Customer response to AKC article

The following response was sent to me by S.B. of California. She is one of our Goldendoodle customers who owns a doodle named, "Jack Trout" and is a staunch supporter of Goldendoodles. We appreciate getting permission to repost her response:



AKC aticle‏
From: S.B.
Sent: Mon 4/27/09 5:04 PM
To: Goldendoodle World

Hi Dee,

I Bump into your communications in so many places, I don't know where best to write back to you. Just wanted to tell you how informative your AKC article on mixed breed dogs was. Thank you for sharing so much relevant information. As a doggie lover, not a doggie breeder, I am like most people who think AKC means a stamp of rigorous control and high quality. Obviously, it is not. Thanks for the good info on how it works.I was looking for a specific thing -- a dog with the loving devotion of a golden retriever, and the intelligence and non-allergic traits of the poodle -- hence the goldendoodle. I am not really into "desiger dogs" or bragging about my purebred whatnot. I just needed specific traits and the goldendoodle has 'em. Besides being such a funny guy and great companion, Jack Trout is all I could wish for.

My hairdresser, God love him, breeds standard poodles who are champions here, there, and everywhere. He wanted me to buy one of his females who became available after achieving her championship. When he offfered, I was ready, but he wasn't. When he was ready, I was traveling every weekend to see my daughter play volleyball. I couldn't introduce a new dog into our home and then be gone all the time. Bottom line: it just didn't work out. At my November appointment, he said he had found a home for her, so I began my adult doodle search which led me to you and our wonderful little crazy guy. The point of all these ramblings is that he considers Jack Trout a mutt and an embarassment to the quality dog world. He can barely talk about him, finding it difficult to accept anything crossbred with a poodle. I couldn't care less, because my needs and values are different. How silly is all this baloney!

As you said, all dog breeds started out as mixes which were refined (not always for the best interest of the dogs) until the desired characteristics were achieved. Who can defend the modern day English bulldog? "Standard" has created a dog with serious physical and reproductive difficulties. So doodle-ists must ban together and speak out. We love and treasure healthy, strong, animals with the wonderful traits of retrievers, terriers, etc., mixed with poodles. We don't want dogs with tendencies towards dysplasia, bone cancer, or other ailments reinforced by "pure" breeding! My vet is thrilled to see more and more "designer" dogs in his practice, with their hearty bodies. And, as for me and my husband and kids, we couldn't be happier. Jack is just an armful of pure doggie silliness. He is still a little shy with visitors to the house, but he is warming up quickly once they are introduced. He loves to cuddle.

He can do some tricks -- more if I only knew what more to teach him. He pesters and pokes at old Molly and gets her hopping about a bit, which is good for her. He is nuts for Golden Retrievers when he sees one. He really wants to please and is full of love. Doesn't get ANY better than that.Maybe you should form a national organization with other doodle breeders -- just for doodle people. This organization could speak up for the true "standards" for doodles -- healthy, hearty dogs wiith amazing personalities, high intelligences and low allergy characteristics. Too H*!! with other kennel clubs! They just don't "GET" it.Anyway, thanks again for the info, Dee.

S. B.

Teach your Goldendoodle respect and structure

Teach Your Goldendoodle Respect and Structure

Have you purchased an adult Goldendoodle? Did you rescue one as an adult? Many times people will buy an adult Goldendoodleand believe if and when there is a problem going on, it must be the dog. They never stop to think that the problem could be them or the fact they are not providing the proper training for their Goldendoodle or that they are not being a proper dog owner. The old saying "An old dog can never learn new tricks" is just that! OLD! That is a very antiquated belief.

Dogs live for today, and today only. They don't have the memory capacity to remember their past or live in the past and they certainly do not have the capacity to live for the future. But we as humans can and do. Often times a doodle owner will not make corrections to the problems they are experiencing with their Goldendoodle right at the time they are having the issue. They wait and correct later...believing the doodle has the capacity to remember their past mistakes, when in fact, they can not.

It is never too late to make corrections to bad behavior but you most certainly want to make corrections immediately, instead of later. Teaching your doodle GOOD behaviour right away will establish YOU as the doodle's leader and taking charge immediately, will teach your Goldendoodle that YOU are in charge. You as the doodle owner, need to have patience and confidence that you can lead your doodle and not the other way around. Nervous owners have the most problems with their doodles. Because they don't set any rules or bounderies. While Goldendoodles are not in any way an aggressive dog, the fact remains that they are a dog and as submissive as these dogs are, they can still turn out to have behavioural problems if you, the owner, do not take charge right away.


Behavioural problems occur because the owner allows them to occur. Give a dog an inch and they will certainly take a mile. There are tons of training information that can be found in bookstores as well as all over the internet and there certainly are plenty of books with conflicting information. Just like baby books written by supposed experts, dog books will all vary with their information per author. Everyone also has their own personal opinions as to what the best method of training is....just ask the "Dog Whisperer". I love his show, but he does believe he is the GURU of dog training. Everyone has their idea as to what type of training method works the best. The problem? Most people are not professional dog trainers who can offer a doodle owner SOUND training advice. This means, the doodle owner gets alot of inaccurate, bad advice and that includes alot of mis-information that can be found over the internet. So, if you are having behavioural problems with your new adult Goldendoodle, make sure to hire a professional dog trainer who has many years of experience. After all, you wouldn't hire your family member or your mailman to remodel your home or fix your plumbing if they did not have alot of experience in that department, would you?

