<p>No one is “dictating.” Sheesh. People can do what they want, which for many includes filling the coffers of people who pump out puppies without regard for the fact that many of them will be executed in a kill shelter. It’s a choice. FWIW, the definition I gave is pretty widely accepted amongst dog lovers. In fact, many of them would be even stricter.</p>
<p>Regarding the bulldogs, they are probably tested for things like hip dysplasia. The fact that their basic structure is impractical and they can’t breathe well is another matter. I know a number of people here are devoted Cavalier owners. That breed had a problem with skulls too small to accommodate a growing brain. Luckily for me, I’m attracted to more natural, utilitarian kinds of dogs.</p>
<p>H and I have had two purebreds and one purebred rescue from puppy mill origins. She’s my avatar. Our first golden came from what I would call a responsible breeder. (They also ran the breed rescue in our state.) He really was a perfect dog in every way: beautiful, intelligent, wonderful temperament. Unfortunately, he died of cancer, which plagues goldens. Our puppy mill golden, whose breeding was unknown to me but probably pretty random, also died of cancer. She had a lot of issues, due to her horrible start in life, but she was a sweetheart and I miss her more than I can say. She died on New Year’s Eve, just under 2 months ago.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses. We are looking for a low shedding dog. We originally were hoping for another breed but after some research we came to the conclusion the temperament might be too demanding for what we are looking for at this time. Low shedding or non shedding is necessary due to allergies. We are not rushing into it and if we could have any dog the shelter near us has the cutest puppies now. I would love to be able to get one but allergies would definitely not allow that.</p>
<p>We had a wonderful schnoodle - schnauzer/poodle mix - no shedding whatsoever - great with my allergies. He was a rescue - and we fostered him for 2 weeks before finalizing adoption to make sure I did not have an allergic option. I very much suggest going this route.</p>
<p>Our golden doodle doesn’t shed at all really. A friend has the one which is a golden doodle mixed with a golden, and it looks like a small golden and sheds like crazy. I don’t know if it’s possible to predict the shedding aspect or not with the doodles.</p>
<p>Our doodle is very very very cute, even with the weird face, which is why I think a lot of people like them.</p>
<p>Ours looks like this (is only about 30 lbs. because the poodle father was a mini):</p>
<p>I’m sympathetic to people who want to adopt rescues but can’t, because of allergies. I’d like nothing better than to adopt a couple of rescue kittens, but Mr. Fang is allergic, so if we get a cat it’ll have to be an expensive purebred. </p>
<p>I have a Cockerpoo. Looks like this.
<a href=“http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Cockerpoo.jpg”>http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Cockerpoo.jpg</a>
I bought her from a “breeder”. I love her to pieces and she is a very agreeable and lovable animal. If I had it to do over, though, I would go the rescue route. I would love to adopt a rescue for my next pet and have heard that you can sometimes get a Cockerpoo or Golden Doodle through a Poodle rescue. I have a question though. I have been told that rescue organizations won’t let you adopt a dog if you don’t meet certain criteria. For instance, I live on a main road and work during the day. Would those issues exclude me from rescuing a pup? </p>
<p>stressed2x, my brother’s wife has allergies, they just have a standard poodle. Both the current poodle and the previous one were really nice dogs. If you don’t trim them in that stupid poodle cut they are good looking dogs. I do think doodles are extremely cute.</p>
<p>My daughter and her fiancé have a “Newdle” (AKA “Newfypoo”) which is a newfoundland/standard poodle mix. This dog is lovable, smart, adorable, goofy and my daughter loves him no end. He does not shed. My avatar is not a picture of her dog, but of another of the same breed. My D’s fiancé has known for years that he wanted this kind of dog and the finally were able to get one…I am so glad they did! He is a delight.</p>
<p>eptr, you must have some arrangements for your current dog, right? I have the impression that rescues vary in this. I would assume that they would not want to let you have a puppy, since housebreaking would be an issue, but they might let you have a young adult.</p>
<p>I’m concerned about this too, because I do not have a fence and do not intend to have a fence. I emailed one rescue group and explained why I thought this should not preclude me from adopting another rescue dog (to make a long story short, my dogs are never out in the yard without me, I train them to sit at the door for permission before going out, etc), and they suggested that if I filled out an application I should put this explanation in the “additional info” section. I had the feeling they were prepared to waive the requirement.</p>
<p>Most of the rescues now seem to require a home visit, too. When we got Sally, we didn’t do any of that because the rescue people were our other dog’s breeders and they knew me well. In addition, Sally was considered “special needs,” so they wanted her to go to someone whom they knew was good with dogs.</p>
<p>We got our cat from a rescue place. She is black and it was October, so we had to answer a lot of questions in an interview, but no home visit. She has been a pure joy, and I fell in love with her on the spot. She has a beautiful black, shiny coat and lime green eyes. Her eyes are not almond shaped like most cats; they are perfectly round, which makes her seem far more approachable. That’s what drew me to her; she looked so incredibly sweet, and she truly is. At night she sits at the top of the stairs and meows for me to come on and go to bed so she can snuggle on me. </p>
<p>I guess with dogs, they require so much more in terms of willingness to commit to their needs for training, walking, companionship, ability to get out to do their business, etc., so I guess I can see why there might be a little more ovesight in decisions to adopt them out.</p>
