Goldendoodles and the women who love them

Goldendoodles are a hybrid between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. That isn't to say that a Goldendoodle has to come from two parents who are those two breeds. A Goldendoodle is still a first generation Goldendoodle even if both parents are Goldendoodles or if one parent was a Goldendoodle and the other a Poodle or if one parent was a Golden Retriever and the other a Goldendoodle.

Many people are confused about what generation their Goldendoodle is, and rightly so, given all the erroneous information over the internet. If neither parent are directly related, the offspring is first generation. First generation implies "parent to child". Goldendoodles, believe it or not, were created with a purpose. Given the fact Golden Retrievers and Poodles alike have a history of strong retrieving backgrounds, it is of no wonder the Goldendoodle enjoys digging, smelling, tracking and hunting.

Believe it or not, Goldendoodles even enjoy trying to dig game out of their lair and find pleasure carrying objects in their mouth. They are a soft mouthed dog. These lucky hybrid dogs show personality traits of both breeds (Golden Retriever and Poodle) if they have a shaggy coat; More Poodle traits if they have a curly coat and more Golden Retriever traits if they have a smooth coat. The naysayers will scoff at this idea, but I have personally witnessed the above to be true over the years. You see, I began creating the Goldendoodle back in 1999. Coat type has plenty to do with their personality traits. It is naturally obvious that a Goldendoodle who resembles the Poodle …..ie….could very well pass for a purebred Poodle with an undocked tail….would behave more like a Poodle given the fact its genetic structure has more Poodle dna. The same would apply for the smooth coat Goldendoodle who resembles the Golden Retriever so much so that they could pass for a purebred Golden Retriever. That is because their genetic structure has more Golden Retriever dna. The shaggy coat Goldendoodle has the best of both worlds. Goldendoodles share personality traits of both breeds. Given the fact the Goldendoodle shares its lineage of both the Poodle and the Golden Retriever, the women who love these wonderful hybrids can come up with some games that their doodles will enjoy right away.

While Terrier mixes may enjoy games where they can destroy a toy (kill the toy) type of games and herding mixes may enjoy games where they can herd their toys, a Goldendoodle is going to enjoy games that stimulate their mind. Many of these dogs enjoy toys that have realistic fur as opposed to toys that are plush stuffed animals. Goldendoodles have a keen sense of smell and enjoy retrieving "game". Your Goldendoodle would enjoy having a sand pit in its backyard if he or she loves to dig. Give him or her a specific area where they are allowed to dig. You might even bury a few chew bones for them to find and retrieve. The best way to find out what your doodle loves to play with is to observe, over time, what toys he or she prefers. Observing your Goldendoodle over time helps you strengthen your relationship with him or her and it helps you figure out what activities they prefer.

Hiding objects for your Goldendoodle to retrieve; Taking your doodle to the lake or beach for it to play in the sand and possibly work in some swimming time; playing tug; playing chase; These are just a few small ideas that will help keep your Goldendoodle occupied and that may appeal to this low shedding, low dander, fur ball.

Many women have fallen in love with the Goldendoodle. Women from all walks of life. Women with degrees and women without degrees. Women who are mothers, grandmothers, sisters and wives. Women who are single and successful. It is no wonder women have fallen in love with the Goldendoodle. What's not to love about them? The Goldendoodle is arguably one of the most popular hybrids that has been at the center of controversy ever since they surfaced on the market in 1997. Author, Kim C. Thornton, claims the Labradoodle became a popular "designer dog" in 2005, but she is mistaken. I'm not even sure where she did her research, actually. I began our Goldendoodle breeding program in 1999 and I know for a fact that Labradoodles were already being sold in Australia and sporadically across the United States during this time period. When I began our Goldendoodle breeding program, I wasn't even aware any breeder was deliberately creating this mixture of dog. I only became aware of a small handful of breeders in Australia after I advertised my very first litter. According to author Kim C. Thornton, she claims that AKC assistant vice president of communications , Daisy Okas, stated that Labradoodles and Goldendoodles would not be registered with their kennel club any time soon given the fact there was criteria they had to meet first. According to the American Kennel Club in 2008, they released a statement in an article that they WERE going to allow the Labradoodle and Goldendoodle both to be registered with their kennel club. They even went so far as to say that beginning in October 2008, these hybrids would be permitted a "limited" registration. Whether AKC went ahead and began this program, I do not know. I personally yanked my purebred dogs out of the American Kennel Club many, many years ago and re-registered every dog I own with Universal Kennel Club International ( UKCI ) after AKC permitted a Poodle breeder in Georgia register a litter of puppies using her Poodle sire's AKC registration number instead of my Poodle's AKC registration number, knowing he was the sire to that litter. I was tipped off by someone who had first hand knowledge that this breeder submitted paperwork to the American Kennel Club, knowing it was my Poodle sire who was the father to the puppies. After I filed a grievance with AKC, I was told by AKC officials that they don't involve themselves in "breeder disputes" and that they were merely a "registrant service". My grievance was denied. They never required this deceptive Toy Poodle breeder in Georgia to submit DNA evidence to support her claim even though I requested she do so and I was willing to submit DNA evidence to support my claim that my Toy Poodle sire was indeed the true father. After they denied my grievance, I realized what a sham the AKC kennel club was and if they did this to me…just how many other purebred dogs in the United States are walking around with false AKC documentation? I immediately submitted all of my AKC documents to the Universal Kennel Club International and immediately switched kennel clubs. I selected a kennel club who actually cared about the dogs they registered and they listened and cared about the breeders who joined them. I never looked back after leaving the American Kennel Club. They laugh themselves all the way to the bank. So many people just have no idea what a scam kennel club AKC really is. Perhaps by now, they have cleaned up their act. I do not know. What I do know is at the time I yanked all of my dogs out of their kennel club, breeders in droves were leaving them as well for the same issues.

There really isn't any benefits at having your dog registered with the American Kennel Club. Unless you intend to participate in their dog shows and competitions, there really is no purpose at being affiliated with this club. If you are a breeder and you have issues, this kennel club will not assist you. As a breeder, it is very important that you have your affiliated kennel club's support. Without it, you may as well be traveling alone on a deserted road. That's what it felt like when I need AKC the most. That's why I left their kennel club.

The Goldendoodle is a very versatile dog. They are tremendously intelligent and they are remarkable dogs. But it's very important that the breeder pay special attention to the parent dogs' lineage and take the time to research their ancestors. A breeder, male or female, can learn so much about their Goldendoodle's history. This will also help them pass along very important information to those who desire one of their pups. What separates the Goldendoodle from any other hybrid? The naysayers will claim that the coat, personality and traits are a "toss up" but I know for a fact, given all the years of experience I have with this terrific hybrid, this is not true. Providing the breeder has many years of experience in how they are creating these dogs, the Goldendoodle's coat type, traits and personality is very reliable and fixed. There is no "toss up". There are no surprises. This same author, Kim C. Thornton, claims that hybrid dogs have a "mish-mash" of traits…but I highly doubt she has ever created a Goldendoodle, much less spent years learning about them. The difference between a breeder who writes about what they have come to know in their 14 years of creating and breeding the Goldendoodle dog and those who only write for a living and haven't first hand knowledge is tremendous. It's one thing to actually know what your talking about rather than gathering bits and pieces of information simply to write an article.

*About the author: Dee Gerrish, of Goldendoodle World, has written about the Goldendoodle dog since 1999. She is one of the original founders for this lovely hybrid for the entire southern region of the United States. More information about the Goldendoodle can be found on her website at http://www.goldendoodleworld.com/