The World of Goldendoodles - Recently Updated Pages

About blue eyed Goldendoodles

goldendoodleworld — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:25:01 CST

Blue eyed Goldendoodles

One of our clients recently said it best, " people still can't believe we have a goldendoodle with blue eyes. They truly are one of kind!"

Indeed, blue eyed Goldendoodles are truly one of a kind. Our first blue
eyed Goldendoodle was born to us in 2005. We named her Star Burst.
We also kept her brother who was born with green eyes. Since 1999, we
had only seen a handful of light eyed Goldendoodles born to us and we
were thrilled that we had several light eyed doodles in a single litter.

We then placed Amber in our breeding program. We were once more thrilled to see a couple more doodles born with blue eyes. "Camper" (photo to the left) is a very special blue eyed Goldendoodle. She was purchased by her new family from us as a tribute to their late
brother, Jonathan, who passed away unexpectedly. Camper has, indeed, turned into a beautiful blue eyed doodle who has also stayed on the small side. She is a cream, curly coat and her coloring along with those brilliant blue eyes are something to behold. We were very glad that her family sent us additional photos of her just recently.

Goldendoodles come in all sizes and unfortunately due to erroneous doodle information over the internet, many assume that Goldendoodles are like purebred dogs in that they come in several "size categories". However, they do not. Goldendoodles DO come in all sizes, but they are a hybrid dog and can literally have various sized puppies in any given litter regardless of the size of the parents. With the Goldendoodle hybrid, their entire lineage plays a 100 percent role in what size they turn out to be. With Camper, she turned out to stay on the smaller side and we have come to learn through experience that Goldendoodles seem to stay closer to size to their littermates when they come out of other pairings than a 50/50 mix. For example, when we breed a Poodle to a Goldendoodle, we've seen the offspring stay closer in size to each other than when we breed a Poodle to a Golden Retriever. But we also will then see predominantly curly coats rather than either a mixture of curly coat and shaggy coat or just shaggy coats.

Star Burst (photo to the left) was our first blue eyed Goldendoodle and here we are in 2009 with another litter of blue eyed babies. Since 1999, we've only had fewer than 10 Goldendoodles born to us with blue eyes.......so indeed, they are one of a kind. No other breeder has blue eyed Goldendoodles and for now, they remain exclusive to us as a Goldendoodle breeder. In October of 2008, we bred one of our purebred Golden Retrievers, Jayda, to Star Dust......a male curly coat Goldendoodle with beautiful blue eyes who is also a small doodle. He weighs approx. 35-38 pounds. Because we had bred one of our Goldendoodles, Mara, to Star Dust back in 2007 and didn't have a single blue eyed doodle born in the litter....we were not sure if we'd be fortunate enough this time around. However, after doing a bit more research on eye color and genetics, I went through my Golden Retriever pedigrees and found that Jayda had several green eyed Goldens in her lineage and I knew this would enhance our chances.

The most common color of eyes for the Goldendoodle dog is brown eyes. Since 1999, we've had a handful of doodles born to us with green eyes and since 2005, we've had a few born with multi colored eyes...ie...one brown eye/one blue eye or one green eye and one blue eye.....but it is definitely the blue eyed Goldendoodle that is the show-stopper!

Camper was our first cream colored, blue eyed Goldendoodle and I can't tell you how many people fought and clamored over buying her! It was Jonathan's story that filled my heart and I knew immediately that his family was the right family for Camper. She now resides in California and her family is just filled with joy at having her. We appreciate all of the photos that our customers continue to send to us of the Goldendoodles we have placed into their homes and that were born to us. Star Dust (see photo above) is an absolute beauty. He is a light apricot, curly coat.

We have eight generations of Golden Retrievers. Our original founders were 13 and 15 years of age, when they crossed the rainbow bridge. Our Golden Retrievers have turned out to be extremely healthy, hardy dogs with a very loving temperament. It is of no wonder that our Goldendoodles have such a terrific temperament along with great personalities. We do own several Goldens out of our eight generations, who have green eyes. The fact that our Golden Retrievers carry light eyed genes has enhanced our ability to have further blue eyes and green eyes in our Goldendoodles. Brown eyed Goldendoodles are beautiful too...but this particular blog is just to brag about our blue eyed doodles and tell you how beautiful they are. If you are looking for a canine that you won't find any where else, you should consider a blue eyed doodle or a doodle with multi colored eyes.

Our newest litter, which is the FIRST litter we've had since July of 2008.....which was our green eyed chocolate doodles....are exceptionally beautiful because they are light apricot and dark apricot in color. So far, all seem to be a shaggy coat. Valentine's day is coming up very soon and we believe these lovely babies will be ready for personal pick up on that day! If you require shipping, we will be letting them leave by Feb. 22nd, 2009.

Make sure to visit our website at http://www.goldendoodleworld.com to watch videos of these little cuties and to see further photos of them.

Our puppies are very spoiled and very well cared for. They are groomed inside of my personal grooming shop where we have cute winnie the pooh decals as well as spongy alphabets on our walls. Our Goldendoodle pups are housed inside a safe, temperature controlled home of their own. Please make sure to go to our website at http://www.goldendoodleworld.com to view photos and videos or you can go to our My Space page at http://www.myspace.com/hellodeedee as well as http://www.myspace.com/simplydeedeedee to view more videos and Goldendoodle articles!

We offer more amenities than any other Goldendoodle breeder and of course, we've had entirely more doodle experience than most breeders in the United States. We began our Goldendoodle program in 1999 but we were purebred Golden Retriever breeders in 1996.

You will find our website the most extensive, comprehensive, educational Goldendoodle website on the internet! Our Goldendoodles come from superb breeding stock. Our Standard Poodles all have extensive champion pedigrees that dates back to the early 1930s. All of our Standard Poodles come out of Wycliffe, Dassin, Eaton and Bel Tor lines. We've researched our dogs' pedigrees quite extensively and spent two years going through their heavily championed lineage. All of the photos ARE of our beautiful dogs that we either still have as well as are photos that our previous clients continue to send to us.

Every dog is personally groomed by Dee Gerrish as needed, inside of her grooming shop. We are very grateful to all of our very happy clients who continue to this day to submit stories, photos, birthday cards and emails to us regarding their doodles that came right from our home. Make sure to give us a call at 704-278-DOGS (3647) if you are ready to make one of our special doodles a part of your family!

About the smooth coat Goldendoodle

goldendoodleworld — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:19:13 CDT

What is a smooth coat Goldendoodle?

A smooth coat Goldendoodle is of course, a Goldendoodle......but, a Goldendoodle with a very easy coat to maintain and a Goldendoodle that has a very similar appearance to the purebred Golden Retriever. There are, however, differences.
The smooth coat Goldendoodle may seem to have a similar appearance as that of a purebred Golden Retriever, but you will notice their legs may be long like the Poodle.....their muzzle may be slender like the Poodle........they may have some fluff about the ears and neck and of course, their bone structure may be more petite, similar to the Poodle.

Since creating Goldendoodles in 1999, we know now that there are three coat types for the Goldendoodle dog:

A. Shaggy
B. Curly
C. Smooth

We obtained our very first smooth coat in 2007 when we decided to breed one of our blue eyed, curly coat Goldendoodles to one of our purebred Golden Retrievers. "Meeryn" (as seen up above in the photo) was our very first smooth coat Goldendoodle. Our intention of the pairing for her parents was to attempt to have at least one blue eyed doodle pup or one with multi eye color. It did not happen with this pairing. We found it interesting as well that there was just 1 smooth coat doodle born in a litter of six. The rest were males who had a shaggy coat. We were pleased to find out that the Golden
Retriever temperament was set in the offspring.

Some breeders have asked us how can you tell if their Goldendoodle puppy is going to be a smooth coat, curly coat or shaggy coat and our answer has always been, you'll have to wait until the puppy is closer to six weeks of age. There are particular signs to look for that go with the three coat types. An experienced breeder will know over time that if they have Goldendoodles paired up in a particular way, they will have one or more of each coat type. The inexperienced breeder has to wait for the puppy to become closer to six or eight weeks of age.
With the smooth coat, their body coat will appear to turning fluffy but there will be no evidence upon the face of the usual signs that a facial beard is forming. All Goldendoodle puppies, except for the smooth coat, will have what we call an "upside down V shape" with the facial coat hairs, between the eyes down to the nose. If you are looking at the puppy directly, start looking between the eyes and you should notice what looks like an upside down "V" shape that starts between the eyes and spreads outwards away from the muzzle. As a young puppy, the hairs will still be short, but there will evidence of the facial beard forming from little hairs sticking out and away from the face. As the puppy matures, the hairs will continue to grow outward until it forms a facial beard. The smooth coat doodle is completely void of this usual facial beard. The curly coat Goldendoodle has a facial beard as well, but their coat is curly from the nose to their tail and the beard, while there, is not as pronounced as that of the shaggy coat.

