Lets talk Doodle
Back when I started with my Goldendoodles in 1999, many people here in the United States had never heard of them. "What is a Goldendoodle?", they'd ask. Even though the truck I drove had photos of a Goldendoodle all over it. My husband and I would have to explain to everyone that a Goldendoodle was exactly as what was visually seen on our truck.
Many years has passed since I first began creating Goldendoodles. Yes, I said, "creating", simply because back then I didn't "breed" them. We had to first create them....see if we liked them.....before we could keep some and place them into our breeding program. Back then, I was a purebred Golden Retriever breeder and would have never considered mixing any of my Golden Retrievers with a Poodle. Don't get me wrong. The Poodle is a fantastic dog, but there is far too much coat maintenence required of this breed and I had no desire to own a dog that I'd have to spend countless hours maintaining the coat. I wasn't even sure I'd like the personality of a Poodle, much less own one. But in 1999 I fell in love with a Poodle that I eventually named Scisco's Kid. I would later add another terrific boy that I named Darby. He has since crossed the rainbow bridge in his sleep, but I was very glad that I had kept a couple of Goldendoodles from his last sired litter back in March of '07.
Both of my original Standard Poodles helped begin my Goldendoodle breeding program. Scisco's Kid is still with me, but he is neutered and retired. Both dogs have produced some of the finest Goldendoodles out there. A couple of our past doodles live in Europe, with the remainder live in the United States. It has been a "learn as I go" experience with the Goldendoodle dog, which is why alot of the information on my Goldendoodle World website has changed over the years. I've had to update my information as I've come to know it, experience it and see it for myself. What I've come to know and what I've already discussed quite a bit on my website, is the fact the Goldendoodle dog comes in three coat types. JUST three coat types. If a breeder has told you otherwise, then they have not educated themselves properly or learned enough about the Goldendoodle dog to tell you the facts. There are only three coat types for the Goldendoodle dog: 1. Shaggy 2. Curly 3. Smooth
I want to talk a bit more about the shaggy coat because alot of people seem to be confused and I can see why. Indeed, many photos on the internet may show you Goldendoodles who have been trimmed down...so it isn't easy to tell what type of coat the dog has. Many photos may show you various types of hair cuts and so you can't get an idea of what the coat really looks like untrimmed. The shaggy coat Goldendoodle has lots of wispy hairs that go in every direction, all over its body. There will even be waves or slight curling at the tips of the shaggy strands of hairs. So, let's get a closer look at the shaggy coat Goldendoodle. (photos can be viewed on our Goldendoodle World website.)
The shaggy coat Goldendoodle starts out looking like a purebred Golden Retriever puppy. Their body coat is soft, short and every doodle pup has a lovely round head. They are oh, so adorable! I've come to know that the more ripples about the coat within hours of birth, the shaggier the coat will be. A Goldendoodle puppy that is going to be curly as an adult will have multiple ripples from its head to its tail, within four hours of birth. You could literally take your finger and feel the ripples because they feel like little tiny bumps along the coat. But this article is about the shaggy coat Goldendoodle. When I had my first litter, I was confused after seeing the puppies as newborns. I wasn't sure what had happened because they looked just like Golden Retrievers. But an amazing transformation began to happen by the time the pups were just four weeks of age.
My Goldendoodle puppies began to look like fuzzy little teddy bears! Every day their coat continued to become thicker and shaggier and the hairs around the face began to peek out. By the time these little doodle buds were eight weeks of age, their coat was very fluffy. Now the one thing people need to remember is that a Goldendoodle puppy's coat is never the end result of what the coat will look like as an adult. I've had many people look at a Goldendoodle puppy and make the remark, "Oh...I thought it was going to be shaggy." But I had to explain to them...yes, of course they are going to be shaggy. Goldendoodles are never as shaggy in the puppy stage as they are an adult. The coat of a Goldendoodle will go in phases. I've literally counted 10-15 coat changes from the time a Goldendoodle is born up until the time they turn one year of age.
