[cissy k]

I have been reading websites for over a month. I have scoured the web for information. I have been diligent in my research. But I have just read some of the posts here and I am confused.....

My understanding was that the Labradoodle was a good family dog. Good with kids and highly intelligent. Sweet natured and loveable. GREAT! Sounds like what we want.

But to read about these extreme high energy, mischief making pups is making me second guess our decision. I[b] know [/b]that all pups are going to have a lot of energy as I have had dogs before. But to hear about thousands spent on training classes and dogs that tear up the yard or bark incessantly is a bit disconcerting.

PLEASE don't anyone get all mad and defensive with me for asking about this trait in Labradoodles. I know we are going to fall in love with our dog. We are going to consider her a member of the family. I can't imagine the grief someone goes through at the thought of having to give up their dog. But a lot of the threads here are about pups that are tough to manage.

So, with all due respect, and I do mean that, please let me know if the reality is that Labradoodles are high maintenance in the puppy stage. Because that is the impression I am gathering here.

It took me a long time to convince my husband we are in the right place for a dog. He has allergies and although I have had dogs all my life, my husband has not. We have a dog living with us now, but she is very old and only wants to lay around all day. So he is excited and we are eager to adopt. But these dogs are very expensive and I want to make the right choice. Training is absolutely on our list but thousands of dollars???

Please help me make the right decision. Are these isolated incidents or are Labradoodles difficult for the first year or two? I would especially appreciate hearing from people who have raised other types of dogs from puppyhood on this subject.

Thank you all so much. I am just trying to best the best decision for our family and the puppy.

[gene]

Like all breeds, you are going to find differences in personalities and energy levels with each puppy. The key to success is exercise. A tired puppy is a good puppy. If you take the time, you will have a great dog. Their energy level is really no different than other breeds. They do have a lot of energy, but are the sweetest dogs ever.
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gene , jonah , miko and rumor

http://s125.photobucket.com/albums/p46/jonahfus
"A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down." - Robert Benchley

[Fudzy]

I recently had the same decision to make as you do now. After much consideration and research on all kinds of dogs big and small. I came to the conclusion that there was not one breed out there that didn't have a "negative" trait. I was concerned about the high energy as well. From day one we have crated our puppy when we are not around. This includes when I am upstairs cleaning and he is downstairs. He's in his crate. This is for his safety as much as it is the safety of our belongings. In the beginning we did have an issue with him and nipping. I have three kids 8, 10 and 13 (talk about high energy). The hardest part for us was training the kids on how to react to the puppy when he misbehaved. I'm no expert but I believe the most important thing is to have everyone in the house be consistent with his/her training.

[DebBrown]

In my experience, my high energy, busy chewer and slightly crazy labradoodle pup was a total opposite of our previous calm poodle pup. BUT this is only anecdotal and could just be the difference in two different temperaments.

We were actually looking for a "different" dog. We had lived with a standard poodle and did not want to replace her. We wanted a dog who loved to exercise and play. Boy, did we get one!

Deb

[Napathedoodle]

Napa's been a real sweetie. I remember hearing all the stories and was scared myself, but I lucked out and got the most even tempered pup. However, he's not been without his share of problems. Napa needed surgery early on for something that's not common in Labradoodles, or even dogs for that matter. Both of his growth plates stopped working in his forearm, which is usually only seen when dogs decide they want to fly off decks and what have you.

So, I'd strongly suggest insurance. Also, what I would do is to try to meet the dam and sire of the puppy you're looking at. I didn't meet mine personally, but I met relatives of my dam. I'd also ask for descriptions of what their dog was like as a puppy, plus the breeder should have an idea of which pups in their litters were terrors and which ones were more even kilter.

But the one thing I've learned is to NOT let them get bored. Even though Napa wasn't much of a problem through his puppyhood, if he felt that he wasn't getting enough attention, he'd FIND a way to get OUR attention. So we lost a few wooden poles- mostly kitchen supplies that I had bought for various people. He's made his own signature on an umbrella. But, I reiterate, that was from us NOT paying ATTENTION to him. Napa's also very smart, and was very easy to train- so no thousands of dollars here. But I'm not going to say that Napa's the norm, either. We lucked out with him, and really couldn't have asked for a better dog! Even though it turned out alright for us the first time, the next time I'd adopt a pup, I want to know the parents, and really know the pups- either in person, or from detailed descriptions of the pup growing up.

