full size dog is starting to scare me!

cmives · Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 1:48 pm Post subject:

Oh, Jac, my jaw just dropped when I read your post! I can't imagine having a 130 pound dog, that is more than I weigh! Already, Maggie pulls (we are working on that with training) because she is so strong. But if I have a gentle 130 pound dog, then that is okay. Hyper 130 pound dog, not so much okay!

i see that she sleeps most of the morning (when I'm usually gone and she is in her crate) and i like her the most when she is sleeping!

Jac · Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 2:52 pm Post subject:

No..no! I didn't mean to scare you more! Embarassed

I was just making a point...but I think that your dog is probably very near its full growth now! Don't worry...

Plus, I have a 65 lb. Poodle and he is so gentle and sweet...and I have a 44 lb Labradoodle and she is also gentle and sweet...but extremely STRONG...I would pit her against almost any big dog for strength...yet she is calm and very obedient.

It is all in the training. Really. Don't worry about size, because dogs mellow as they age...and size has nothing to do with that...but training might.

Oh...and FYI...I have never personally seen a Labradoodle over about 65 lbs. I am so sorry to have made it worse! Sometimes, I just put my foot in my mouth...yuck! Sorry!!!
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jacque.bayley.lexie.chase.rosie.nitos.amelia.dupree.madison.sherwood.gerry www.backporchlabradoodles-jacque.blogspot.com www.backporchlabradoodles.com

lovemydoodle · Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 2:58 pm Post subject:

The only thing I can about when they stop growing is this..my doodle is now 12 months old and weighs 80 pounds. Our vet said to keep him right at 80 pounds. She said he looked very good. He is kinda tall too, but definately doesnt look skinny. So I think he is done growing. People always comment on what a big dog he is.

You also mentioned pulling...one of the best things out there right now is the gentle leader. It has been brought up before here and im sure others will say how great it is. Infact, it worked instantly for us!

Good Luck! Very Happy

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Brooke

Angie · Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 295

Otto, has com from two labradoodles, but their mother was a standard poodle and father a labrador, will he be large. At 10 weeks he is 8 kilos, and his feet are huge
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angie

cmives · Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 4:03 pm Post subject:

jacque: don't worry you really didnt' scare me. right after we got Maggie, i saw a woman walking a huge but very gentle dog and it was a goldendoodle. i would say he was at least 100 pounds but with the best demeanor i've ever seen. so please don't think you put your foot in your mouth, you didn't!

i am figuring that Maggie will slow down her growth from now until 1 year, but if not, then so be it!

as for the gentle leader, when we were in training at a highly respected place here in Denver recently, the trainer said that those actually promote pulling! I had never heard that before and wonder if anyone can shed some light on that school of thought.

thanks for your replies

Jac · Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 4:25 pm Post subject:

Whew! Thanks...

I have not heard that the gentle leader promotes pulling, but I do know that regular harnesses make the pulling muscles stronger!

We use a prong collar (after months of having the dogs walk us...or run us, whichever was their preference)...now they are ideal to walk with. A lot of people think they look bad...I did too...but they are the best training tool I have seen!

Good luck!
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jacque.bayley.lexie.chase.rosie.nitos.amelia.dupree.madison.sherwood.gerry www.backporchlabradoodles-jacque.blogspot.com www.backporchlabradoodles.com

cmives · Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 4:29 pm Post subject:

we bought a prong collar at training (8 week puppy course which was just chaos. i hated it!). the trainers called it "power steering". Maggie completely responded to it; she was mellow, when before at training she was so out of control (and i could hear the trainers talking about me and my wild dog when I was not doing something right). our breeder would probably be horrified to know we used a prong collar, but really it was our only option to get her to comply.

maybe it is the harness that the trainer was referring to and not the gentle leader. but now that we have the "jewelry" (as the trainers also called it!) Maggie doesn't pull. i don't take her for walks as I can't really control her but when my husband does, she does well.

Jannie · Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 5:00 pm Post subject:

I don't see how the gentle leader can promote pulling. That doesn't make any sense because the ring to the leash on the gentle leader is under the dog's chin. If the dog pulls, the gentle leader will tighten against the dog's nose and pull it down to the chin. If the dog pulls any tighter, its head will turn in the direction of the leash, which is back toward the person who is holding the leash. I found it to work quite well to prevent pulling and would recommend it.

lovemydoodle · Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 5:56 pm Post subject:

Those guys are right, the gentle leader doesnt promote pulling (it also comes with a training video on how it all works). When Leno starts to pull he immediately stops, the gentle leader controls the head in a nice way. If he pulls too hard he will turn his head to whatever side you are on. It literally worked within the first 5 minutes we tried it on him. He tried pawing it off at first but now he knows when we grab that it means a longer walk Smile

I've also heard that harnesses do promote pulling, because it actually helps them build upper body strength
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Brooke

Maureen · Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 10:30 pm Post subject:

ok you two, CUT IT OUT!!

cmives, if you can't come to Parker on Saturday how about EVERGREEN on Sunday?? I'm planning to go there, too!

The time has gotten away from me and I had intended to email some of our Doodle Families in your neighborhood, but I didn't! sheesh. Anyway I still want to go and actually meet Karen, the owner of the www.coloradodoodle.com cuz she's SO SWEET AND HELPFUL for our state's doodle community!

anyway, thanks for cutting in Jacque, someone needed to stop those two, it was getting embarrassing! Wink

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~Maureen
LabradoodleRanch@aol.com
www.LabradoodleRanch.com

Keith · Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 10:51 pm Post subject:

RE: Maureen... BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH Is all I read... Laughing

We know you LOVE it. Wink

RE: gentle leader/prong. I am a BIG TIME supporter of the prong. The german brand HS Heimeker Sprenger is THE best one out there... Our trainer totally turned us on to it after the parachute cord didnt work very well and was getting caught on his hair. Maureen saw it and seemed to like it, especially with the results we achieved.

Let me know if you need help on posting the pics. more than happy to walk through it with you. a couple times of success and you will be able to post like an old pro.

cmives · Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 12:43 pm Post subject:

Maureen, i just saw your post about evergreen today, and it is probably too late now. it is almost 1 pm. it was my son's 10th birthday yestrday so he is still playing the "birthday" trump card, so it looks like we'll be heading to chuck e cheese today after my hubby takes him and his brothers fishing (Maggie went with them last night and went knee-deep into the lake; i think she likes water!).

sorry but you DO deserve such kudos; i have had quite the learning experience with breeders and I really wish we had gone with you.

please do keep me posted on any other doodle romps in the denver area. i think it would be a hoot!

maggie isn't very good off leash, except with my husband, so what do we do about that? do all the dogs stay pretty close by because they are all playing or what? i have never been to a romp, can you tell??

dshell74 · Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 5:53 pm Post subject:

Gus, my first gen labradoodle, will be a year old on Aug 14. He now weighs close to 80lbs. He was 18.5lbs at 9-10 weeks of age. His parents were both around 70lbs. I've read that with the "hybrid" breeds (I'm not sure about that term) it is tough to determine what the adult size will be because it is common for the offspring to be larger than the parents. I'm not sure how true that is in general but it definately applies to Gus. For the most part, Gus is a gentle giant. I regularly dogsit for a 12lb rat terrier who is an absolute nightmare to walk because she spends most of the walk on her back feet like a circus act. Gus likes her but still doesn't know what to make of her. I'd rather have two Gus' than one of her!