<p>Thanks, Consolation. I, like you, don’t let my dog out into the yard unless on a leash… There is no fence and it would be nearly impossible to fence the whole yard securely. She is well trained to stay in the house even if the door is open. We take her for long walks and let her off leash to run in safe areas.<br>
Having a puppy wouldn’t be a problem because I am a teacher and am home for the summer. I timed the purchase of my current dog so that I could housebreak her in the summer months. By the time I went back to work she was crate trained. Very shortly after that she was able to stay in the house without being crated.</p>
<p>I have a non-shedder, pound dog, adopted when she was about 8 months old. I could tell that she was a non-shedder by her coat. That was a big plus for me, as the previous dog was a heavy shedder and I was tired of living in a house carpeted with dog fur. Basically she has very curly fur which is kind of “sticky” in the way it feels – it’s not that she doesn’t shed, it’s that the shedded hair does not fall off her coat. She does need to be combed regularly to prevent matting. </p>
<p>However, I thought dog #1 was lonely, so I went to the pound in search of dog #2… and his coat is straight and smooth – so he’s the one who is responsible for all the little white dog hairs all over my black clothing.</p>
<p>But my point is that it is very possible to find a non-shedder via a pound or rescue, as long as you are looking at an older dog and seeing the adult (rather than puppy) coat. </p>
<p>I can’t comprehend why allergies would preclude getting a rescue dog. I worked at a shelter for years and we had oodles and oodles of low/“no” shed dogs, both purebred and mutts. A golden doodle is a mutt-- if that dog can be allergy friendly and be a mutt, why can’t another dog? You can tell from their coat. I hope your allergies are truly to the hair and not the dander…</p>
<p>That said, I’m not against buying from a breeder when it’s what you really want. We are getting our dalmatian from a breeder, I’m not anti-breeder. I just would hate for you to spend 2-3 times more than what you need for a breeder dog you think you NEED that you don’t, it’s a shame to limit yourself that way unnecessarily. </p>
<p>I know this is somewhat off topic, but our purebred long haired German Shepherd doesn’t shed at all. Some years we may notice some very very mild fur balls in the Spring, but it’s not really even worth mentioning if you know what a regular German Shepherd is like and I don’t think it even qualifies as shedding. Apparently, we couldn’t show him if we were so inclined since the long hair is considered a genetic defect. We didn’t know that he wouldn’t shed when we got him, but took the discount because we knew he was just a family pet. But we’re sold on our long haired Shepherd - he really is the perfect dog and we’d gladly have paid extra for the non-shedding feature. Great with kids, other animals (except for squirrels), up for any family activity, protective, but not stupid, and fierce enough looking to keep away the riff raff. I never thought I could love a dog as much as I love him.</p>
<p>I’m not sure about allergies. My mom was somewhat allergic to our last (regular) German Shepherd but is not allergic at all to our long haired one.</p>
<p>I don’t think I’ve ever seen a long haired GSD, I just googled it and it’s beautiful! So lucky that it doesn’t shed much, it looks like it would. How about that! </p>
<p>My dad is allergic to dogs and we had an affenpinscher growing up, which sheds a miniscule amount and has more of a wire coat, no fuzzy undercoat. Why this helps allergy sufferers is the allergens are mostly contained to the dog, IF it’s the hair they are allergic to. My dad would have to wash his hands any time he touched our dog to not start itching, but he was fine as long as he always washed his hands after touching. The allergens are still there, it is just more contained. You can also be allergic to dander and even saliva, which is much less easily managed. If that is your allergy, I don’t know if a “hypoallergenic” dog will help you. There are no truly hypoallergenic dogs. A non-shedder will still shed dander and drool.</p>
<p>Hypoallergenic simply means less allergens produced or lower chance of severe allergic reactions. It does not imply absolute non allergic potential.</p>
He looks like he would shed A LOT, but he doesn’t. We do shave him in the warm months, so in the summer he looks like a regular GSD. However, his hair is much softer to the touch than a regular GSD’s. In the winter, looks wise, he’s a cross between a black lion and a teddy bear. </p>
<p>A good poodle from health-tested stock will often cost less than a poodle mix. Both goldens and poodles are subject to a fair number of genetic diseases (including some particularly nasty cancers in golden retrievers); it is important to assure that the health testing for ALL of those genetic diseases has been done in the parents. </p>
<p>I have standard poodles; if I had another breed, it would be golden retrievers. I love my poodles; I also know a lot of wonderful goldens. However, I do not like golden doodles as much as either breed. The cross often results in 80-pound dogs with all the affection for humans but none of the tolerance for humans and other dogs that has been bred into the goldens. (Hunting dogs often work with a lot of humans and other dogs as they sit in blinds.) Golden doodles are notorious for guarding their food bowls, for example. </p>
<p>I know of ONE reputable golden doodle breeder. I know many reputable golden retriever breeders and many reputable poodle breeders. None of the GR or poodle breeders I know would consider allowing their dogs to be used to breed mixes.</p>
<p>I think there are good breeders. My definition includes complete health testing AND also performance testing. I like the parents of my dogs to have formal obedience titles, because getting such a title shows that the dog likes to work with humans and is biddable. (Biddable is a dog trainer’s term meaning “enjoys being trained to do what the human wants.”) I’ll note that complete health testing is VERY expensive. To do all the tests my breeder did before breeding the parents of my puppy cost her more than $3000.</p>
<p>If a breeder breeds purebred dogs, they should know more or less what they are going to get. But since golden doodles are F1 crosses, it’s necessarily going to be a crapshoot every time, just like it would be with a shelter mutt. </p>