The inexperienced breeder has difficulty at times, understanding the coat changes all Goldendoodles go through. A Goldendoodle will go through as many as ten to fifteen different coat changes from the time they are born up until the day they turn one year of age. The smooth coat Goldendoodle will go through fewer coat changes than the shaggy coat doodle and the curly coat Goldendoodle will seem to be curly up until around ten to twelve weeks of age and then their coat will seem to have "flat" patches...but this is merely a coat change. As the curly coat Goldendoodle continues to mature, their curls will reappear once again. The Goldendoodle's coat will stop maturing at the age of one year. The coat the doodle has at the age of one year, is what it is. Some inexperienced breeders tell their customers that their doodle who is void of a facial beard, will grow it by the time they are a year old. This is not accurate. A smooth coat Goldendoodle will never have a facial beard at anytime during its life. A Goldendoodle that does not have any evidence of a facial beard by the time it is eight weeks of age, will never have one. We have come to know that the facial beard, even if the hairs are short, will be evident at a very young age.

The shaggy coat Goldendoodle's facial hairs sprout out and away from the face even at the age of eight weeks. The smooth coat Goldendoodle will appear to have a fluffy coat at the age of eight weeks, but they will have no evidence of a facial beard. The body coat will eventually slough off through its multiple coat changes and will become very similar to the purebred Golden Retriever. However, there will be evidence of feathering around the legs, underbody and the tail that is very similar to the purebed Golden Retriever.

A family had sent us the photo up above who had purchased their doodle from a different breeder and had questions about whether or not their doodle was a smooth coat or shaggy coat. Because I was not sure of the exact age of the doodle in the photo up above, it appeared this doodle was approx. four to six months of age. In our particular shaggy coat doodles, we would have already seen evidence of a facial beard and a much shaggier coat. The owners to the doodle up above told me that their doodle was a 50/50 mixture...meaning, one of his parents was a Poodle and the other parent was a Golden Retriever. If this was the case, then my answer to them would be that perhaps their doodle is a late bloomer. I have personally never seen a Goldendoodle be completely void of a facial beard by this age, coming from a 50/50 mixture but I do remember that a doodle we had sold many, many years ago...Riley....did take longer to get a shaggy coat and his facial beard because he had picked up so much Golden Retriever that he himself was a "late bloomer". We saw further evidence from photos the owner had sent to us (and those photos can be found at http://www.goldendoodleworld.com under the link "Meet Riley") that he did indeed finally get his facial beard and his shaggy coat, even though his shaggy coat was shorter than we usually see in our shaggy coat Goldendoodles. When genetics sway closer to the Golden Retriever side, it is possible for the doodle to obtain a facial beard and shaggy coat later as a puppy....but if it has not appeared by the age of one year, it will never happen. There are many people who want a Goldendoodle that has more of a Golden Retriever appearance, so this look is always acceptable. There will of course be some shedding issues with Goldendoodles who pick up more Golden Retriever genes. We have found, however, that the shedding is still by far less than the purebred Golden Retriever.....but it is more than a shaggy coat or a curly coat.

Paden, up above with his blue toy, is a green eyed smooth coat Goldendoodle from our Goldendoodle World who has a chocolate colored nose, eye trim and pawpads. He resides with his happy family in Maryland. Paden came out of a litter of three smooth coats and one shaggy coat. Surprisingly enough, we did not get a single curly coat from the litter that came from two curly coat blue eyed doodles we had paired together. Theoretically, a breeder would assume that if they paired up two curly coat blue eyed doodles, that they would obtain curly coat blue eyed offspring. This was not the case in our experience. What we did see was one brown eyed shaggy coat, two blue eyed smooth coats and one green eyed smooth coat (Paden). The brown eyed shaggy coat male was our typical Goldendoodle that we generally see coming out of our 50/50 Goldendoodles. We were very surprised to see three smooth coats coming from two curly coat Goldendoodles. We did, however, see two of the smooth coats have blue eyes and the one cream smooth coat, Paden, have green eyes. The Goldendoodle dog has always fascinated us because they seem to break every genetic rule we've read thus far. It does prove our point that we've said since 1999, that the parents of a Goldendoodle does NOT play a 100% role in the outcome of the doodle offspring, rather the entire lineage of the doodle offspring plays a very important role in their appearance, their coat type, their eye color and so on. We have literally seen offspring turn out to look very different from each other and we've seen offspring turn out to look nearly identical. A Goldendoodle breeder can never say for sure, before the offspring matures, what exact appearance their doodles will have because Goldendoodles break every rule that we purebred breeders have come to know from years of experience. It is also the same that the Goldendoodle breeder can never say that all of their doodle offspring will be the same exact size...per litter...based on the size of the parents. They will be wrong every time. Goldendoodles can vary in height and weight amongst each other in any given litter and the weight difference can be dramatic or it can be slight. This is why Goldendoodles can never be placed into size categories. Purebred dogs can be lumped into size categories because it has been the general experience of purebred dog fanciers that the offspring of purebred dogs will generally turn out to be very close to the size of one parent or the other, regardless of gender. Because it is true that males and females are not particular sizes based on gender, it has always bewildered me as to why most kennel clubs will show the males being larger than the females when in fact, we've seen some purebred females weighing more than their brothers, as an adult dog. With Goldendoodles, every individual puppy in any given litter will either weigh more or less than each other, regardless of gender. We did, however, see that doodles will be closer in size to each other if they come from two Goldendoodles being bred together or if they come from a Goldendoodle bred to a Poodle or a Golden Retriever. Why this is, we can only assume that its because the Goldendoodle already has both breeds in its genetic make up and when paired up with another purebred dog that is already in its DNA, this may be why the doodle offspring stay closer to each other in size. Only a true DNA analysis of each individual puppy would reveal the actual answer.

We do know for a fact that the smooth coat Goldendoodle can be of any color; can have any eye color and will only occur with the following pairings:

1. Two Goldendoodles bred together, regardless of coat type.
2. One curly coat Goldendoodle bred to a purebred Golden Retriever.
3. One shaggy coat Goldendoodle bred to a purebred Golden Retriever.

A smooth coat Goldendoodle will never occur from a 50/50 pairing. We do know that the temperament seems to be
set that is very similar to the purebred Golden Retriever for a Goldendoodle that comes from a Goldendoodle and a purebred Golden Retriever pairing. We, ourselves, prefer the temperament of Goldendoodles that come from a Goldendoodle/Golden Retriever pairing simply because we are Golden Retriever fans and enjoy the temperament of the Golden Retriever.

More can be read about the smooth coat Goldendoodle by visiting our website at http://www.goldendoodleworld.com

Author/breeder: Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World. Copyright protected 2008/
About the author: Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World is one of the original founders for the Goldendoodle dog for the entire southern region of the United States. She has written extensively about the Goldendoodle dog since 1999.