The shaggy coat Goldendoodle will look scrawny and as though they have stuck their paw into a light socket by the time they are six months of age. Like a teenager, they are going through a growing phase. Some shaggy coat Goldendoodles will have long, thin legs similar to the Standard Poodle and some Goldendoodles will have short legs and a stockier body. There is no way for a breeder to actually "breed" for either physical appearance, so don't ask your breeder for one "body type" over the other. A Goldendoodle, regardless of coat type, will literally take after any one of their ancestors because all of their ancestors play a 100% role in what or whom they become as an adult. Unlike the purebred dog, hybrids have not been refined down through the years to look exactly this way or that way....but as a Goldendoodle breeder since 1999, I can definitely tell you that all three coat types do have the same exact coat traits or similarities regardless of what breeder your dog has come from so long as the breeder sticks to the golden rule of creating first generation dogs only. Don't get confused. Stay with me here. Many people do not understand what the term, "first generation" means. The term "First generation" implies parent to child...not dog type. When I say that it's important for the breeder to stay with the golden rule of creating only first generation dogs, I mean that in order for the Goldendoodle to have very similar coat traits per coat type, the breeder must not breed two related dogs together. For example, a breeder must only pair up two dogs who do not have the same exact parents or same exact pedigree within the first three generations. The two dogs used for breeding should not have shared parents, grandparents or great-grandparents. They should not breed a brother and a sister together; a mother and a son together; a father and a daughter together or a grandchild to its grandparent. Many show breeders do this, which is why the purebred dog has so many genetic health issues running through its bloodlines. So, Goldendoodles who come from a Goldendoodle/Golden Retriever mixture or two Goldendoodles or a Goldendoodle/Poodle mixture can still be first generation dogs if the parent dogs do not have shared, direct ancestors in the first three generations of their pedigree. If the children come from two parents who have different parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, those children are first generation. Many breeders will tell you that their Goldendoodles are "F1b" simply because they bred a Poodle to a Goldendoodle and they imply to you that their Goldendoodle pups are "backbred" simply because the Goldendoodle was bred back to a Poodle. This is not the correct meaning of "F1b". The correct meaning of "F1b" is that it means a Goldendoodle was bred back to a Poodle who shares the same ancestry or parentage as the Poodle within the Goldendoodle. They are really saying that they have possibly kept a Goldendoodle puppy out of one of their past litters and bred the dog back to its Poodle father or mother or possibly grandparent. Many show breeders for purebred dogs do this because they are trying to pull specific traits out of the dogs they create for show purposes. I'm here to tell you that a breeder can not have their cake and eat it too. Something will be lacking, some where, if their dogs are back bred or inbred. There's a reason that people should not create children if they themselves are directly related. There's a huge risk for genetic issues and that's why it isn't recommended. So is the same for dogs.
Every single shaggy coat Goldendoodle will have very similar features, as an adult. A shaggy coat Goldendoodle will have a full facial beard, a nice plume tail and a body will of shaggy hairs. Every Goldendoodle, regardless of coat type, has a single coat. The coat hairs itself sprouts away from the body, the tail, the legs and the face in every direction. The hair can become very thick and the shaggy coat Goldendoodle does require alot of coat maintenence. This is the only downside to owning a Goldendoodle who is NOT a smooth coat. A doodle with a shaggy coat or a curly coat, who lives outside or enjoys many outdoor activities is going to be one messy dog if the coat isn't kept trimmed, washed and brushed on a weekly basis. If your doodle does alot of swimming at the beach, lake or inside of a personal pool, you may not want to have your doodle's coat remain long and shaggy. Of course if you don't mind all the coat requirements, then the coat can remain as long and thick as you personally like.
The tail of a shaggy coat Goldendoodle is actually must thicker and longer if left untrimmed and this goes for the body coat as well. Every Goldendoodle, regardless of coat type, has a tail that rides high up over the back. Their tail curls up over the back because believe it or not, the tail of a Poodle also rides high up over the back if left undocked. I had never known this, myself, until I purchased a Poodle who for some reason, never had its tail docked. I later had my vet dock the tail and I will tell you that I will never have another adult dog's tail docked. It was a painful experience for my Poodle, for about two weeks. All dogs should have their tail docked when they are two days of age, if their tail is going to be docked. It is virtually pain free and little to no bleeding whatsoever. I would never recommend anyone dock the tail of an adult dog. If their tail has not been docked as a newborn, leave it natural. I have no idea why the breeder of one of my Poodles had not docked the tail. In Europe, it is against the law to dock tails or crop ears. All dogs in Europe have a natural appearance, including show dogs. I had not known this either until my husband and I had visited a couple of dog shows in Germany. It was then that I learned that they do not permit any dog to have its tail or ears altered in any way, shape or form.
