considering a doodle

[newdoodle69]

Hi... I am new to the board... and new to the breed ... I have dog allergies (but take shots) and did some research and found that a doodle might be a good match for my family. I really want my kids to experience having a dog in the family. Anyway I am working with a breeder possibly purchasing an 8 month old and am hoping to get a second opinion before going out there next weekend... first of all is it just rude to ask " well why didn't anyone take this pup ... and why are you willing to drop her price to 1/2 of what you originally asked for her" do you think something is wrong with her ??? also this coat thing is really confusing I have seen pics of her parents everything looks right she is an f1 daddy is a poodle mommy is a chocolate lab ... but her picture looks nothing like the doodles I have seen in my search on the web.... could someone take a peek at her pic and tell me what you think about her coat and shedding and she is 40 pounds now at 8+ months how big do you think she will get... I have been reading other posts and am getting a little nervous now that the time is getting closer to visiting her ... I know we will all fall in love and want to bring her home but we have to be sensible too for everyone's sake ...THANKS

[KingstonTodd]

When people think of a Labradoodle they think of the longer coat with loose curls, or waves, most typically seen in an Australian Labradoodle or in higher generations of Labradoodle (F1b, F2, or F3, which have a labradoodle as at least one parent). That pic looks like a first generation (F1) with a hair coat. She may shed, may not, a lot of F1's do shed. The only way to tell about allergies is to meet the dog and see. Give her a big hug and see if she affects you. We have people come over all the time to hug our dogs and test out their allergies with them. If you like the look of the labradoodle you see more often on the internet, and IF allergies are a major concern, then maybe look for a breeder of higher generation labradoodles, like an F1b (which are MUCH better for allergies, and much more likely to be non shedding) or an Australian Labradoodle (if $$ is not a bigger concern).

[kirama]

Hi- I was going to send you a private message, but I don't have that option under your profile. The puppy you are looking at appears that it will shed. I guess we aren't supposed to recommend breeders on the forum, but if you PM there are a few that might be able to provide you with a dog that won't shed- that's never a guarantee with a puppy, but you can get a pretty good idea by looking at the puppy's coat. PM me if you want to, or change your profile to allow people to message you

[tuffystar]

I think that you have gotten some good ideas. My dog Tia is an f1 and sheds like crazy. Not all of the f1 labradoodles shed like she does though. One thing I have learned too is you can be allergic to one f1 and not another. I think you will be less allergic to an f1b though. From what I have heard too you are better off getting a dog that is older because labradoodles can go through several coat changes. If I am wrong on that sorry but I believe that is what others have said. Have you posted under considering labradoodles? Some breeders that don't check introductions often check there more. Also from what some breeders have said they discount when they have older pups. Good breeders can have older pups that they haven't found the right match for yet and there is nothing wrong with the dog at all. Just some ideas I have learned from reading other posts. I hope the breeders will jump in and set me straight if I am wrong. Good luck!

[Jac]

Hi and welcome!
She does appear to be a typical F1 (and I love them!)
As Todd said, you are likely thinking of a higher generation Doodle when you think of the coat...but one thing I can say is that no matter what coat they have, Doodles are great dogs...there is something very special about the mix!
Probably nothing wrong with the pup, F1s are harder to sell and most breeders understand that the dog DESERVES its own loving home...so they drop the price. That tells me that the breeder is more interested in placing the dog in a good home than on making money...a good thing, in my book.
Still, you should ask a lot of questions ... check the archives of this forum for info on how to choose a good breeder. If the dog comes from tested parents (with good scores) and was raised in a home environment with love and attention, you could be getting a great dog.
She will probably shed but that doesn't always mean problems with allergies...Kathy gave good advice to visit the dog and spend time with it to know for sure.

[newdoodle69]

Thanks everyone for your great responses... this is a cool site ... will keep you posted on our visit this weekend

[MaxandMe]

She looks like an F1 ....discounting the pup maybe due to her age, coat etc or as Jac stated and trying to find a good home for an older pup.


I have a F1 LD (max the black one) ...we have allergies in my house, max shed minimally and stopped at 1.5yrs old but
other f1's don't. The only time my allergies kick in is when my doodles do shed in Spring otherwise the rest of the year
we're shed and allergy free. a quick trip to the groomer for max's yearly de-shedding groom does the trick


how did the visit go?

[Lucky Me]

Awwww....she looks like my Tuesday !(Tuesday is black though) Does she have a goatee too?
Tuesday is an F1 and sheds ........she s the best dog though.
From her build, Hershey looks like she came from field lab lines. They can be a bit hyper, but the trade-off is that they are VERY intelligent!
Her coat should be an easy care coat....no grooming other than bathing.
I imagine it could be confusing looking on the web, most people think of then as the Australian ones, 20 years in the making with more than poodle & Lab in them.
She is beautiful...I would give her a chance.