Selecting a Goldendoodle dog

goldendoodleworld — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:12:16 CDT

Is the Goldendoodle dog a good match for myself or my family? Many people seeking a family pet for the first time have many questions to ask themselves BEFORE considering a Goldendoodle. The first question is, can I afford to raise and own a Goldendoodle ? The second question would be, what is my lifestyle ? Many people do not take their lifestyle into consideration before adding a pet to their home.
Do they have time to spend with a Goldendoodle? Do you have time to devote to training your Goldendoodle? A Goldendoodle is a very family oriented, loving, affectionate and shaggy dog. They require YOUR time, patience, love, attention and your pocketbook. As a young puppy, the Goldendoodle does not require much coat maintenance, but as an adult, their coat will need to be groomed. One must take into consideration who is going to be the care taker of your new Goldendoodle, once it arrives at your home. A young Goldendoodle puppy always seems to eating, sleeping, peeing and pooping. Will you have the time to dedicate to his or her well being ? Do you have the time to ensure he or she will have a routine so that he or she can become potty trained? Sure, the ideal dog is to purchase one that is already housebroken...already trained and knows commands...has an on and off switch....but this is reality, not a dream. A Goldendoodle can become lonely if left for long periods of time. One must take into consideration their demanding work schedule. Do you live close enough to home where you can drop by during lunch to check in on your Goldendoodle puppy ? Do you have time in the afternoons to take him or her for a walk?
Many people see a cute, cuddly dog and want one without taking into consideration many factors that will either make or break your ability to enjoy your new Goldendoodle. This lovely hybrid comes in a variety of sizes and their sizes are not dependent upon the sizes of their parents. This hybrid does not fall into size categories regardless of how many breeders will lie to you and tell you that they do. We've created the Goldendoodle since 1999 and are fully aware of the fact that regardless of the size of the Goldendoodle's parents, every sibling inside of a given litter will be a different size. When a Poodle is bred to a Golden Retriever, regardless of their size, a breeder has to take their entire lineage into consideration. Unfortunately for the breeder, unless they own the entire lineage, their dogs' pedigree is NOT going to tell you what size all of ancestors were as an adult. Thus, a breeder must rely on their own personal experience and feedback from their past customers.

Some parents want to purchase a Goldendoodle for their children but do not take into consideration that their child may not have been exposed to dogs, in general. The fact a young child has not been exposed to dogs will cause that very child be timid around even a puppy. After all, everyone is fearful of something they may not have been exposed to. It's human nature to be wary of things we are not sure of. Perhaps you may want to expose your child to dogs for awhile before considering committing to one. Perhaps your family is an active family who is always on the go. In this case, you will have to take into consideration of the places you visit. Do they accept dogs ? Will this change or affect your routine ? A Goldendoodle should be a life long commitment. Not just a whim. If you have gone through all the above considerations, perhaps the Goldendoodle dog is going to be right for you and your family.

A Goldendoodle is a bright, intelligent, low shedding canine who is demanding in attention, your affection and your love. A Goldendoodle is a dog who commands attention where ever they go. They are their own celebrity in their own right. If you have considered a Goldendoodle for your next family pet, the next thing you'll have to consider is your budget. While it may be true that you can locate a Goldendoodle for under $500, one must be weary of breeders who have their prices set very low. The reason for this is because many of those breeders are where the pet stores also get their Goldendoodle puppies. A pet store scouts the United States for Goldendoodle breeders who will sell the entire litter for a mere $500 so that they do not incur any expenses in caring for the puppies, yet the pet store will then turn around and sell each puppy for as much as $2000 or more. A pet store is completely the inappropriate place to purchase your Goldendoodle. Don't blame the pet store, blame the breeders who allow their puppies to be placed into the hands of pet store owners. This type of breeder is a commercial breeder who provides the entire litter to a pet store as soon as they are weaned from their mother. Many pet stores do not even know the history of the Goldendoodles they have in their stores, nor will they have the ability to share such information with the buyer. You will want to purchase your Goldendoodle from a breeder who registers their litters with a kennel club and who is an experienced Goldendoodle breeder. We began creating our Goldendoodles in 1999 and we began as a purebred Golden Retriever breeder in 1996. You will want an experienced Goldendoodle breeder so that they can tell you everything you need to know about the new hybrid you are taking home with you. Many Goldendoodle breeders are new to this hybrid and place erroneous information upon their websites or in their advertisements and unfortunately for those on a doodle quest, many doodle breeders who are inexperienced piggy back on breeders who post inaccurate information about this terrific hybrid. This makes it very difficult for those who are new to the Goldendoodle, at figuring out what is accurate and what is not. Many Goldendoodle breeders use canine testing as their reasons for commanding very high prices yet won't provide their buyers a lifetime guarantee even though they tell you that they sell "healthy, genetically defective free" Goldendoodle puppies and dogs. Many Goldendoodle breeders have average prices...don't test their breeding dogs, but are very experienced, good breeders. Testing breeding dogs does not prevent the canine owner from ever having health issues with the dogs they purchase. Testing is only valid for the dogs that have been tested. Many dogs can be carriers of genetic issues and pass TESTS, yet still pass on these silent defective genes that affect their offspring.

Any breeder that tells you the Goldendoodle they are selling is a non-shedding, hypoallergenic dog is telling you a lie. Every Goldendoodle, regardless of generation, will have a low shedding coat, providing the dog has been created properly. We have created the Goldendoodle dog since 1999 and have created the Goldendoodle in nearly every way possible and have seen all of our Goldendoodles have a low shedding coat...even those doodles that had a smooth coat. Many people do not understand what a first generation Goldendoodle is and believe that doodles who come from a 50/50 mix are the only doodles that are first generation. NO SO.
All Goldendoodles are first generation doodles if their parents are not closely related. There are many Goldendoodle breeders who improperly use the term "F1b". The term "F1B" actually means the doodle dog is a second generation. How does a breeder obtain a second generation Goldendoodle? They breed 2 dogs together that are not related.....be it a Goldendoodle/Poodle, a Goldendoodle/Golden Retriever or a Golden Retriever/Poodle....create offspring....Keep one of the offspring and then when it is old enough, they BREED IT BACK to its close relative...ie....its mother, father, brother, sister or grandparent, etc;
This is what the "B" means and this is what "backbred" means. The term "Backbred" does NOT mean "breeding back to a Poodle" or "breeding back to a Golden Retriever". That is not what the term "F1B" means and yet there are many Goldendoodle breeders using the "F1B" term in this manner, which is incorrect. Let's put it this way. "Backbred" is just a nice term for saying the breeder has inbred their dogs. Many show breeders "backbreed" and "inbreed" and "backcross" and "crisscross"......whatever term you want to use, many show breeders inbreed their purebred dogs because they are looking to enhance particular show traits as a means to obtain further show dogs. We see many purebred dogs having serious health and personality issues because of this. When breeders constantly inbreed their dogs, they create what is called a "genetic bottleneck". This means that they limit the genes that their offspring can inherit and this causes many undesirable traits in the offspring.
When a Goldendoodle breeder pairs up two dogs that are NOT closely related...even if those two dogs are of different breeds or even if the two dogs are of the same breed, their offspring are FIRST GENERATION. Their offspring are FIRST GENERATION because of the fact neither parent are closely related. The fact that neither parent are closely related allows the offspring to have a nice, healthy balance of various genes within their genetic structure. Both parents bring in fresh genes to create healthy, genetically sound, children. This is what "F1" means.
So, we hope this clears up the misconception of what "f1" means. A Goldendoodle bred to a Goldendoodle will still have first generation Goldendoodles providing the two Goldendoodle parents have different Poodle/Golden Retriever parents within their genetic structure. A Goldendoodle bred to a Golden Retriever can still have first generation offspring providing the Golden Retriever in the Goldendoodles' genetic make up is not closely related to the Golden Retriever it is being bred to. A Goldendoodle bred to a Poodle will still have first generation offspring providing the Poodle inside of the Goldendoodle is not closely related to the purebred Poodle it is being bred to. See how this works? Many people are confused because they do not have a clear concept about basic genetics. When two people have children together and those two people do not share the same parents, their children are first generation. If their children had children together, their children would be a second generation...meaning, their children would be an "F1B". Gross yes? The reason we humans don't have children with OUR children is because we know that those children can have brain damage or health/genetic issues. The same can occur with animals if they are inbred like this.

2007-all rights reserved. Author/breeder- Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World

The World of Goldendoodles

goldendoodleworld — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:11:07 CDT

Welcome to the World of Goldendoodles! This Goldendoodle wiki will help you learn everything you ever wanted to know about Goldendoodles and then some!

WHAT IS A GOLDENDOODLE?

While there are many fanatic Poodle & Golden Retriever breeders and owners out there who put down any type of hybrids, the truth of the matter is that the Goldendoodle is the BEST KEPT SECRET FOR A FAMILY PET! This wonderful hybrid is the best mix anyone could have ever asked for and to this day, their popularity continues to increase. Perhaps it is out of fear that the lovely Goldendoodle will take over and out-rank the Golden Retriever when all is said and done.
Although the Goldendoodle is very adorable, cute, playful and silly....
there will always be those people out there who will put them down and call them "MUTTS" or try and create a reason for them not to exist.