There's a reason the Goldendoodle has become so popular and it isn't just because it's a low shedding dog. The Goldendoodle is soft, cuddly and incredibly sweet. The Goldendoodle, regardless of coat type, is a very happy, outgoing dog who loves affection and enjoys being with their human family members. The amount of love a Goldendoodle has to offer is simply unbelievable. Most Goldendoodles work out for children of all ages, but we have found that the smaller the doodle, the less likely it would make a good candidate for children. Many Toy sized dogs are nervous around children or a large group of people. I'm not sure why this is, but it just seems to be a fact. It seems to me that the very small Goldendoodle would prefer to be a lap dog and usually gravitates towards only one person and not an entire group. Goldendoodles 20-25 pounds or more are better able to handle a lot of activity and seem to be more suited for children. Especially small children. I've never recommended any family obtain a toy sized dog if they have small children. For some reason, many people want to buy their small kids toy sized dogs. As a breeder, I never thought this was a good idea. I have found that many breeders of toy sized dogs feel the very same way. Some will not even allow their little dogs to be adopted by families with small children. It just isn't a good match.
The shaggy coat Goldendoodle has alot of love to offer. They are very funny to watch as young puppies and they will certainly give you alot to laugh about. But puppies are not always a laughing matter. They are a lot of responsibility and require a lot of work. Many people assume that it is very easy to house break or potty train a puppy rather than a young adult dog. Well, I will be the first person to disagree with that notion. Young puppies have absolutely no self control whatsoever. They do not have a fully developed sphincter muscle and physically can not hold their bowels in check for very long. Puppies also have a very short attention span. They literally do nothing as a puppy, except eat, pee, poop, play and sleep. Playtime for a puppy is generally high activity for about 30 minutes and then off they go for a very long nap. This is why I don't understand why so many people have the idea that training a young puppy is much easier than training a young adult dog. I've completely found it just the opposite. As I write this article, I have a German Short-haired Pointer that I obtained as a five month old puppy. She had never been exposed to the indoors of a home...no potty training experience and was afraid of everything because she had not been exposed to anything other than other puppies. Smart and incredibly loving, her intelligence springs out through her eyes. She's a very high activity level type of dog, so getting her to calm down and relax has been a challenge. We are still working on self control. Since I'm not a trainer whatsoever, I've been teaching myself how to train this particular puppy. I want her to learn to live indoors, so working with her every single day is very important. Personally I will share with you what has worked for me, for housebreaking a puppy who was never exposed to any type of potty training. Every day gets better, so let me get that out there right now. Some people have the notion that they are going to get a puppy and within a few short days, housebreaking will be a thing of the past and their puppy will magically become housebroken over night. If you are one of these people who thinks like that, you'd better make sure that the dog is one hundred percent housebroken or you will be looking to find your dog a new home very quickly. Impatient people will need to hire a professional dog trainer or farm out their dog to a professional dog trainer who keeps the dog until they are fully trained. This type of nonsense is for lazy people who want instant gratification. Trust me...those type of people exist and they are out there. Yelling, screaming, getting upset and freaking out won't help your puppy or dog learn how to use the bathroom or behave while inside of your home. Positive reinforcement works and I will be the first person to tell you that you should always keep your puppy or dog on a retractable leash if you want the housebreaking to go quickly. I learned this from experience.
Let's talk about potty training for just a few seconds and then we'll get back to the shaggy coat Goldendoodle. What I personally discovered is that placing your puppy or dog on a retractable leash and taking your pet to the same exact area, each and every time, will make the process go faster. A retractable leash is nicer than a standard leash because you can allow your dog to move further out away from yourself and you can also retract the leash to give a short, quick jerking motion if your pet isn't doing what he or she is suppose to be doing. You must have control of the leash and its movements for the sake of potty training. If you puppy or dog wants to start taking off in a direction that you do not want him or her to go, just jerk back on the leash by releasing the lock and letting the leash retract back into the handle and give a slight jerk at the same time, with a very quick, short command of "NO" at the same time. Then release the leash to go back out of the handle so that your dog can continue to do what it was that you wanted him or her to do in the first place. I used a harness on "Merry-Belle" (my German Shorthaired Pointer) and not a collar. It was easier to control her movements with a body harness. I kept the harness on her all the time for about a month. After she began to associate the harness and the leash with going outside to potty, I was then able to graduate her to a neck collar. Now I can simple take the end of the retractable leash and wrap it around her neck and clip the leash unto itself and not even worry about a collar if I am going to take her outside in the yard. You will want either a harness or neck collar if you take your dog out in public. But for simple front or back yard trips, you don't have to place the collar on your pet every time. I never leave collars on my dogs full time. Ever. Dogs have a strange way of getting caught on something and this can be deadly if you are not supervising your pet or at home. Never leave a collar around your dogs' neck if you are not at home or supervising your dog. The consequences can be deadly and I can't stress this enough to people who have never had this unfortunate experience. If you have been lucky enough to never experience the consequences of your dog hanging itself from getting its collar caught on an object while you were not at home, then your one of the lucky few and it could just be a matter of time before you will experience this horrible tragedy. Believe it or not, even crated dogs can hang themselves with deadly consequences if you place it inside of the crate with its collar on.
