Does anyone out there know anything about Goldendoodles?  Golden Retriever/standard poodle.  I am very interested in any info regarding this breed as I am trying to find a dog which would make a good assistance dog as well as a family member.
Thanks

Sorry - this is not a BREED - this is a CROSS-BREED.    Why not look at Golden Retrievers and Standard Poodles and see which would suit you best?

Sorry, I didnt realise I couldnt ask about CROSS BREEDS.  I thought this site was for all doggie information!

The problem with any of these crosses is that you have absolutely no idea how the puppies are going to turn out - whether they are going to take after their mather or their father. So it is impossible to advise how they 'generally' turn out, because there is no consistency at all. If you like a gamble, go for it!

I saw a site about labradoodles recently, they look quite cute, but I think id rather have a purebred! the golden doodle would probably be quite similar but maybe with a  longer coat?

Are they related to the Chinese Noodle, and the Apfel Strudel?

Think the main problem with these designer crossbreeds the breeders are not using the best health tested animals and are breeding for commercial reasons only. If you are happy to take the chance then go ahead but would say there are loads of such crossbreeds in rescue, mainly because they do not live up to the hype they are given. Any puppy is cute and desirable but the adult can be a very different matter. If you want to be sure of a healthy dog who grows to an adult you expect, then go for a breed from a responsible breeder as no responsible breeder would dream of creating a crossbreed that may well be sick or not of stable temperament.

was it not guide dogs for the blind who started this cross? do they still use them?

heres a site I found :

http://www.ukdoodles.com/

Yes, the Guide Dogs tried them out but stopped when they proved unsuitable.

jeangenie what was it about them that made them unsuitable? was it because they were too big? or some other reason?

From what I understand it's nothing to do with the size (they use bigger dogs too) but more that they were too unpredictable - the failure rate made them impractical. Also their much-hyped 'non-shedding' coats (the main reason for the cross in the first place) only proved to be so in about 50% of cases.

there is a breeder ,a good breeder of labordoodles, & she has just had her first litter of goldendoodles,so they are getting more popular. someone brought one (not one breed locally) into my shop last year,she had a wavy softer slightly longer coat.
most people on here are totally anti purposely bred crosses,but i would imagine they would make a good assistance dog,but will be fairley large
michelle

Yep, that was the one you saw, what about the others. IMO no good breeder would risk such an enterprise and any doing so are only interested in their bank balance.

What is an assistance dog and why would a crossbreed be better for this purpose, what ever it is, than a pure breed who's finished type, size and temperament you could assess with some confidence.

i watched a programme about assistance dogs once and they use all kinds of dogs cross and purebred, I think hearing dogs for the deaf are the same, a lot of their dogs are crosses too.

I work for GDBA, so can tell you a bit about the labradoodles. We only ever used 6, the last being born in 1996.  Only 3 of the 6 went on to make successful guide.  This being the reason that they didn't continue with this cross. We experiment quite alot with breeds, we now have 2 long haired weims on the puppy walking scheme, as well as chesapeake bays and standard poodles.
Mainly, we use Lab x GR, and then a lesser number of labs, GR's. GR X FCR's and Shepherds, with the more 'unusual'( for Guide Dogs) breeds like the ones I mentioned very rarely. 

The advantage they have selecting hearing-dogs is that size really doesn't matter! In fact, people are happier having a small dog leap on them to wake them than a big dog. But guide dogs need to be fair sized, and with a reasonably long stride, to be able to 'fit' alongside a human comfortably.

never thought of it like that! I suppose a small dog is in some ways better suited to a person with hearing problems as you say they can jump on ther bed or up onto their lap without too much of a problem! :-)

in your opinion! exactly!!
imo there is a lady near me that is a good breeder!
who is interested in this ...wait for it ..."breeds" good attributes!
she actually also runs a labordoodle show once a year & fun day,so she sees all her babies & any others that want to come.
so i guess as shes actually been breeding them for a lot of years now that she does have more idea about the ...."breed" than you do,

obvisley theres never any variation in type temperment in a pure bred is there?or any health problems!!!

I know of someone (friend of a friend) who has recently had a litter of goldendoodles. They are intended for agility/asistance dogs.

Daisy

out of interest do they health test both parents for hips ,elbows etc
Archer

I know that she does hip score her dogs - will find out if this one has been done.

Daisy

Some assistance dogs are obtained  from rescues and may be any sort, as long as they have the right temperament and size.

Lindsay
X

I suppose you would need to breed many generations of them before they could be classed as a true "breed" and that would mean alot of pups which dont fit the "standard" would have to be born, before the type has established itself. This is OK so long as people understand what they are getting ie a crossbreed but I think some breeders of this cross are charging very high prices, while they are still in the "experimental" phase of their breeding project, and that doesnt seem right to me

i agree that alot of people have jumped on the "doodle" bandwagon,charging a fortune for the pups because they can. i dont think this is right & i think all breeding stock should be health tested & puppies monitored if nesscesary. however i dont think that if a breeder is responsible that breeding a xbreed that they have helped to develop & love is wrong!
here (west somerset) we also have a porlock terrier,established,& breeding true to type,which is a selyham x
& alot of the farm collies are now xd with huntaways to create a very big strong collie.
& a huge labordoodle population, i have not met a owner( of one of the breeder from here) who has been dissapointed with thier dog

also last time i heard that the breeder from this area wasnt charging the prices that some people have been paying!