Training your Goldendoodle or incorporating dog training is not breed specific. Training needs to be specific for your doodles' personal needs such as dealing with temperament, drive or other issues that may be occuring with the individual dog. It doesn't matter how large or how small your Goldendoodle dog is...where it came from....who created or bred it....what gender it is...none of that matters. A solid plan needs to be created for your specific doodle, by a professional dog trainer so that your doodle gets the right start. Having a good beginning is very important. A doodle owner must remember also, that training is not just for the dog. It is for YOU as well. You need to learn how to get your Goldendoodle under control. You need to learn how to live in harmony with your Goldendoodle and your Goldendoodle certainly needs to learn how to live in harmony with his or her new family. Training helps the doodle owner learn about his new dogs' character and what its traits are...both learned and genetic.


Training for you and your Goldendoodle will help build confidence. Not just with your Goldendoodle, but for you as well! It is inaccurate to say that Goldendoodles who come from rescue shelters have behavioural issues because they "were abused" prior to finding their way to a shelter or that they have behavioural issues because they "came from a puppy mill". Nine times out of ten, the reason a Goldendoodle has behavioral problems is because they did not have a healthy start with their original owner. It is more than likely their problem came from NOT having learned any bounderies or proper living structures when they started with their original owner. Temperament issues are not always genetic. While they can occur from faulty genetics occasioally, most often their issue did not come from their genes. Some breeds such as German Shepherds or Rottweilers and Dobermans may have temperament issues because they have faulty genetics. It may be that many dogs of these breed types have high "faulty" drives, especially those with extensive Shutzhund in their lineage. But people who purchase breeds who have high drive personalities or come from aggressive or high working lines, are usually aware of what they are getting into when they purchase this type of dog.
A Goldendoodle is not usually a high drive dog. Most Goldendoodles are very laid back and very family oriented. Most enjoy being with their family. But on occasion, a good Goldendoodle can go bad and again, nine times out of ten, the reason a good Goldendoodle goes bad is because it did not have a healthy start with its original owner. Just as there can be bad dogs, there can be bad owners. Most behavioural problems stem from bad dog ownership. It is not always the fault of the dog. As much as we want to humanize a Goldendoodle, the fact remains they are a dog and dogs "react" without reason. Goldendoodles with behavioural issues need leadership and they need to obtain that leadership from their owner in a positive way. Poor leadership comes from dog owners who treat their dogs like children, instead of treating them like dogs. Just as bad parenting can create bad children, bad "parenting" your Goldendoodle will create a bad doodle.


It is very sad when these bad owners relinquish their Goldendoodles to shelters or worse yet, have them euthanized just because the owner could not incorporate proper pack leadership. Many do not incorporate any sort of training whatsoever and worse yet, many attempt to incorporate training and then fail to follow through and turn around to blame it on the doodle. It's really a shame! Goldendoodles are usually submissive dogs. A proper start in teaching your Goldendoodle that you are his or her leader of its family pack is to give your Goldendoodle some isolated time away from the general public. You want to have a week or two of just YOU and your Goldendoodle. Some doodles may need more time of "isolation" but you'll have to use your own judgement. The important thing is to NOT give up on your Goldendoodle. Remember, patience.

What does social isolation mean? Well, simply put, it means that you do nothing more than feed your doodle; give him or her a clean place to live and to sleep; give your Goldendoodle plenty of water; take him or her for walks for potty breaks and provide for only his or her basic needs. That's it. Nothing more. The owner needs to just go about his or her business. Other than providing your Goldendoodle with his or her basic needs, the owner should just pretend the dog isn't even there. No petting. No cuddling. No coddling and certainly no childish chatter. This structure is NOT meant for young puppies or a Goldendoodle who seems to be falling into step with basic obedience and learning quite well. Rather, this structure is for adult Goldendoodles who were purchased as an adult and who needs to learn sound structure.

The proper way to isolate your Goldendoodle is to obtain a large or extra large crate and then place a lightweight blanket or sheet from the middle of the crate to the back. This helps give your Goldendoodle a sense of security. You will eventually remove this, but for now, this is what you should do. While there are many trainers who suggest a plastic crate, I highly advise against this.
The reason is that I've personally witnessed more commotion coming from a plastic crate than a wire crate. Dogs can sometimes feel claustrophobic in a plastic crate because of the fact they can't see out of it except for the front door area. With a wire crate, your doodle can see all the way around. That is, when the blanket or sheet is not covering up one half of it. I recommend either a large or an extra large crate. Despite the fact some trainers will tell you that the smaller the crate the better or that crates with dividers is the best, I personally have not seen this as being the case! The less room your doodle has to move around, the bigger the mess! Wire crates are great because you can easily slide out the tray and take it outside and hose it or spray it off. If you need to, the wire crate can also go outside and be hosed down. Plastic crates are harder to clean because you will have to get way inside of it and on your hands and knees to clean it.

