Goldendoodles – Dangers and Pleasures – Things to consider before you buy
Goldendoodles – the most wonderful pets you could hope for. Unless, of course, they jump on you and knock you over. Or they chew on an electrical cord. Or you’re allergic and the endless discharge annoys you.
I’ve had my gold doodles for three years now, and (like kids) the enjoyment outweighs the aggravation, at least most of the time.
The reason I bought goldendoodles to begin with was their (supposed) non-linear, hypoallergenic status. While the allergy claim is true for me, others in my family start sneezing and itching around them. As for shedding, my dogs must lack the right kind of poodle genes. Hair is everywhere, all the time. My kids now understand the purpose of lint rollers.
When it comes to friendliness, goldendoodles can’t be beat. My dogs have never met a person or dog they didn’t love. It doesn’t make good guard dogs, but at least they could lick an intruder to death.
Goldendoodles are certainly chewers, at least for the first few years. Mine chose to chew on my door frames (when I wasn’t looking). They are rambunctious puppies and cannot be trusted to be left unattended for long periods. I think it would probably be easier if you only had one doodle. Like little boys, mine get into each other’s mischief. We have two because I’m away from work for long hours and they really keep each other company. I say “we” because they truly belong to my children…
I’ve never known my dogs to snap at anyone, but I had my hand jammed by a tooth when they were puppies, and both dogs sometimes play rough with each other. Even dogs that don’t bite can accidentally bite if you put your hand where it shouldn’t be.
The biggest danger with my dogs is that I haven’t (yet) trained them not to jump on people. This is not good for animals weighing 50 to 80 pounds. They could easily knock a child or an elderly person off their feet. One of my dogs is a jumper by nature. She jumps in the air with joy at the prospect of seeing an old friend or a new acquaintance. Hopefully as she gets older this will change, although training her is probably the better answer. The same dog loves to swim and is happy to dive into a pool. However, a jumping, swimming dog is best avoided, especially around small children. Dogs have no idea that their claws can hurt while swimming, and their instinct is to keep their feet moving.
If you’re looking for a dog to sleep with, a Golden Doodle will jump at the chance (if you can stand it). If this is your plan, I suggest you groom and brush your goldendoodle regularly. Long hair (up to 8 inches) collects all sorts of debris that you won’t want in your bed.
My son wanted a lap dog. This is what we have, an 80 pound dog on our lap. As company, goldendoodles make wonderful companions. They will take as much love and attention as you can give and still be ready for more.
We all learn from experience and I would advise you to take more time than I did to train your dog. Pampering leads to jumping, licking, chewing, furry monsters… but I love them nonetheless.
Copyright 2010 Cynthia J. Dr. Koelker
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