I think that you are right, Michelle :) Unfortunately, the name 'doodle' is enough for some people just to want one :( The reason behind people wanting to produce this cross is the most important thing. I don't know if there is a real need for this cross tho' :( . In principle, I can't see it is a problem producing a new breed IF the breeders are knowledgeable and go about it in the right way. After all, all pedigree dogs were crosses at some time in their history, so I don't think that anyone has the monopoly on producing a 'new' breed. But, as you say, things must be done properly and thought be given to the 'byproducts'. There are many very serious considerations here. Prospective customers must also fully understand what they are buying.

Daisy

i agree totally daisy!!! i dont even want a doodle!
but theres nothing wrong with wanting one if thats what you like!

Until they 'breed true' nobody knows what they're likely to get!

the same with out crossing instead of line breeding in prue breds though,add abit of different blood & all sorts pop up!!
if you like the look of them then a breeder like the lady near me,who has bred quite a few litters, & has seen her "babies" grow & develop,surely must have some idea of what she is going to get,especially if she is sticking to the lab & poodle lines that she knows,seems like the best place to go,she can show pics of previous litters all thruogh their lives & put people in touch with people who have had puppies off of her,many locally.

Very good points! I would be very interested to see a written standard of aims that these breeders are trying to achieve - what sort of coat they are aiming for, what size etc etc. And the pups that don't appear to meet these criteria would clearly be sold for less money than the successes (in the 'old days' when trying to create a breed these would obviously be destroyed).

Or are they just taking a gamble - and making great claims for their product?

totally! i dont think any labordoodle breeders would dare come onto here though would they??

some lab crosses do not have a  curly coat but is infact quite wirey,i wonder if these would be sold for less.

the lady down here who breeds has success in other "breeds" & learnt alot from her mother in law who was well known in border terriers in her day,she is also a horsey lady & knows alot about breeding more than just doodles! i have alot of respect for her & her love & interest of the doodles that she is breeding.
i work in a photo shop & developed her photos of the local doodle show & funday,& it was lovely!!!

To be honest, and this is just my opinion, I don't think anything should be given the title of 'breed' unless thay all have a strong resemblence to each other. They should be able to guarantee a basic uniformity of size, coat texture (not necessarily colour) etc. Until that time they are still 'in the pipeline'.
:)

better not look to closely at non show BCs then!
all my three have three totally different coat textures, conformation,eye shape,pigmintation etc etc.

some of the springers around here look more like cKCs!

Interesting point about springers, alot of people seem to say they have a Welsh Springer when in fact they don't look anything like the WSS you see at shows, more like a cross between the ESS and the welsh. Anyone else noticed this?

You can hip score the pedigrees, (If in fact they are) but you cannot hip score crossbreeds or unregisterd dogs.

you can if you put them on the activities register

They are then registerd Michelle! How many are on the activies register I wonder?

i have no idea.
but i suspect whether you all like it or not that "doodles" are here to stay! & the more that are, health tested the better.the way to do this is NOT to tar all breeders with the same brush. there are a whole lot of different doodles in obedience & agility so they will all be on it,perhaps the way to go would to encourage these people to get these tested?
i will just add that there are loads of breeds who do not test for eg "hips" because its not a big prob in the breed,but without testing how can they know?

look at the divide in lab type john,between show & breed,both sides would argue that theres is the true type-yet show a huge diverse type in labs! im only picking on labs as it is you,but is true of many breeds,ESS/GSD/huskys/BCs/beardies etc etc

If they breed more than one generation together, they will no longer be Labradoodles or goldendoodles would they as they need to be first crosses to be called that,  they would simply X breds or mongrel dogs.  I have nothing against mongrels as I owned a rescue mongrel for 11 years & loved her to bits.

We have a lab x poodle breeder near here her dogs are not tested for anything & are labs x poodles & huge they either look like the father or the mother & I've never seen any two that look alike. More than one or two have had eye/hip problems & quite a few have gone through the local all breed rescues sadly usually when the novelty of the oodles has worn off. She uses show bred pet labs as stud dogs

If people want a X why not go to a rescue & get a X puppy from there Just seen a X bred litter in the paper than was dumped at three weeks old !!!! look like GSD x Labs to me

<<i have no idea.
but i suspect whether you all like it or not that "doodles" are here to stay!>>

That I very much doubt Michelled. The only new breeds which have been established in recent years are working breeds, and for the very good reason that these have been bred for a job. Some time ago I wrote a post on one of these doodle threads about how to establish a breed. One of the first requirements is a purpose for the breed. A second requirement, which only comes from the first is plenty of like minded people to continue the breeding TO THE SAME PURPOSE.