So, I'm not sure if this has helped.... but my advise would be to really know the parents. We also wanted a Therapy dog, so we looked for breeders who were breeding that temperament- which helped....

p.s. I don't blame you for wanting to avoid the hyper dog temperament. Some people are meant for a pup with that personality, and some aren't. You need to match the pup's temperament with your own for peacefulness. If we had gotten a really energenic pup, we would have had issues. Napa fit perfectly because he was willing to sit with us while we did our school work, but still wanted to play and run around when we were interested in being active and done with school work!
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Kristen and Napa-doodle, the chocolate doodle!

[cissy k]

Thank you all so much. Both for the honest replies and for not getting mad at me. I agree that it will be best to go with a breeder who is experienced at matching temperament. That is key for us. I would love to get a rescue or rehome dog but finding the right one may be harder than starting with a puppy!

This is all good information so keep it coming!

[gene]

Cissy....with some rescues, the dogs are fostered first, and you might get some tips from the foster parents. I got to meet Rumor's foster Mom and learned a lot about him. But he did end up acting different with me. Think it's just because he bonded with me more than her. She said I would have trouble with him letting me groom him, but he's gentle and calm as a kitten during grooming.

Good luck on your search in whatever you decide.

I try never to judge, especially when you're asking the right questions, and any kind of dog ownership is a life time commitment not to be made on a whim. Feel free to ask away!!
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gene , jonah , miko and rumor

http://s125.photobucket.com/albums/p46/jonahfus
"A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down." - Robert Benchley

[Natalie]

I believe puppies tend to be high maintenance no matter the breed, but the thing that has impressed me so much with our labradoodle is how smart he is. Of course you are going to hear all the "issues" here we have with our doodles and not hear as much about how wonderful our dogs are. Our now 4 1/2 month old we rescued when he was just 8 weeks old and we've had some issues early on with crazy biting, which I've discussed at length on this forum, but never discussed how he went in his crate without a problem from day one and how he has always slept through the night and was so easy to housetrain. He is the most WONDERFUL dog and has doodled his way into our hearts! My small children 5 and 2 crawl all over him and he adores them. He is absolutely a fabulous family dog! I agree with everyone here that excercise and training are so important! You will not get a perfect dog, but if you are prepared to work with your new pup you will benefit greatly from a fun, comical, loveable, loyal pet that doesn't smell or hardly shed! So I hope this gives some perspective. Good luck with your decision!

[DebBrown]

We've had two foster dogs and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend either one. The good thing about an older puppy is that they are a known quantities. With 8 week old puppies, no one knows for sure about their temperaments, coats, size, etc.

Both of the foster dogs that we had were under a year old and had basically no training. Once they learned the rules, they became wonderful companions.

Good luck with your search!

Deb

[Lucky Me]

Before I bought my F1 Tuesday, I met her mom,a super mello Lab and then her dad, a super mello Poodle. Tuesday was more wirery as a pup but mellowed out considerable by 2.
I have since found out that with her having field Lab in her, it is expected for her to be a bit more hyper...the trade-off being that they are more intelligent. That being said, when I bred her, I used a poodle that was mello, has produced several service dogs, and is "guaranteed" to produced calm, non-hyper pups. I love the personality of the puppy I kept as well as everyone else that bought these pups. Next litter I will not be able to use him as he is 11 now, but am using his brother that has the same qualities. This was a great breeding, all are smart and non-hyper....but then again, are puppies, so are playful.
Buy from someone that KNOWS their dogs, and spends the time with them so that they can pick one that fits YOU.
Exercise is importatant for ANY large dog as well as expecting chewing until 2 years of age.
Yes, we have had alot of little incidences but nothing major. It is all part of the process of teaching him what you expect from him, just like teaching a human child right from wrong.
These dogs really are people pleasers!!
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Judi,Tuesday& Marley(and little Reba too!)
"Happiness is a warm puppy with wet kisses"

[tykesmom]

[babydoll]

I have to agree with what everyone is saying! If anything, I think Labradoodle puppies are almost easier to live with than some other breeds of dogs BECAUSE they are so easy to train. I still can not believe how quickly our puppy caught on. I have to say the first two weeks were stressful and very trying but as it began to click it was so rewarding!