Some may think that isolation training is cruel. I beg to differ. Back in 1996, a woman had brought over this little rat terrier because they were moving and didn't want to take her to the shelter and so they asked me if I would like to have her and give her a good home. She seemed calm enough and lovable enough when I pet her. The woman handed her to me and I carried her inside of my house. All hell broke loose when I put her down. For some unexplained reason, she bolted from room to room looking for a way to jump out of my windows....with them being closed! I tried to get her to calm down and talking to her and trying to pet her, but she then decided she was going to try and bite me. For my own sanity and her own safety, I fixed a large crate with bedding and newspapers and then I got my broom with soft bristles and had to hold her down with the bristles while I slipped a leash around her neck. She tried to fight me with the leash, so I slowly moved her into the crate with the bristles of my broom by pushing towards it and into it. I slipped off the leash over her head. Then, I took a lightweight blanket and covered half of the crate so that she could have some privacy and "alone" time. I felt the blanket would give her a sense of secuity. I placed a bowl of fresh water and food inside of the crate and I left her alone for 24 hours. I didn't even try to take her out for a potty break. She went on the newspapers and I cleaned them up the following morning. I assured her everything was fine by speaking to her in a soothing voice and I gave her liver treats by just tossing a few inside of her crate near her food bowl. I wanted her to understand that I was NOT going to hurt her and that she had to rely on ME for her living essentials and basic needs. By the second day, she was still staying toward the back, so I did the same thing over again. Fed her. Gave her water. Gave her liver treats. Cleaned her crate and left her alone. I checked in on her frequently and talked to her in a soothing voice. By the fourth day, she was coming towards the front of the crate and licking my hand. Her signal that she was ready to accept me as her leader and that she was showing me respect as her leader. I then placed a leash on her and took her outside for a walk and potty break. When she was done, I brought her right back and left her alone in the crate.

The idea is to give your dog the understanding that they must respect you because you are there to be their leader and because they are going to have to rely on your for their survival needs. You may indeed be there because you want to love them and shower them with lots of affection, but in the beginning, you only want them to understand that you are the leader and they need to respect your pecking order. On the fifth day, my little girl was my shadow. She has been with me since 1996. To this day, she follows me where ever I go and at night, she sleeps under the covers near my feet. The only word I have to say is "OUT???" and she comes right out from under the covers and makes a B-line for the front door. She obeys me and she respects me as her leader. This is how it should be. From that fifth day on, she has never had to go back inside of her crate. You are teaching your dog many things during this brief isolation period. You are teaching him or her to obey you as a leader; that you are providing him or her with a safe and secure home; that you are the one who provides the control and living essentials and that you are not going to harm him or her. Your Goldendoodle should always be on a leash the moment he or she comes out of its crate. This is because you are teaching your Goldendoodle that you have complete control over its every move. There will come a time when the leash is not necessary, but for now.....it's a must.


You are teaching your Goldendoodle to bond. During this isolation period, there should be no distractions. Training is about YOU and the dog. This is essential to training. No neighborly pats on the head. No vacations trips. No trips to the store. No socializing outside of your home. This isolation period is for bonding and teaching pack order. Setting up a sound structure makes the rest of obedience training easier because you have now gained respect from your Goldendoodle and they have now learned that you are the leader in charge. Remember not to use harsh training methods with your Goldendoodle as they are sensitive dogs. No yelling. No hitting. No screaming. No loud commands. This only reinforces negativity. If you want your Goldendoodle to respect you, you will have to act like a respectable leader. You want to be fair and you want to train your Goldendoodle in a fair way. You must be consistant and use repitition. It is quite unfair of you as the leader to be strict one day and then lax another.

Your goal is to teach your new adult Goldendoodle to earn your respect and affections. As hard as it may be to NOT want to pet and coddle, you must not do this during training. Be fair. Be consistant. Be a leader. Your Goldendoodle will more than likely howl and cry and carry on during this time, but its imperative that you NOT allow your Goldendoodle out of the crate just because he or she is howling and crying. If you have checked to ensure that all is well, ignore the crying as hard as it may be. If you give in, you've lost your position as the leader.



Leaders are firm and leaders don't give in. Do you ever see an alpha dog give in to those he or she has accepted into their pack? Never. Those inside of the alpha's pack must learn to respect and obey their leader. Period. During training, you should pet your doodle but don't over do it. If your doodle does something to earn being pet, then of course he or she should be pet. If your Goldendoodle does something to earn being praised, by all means give him or her praise. Your doodle must earn being rewarded and being pet or praised is a reward. You should never pet your Goldendoodle if he or she pushes for affection. When your adult Goldendoodle demands your attention, they are showing dominance. Some Goldendoodles can be "mouthy". Do not encourage your doodle to use your hand as a chew toy or to pull on your hand with their mouth. This can encourage the dog to bite if he or she does not get their way. It is not up to your Goldendoodle to decide when and where he or she receives YOUR attention. Your the leader, remember? If your adult Goldendoodle is pushy about attention, this means your pack order has been compromised and you must regain leadership quickly!

Those who want to train their Goldendoodle will ask, can I play with my dog during training? The answer is no. You do not want to play with your Goldendoodle DURING training. Play time is EARNED time. Providing your Goldendoodle has earned the right to play by obeying you during training, then he or she has EARNED playtime and yes, at that time, you can then play with your Goldendoodle. During training you should not go out and purchase new things for your doodle. Your Goldendoodle should be focusing on you...the leader! This is bonding time, remember? New toys or items will distract your doodle from the goal. During training, you should also not allow your Goldendoodle to have access to all of his or her toys. Toys are earned. When he or she is finished playing with the toys you have allowed him or her to play with, then the toys are put up and placed out of sight. Out of sight...out of mind. You are the leader and must be the one who decides what and when your doodle can play with.


