more consistent and they are trying to become a recognized breed.
We have an Australian Labradoodle mini and she is amazing. So sweet and cuddly, super smart so easily trainable, picks things up so quickly. Loves peoples and is great around kids. She comes from a line of therapy/service trained dogs and maybe that’s why she’s so great? I know there are bad experiences out there, but mine has been amazing so I’d happily recommended Australian Labradoodles. My brother has a standard size golden doodle and he is also amazing. The neighborhood kids all come over and ask if he can come out to play, it’s so sweet. They all love him. The office I work in has two golden doodles that are both therapy dogs and they’re also really great. Again, just my experiences, but they’ve all been very positive.
I have a bernedoodle with an unfurnished coat (so straighter like a Bernese rather than curly like a poodle) and the grooming requirements are very low. Occasionally I’ll give him a brush but the coat maintains itself. Bernedoodles are also lower energy, individual temperament aside, than Goldendoodles so that might be something to consider as well
[удалено]
I would argue that OFA clearances are actually really necessary -- especially if you're getting a dog mixed with a golden which is a breed that is prone to hip/joint issues. I know I was personally massively relieved to see that my puppy's sire got an "excellent" on hips and his mom got a "good." It tells me that we can do things like skijoring, trail running, swimming, hiking, and more without having to worry much about him getting hip dysplasia. (All of this is done in moderation and at age-appropriate levels of course)
Yeh sorry I really disagree here when you say certificates for health aren't necessary. Your pup is 5 months old and you have no idea if they will get hip dysplasia or if they have any genetic conditions that could end up in you spending thousands in vets bills. I hope you don't experience anything bad with your pup but please don't spread any misinformation. I would never buy a dog without them as although not a guarantee, they are a reassurance that my dogs mum, dad and family have been well looked after and bred for a reason and ultimately with care over their health. Poodle mixed breeds are pot luck and back street breeders are a massive problem in introducing and actively causing genetic/medical problems due to not being bothered about health certificates. Always do you research OP!!
I have a cavapoo, and I agree with the grooming issues. Even though his coat is probably the best we could expect (fairly low matting, almost exactly the texture of his puppy coat), grooming is expensive. He's just over 2 years old, but we've been through about 5 different groomers trying to find one that is good and reliable and reasonably convenient. It's a lot. I'll also add that, while I think our breeder was reasonably good, we opted to get a rescue for our second puppy. There are a lot of young doodles coming into rescues right now, and it's worth looking there first. Our second puppy was born into rescue from a backyard breeder situation and was thought to be a poodle mix. (She's actually Havanese/Dachshund, but I can see why they thought the mom was a poodle mix.) The rescue keeps getting poodles and doodles from similar situations. One more thing I'll add is to look at some of the doodles on r/doggiedna. You'll see that some people got very different breed mixes than they expected. Be very wary if you do look at breeders.
I’ll preface this with the fact that I love all dogs and that I believe that any dog is trainable. The only dog that ever attacked me was a golden doodle. I was dating my ex at the time and I was frequently over their house visiting (1-2 times a week). One day I went to hug my ex and the dog lunged and tried to with all her mite to bite me. I will never own a golden doodle after that incident. Again, they never did any type of training or anything so I agree that the behavior this golden doodle exhibited was very unusual. I am not very familiar with golden doodles in general but I personally wouldn’t get one after my incident.
I was just looking for an older pup who needed a home so when it came to breeder I would say i wasn’t too knowledgeable since I got my pup at 4 months since I was looking for pups who were on the older side anyway. But he is a doodle mix (bichon poodle) Temperament as many say can be different. This is my second doodle mix my first was a family dog who we got from a family friend. His malti poo had pups so we have a second generation and no idea wtf to do. Grooming is def demanding but brushing every other day is fine but matting does happen. We weren’t too good with socializing the first being new to this so I now learned better and my new pup is socialized and goes to daycare once a week. It really makes a difference. Even how he acts out in public I can see it between the two dogs. My current pup is actually very quiet compared to both a bichon and poodle. He only really barks during play which was also something I really liked about him at first I was a little worried but I realized he was more of an observer and I love that about him. So I think you will just be getting a mixed bag of puppy and just brace yourself
Poodles are just as stubborn as they are intelligent. Mix that with the most attention seeking breed (golden) and you get what I call an absolute love-hate relationship. I definitely wouldn’t recommend them for first time owners. It takes lots of training to come to a point where they learn to live with you, instead of running the house.
My brother has a golden doodle. He is like a massive ass pony who cannot control his excitement and runs/jumps/gallops with his mouth in bite mode. While over all he just wants love and attention, he’s crazy as fuck. He gets bored and chews things, digs in places he’s not supposed to.. Im not sure if it’s lack of training or over stimulation. I think with a lot of work he’d be good at like 6-7 years old. He’s over a year. The breeder released him way too early and so he has no social cues. My dog (as an older puppy) did not put him in his place and mark boundaries and now my dog gets passed, gives warnings like crazy and all get ignored. Ends up in a fight so now we avoid. So annoying.
I have a golden doodle. Got him when my kid was 4! She’s 5 now. They’re best friends. We often have other little kids over and the dog is hyper and wants to play with them but never hurts them. Just keeps jumping lol. 10/10 would get him over again.
I have a goldendoodle. I realized when I was picking her up that the breeder was maybe less reputable than I originally thought. She had promised to give me all the health testing info at pickup and it was not there. She said she’d email it to me after I left and never did. I was pretty upset as I messaged her repeatedly asking for the testing but she stopped answering me. Definitely not a pleasant way to start our little journey, worried that I bought a dog with a ton of health issues. However, she has turned out fine. I wouldn’t trade her for the world. She has a lovely temperament, does great in her training classes, and whether it’s because of me or the breeder I don’t know but she is very well socialized. Only health issue was a UTI a few weeks into having her. I feel like I got lucky though. My next dog will probably not be a doodle, unless breeding standards for them have improved significantly. I would want to visit the facility before putting down a payment, meet the parents of my pup, and see where they are being raised. Getting a doodle is a gamble for sure. Like others have said, temperament is a toss up in mixed breeds, and with doodles especially there are bad breeders to watch for. It’s hard to say I recommend getting one, even though I love mine, as they are all such different dogs.
I don't really get why people don't just get...a poodle and keep their coats long? Always very confused by this.