The Goldendoodle is a first hybrid crossing between a Golden Retriever and a Standard Poodle. This hybrid was first created in Australia. The Goldendoodle hybrid has only been in the United States since 1997. The entire reason for this creation was to provide those who were physically challenged, a service dog that had extremely low shedding. Such a canine was needed for those who needed an assistant dog but had allergies that prevented them from being able to own one. Although there is some debate as to whether the Labradoodle or the Goldendoodle was created first, it really doesn't matter. The Goldendoodle is a lovable, hybrid dog that is very family oriented and who makes a terrific family pet! The Goldendoodle dog has three distinct coat types. Shaggy, curly and smooth coat. They can come in all colors and sizes. There are no rare markings or colors regarding the Goldendoodle dog.
Goldendoodles have eyes that are brown, green, amber, blue or multi colored. The most common color of eyes is brown with blue or green eyes not being that common, but quite unique.
The smooth coat Goldendoodle can still be a very low shedding dog providing the breeder uses the correct method of breeding to create the smooth coat doodle. The curly coat is not a coat that sheds any less than the shaggy or smooth coat. Goldendoodles do NOT have to be backbred to keep their shedding to a minimum. A 50/50 mix (Golden Retriever/Poodle combo) is just as low shedding as the curly coat. The smooth coat is just as low shedding as the curly coat providing the offspring comes from two Goldendoodles with a curly coat. The Goldendoodle dog has two temperament types. One temperament type is similar to the Golden Retriever and the other temperament type is similar to the Poodle. Those seeking a Goldendoodle have the highest success rate if their Goldendoodle has a personality similar to the Golden Retriever.

Goldendoodles with a similar temperament as the Poodle dog can be somewhat of a barker; have a higher drive and may not work out for those with young children or who have not ever owned a purebred Poodle. A Goldendoodle that has a personality/temperament similar to the Golden Retriever is more outgoing and more accepting of strangers and usually work out for those who have children of any age.

The Goldendoodle is a very hardy dog overall and can have the same life span as that of the Golden Retriever and the Poodle. The Poodle is one of the longest lived dogs of all breeds. The Goldendoodle does require coat maintenence since the majority of doodles have a thick, shaggy coat. The smooth coat Goldendoodle is the easiest to care for with regards to coat maintenence and the curly coat requires more coat maintenence than either the shaggy or the smooth coat. All shaggy coat Goldendoodles have a thick, fluffy coat; Full facial beard as an adult and they have a thick plume tail that rides high up over the back in a slight curl. Their ears usually hang very long and low with hair over hanging the ear. The curly coat is very similar as that of the Poodle with the exception that the curls are more relaxed and not as tight as the curls of the Poodle. The Curly coat Goldendoodle also sports a facial beard but their beard is different since their facial coat has curls from the tip of the nose down to the base of its tail. Hair growing inside of the ear may be more pronounced in the curly coat than that of the shaggy or smooth coat.
The smooth coat Goldendoodle has a similar coat as that of the Golden Retriever with the exception that their coat is very low shedding. They do have some feathering down their legs and under-belly similar to the Golden Retriever but they will have some "fluffy" about the ears and the head or neck. The smooth coat Goldendoodle is completely void of the facial beard and will not sport a plume tail. They may not have alot of feathering about the tail that is a usual trait of the purebred Golden Retriever. Their temperament will be very similar as that of the purebred Golden Retriever.

Naysayers can fuss all they want about this lovely hybrid dog and the AKC board of directors can be upset all they want regarding the Goldendoodle dog but the fact remains that the ...... the GOLDENDOODLE is here to stay and has increased in popularity since they began in the United States in 1997.

If you would like to read extensive Goldendoodle information, please visit our personal website at http://www.goldendoodleworld.com

Why you should own a Goldendoodle

goldendoodleworld — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:07:31 CDT

Goldendoodles are such silly dogs. Their comical personalities will keep us laughing for years to come. Goldendoodles make superb family pets for children of all ages providing they have families who shower them with lots of love and attention.
No one can accuse the Goldendoodle of NOT being an attention hog. If you don't own a doodle yet, perhaps you'd better begin your Goldendoodle quest today so that you can see what you've been missing all this time!

Goldendoodles are very healthy dogs providing they have not been inbred. The first generation is always the best. First generation doesn't mean "Golden Retriever to Poodle". First generation means that neither parent are directly related to each other. If you love fluffy dogs, you'll love the shaggy coated Goldendoodle but be prepared to do alot of coat maintenence. Smooth coat Goldendoodles are the easiest to take care of out of all three coat types....Shaggy, curly and smooth. The curly coat and the smooth coat doodle always tend to get briars in their hair which makes it difficult to allow them to romp in the fields.

Is your doodle a little princess or a real tom boy??? Tell us about your doodle if you are a Goldendoodle fan!

What is a Goldendoodle?

goldendoodleworld — Mon, 19 May 2008 10:11:08 CDT

Breed: GOLDENDOODLE

Country of Origin: Australia

Height: Height can range from 12"-32" from the withers.

Weight: Weight can range from 9 lbs-150 lbs.

Color: Cream; Light/Dark Apricot; Apricot; Red; Chocolate; Chocolate phantom; Silver; Silver Frost; Silver phantom; Silver with gold hues; Black or White. Goldendoodles can also be of parti or Tri-Color and have white markings any where about the coat with any combination of the coloring listed above. All Goldendoodles who are chocolate in coat color sport green eyes, chocolate nose as well as chocolate paw/eye trimming. Apricot Goldendoodles with a chocolate nose and green eyes are not as common, but is not considered rare. There are no rare colors or markings for the Goldendoodle.

Eye Color: The most common eye color for the Goldendoodle is brown, however, the Goldendoodle dog can also sport eyes that are blue, green or muti-colored. Some breeders create "Aussie Doodles" that sport blue or multi colored eyed but they are not Goldendoodle dogs. An "Aussie doodle" is an Australian Shepherd/Poodle mix.

Coat: Goldendoodles come in three distinct coat types. Shaggy. Curly. Smooth. The shaggy coat is always the result of a 50/50 mix...ie...A Golden Retriever bred to a Poodle. The smooth coat is always the result of either two shaggy coat Goldendoodles being bred together or a curly coat Goldendoodle sire bred to a purebred Golden Retriever dam. The smooth coat can also come from a female shaggy coat Goldendoodle bred to a Golden Retriever sire. The curly coat usually occurs 9 times out of ten when a Goldendoodle is bred to a Poodle but on occasion, a curly coat Goldendoodle can occur even with a 50/50 mixture (Poodle/Golden Retriever), although only 1 or 2 pups will present the curly coat with the remainder being a shaggy coat. All smooth coat Goldendoodles are completely void of a facial beard and the coat will appear very similar as that of a purebred Golden Retriever but will be low shedding UNLIKE the purebred Golden Retriever. A smooth coat Goldendoodle will typically have a narrow face and longer legs similar to the Poodle with some "fluff" about the head, neck and ears. Their tail can resemble that of the purebred Golden Retriever. All shaggy coat Goldendoodles begin to sport the facial beard at the age of four weeks. The facial beard will be complete when they turn 1 year of age. All shaggy coat Goldendoodles sport the same facial/coat characteristics if they come from a 50/50 mixture, regardless of chosen breeder. All shaggy coat Goldendoodles are low shedding. All shaggy coat Goldendoodles will sport a plume tail that rides high up over the back. While the curly coat Goldendoodle does sport a facial beard, it is not as evident as the shaggy coat doodle, due to the amount of curls throughout the coat, from nose to tail. The curly coat Goldendoodle will have a tail full of curls and it may not have a plume tail that is common with the shaggy coat. It is a myth that the curly coat Goldendoodle sheds less than the shaggy coat or the smooth coat. All coat types are low shedding if the Poodle is involved in the offsprings' genetic make up.