Even when playing with your Goldendoodle, it should only be done while on the leash. Remember, you are in control during training. Once training is complete, your Goldendoodle will have loads of time to be off leash.

So you have purchased your doodle as a family pet? Most people do. But when you first bring home your Goldendoodle, your children need to let the Goldendoodle first become acquainted with his or her new home and the new rules and the new leader of the pack, which is you. Children who are young should never be in charge of training your Goldendoodle or setting the rules. Your children can and should be a part of the training, but always under supervison. Young children are not mature enough to handle the training of any type type of canine of any size or gender. Many parents make the mistake of putting children in charge of training and handling the family dog. Training is very involved and requires maturity and of course, experience. You are setting you and your family, including the dog, up for failure if you put your child/ren in charge of taking care of and training the new family pet. Many accidents happen because a parent assumes that a "friendly" dog of any breed is okay to be left alone with a toddler or infant or even small, young child. Sometimes with tragic consequences. I remember a story about a daschsund of all dogs being left in a room alone with an infant laying inside of a playpen. The mother went to the bathroom and was only gone for approx. 2 or 3 minutes. Tragically, the mother came out in time to see the daschund mauling the baby due to it tearing a hole into the playpen mesh. The baby died. I'm guessing....so did the dog after it was euthanized. This was a family dog who had been around the baby numerous times. It only takes one time for a dog to tragically injure or kill an infant or young toddler. Dogs do not act with reason. They merely react and who knows what goes on inside of a dog's head. Do not humanize your dog. A dog is a dog is a dog! Babies and small, young children are off limits to any type of dog unless supervised by a parent or responsible person such as the child's caregiver.


Can you teach your Goldendoodle to respect your child as a pack leader? I seriously doubt it. So don't do this. Establish the rule that your doodle is not permitted around your young child without being supervised. It is very difficult to keep a child away from their new "family pet"; it is hard to tell your child NOT to pet or praise your new doodle or to allow the neighborhood children over to "play" with the new pet...but this must be a rule that is strictly obeyed the first week or two of training. You are setting up bounderies and teaching your doodle a sound structure....rules set by its leader of the pack and until this is learned, your child must know that this is a training and bonding period. Your Goldendoodle needs time to bond with its new family pack...not the general public and certainly not the neighborhood. Once your Goldendoodle has been trained and completes basic obedience, non family members should be off limits.

Many people who desired to purchase from us wanted to come into contact with our adult dogs or our other puppies and dogs. This is strictly forbidden by me. I intentionally prevent non family members from petting or coming into contact with my adult dogs and I expect my personal dogs to NOT become stranger friendly. I expect my personal dogs to bark at strangers and to be wary of them. Some people say, "Well, I want to meet the parents so I can judge how the puppy's personality will be". That's complete and utter nonsense! The fact that I intentionally keep my personal dogs away from the general public and have taught them to be wary of strangers, means there is no way you can judge one of my puppies accurately by meeting them. None of my personal dogs are aggressive towards strangers but someone may perceive this and I don't want any of my puppies being unfairly judged.

Your Goldendoodle is more than likely a very personable type of dog. In the many years of creating them, we have never had any turn out to be aggressive dogs. They have very sound genetics and because of their genetics, they are easily trained. However, a good Goldendoodle with sound genetics can be ruined by a bad owner who doesn't set up proper bounderies or a sound structure to live by. Start your Goldendoodle in the right direction to begin with and you will always have the best dog you could ever ask for.

Author/breeder: Dee Gerrish. Copyright June 2008.

About the Author: Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World has written extensively about the Goldendoodle dog since 1999. Dee is one of the original founders for the Goldendoodle dog in the southern region of the United States. She was the first breeder to register the Goldendoodle hybrid with a ligit kennel club. More about Goldendoodles can be discovered on her site at http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmdvbGRlbmRvb2RsZXdvcmxkLmNvbQ==

*This article is a re-post due to malicious tampering of my original My Space account.

Creating the Ultimate Designer Dog

Creating the ultimate Designer dog

Is is possible to create designer dogs through DNA selective testing? With modern technology right at our finger tips...you bet your sweet DOODLE, it is!
Faster? Stronger? Keener sense of smell? More muscles? Shorter? Thicker coat? The list could go on. But is this playing God, with dogs? We have already seen animals being cloned. Genes determine who we are as humans. They also determine what the animal will become too. But, what if we could create our Own special dog? Create pets that are designed for individual families? Is this possible?

Located in Ithaca, NY, the Baker Institute is a part of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. Today, the Institute serves society through discoveries that will have both an immediate affect and long term implications. Along with their historical strength in the study of infectious disease and immunology, the Institute's medical geneticists have gained prominence in recent years through the development of practical tests for detecting carriers of defective genes and strategies for control of genetic diseases. These researchers also investigate a variety of diseases affecting both animals and humans, including osteoarthritis, diseases of the eye, and reproductive disorders. In 2006, the Baker Institute Mapped out the canine rod cone dysplasia type 2 (rcd2) to a region of dog chromosome 7. Their achievements are numerous where the canine is concerned. But who will be the first in achieving a true Designer dog? A dog that is simply created by mixing a variety of specific genes to give someone seeking such a dog, something unique...only to them? Do you think this could become a reality?