How would you get that from pet people? They would not know what other breeders are doing for a start. Look at the posts on this board, mainly but not exclusively guests.

"I want to breed my bitch. (at least, I think it's a bitch cos I cannot see a bit hanging underneath.) I know shes perfect in every detail and don't need you to tell be. I'm looking for a dog to stud it to. I'm not too worried about the number of legs it has. I'm thinking about using a Labrador, but then, a Cocker Spaniel would be nice. I don't want negative posts, only ones backing my brilliant idea up."

If you want to know whats involved with establishing a breed read about the trials of the Reverend Gentleman or about the work of Dr D Brian Plummer resurrecting the Lucas Terrier and establishing the Plummer Terrier.

Sorry but the various Poodle crosses are just a nice little earner for people who by and large I would not trust to breed a gerbil.

John

Thanks to everyone who voiced their ideas in reply to my question.  To be honest, I didnt expect to stir up so much interest but you have all given me some things to really seriously think about.  I'm not the type of person to jump towards the first dog I see or hear about (for eg if it is fashionable at the time etc) I have been investigating which kind of dog is right for me and my husband, for about 14 months now.  I must admit that we ARE novices and dont know all there is to know about dogs and the more I read and investigate, the harder it seems to make the choice.  How does anyone really know whether the breed they choose is the right one for them?  It is an expensive mistake for not only the owner but essentially the dog if it turns out to be not right for you.
In answer to one of the ladies who asked what an assistance dog was, it is a dog who is trained to aid and assist people with disabilities who arent as able to do everyday things.  It has been proved that dogs that are trained in this manner make a real difference to the individual and a special bond is produced  between the two. (for eg, helping out of bed/bath, opening doors, turning lights on/off, getting emergency help etc..)
So now that everyone knows what they do, can anyone confuse me anymore than I already am and advise me about any BREEDS they know that can do all of that!? (after training of course)

A large number of breeds can be trained to work as an assistance dog. A friend is at the moment training her Coton as one. Picking up things from the floor, opening cupboards (With knoted cords attached to the handles to give the dog purchase) and removing washing from the washing machine. Unfortunatly she has not managed to train her to peg the washing on the line yet! ;) This dog is to replace the West Highland White Assistance dog she lost last year.

Best wishes, John

All breeds can become assistance dogs with the right training.

Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Poodles, GSDs, cross-breeds, mongrels, ad infinitum really; there are many websites that could probably assist you with your questions such as

http://www.dogaid.org.uk/
http://www.c-p-i.org.uk/

etc

I asked what an assistant dog was because any dog can be trained to be one and I could not see the need to have a particular cross breed, but it would seem that is not what you meant. The sort of dog depends on the circumstances of the owner who requires the assistance. For instance someone who had poor vision may feel a Yorkie would be a problem but someone who was in a wheelchair would find one ideal if they liked the dog to travel with them.

Well in the US a number of our breed (Norwegian Elkhounds) have been trained as assistance dogs, hearing sogs, and I beleive even as guide dogs, though I wonder where mine would lead me :D  They seem to be particularly good as seizure alert dogs, and there is a lady in US/Canada working with Rescue Elkhound Puppies in this field.

Don't quote me but I think one of my Asa's litter brothers/sisters was destined to be an assistance dog.
Archer

There's an American lady who used to post on here who is training a GSD to be her assistance dog (senior moment, I can't remember her username!).

Basically, the breed you choose depends very much on the disability it is to compensate for. A little dog couldn't help someone out of the bath, say, but would be excellent at picking up dropped items for a wheelchair-bound or arthritic person.

When I was heavily pregnant my old labrador taught herself to help me by picking things up, standing like a rock to help me to my feet after I did my exercises etc.

The advantage a purebreed has over a crossbreed or a mongrel (delightful though they are - I think everyone on this board has owned and loved a cross or a mongrel in their time) is that you can have a pretty good idea of its basic characteristics. Much like buying a car - a mini from a dealer in Manchester will be pretty much identical to a mini bought in Plymouth. Crossbreeds are more like kitcars - you can never be sure how they're going to look or function!
:)

Or how much they will cost to run!

Oh dear. I was reading my usual magazine (heat) and was quite upset in what they had written. They have this pointless page with whats 'hip' and whats not and in the 'hip' section they wrote:-
''LABRADOODLES- THERE ALL THE RAGE! BRAD AND JEN HAVE JUST ORDERED THEIRS!''
:( They talked about these dogs as if they were some kind of accessory.. which, in a way, is why they were bred in the first place :( Why cant people just see that a dog is an animal and not a bloody toy that you can make up from different parts?  

A point which oftens seems to get overlooked in the "all breeds were developed from crossing" discussion, is that in the past breeders wishing to develop a specific type of dog for a specific purpose would, over generations, rigorously cull non-conforming dogs until they were breeding as true to the ideal as possible. I imagine that not many of their 'failures' would have found pet homes!