Character: The Goldendoodle can be a very low shedding dog that works out very well for those with mild allergies. Anyone with severe allergies must have their allergist conduct personal testing to ensure they are not allergic to dogs in general. Breeders can not guarantee any dog to be "hypo-allergenic", nor does the Goldendoodle...or any dog....have the ability to be a "hypo-allergenic" dog. The Goldendoodle is usually a family oriented dog and is usually very sociable towards other pets or people. The Goldendoodle with a shaggy coat or curly coat has a distinct upside down "V" shape facial beard. A Goldendoodle with a curly coat type has facial beard but their beard will sport curls while the shaggy coat Goldendoodle has straighter hairs sprouting from each side of its snout. The smooth coat Goldendoodle is completely void of any facial beard. A Goldendoodle can have ear issues if the dog has frequent water contact and has long, heavy hanging ears with thick over hanging hair. The curly coat Goldendoodle can have hairs growing inside of their ear canal which can cause ear issues for the dog. Goldendoodles who have shorter ears that flip over at the top have fewer ear issues than those with the long, heavy, hanging ears. The Goldendoodle has beautiful almond shaped eyes that can be brown, green, blue, amber or sport multi colored eyes. Their intelligence shines through their very bright, twinkling eyes.

The Goldendoodle has no "rare" markings or colors because of the wide range of colors within their Poodle heritage. Goldendoodles have a very wide range in size and weight because they are a hybrid dog. Goldendoodle puppies in any given litter can be of various sizes regardless of the size of their parents. On occasion, the Goldendoodle can have allergy issues that are similar to the Golden Retriever or Poodle; They can also, on occasion, have dry skin and can also become suddenly sensitive to canine vaccines or the food that they eat. With regards to puppy vaccines, it has been our experience that the Goldendoodle dog is more fully protected from Parvo and distemper when the vaccine NEO-PAR is used as its first two puppy vaccines, rather than any other product type. Neo-Par can be given to the Goldendoodle puppy at the age of three weeks while it is still nursing and this will help boost its immune system allowing the dog to be more fully protected. A second vaccine is recommended by age six weeks and then a third by age eight weeks. Some vets are not familiar with Neo-par, but this vaccine is the "cadillac" of all Parvo vaccines and seems to provide the Goldendoodle puppy with a higher protection rate over all other name brands. It is recommended that a differant type of vaccine is used AFTER the puppy has had a series of three NEO-PAR injections, further boosting its immune system. Goldendoodles can become suddenly allergic to the rabies vaccination without warning and caution is urged. It is recommended that the owner remain near their vet clinic for at least 20-30 minutes AFTER any vaccine is given to ensure there is no sudden allergic reaction. Such an allergic reaction can cause death if assistance is not immediately sought. It is also recommended that the owner of a Goldendoodle NOT use topical flea preventatives. On rare occasions, topical flea preventatives can build up a toxic level in the liver or blood stream causing liver issues or seizure issues. The Goldendoodle is an over-all, healthy and hardy dog that can live up to 15 years in an ideal situation.

Temperament:The Goldendoodle dog has two distinct temperaments. One being similar to the Golden Retriever and one being similar to the Poodle. Goldendoodles who come from a 50/50 mix generally carry the Golden Retriever temperament providing the breeders' Golden Retrievers have the most dominant genes in the offspring. Goldendoodles that come from a Goldendoodle/Golden Retriever mixture generally pick up the Golden Retriever personality/temperament. Goldendoodles that come from a Poodle/Goldendoodle mixture generally carry the Poodle personality/traits and temperament. Goldendoodles who carry more Poodle genetics will usually sport more physical traits similar to the purebred Poodle as well as generally carry a similar personality. Goldendoodles who carry more Golden Retriever genetics usually have a very similar personality/temperament as the purebred Golden Retriever. It has been our experience that families with young children have a higher success rate with Goldendoodles who sport a personality similar as that of a Golden Retriever. Goldendoodles who have more Golden Retriever temperaments are usually more acceptable to strangers and are more accepting of other pets. They also do not tend to be barkers and are generally more laid back. Goldendoodles who have a temperament similar to the Poodle can sometimes be less excepting of strangers or new surroundings and may not always work out for those with young children. They can tend to be yappy, high strung or more quirky in their behaviour. We do not recommend Goldendoodles with a Poodle personality if the buyer is not familiar with the purebred Poodle dog or has never owned a Poodle before. It has been our personal experience that those who are not familiar with the purebred Poodle or who have never owned a Poodle before and who purchase a doodle with more Poodle traits, have the least success in ownership. Temperament is not based upon gender of the Goldendoodle dog. Males and females alike share similar temperaments/characteristics/personalities which is dependent upon their lineage/ancestry/genetics.

Care: As a young puppy, The Goldendoodle will go through many coat changes. This applies to all three coat types. Of all three coat types, the smooth coated Goldendoodle is the easiest to care for. The shaggy coat Goldendoodle, of all three coat types, will go through the most coat changes during its first year of life. Occasional brushing and a bath are all that is needed for the smooth coat Goldendoodle, including cleaning of the inside of their ears. The shaggy coat and the curly coat Goldendoodle will require regular brushing and does require daily coat maintenence to prevent knots and matting. Most matting areas are under the armpits, the anal area as well as behind the ears and hind quarters. When trimming the curly or shaggy coat, it is recommended that at least 1 to 1 1/2" inches of the coat is left intact to help protect the skin during the summer from sun burning and insect bites. Goldendoodles who are light colored can easily sun burn if their coat is completely shaved down. The Goldendoodle that has more Poodle traits can sometimes have the normal Poodle coat discoloration around the eyes, if it is a light colored dog. This is termed "Rusting" about the eyes that is a common trait for the Poodle dog. Generally this only occurs for Goldendoodles that have more Poodle genetics or traits. Ear care is more important for the shaggy and curly coat Goldendoodle since the hair that over hangs their ears will usually trap the moisture inside of the ear which can cause ear infections or yeast infections. The smooth coat Goldendoodle and the Goldendoodle with shorter ears have fewer ear issues. If your Goldendoodle swims quite a bit, attention to the ears is very important. It is recommended to use "swimmers ear" solution to help dry excess water in the ears after the doodle has been swimming.

Training: The Goldendoodle is very easy to train and should be trained with positive reinforcement. Consistancy as well as repetition in training will allow your Goldendoodle to pick up commands very quickly. Keep commands simple with alot of loving praise. The Goldendoodle dog does not train well using negative or forceful tactics. Always use positive reinforcement and be consistant in your training. Goldendoodles who are placed on a consistant schedule are quicker to learn than Goldendoodles who are not. The Goldendoodle is generally a very passive, loving, sensitive dog that does not respond well to negative training. Obedience training is highly recommended for inexperienced owners.

Activity: The Goldendoodle is not an over-active dog or a hyper-active dog if it is a smooth coat or shaggy coat dog. A Goldendoodle is happiest when with its family. A Goldendoodle can become bored easily if left for extensive hours alone and may turn to destructive behaviour. A Goldendoodle does not mind laying at your feet or running along beside you if you bicycle or jog. Many even enjoy going boating with their owners, if taught how to swim. Keep in mind the smaller Goldendoodles are not able to keep up with certain activities. Small Goldendoodles work out better for those who are not very active and larger Goldendoodles work out better for families who are always on the go or who enjoy outdoor activities. A Goldendoodle enjoys playing and is happiest when interacting with its family. It is important, however, to note that Goldendoodles under 20 pounds in genetic body weight will sport more of the quirky traits as that of the Toy Breed. Goldendoodles under 20 pounds prefer to be a lap dog; are not recommended as a pet for small children because Toy sized Goldendoodles tend to gravitate toward a single family member, may not be stranger friendly and may be difficult to socialize with "outsiders". Goldendoodles under 20 pounds are considered to be "diva" dogs and work out better for older couples without children or a family who has older children in the household who are not seeking a pet for their children.

Description: The Goldendoodle began to become popular in 1997 in Australia and began to become popular in 1999 in the United States. The Goldendoodle's original purpose was as an assistance dog, especially for those who had the need for an assistance dog, yet also had allergies to shedding canine hair. Being a very friendly dog and very sociable to other pets, The Goldendoodle makes for a great pet for those who have children of all ages if the dog is not "Toy" size. Because the Goldendoodle is a Poodle/Golden Retriever hybrid, its size can range far and wide. When a Toy Poodle is bred to a Golden Retriever, the puppies can range from 9 pounds to 18 pounds as adults or slightly more. When a Miniature Poodle or small Standard Poodle is bred to a Golden Retriever, the sizes will literally range anywhere from 20 pounds up to 55 pounds or more, depending upon the size of the Golden Retriever.
Puppies will be various sizes in any given litter and not all of the puppies in any particular litter will weigh a particular amount based on the size of the parents. Even if both parents are very large dogs, small Goldendoodles can still come out of the litter. Each individual puppy will literally be a different weight due to their entire ancestry playing an important role.