I began to notice with Merry-Belle that if I took her outside for potty breaks while on leash and to the same exact area each and every time, she would do her business immediately. However, if I simply asked her if she wanted to go outside and I opened the door for her to zoom outside, all she wanted to do was run around the yard to play. So, its important that you place your dog on the leash each and every time you are taking it outside for potty breaks. With a puppy, it seems like you've had to take the dog out every ten to fifteen minutes! It can become exasperating and sometimes frustrating. With Merry-Belle, no sooner than I brought her inside from using the bathroom outdoors...it seemed she had to go again. Literally within minutes! Or at least it seemed like minutes. Another important thing to remember is that your dog can not talk to you through yelling, "Hey, You! Take me outside!" . Your dog will look at you as if staring. Your dog will sometimes whine. It will sometimes constantly come up to you as if wanting to play...when it really is asking for you to take him or her outside for a potty break. Since you just came back inside, you will think they want to play. Not! They want to go back outside. So...learning the signals to communicate with your dog or puppy is essential. As the days go by of bonding, both of you will soon learn to speak each others' lanquage. Think of your dog as being a person from another country. They don't speak your lanquage nor do you speak their lanquage. You wouldn't yell at the person if you could not communicate...even though it would be frustrating to not understand what that person was telling you. So, through body lanquage and other signals, you have to teach each other how to get your messages across. Merry-Belle will now bring mer her toy and drop it at my feet if she wants to play. If she needs to use the bathroom, she will come and sit next to me or stare at me or whine at me. She now knows it is important to communicate to me that she needs something. I've also learned how to communicate with her and understand her signals. So, it's really important that you teach your dog or puppy how to communicate with you if he or she needs something and if you pay close enough attention to your dog, you will see that they also are teaching YOU how to communicate with THEM through their own body signals.
I discovered that Merry-Belle loves to play with specific toys. She loves to carry around anything that squeeks! She particular enjoys toys that has something for me to grab onto at the other end so we can tussle with it. So, you can use a simple favorite toy as a "treat" when your puppy or dog has done what you wanted him or her to do. Giving food treats isn't always a good thing because your canine can become very over weight which is not good for its joints or heart or other internal organs. What I did with Merry-Belle for housebreaking, was that I released her from the retractable leash after she did her business and then I tossed her favorite toy for her to play fetch with. She soon learned that playtime was AFTER she did her business and not before. Releasing your pet from the leash soon AFTER he or she has used the bathroom outdoors will teach him or her that play time comes after and not before pottying and by playing with your dog AFTER it has done its business and not before, also teaches your dog to associate the outdoors with pottying and not for playing. Dogs are relatively simple creatures if we learn how to communicate with them. Repitition is also key to learning. Doing the same thing, at the same time, every single day over and over again helps your dog learn faster. As I said, I'm not a dog trainer nor do I claim to be. But I can share with you what has worked for me and perhaps what I've learned will help YOU too.
Now, if you want to learn more about the shaggy, curly or smooth coat Goldendoodle and your on a doodle quest....take the time to visit our website at http://www.goldendoodleworld.com as I've spent since 1999 writing about the Goldendoodle and taking hundreds of snapshots of not just the dog itself, but of various coat phases and changes! Plus, since 1996, many of our fantastic customers have shared with us, photos of the dogs they have purchased from us and by sharing their photos with us...we've turned around to share them with you. Our Goldendoodle World website is the most comprehensive, educational, extensive doodle site on the internet and we hope you'll enjoy not just our website....but join us too! We ship worldwide and we welcome everyone to personally come to our home to pick up their next doodle dog.
**About the author: Dee Gerrish has been a private, professional breeder since 1996 but has owned dogs all of her life. Dee Gerrish is one of the original founders for the Goldendoodle dog in the southern region of the United States. She has written extensively about the Goldendoodle dog since 1999. Dee Gerrish was the first breeder to register the Goldendoodle dog with a ligitimate kennel club in the United States...."Universal Kennel Club".
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