Canine geneticists have come a very long way, especially since our modern technology is getting better and better. Our environment being what it is, may be the driving force for those seeking "designer" dogs. When I think of a "designer dog"...this is essentially the reality of what comes to mind. A dog that has been put together by a canine geneticist according to my desires and wishes. Dogs created to specifics. Yes. Now we are talking about "playing God". We already have hybrid dogs that have become wildly much more popular than the purebred, which angers many purebred breeders. But, it is what it is. A new fact of life. Man's best friend, the dog, is proving that it has, yet again, figured out a way to lend a helping paw. The identification of canine genes is not only improving the health of dogs, but is also helping researchers identify genes controlling human diseases and develop treatments. Yes, as much as I hate to say it, dogs are used greatly in many experiments and tests. Some agree it is for the betterment of human kind...some disagree completely.

Dr. Dennis O'Brien, a professor of neurology at the University of Missouri's College of Veterinary Medicine and an expert on neurodegenerative diseases, says he is thrilled about the recent identification of genes that cause two types of rare epilepsy in dogs and humans. "It's very exciting. I think it shows the power of canine genomics to (be able) to start answering some of these questions," Dr. O'Brien said. Berge Minassian, MD, and other scientists at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, turned to the dog in their hunt for genes that cause Lafora disease in humans. With Lafora, seizures begin in the teenage years and increase in frequency until they cause death, usually within five years after the onset of the first symptoms. The researchers had identified one gene in humans but knew there was at least a second gene, because some families couldn't be linked to the first gene. "I knew that Lafora is, relatively, frequently reported in dogs," Dr. Minassian said. "I thought perhaps if we found families of dogs (that) have this disease, it may help us find the gene and, from there, the human gene."

While dogs and cats are used for testing and experiments, they are also man's best friend. Dog and cat alike. Goldendoodles are called, by some, designer dogs but I beg to differ. Goldendoodles have not been created from test tubes or by Canine geneticists. They are selectively created by designer breeders. The dog itself is not a designer dog, but I do consider the breeder who only creates hybrids, a designer breeder. That's not a bad thing. I myself am a "designer" breeder.

Sometime in our future, REAL designer dogs will occur. We will be able to select and design our family pets in a very real specific way. As time goes by and scientists collect more and more DNA of family pets and varying breeds, they will soon have an entire collection to choose from. They can mix and match and perhaps, you'll even be able to check off a list what it is you desire in your own personal, designer dog. ALready breeders can know before their litters are born, what colors to expect through DNA testing. Canine DNA holds more keys than we realize, to knowing what to expect with offspring. Mark my words! Canine DNA is going to go to places they've never known before!

*AUTHOR/BREEDER: Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World. http://www.goldendoodleworld.com/

Goldendoodles and allergies

It's not surprising that myths and misconceptions about Goldendoodles and allergies exist. Some are factual to a degree, but others are totally incorrect and often influence our attitudes or knowledge about dealing with sensitivities to pets. Here is what I believe to be true with regards to allergies and Goldendoodles:

Goldendoodles ARE NOT Hypoallergenic:

Any animal with fur or feathers can trigger an allergic reaction.These include cats, dogs, rabbits, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters,ferrets, mice, horses, cattle, monkeys, goats, pigs, chickens, and birds. Of these, research indicates that cats are by far the worst offenders, followed by dogs and horses.

While some animals seem to be more tolerable than others, there are no dogs, cats or other furry animals that do not cause allergic responses. It makes no difference whether an animal has short hair,long hair or how much it sheds.

Cats cause more severe allergic reactions than other pets:

The major cat allergen is an extremely potent one called Fel d1. Secretions from the sebaceous glands of the skin are the primary source of Fel d1, but it is also deposited on the fur through the saliva when cats clean themselves through the licking or self-cleaning process. Eventually the Fel d1 flakes off and becomes airborne to trigger the symptoms that characterize allergies to cats. Male cats generally produce more allergens than females do.

DANDER:

The problem is not with the pet's hair. It is the dander, or microscopic scales of dead skin (similar to, but much smaller than the dandruff on the human scalp) which pets are constantly shedding that is the cause. They are so tiny that you seldom, if ever, know that they are circulating in the air or laying on the furniture and carpets.

URINE:

Recent studies indicate that urine (protein), from cats and dogs as well as from ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, and mice, contain allergens which can also trigger allergic reactions.
Short-haired or long-haired dogs - Doesn't matter:
All dogs – short-haired, long-haired, wire-haired, curly-haired, even hairless—are potentially allergic. Allergic reactions to dogsare not caused by the hair or fur but by dander (the tiny scales ofdead skin) and by sebaceous and salivary gland secretions. Short-haired dogs can cast off as many allergens into the environment as long-haired ones do.

Goldendoodles are not hypoallergenic:

Just because a Goldendoodle may shed very little, it does not mean itis "hypo-allergenic". It is surprising how many Goldendoodle ownerspurchased this hybrid because they were told by their breeder that theydid not cause allergies. Not true! Goldendoodles DO shed...but shed inphases and shed very little.

While it has recently been established that some dogs cast off more allergens than others, there are no non-allergenic dogs. The reason Goldendoodle dogs are thought to be "safe" is probably because they are shampooed and groomed regularly and therefore cast off less dander in the home.