The Goldendoodle is very popular because of the coat not shedding as much as typical purebred dogs. Because many families have children, the Goldendoodle works out very well because of the doodle's friendly disposition. The disposition of the Goldendoodle dog is very dependent upon how they are created as well as their over all lineage.
Over all, the Goldendoodle is a very hardy dog who can have a long life span of up to 15 years. Health issues are usually minor as the Goldendoodle does not always possess the same health issues as that of the purebred dog. This is because neither parent is related (at least they should not be) and creates what many hybrid breeders consider to be "Hybrid vigor". The term "Hybrid Vigor" has not been scientifically proven and is thus just the personal opinion of some breeders.
Goldendoodles that are inbred, backbred or multi generation and who are too closel bred to their related ancestors generally have more genetic health issues which is similar to the purebred dog than Goldendoodles who are of first generation and do not come from two parents who share close ancestors. Many assume that a Goldendoodle is not an F1 (first generation) if the doodle is not a 50/50 mixture. That is not the case. All Goldendoodles are F1 (first generation) if neither of their parents are closely related to each other.

Goldendoodles are considered to have a two-toned effect in their coat and many sport lighter colored hairs at the roots.
Many Goldendoodles of color will have silver or gold hues inside of their coat hairs. All Goldendoodles are a single coat dog. Their coat hairs are very fine but can be very thick. Goldendoodles who are cream can appear to be white when outdoors and apricot Goldendoodles who are indoors will always appear to be darker in color than when outdoors. Goldendoodles will always lighten in color from the time they are born until the day they turn one year of age. They will never darken. Goldendoodles of color are always born darker than what they will be as an adult. Many black Goldendoodles can turn silver and some black Goldendoodles can turn into a silver phantom with lighter silver legs, face and chest. Nearly all light colored Goldendoodles, to include Goldendoodles who are red, have white hair follicles, which is why the doodle seems to have a two toned affect in their coat. This comes about from the Poodle genes. Many dark Goldendoodles sport Golden hues and this comes about from the Golden Retriever. All in all, regardless of color or size, the Goldendoodle makes the perfect pet for those seeking a friendly and very outgoing, comical dog.

Author/Breeder: Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World copyright protected 2003

How to determine the size of my Goldendoodle

goldendoodleworld — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:31:29 CDT