As it was already stated - exercise is very important. Puppies act out when they are bored and they need alot of attention! It took us a few weeks to find out how to tire out our puppy in a healthy way that was not stressful for us (tearing up the yard, biting, nipping, jumping). My #1 recommendation for puppy exercise is to have him/her play with other puppies (and puppy friendly dogs) - it works wonders.

I highly recommend puppy kindergarten as young as possible - the owners learn just as much as the puppies and everyone is dealing with the same issues (biting, jumping, crate-training, etc.).

[L's Mom]

Cissy, sounds like you are asking all the right questions! I think everyone has said what I have to offer, but here it is anyway ...

Find a great Breeder (if you go this route): they know what their breeding dogs are really like, they can get pretty close in matching you with your new pup... visit the site if you can... meet the parent dogs, I think you can really tell what traits your pup may have...

I think all pups can be crazed! Sometimes it the owner, sometimes it's the dog... No matter what the breed...

My 2 doodles have not been too destructive... they are 10 and 4 months right now, and have detroyed very little in the house...

The are smart, very smart so they learn quickly... potty training was incredibly simple for both pups...

We are in puppy school again ( for Della) and this time as was the last time (with Lucas) our doodle is one of the quickest to learn and to settle down from the excitement of class in general. Other breeds in the class... lab, chihuahua, dachound, giant schnauzer, chow, papillion, cavalier king charles spaniels, Rott and various mix breeds...

They do need exercise and attention, but they are awesome sweet dogs!

Oh... One of mine is more mouthy than the other... but is getting much better....

Also... Although I have had a couple dogs growing up, this is my first time as an adult and this is my husbands first time to have a dog... so we are not nearly as experienced dog owners as many, but we understood what it meant to own a dog, and totally committed before we brought one home.
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Jenny, Sam, Lucas, & Della

[KingstonTodd]

easy answer is no.

Hershey is super laid back and mellow (unless there is another dog to wrestle with). Not hyper at all.

Gus is a little more energized but i still wouldn't call him hyper.

[MaxandMe]

Cissy...HI !

1. all puppies come with different temperaments regardless of the breed just as people all have different personalities as well.

2. I'd say reading on the breeds and their known traits is great to trying to matching up what you want in a family pet.
HOWEVER seeing and/or learning the temperament of the puppy's parents is a good thing. If the parents are laid back hopefully so will be the puppies.

3. Max (LD) was a breeze to raise, Peanut (GD) was the curious exploring type with more energy than me some days hahaha until she was 11mos old . then she just slowed right now, but always has been easy going, sweet as pie and needed Gentle soft training.

4. All Puppies will have high energy times during different stages and also need exercise along with attention otherwise it's pentup energy

5. Training is key with breeds of dogs Known to have high intelligence such as the Doodles as they come from breeds that are very intelligent
I have found that minimal daily training really does make a BIG difference in my doodles being more content, eager to please and also makes us bond closer.
I paid $115 for an 8 week formal OB class....money well spent!!
BUT doing it at home is KEY ...as it's like going to school where the teacher gives you the tools and examples to learn that you do at home and practice furthers the learning.

6. Some dogs are known for stubborness, others for hunting, some for being very people oriented, others sensitive

then there's the low to nonshedding coats of doodles which for some of us with allergies is a godsend.

If you read up on labrador retrievers and/or golden retrievers and poodles
you'll see what is being mixed together.

7. I'd say it sounds MORE like you're doing your homework and asking a good question of us doodle owners.
i've fostered so many dogs over past 30years ....for me, the labradoodle and golendoodle are the best

Good luck and let us know if you decide on a doodle or not
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Annmarie, Max,& Peanut
Forum BLOG ARTICLE LINK http://blog.labradoodle-dogs.net/

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France