Some people may have more problems living with a dog that shed hair profusely because of the excessive amount of loose hair contaminated by dried saliva and dander clinging to it shed from the pet onto the rugs, furniture and the dogs bedding and favorite lounging places. Frequent vacuumings are usually necessary, along with the use of a moist sponge, to pick it up.
A Goldendoodle puppy begins their shedding phase at the age of 6 weeks or slightly younger.Some people may have issues with a very young doodle puppy. Goldendoodles are usually completed with their shedding phases by the age of one year. SOme allergy sufferers have less allergy reactions to an older doodle puppy because of the fewer shedding phases. Some peoplecan have allergy issues AFTER their doodle turns one year of age.Puppies usually produce fewer allergens and depending upon what exactlya person is allergic to, some have less allergy issues with young pups.

People cannot be allergic to some breeds of dogs and not to others
The possibility of dog breed-specific allergens was first investigatedmany years ago, reports Dr. David Knysak of the Department of Medicine Allergy Division of the University of Michigan Medical Center. Subsequent studies have determined both qualitative and quantitativevariations in the antigen content extracts derived from different dogbreeds, however, he adds, no breed-specific allergens have been found.

It is true, though, that an individual may occasionally become sensitized to or build up resistance to a single breed over a period of time. Another reason why people may think they are allergic to certain breeds of dogs is that some dogs shed many more allergens than others,a process which may produce a higher level of exposure and consequentlymore allergic symptoms.

Restricting your Doodle to one or two rooms of the house does not help:

The longer your doodle lives in a home, the more its allergens will have permeated the entire house to cause symptoms. Isolating your Goldendoodle to one or two rooms in the home does not contain theirallergens. Air currents from forced-air heating, air conditioning andfans spread the allergens through the house. We do not recommend restricting your Goldendoodle to just one or two rooms unless you have become allergic to him or her.

Such particles tend to remain airborne for hours, even in homes with minimal disturbance. Once they do settle, vacuuming or walking on the carpet, sitting on the furniture, fluffing up cushions pillows and thepet’s bedding, raising or lowering the blinds, and opening or closing the drapes or curtains causes tremendous amounts to be set loose in theair once again.

People cannot tell if they will be allergic the first time they encounter a pet. This is a myth and a mistake that many people make when in search of the perfect family pet due to allergies.No one is allergic to a substance the first time he or she comes in contact with it. Sensitization, or the process that leads to development of symptoms, requires repeated exposures over a period of time, anywhere from days to months and possibly years. Sometimes, though, only a few minutes of a pet's presence is necessary. People who come in contact with a cat, for instance, or who enter a room where a cat has been, may react to it within seconds. Other times a pet can be kept for many years and then suddenly its owner will become severely sensitive to it.

Being allergic does not mean that you can't own a doodle or that you must give up one you already have.....If you are allergic to six things, get rid of three of them and you maydrop below your allergic threshold, and become symptom-free. Find out from a physician what your particular allergen is, and if it turns out to be pet- related, try to reduce the allergens in the environment. Using air cleaners or filters could be a start. Your physician may also be able to prescribe medications to lessen the symptoms associated with allergies. If you are allergic to fur, a breed of dog that doesn't shed very much may be your answer.

Dander is a common culprit in allergies to dogs. A dog can be bathed up to twice weekly to try to alleviate the excessive dander production. Be sure though to use a medicated pet shampoo prescribed by a veterinarian if you have found that your dog is having skin allergies and not an inexpensive alternative which can dry out yourpet's skin and worsen the problem for the both of you. A non-allergicmember of the family should brush the dog often, preferably outside.It is important to know that a Goldendoodle can have dry skin and usinginexpensive Shampoo can further irritate the skin causing the dog itself to have allergies. We recommend Pantene as well as a tad bit ofPantene conditioner.

The Goldendoodle hair samples are from two seperate doodles of different ages. We welcome you to join our doodle world if you have found this hybrid to be the perfect fit for your family.

© 2007-Author/Breeder: Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World

When Goldendoodles are void of a facial beard

When Goldendoodles are void of a facial beard


When we think about the Goldendoodle dog, we usually think of them as being one part Golden Retriever and one part Poodle. Since 1999, we have gathered enough researched information from our own experiences to now know Goldendoodle fact from fiction. From Mara's litter (see photos on our website under the link "available doodles"), we have come to know that using a Goldendoodle sire to a Golden Retriever dam will produce Goldendoodles who have twice the Golden Retriever DNA. Not only will it produce Goldendoodles with twice the Golden Retriever DNA, but at least 1 or 2 of the puppies in the litter will have an identical appearance of the Golden Retriever. However, a unique sequence occurs as the puppies become closer to 4-6 weeks of age.

From September 1st, 2007 we have watched each puppy begin to obtain a very simliar appearance and coat as that of our Goldendoodles when they have one parent the Poodle and one parent the Golden Retriever (ie...50/50) with the exception of ONE Goldendoodle (the only female in this litter) who is void of the normal facial beard. She has picked up more Golden Retriever traits BUT has not shed a single hair as of yet. Her body coat in the beginning was smooth like the Golden Retriever but then it began to become thicker. However, as of September 25, 2007 her coat has not become fluffy like her brothers and has remained very similar to the coat of the Golden Retriever. We had encorporated a male Goldendoodle with beautiful sky blue eyes into our breeding program for Goldendoodles in hopes of offspring not only carrying the blue eyed gene but perhaps of having blue eyes themselves. Each puppy in this litter was born with brown eyes, to our dismay. BUT, they do have the blue eyed gene within their genetic structure.