We had asked the same question to our original vet, Dr. James, when we first started creating Goldendoodles back in 1999. Here is a method he gave me to determine size:
(Our original veterinarian, Dr. James (Who passed away in April 2006) had given us the method below that he used to determine the "adult" size of a puppy. He provided this method to us back in 1999. So far, it has held as a good formula for not only our purebred pups....but for our hybrids as well)
AT THE AGE OF 2 MONTHS: MULTIPLY THE WEIGHT BY 4
AT THE AGE OF 3 MONTHS: MULTIPLY THE WEIGHT BY 3
AT THE AGE OF 4 MONTHS: MULTIPLY THE WEIGHT BY 2
Puppies go through a rapid growth spurt from 2 months to 4 months....but you should see some slowing down by the age of six months. Smaller to mid-size breeds are usually considered fully grown by the age of one year....while your larger breeds such as the German Shepherd, Mastiff & Rottweiler can continue to grow until the age of 2 yrs. Small boned dogs generally stop growing by the age of one year.
An international team of scientists, including researchers from Cornell University, has found a mutation in a single gene that plays a key role in determining body-size differences within and among dog breeds and may be important in determining the size of humans as well. The research, published in the April 6 issue of the journal Science, "is one of the first demonstrations that if you look at different dog breeds that share the same trait (such as large or small size or short legs or scrunched-up faces) due to human-directed selection, you will find genes that are likely to affect the same traits in humans," said co-author Carlos Bustamante, assistant professor of biological statistics and computational biology at Cornell. The researchers began by comparing the DNA of individuals within a single dog breed that shows great variation in skeletal size -- Portuguese water dogs -- and identifying regions of the genome that differ between small and large individuals. One of these regions included a gene that codes for a protein hormone called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), which is known to play an important role in growth, body size and longevity in mice and in body size in humans. The researchers then analyzed this region in hundreds of dogs from 14 small dog breeds, such as Chihuahuas, toy fox terriers and Pomeranians, and nine large dog breeds, including Irish wolfhounds, Saint Bernards and Great Danes. Does this play a role for hybrids too? One can only wonder. "It is staggering to think that so many of the small dog breeds came about through selection on the same mutation in the same gene. These results suggest that while there are invariably differences among breeds (even in genes for size), IGF1 has played an important role in the evolution of many small breeds by being a gene that consistently affects body size," said Bustamante. "The research points to the utility of the domestic dog model system to identify genes that have a large effect."
From a personal standpoint and by experience since 1999, we have literally watched many of our large sized Golden Retrievers and Poodles produce small Goldendoodles. This can be attributed by the fact that the Miniature and Toy Poodle originated from the Standard Poodle. This was completed over time by breeders who "downsized" the dogs over many years. Breeders simply bred smaller Poodles to smaller Poodles until even Tcup Poodles were produced. The same could occur for the Golden Retriever or any breed for that matter. If a breeder were to have a small Golden Retriever from one litter and then use another small Golden Retriever from another litter that was not too closely related to the other dog and then bred them together, it is very possible for one or two...even more...of the offspring would be even smaller. Would this be logical? Depends on what the breeder is trying to accomplish. The same holds true for the Goldendoodle. If a breeder has a small adult Goldendoodle...lets say 26 pounds....and then breeds this small Goldendoodle to either a Toy Poodle or a Miniature Poodle, much smaller offspring could be produced. Just keep in the back of your head that NOT all of the offspring will be small. One or even several of the offspring could surpass the size of either parent. The reason for this is because you have to take their lineage into consideration and the fact that the small Goldendoodle parent had normal sized parents and ancestors and the same with the Miniature Poodle. Because of the fact Toy Poodles and Miniature Poodles originated from the Standard Poodle, size differences can occur even amongst the purebreds. This is why we now see "small" Standard Poodles. Some Miniature Poodles bred to other Miniature Poodles can have a puppy or two that exceeds "kennel standards" for their size category, thus they are deemed as "small Standard Poodles". With Goldendoodles, since 1999 we have seen two large sized parents produce a couple of small Goldendoodles within any given litter (and it doesn't matter if the dam is the Poodle or the Golden Retriever or vice versa) and we saw disparity in the sizes of the doodle siblings even when a Toy Poodle was naturally bred (Not AI) to a Golden Retriever. More can be ready about that pairing on our Goldendoodle World website. We created our smallest Goldendoodles (which we jokingly call the "World's first toy sized Goldendoodles" ) in 2006 by using a 13 pound Goldendoodle to a 6-8 pound purebred Toy Poodle. Every single puppy in that created litter has turned out to stay under 15 pounds as an adult. This particular litter is essentially a Toy sized litter...falls into the category of the Toy breed but because they are hybrids, we don't call them TOYS, only in jest! They are just simply very small Goldendoodles. While we did not see the disparity in sizes between that particular pairing, we do see it when one parent is a Poodle and the other parent is a Golden Retriever. We see LESS disparity in sizes between the siblings of a created litter, when a Goldendoodle is bred to a Poodle that is smaller than the Goldendoodle and is not closely related. So drum role please..............bbbbbbbbbbbbbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....is there a way to determine sizes in a Goldendoodle? The answer is YES...and NO. An experienced breeder who has created Goldendoodles for many years, using the same breeding stock can give you a much better "guesstimate" than a new breeder who has not had their breeding stock for very long. Keep in mind that even an experienced breeder must have feed-back from those who buy from them in order to help those who are in the "looking" and "deciding" phase, over many years. We have been very fortunate that many buyers of our Goldendoodles have stayed in contact and has been so kind as to send us photos and updates. Many people do not stay in contact with a breeder; they just purchase their pet and off they go to live their lives with their purchased pet. I would assume it is pretty much like a person adopting a baby. Some want to stay in contact with the birth parents and some don't want any contact...they just want to live their lives with their adopted child/ren and that's it. The same holds true for purchased pets. A person on a doodle quest is going to find a wide range of hybrid information with much of it clashing. Some breeders have on their websites that Goldendoodles are "X" height and "Y" weight if a male or female; Some breeders will claim that a Goldendoodle dog will vary in size and height that is dependent upon whether a Standard Poodle, Miniature Poodle or Toy Poodle was used. I nearly fell off my chair with laughter when I even stumbled upon on site that claimed they created the "World's first true Miniature Goldendoodle" because both parents were back-bred doodles. I know that people actually believe this sort of stuff and its no wonder they do. This sort of erroneous information is literally everywhere on the internet! Dogs have been with humans since prehistoric times. Over the years they have performed various services. Dogs have been various sizes since the beginning of time. They have pulled sleds over snowy tracts. They have delivered messages; herded sheep and cattle, and even rescued persons trapped in the snow. Dogs have served as a source of food in China and in Asian countries, too. Dogs have served as coats, handbags and souvenirs in Asian countries who kill them for marketing purposes. The ancient Romans are said to have prized certain types of dog stew. The Aztecs of ancient Mexico raised tiny dogs, thought to be the forebears of the Chihuahua, to feed the large carnivores in the private zoos of the Aztec rulers. In the past, dogs have even been worshiped as gods. Recently, they have been used in drug research, medical experimentation, and space science. Soviet scientists launched dogs into space to test the ability of mammals to survive the rigors of space travel before people were sent up. As you can see, dogs have served various purposes since the beginning of time. It has been said that the dog traces its ancestry back to a five-toed, weasel like animal called Miacis, which lived in the Eocene epoch about 40 million years ago. This animal was supposedly the forebear of the cat, raccoon, bear, hyena, and civet, as well as of the wolf, fox, jackal, and dog. Miacis, undoubtedly a tree climber, probably also lived in a den. In the evolutionary line from Miacis, was an Oligocene animal called Cynodictis, which somewhat resembled the modern dog. Cynodictis lived about 20 million years ago. Its fifth toe, which is called the dewclaw on canine, showed signs of shortening. Cynodictis had 42 teeth, just like dogs, and similar anal glands just like dogs have, today. Cynodictis was also developing feet and toes suited for running. The modern civet--a "living fossil"--resembles that ancient animal. The evolution of the dog moved on to the extremely dog-like animal called Tomarctus, which lived about 10 million years ago during the late Miocene epoch. Tomarctus probably developed the strong social instincts that we see in the dog and most of its close relatives, excluding the fox. The Canidae, the family that includes the true dog and its close relatives, stemmed directly from Tomarctus. Members of the genus Canis--which includes the dog, wolf, and jackal--developed into their present form about a million years ago during the Pleistocene epoch. As dogs became imbedded into the lives of humans, dog breeders and fanciers began mixing various breeds of dogs together to serve a purpose.
Whether working, hunting, companion or guarding....each "breed" of dog created by dog fanciers had a purpose. As their popularity rose, with various breeds of dogs created and becoming refined, dog fanciers then decided to form "Kennel Clubs". As the popularity of Kennel Clubs grew, the clubs (like breeders) began to pop up everywhere, all over the world. Unlike many breeders, kennel clubs were on the same sheet of music where sizes, categories, temperament and "breed type" was concerned. They all agreed that this and that breed would be defined by "X" height, "Y" weight; they would vary in size as per their gender; They would be defined by coat texture and so on. Kennel Clubs then decided what would best define the ultimate "show" dog for dog fanciers who wanted to show off their breed to the world and compete against each other and as such, kennel clubs then broke off into club groups. One of the largest, most well known kennel clubs is the American Kennel Club. While they were NOT the first kennel club to have ever began, many believe that unless a dog is registered with AKC (the American Kennel Club) that the dog is somehow not suitable for breeding, buying or somehow doesn't represent its breed group. However this myth began, I'll never know. AKC however, laughs itself all the way to the bank by raking in millions of dollars in revenue by those who hold dearly to this myth. Other kennel clubs around the world would disagree that AKC is the only kennel club that represents the canine and I also disagree with the notion that a dog has to be registered with AKC in order to represent their breed group. After all, AKC does not breed dogs nor do they have anything to do with breeding. They are merely a canine registrant service and when a breeder who participates with AKC has an issue, this kennel club will be the first one to tell them that this is what they are. They are NOT there to represent or assist the breeder, in anything other than providing registration documentation and the history/lineage of their registered dogs.
Size standards began when dog fanciers began to separate the canine by size groups. Lets take the English Springer Spaniel and the American Cocker Spaniel as an example. Originally, both dogs were one and the same. Dog fanciers eventually decided to separate the dogs by "name", "origin" and "size", thus calling the large Spaniels, "English Springer Spaniels" and the smaller ones "Cocker Spaniels". The spaniels who were larger but not as large as the English Springer, who had longer muzzles and were born in Europe were then named "English Cocker Spaniels". Those spaniels who were born in America...had shorter muzzles and were smaller than the English Springer Spaniel, were named "American Cocker Spaniels". It is no doubt that when dog fanciers began mixing various breeds together to create the ultimate purebred dog that there was alot of arguments about what made the ultimate purebred dog; What defined the ultimate purebred dog and how they were going to be classified. The same arguments are occurring with hybrid dogs and their breeders. Centuries past before dogs were refined and defined by size groups and breed type. The same will hold true for the "ultimate" hybrid. It is my personal opinion that a hybrid should always be a hybrid and this is what makes the hybrid stand out from the purebred dog. It serves no purpose to move the hybrid dog into the same path as that of the purebred dog. The original intention for the hybrid dog was NOT to follow the same path as that of the purebred dog, but here we are in 2007 watching many hybrid breeders lead their hybrid dogs down that dreary, horrendous path the purebred dog has been on for centuries. By this I mean that these breeders are backbreeding, linebreeding, inbreeding their hybrids as an attempt to define them into size categories causing the offspring to eventually see the same genetic flaws the purebred dogs have issues with today. They are creating a genetic bottle neck with their hybrid dogs just like the dog fanciers have done with their purebred dogs.
The sole purpose of the hybrid dog...ie...the Goldendoodle....was to have a dog that had fewer genetic issues by having a wider gene pool. This is achieved when two parent dogs come from two separate breed groups and no matter how far back a breeder goes back through researching their dogs' pedigrees, they will not find related ancestors. Well, perhaps if they go back to the origins of the "wolf", they'll find an eventual genetic link. This is where the term "hybrid vigor" came from. There's no scientific evidence that "hybrid vigor" exists....but it does make common sense that offspring who come from unrelated parents would be entirely healthier than offspring from related parents. So now that I've taken you down the historic road of the canine in general, the question still abounds "How can I tell if my Goldendoodle will stay small or become a large dog?" and "Can I tell how big or small my Goldendoodle will be if I look at the size of their paws?". For those who have just stepped into the Goldendoodle arena, I can only tell you what I know from experience. Regardless of the size of the Goldendoodle's parents, the entire litter will vary in size per sibling. I've personally seen puppies have as much as a five pound weight difference amongst themselves when one parent was a Golden Retriever and one parent was a Poodle. I've seen Goldendoodles be much smaller than either parent and I've seen some Goldendoodles become much larger than either parent and I'm talking about individual puppies from the same parents. Again, I'm talking about my own Goldendoodles and my own personal experience since 1999. I'm not talking about those created or bred by other breeders. I have witnessed Goldendoodle puppies varying in size and temperament widely when a Toy Poodle was bred naturally to a Golden Retriever. (yes, it can and has been done. We did it.). When I bred a Goldendoodle to a Poodle whom were not closely related, in 2006, I saw LESS size variance amongst the siblings and each had more of a similar Personality and disposition within the same litter. There was a variance in coat style (Some were shaggy and wavy and some were shaggy/wavy with loose curls), but I did notice that as far as size and temperament was concerned, each were closer in similarity. With one of the litters I created in late 2006, some seven months later, I have watched the remaining siblings stay close in size....close in coat type....close in temperament and so far, all have remained smaller than I had originally anticipated. This is not a bad thing. It's actually a good thing. When puppies sell and leave a breeder by 8 weeks of age, it doesn't help the breeder where research and documentation is concerned. While I wish every single puppy ever created would be out the door by 8 weeks of age (this is every breeder's hope and desire), the fact that I am able to still have some puppies available by 6-9 months of age actually helps me in my hybrid research and studies. I am able to take more and more photos of their coat changes and phases; I am able to personally observe the puppies for my research on the Goldendoodle and I am able to document more accurately my observations as time passes and the dogs begin to mature. A breeder who creates hybrids can't fully appreciate the dogs they create unless they are able to personally witness and document, research and observe every aspect of the dogs they bring into this world! I am able to personally witness, observe and document everything from coat, temperament, sizes to color changes each may go through. I am able to personally share with the general public who are on a doodle quest, what I have come to know through personal experience, over many years of just "doing". I've been called many things by hateful people across the internet (breeders, their groupies and forum mongers alike) but no one can take away my experience, knowledge and expertise on a subject that I have invested many years on nor can anyone take away the popularity of all the articles that are read by thousands of people, over the internet, that I have written over the years. Even when I retire from the breeding world, I do intend to continue my passion for writing....so all of the naysayers can continue to say "nay". My articles and written knowledge and experience will be carried on well past the day I die.
The only true thing I can say to anyone who desires to own a Goldendoodle and who is on a doodle quest or mission, is to NOT be a stickler for size. Unless you live in a condo situation and have size restrictions where you reside or you have other issues that would prevent you from keeping your Goldendoodle should he or she NOT stay small, you are going to fall in love with your doodle no matter how small or large that dog turns out to be. If you do have to be a stickler for size, then purchase a Goldendoodle that is 6 months or older. A Goldendoodle who is six months or older is half way to their genetic weight and height and its much easier to determine whether or not the dog will be the size that you desire to own. Too many breeders advertise "Miniature Goldendoodles" when in fact what they mean is that you will wind up with a dog that can range from 35-50 pounds and I don't consider that to be a Miniature sized dog. True miniature sized dogs do not weigh more than 25 pounds in genetic body weight. Not by Kennel standards anyway. Many Goldendoodle breeders have created their own size "standard" and I'm not sure how they got there. It certainly wasn't by "doing". If they create a size standard then it means that each puppy, out of the same litter, would fall into a different size category...per litter. Purebred puppies all fall into the same size category when coming out of the same litter, in general. As I said earlier, we saw less size disparity between siblings when a Goldendoodle was bred to a Poodle that was not closely related to the Poodle in the Goldendoodle and perhaps if each individual puppy out of the same litter were extremely close in size, they then could be placed into a size category...but we've always seen a very wide variance in size when a Golden Retriever was bred to a Poodle, with the offspring, thus making it impossible to place the pups into a particular size category. I personally believe that the Goldendoodle dog is the ultimate dog on the face of this planet, regardless of size and while some will disagree with me, those who have fallen in love with the Goldendoodle like I have, will agree with my feelings about this terrific hybrid. Too many people have expectations that are unrealistic after buying a Goldendoodle, thus, these are the people who have issues with their ability to own, train or fall in love with the Goldendoodle dog they purchased. If you do have size restrictions or personal issues that is your reason for owning a small Goldendoodle, then you should attempt to locate a Goldendoodle puppy that is 6 months or older. From a personal standpoint, It is easier for me to determine what size a Goldendoodle puppy will be when they are past 6 months of age or if the puppies are coming from parents who have been paired before. I have had great success over the years in determining sizes with younger Goldendoodle puppies, but I have still been fooled on occasion! This will happen with any hybrid breeder.