We use to get alot of calls from people who bought a Goldendoodle from other breeders and they had questions about their Goldendoodle not having a facial beard or the shagginess of most Goldendoodles they saw in photos. Their breeder had told them their Goldendoodle was a 50/50 mix or a mix with a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. This litter has proven what we knew all along to be true. You can pretty much be sure that if you own a Goldendoodle that resembles the Golden Retriever in nearly every way....is void of the facial beard.....and has nearly an identical appearance as that of a Golden Retriever...... the sire to that puppy's litter was a Goldendoodle who was bred to a female Golden Retriever. Interestingly enough, when a Goldendoodle is sired to a female Poodle, the Goldendoodles pick up twice the Poodle DNA and each of those puppies will have more of the temperament of a Poodle as well as the body structure of the Poodle and yet when a Goldendoodle is sired to a female Golden Retriever, the Goldendoodles pick up twice the Golden Retriever DNA.

EVERY GOLDENDOODLE IN THIS LITTER EXCEPT FOR THE ONE FEMALE, has begun to obtain a facial beard and shaggy coat. The female has still not shed a single hair. That's the cool part about this litter. It was my original belief that if a Goldendoodle was bred to a Golden Retriever, that the puppies would shed. I still believe that if a Goldendoodle has alot of Golden Retriever DNA in its structure and is bred to a Golden Retriever, that the offspring will shed. But we elected to use a Goldendoodle who had twice the Poodle and had more Poodle within his DNA structure so that we could encorporate enough Poodle into the offspring to reduce the shedding that is very similar to the 50/50 mix. It has now been our exerience that the Goldendoodles that came from a Poodle mother and Goldendoodle father, had more curls to their coat and picked up more of the Poodle personality/disposition.

Our experience has taught us thus far, that If you are a Golden Retriever fan, you will completely enjoy either the 50/50 mix or the mix we are talking about....a Goldendoodle with twice the Poodle sired to a purebred Golden Retriever. We have found also that if you are a Golden Retriever fan, you will NOT be able to appreciate the personality or temperament of any doodle that has twice the Poodle DNA. It has also been our experience that such a mixture does NOT work out that well for those who either have young children in their home or who befriend the entire neighborhood or do alot of socializing. Our experience thus far has taught us that Goldendoodles with more Poodle do much better with families who have adult children...no children or children who are at least over the age of 13. Goldendoodles with twice the Poodle are somewhat skiddish; do not befriend strangers easily and do not want to befriend your entire neighborhood. I won't lump all doodles with twice the Poodle into this category but am just discussing what has been our experience thus far. Althought in 11 years of being a professional breeder, we've had only a couple of rehoming issues and 2 of the rehoming issues was with doodles that had twice the Poodle. To date, since 1996, I can only remember three rehoming issues from the top of my head and we've produced quite a few litters since 1996. 2 out of the 3 had twice the Poodle. The other rehoming issue was from a doodle that had been abandoned at a boarding facility and adopted by an elderly couple. From those three issues, we've discovered it was the owners inability to understand their doodle and their reluctance to actually incorporate obedience training that caused their issue. Had they made the effort to actually use a professional dog trainer to help them with their situation, I believe the placements would have worked out. Some people call a dog trainer and then never use them.
Either the training was going to cost more than they could afford or would cause them to actually make an effort at changing their dogs' behaviour....it's hard to say what the reason was that they did not actually stick with a training program or use a training program.

Those who are experienced with the Poodle....have owned Poodles before or are at least very familiar with the Poodle have the most successful placements with Goldendoodles who have twice the Poodle DNA. We actually only desire people with more Poodle experience to adopt doodles with more Poodle so that they don't become surprised or frustrated with the personality. We encourage everyone with young children or children who are NOT adults, to adopt a Goldendoodle with more Golden Retriever DNA because children usually have alot of friends and children want their dog to participate in activities with their friends. Most doodles that have twice the Poodle do not want to become involved with numerous people at any one time. They seem to be wary of large crowds of people or screaming, running, yelling children. There are some people you can't convince of this but it is those people who have the most placement issues. Those who do not listen to the advice of their breeder always have the most problems.

This is the first time that we intentionally used a Goldendoodle sire with more Poodle traits to breed to a female Golden Retriever. I have always been leery of matching a pair like this because I was not sure about the shedding element. I did want to know, however, if a Goldendoodle would be void of the facial beard, the plume tail and the shaggy coat if it came from this sort of pairing. As such, this litter and our litters that turned out to have more Poodle DNA has taught us a great deal concerning breeding methods and what to expect. We were able to notice the difference in coat type from this most recent litter, at approx. 6 wks of age. This further backs up our original claim that a breeder would be fully aware by age 6 weeks whether or not their doodle puppy will either be void of the facial beard or have a facial beard as well what coat type the doodle would have.
Many people in the past emailed us regarding their doodles purchased from other breeders whose doodle was void of the facial beard asking if their doodle would ever have one and we now can back up our prediction that any doodle with a smooth face and void of the "V" shape by six weeks of age will NOT have a facial beard as an adult and the breeder is fully aware of this fact if they are an experienced breeder. We noticed the difference between this particular female and her brothers right at the time the puppies began to get their fluffy coat and this generally takes place between 4-6 weeks of age. All of the puppies in this litter have the Golden Retriever temperament and disposition but we noticed another difference!

The female in the litter that we are discussing has more of a stocky, Golden Retriever build but she has the long, narrow "field retriever" appearance in her face that we saw in alot of our purebred Golden Retriever litters when we bred them. We do not breed purebred Golden Retrievers that often because my allergies have become much worse as I've gotten older and I've remained more of a Goldendoodle fan just for allergies alone. The males on the other hand have a much smaller body structure and are smaller in size. The female has taken more of her mothers' appearance and size and the males have taken more their fathers' size and body structure but still have the Golden Retriever temperament. The males in this litter are very shaggy and have the full facial beard already! I'd like to also note that many people who are not experienced with the Goldendoodle dog do not realize that there are numerous coat changes and phases before their doodle turns a year of age.

Even the facial beard will change in texture. I always hear people tell me...well...that puppy doesn't seem to have very long hair and it doesn't seem to have a very full facial beard. Yes! That's correct! Because the dog is just a puppy! So many people assume their doodle should automatically have a thick, fluffy coat....a full facial beard and a really thick plume tail. No. That is not what happens.

The Goldendoodle's coat is a gradual process from the day they are born until the day they turn a year of age. Once they are an adult, that's it. The coat is what it is. The coat will always continue to grow and will always be in need of coat maintenence if it is a shaggy dog. That's a given for any dog with such a coat. But we think that if someone really wants a Golden Retriever but can't handle all the shedding that comes with a Golden Retriever, they'll be happy with a doodle that is void of the facial beard and the shaggy coat and has more of the Golden Retriever appearance.
Their coat will not be long and thick or shaggy, nor will they have a shaggy, facial beard. The coat will be easy to maintain and they will not have the shedding coat like their purebred counter part. The doodle that I mention up above will make a perfect companion to your neighborhood...your friends....your children of any age. Now we have given the purebred Golden Retriever breeder something to be jealous of! A Goldendoodle who could very well pass for a purebred Golden Retriever yet NOT shed! You are very welcome.

Author/breeder: Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World. All rights reserved. 2007

People love to love dogs

People love dogs. People love to love dogs. People love to own dogs. What type of dogs do people love to own? Well, all sorts of people have fallen in love with dogs over the centuries. Famous people own dogs. Poor people own dogs. The average person owns dogs. Dogs even sometimes live at nursing homes and dogs have performed many functions for centuries. In some Asian countries, dogs sometimes even become food.

Have there been famous people with famous dogs? Yes! Through out history, many famous people have owned famous dogs. Will Rogers once said, "If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went." Most people who are dog people will agree that most dogs are nicer than most people.

Dogs are not judgemental nor do they care how much money you earn. Dogs do not even care if you have a job so long as you make it YOUR job to give them love and lots of hugs. Joe Weinstein said, "My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3 a can. That’s almost $21 in dog money." Dogs are very basic, simply creatures and they are surely not as complicated to understand as humans are. People make life complicated. Dogs do not.

Dogs make great pets for many people, especially senior citizens. They provide companionship and instant friendship. Dogs do not mind how old you are. Dogs will love you even if you are in diapers! Young or old. Over the centuries, dogs have provided valuable service to people. From assisting fire fighters to helping locate victims of earthquakes! Dogs can be trained to help people who need assistance with personal chores. From ringing bells, to picking up small items to helping the blind get around. Dogs can even learn to perform multiple tricks!

Many people who love to own dogs have a need with learning how to train their dogs. Casar Milan is a well respected dog trainer with alot of terrific information on how to train your dog! His website provides alot of great information. Some people go to college to learn how to become a better dog person. Seriously! Check out this link if you are interested in getting a degree on becoming a better dog person! Dogs think, feel and react very much like humans. That's why people and dogs go together like peanut butter and jelly! But you'd have to be a dog person to agree with this notion.

Dogs actually help people understand themselves better as human beings. There are millions of people on our planet who own dogs. Some people shouldn't own dogs and some dogs shouldn't be around people. You can see dogs virtually anywhere! You see people throwing a frisbee for a dog in a park. You see people walking their dog on a sidewalk. If you visit Germany, you will even see dogs riding on a trolly or sitting besides its master at a local cafe. Some people have more pictures of their dog than of their children. Some children prefer their dog over their friends. Some dogs prefer one person over another.

Many people will tell you long stories of how their dogs have enriched their lives. Some people don't even want to discuss dogs at all! Sometimes a person will think they are not a dog person at all until they meet a dog. Then suddenly that non-dog person becomes magically transformed. Some people are morons around dogs and some dogs think some people are morons. Dogs can make us laugh. Dogs can make us cry. Dogs can make us mad and dogs can make us happy. Not everyone loves dogs and not every dog loves a person. One thing is for sure, however!

Dogs have been around for centuries and we will continue to see dogs for as long as we see people.

*Author/Breeder: Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World cc@2009

*Photo courtesy: Goldendoodle World: http://www.goldendoodleworld.com/ and Goldendoodle owner, Cheryl as well as Goldendoodle, Sonny.

(Sonny is a male Goldendoodle that was purchased by Cheryl from Goldendoodle World. Sonny has been featured in a magazine article