Author/breeder: Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World

What is a first generation Goldendoodle?

goldendoodleworld — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 18:14:08 CST

What is a first generation Goldendoodle? What does "F1" mean? What does "F1B"

mean? Why is there so much confusion about the term "First generation Goldendoodle" ?

It seems to me that many people are having problems understanding what constitutes a Goldendoodle as being a "First generation" hybrid. It's quite easy to understand if you have some knowledge with basic genetics. It may seem complicated to those who do not understand the basics of genetics. Simply put, a First generation Goldendoodle is any Goldendoodle dog that comes from two parents who are not closely related. That's it in a nutshell. Nothing complicated about it, but so many people...including breeders.....just can't seem to grasp the concept.

Instead, many people believe that a first generation Goldendoodle only comes from a 50/50 mix...meaning, coming from one parent who is a Poodle and one parent who is a Golden Retriever. I'm sorry to burst the genetic bubble, but that does not constitute the doodle as being a first generation dog. Technically speaking, we could say "First generation of what???". What is the doodle a first generation of, exactly ? Are they the "first generation" upon their family tree?

What exactly does “first generation” imply?

When speaking of "generations" it is generally implied to mean parent/child. The parents have children and thus, their children are "first generation". When those children have their own children, they then become "second generation". When we speak of the Goldendoodle being a "first generation" it is implied to mean that the offspring come from two parents who are not closely related or who are not related at all....whether the same breed or different breed, the offspring are always "first generation" when neither parent are directly related to each other. I've had so many people try to convince me that a Goldendoodle isn't a first generation Goldendoodle unless if comes from a Poodle/Golden Retriever parent. Again, I hate to burst your genetic bubble, but that's not correct. With purebred dogs, both parents are the same breed and their offspring are first generation providing neither parent shares the same parents themselves or direct relatives within their first three generations of pedigree. If you bred two parents who were related, together, then their offspring would be "second generation" . When we speak of Goldendoodles being an "F1B", the "B" means "backbred". A very nice term for implying the dogs are inbred....backbred to a close relative. Just because a Goldendoodle is bred to a Poodle, does NOT imply the offspring are "F1B". If a Goldendoodle is bred to a Poodle and the Poodle within the Goldendoodle's genetic structure is NOT related or closely related to the other Poodle used for breeding, their offspring are "first generation". If a Goldendoodle is bred to a Golden Retriever and the Goldendoodle used for breeding is NOT closely related or related at all to the Golden Retriever within the Goldendoodles' genetic structure, their offspring is still a first generation.

Genetic diversity is very important when it comes to hybrid dogs, period. Due to the fact many purebred fanciers inbreed their dogs, the entire reason hybrid dogs have fewer health issues is due to the fact their genetic structure is wide and varying. A genetic "bottle neck" is created when two dogs are bred together and share the same lineage. It's one thing to have similar ancestors or share similar ancestors down through the pedigree, its quite another to have the same exact ancestors down through the pedigree. We have created the Goldendoodle since 1999. We have been purebred dog breeders since 1996. We know for a fact that dogs are healthier and have entirely fewer genetic issues when they have a wider variance in their genetic structure. Goldendoodles who come from two related parents will have genetic issues much more often than Goldendoodles who come from two unrelated parents. When a breeder says they create "multi-generation" goldendoodles....that means you'd better be careful of buying one of their dogs. Multi generation Goldendoodles are highly inbred dogs and are at a much greater risk for genetic issues. I definitely do not believe in multi-generation doodles or even purebred dogs. I've never agreed that even purebred dogs who are bred back to a direct relative is a good thing. Such dogs can be at a higher risk for behavioural issues; health issues and genetic issues. Many undesirable traits come from dogs who are born from parents who are too closely related.

When Gregor Mendel began his hybridization experiments with pea plants in 1856, knowledge of how heredity works was limited. Experimenting with hybrids has been going on for many, many years. Many things had been guessed at or not exactly known as to how genetics + hybrids really worked. Some characteristics, called discrete traits, did not produce a state of being between two parents. The children of a brown-eyed father and blue-eyed mother do not end up with an intermediate eye color; rather, the children inherited the eye color of a single parent. This occurs with people. With dogs, it is quite different. The offspring CAN inherit an intermediate eye color and we've witnessed this with the Goldendoodle dog. In 2006, we bred two Goldendoodles together that were not closely related. They had a different Golden Retriever parent and a different Poodle parent. The only traits the Goldendoodle dogs had in common was that they had the same eye color (Blue); The same coat type (curly) and both were the same color (apricot). We intentionally bred both Goldendoodles together so that we could increase our chances of having blue eyed Goldendoodles. We were not sure what coat type would occur since both doodles had a curly coat. We were quite surprised to learn the following:

1. This pairing only produced 2 blue eyed doodle offspring.

2. Out of four offspring, 1 puppy had brown eyes. 1 puppy had green eyes. 2 puppies had blue eyes.

3. Out of four offspring, 3 puppies had a smooth coat and 1 puppy had a shaggy coat. Not a single curly coat was born to parents who had a curly coat themselves.

4. Out of the four offspring, 2 puppies were cream. 2 puppies were apricot.

If we assume that each parent contributes a single chromosome to his/her offspring for a given trait, how is it that we had 2 smooth coat Goldendoodles born out of this pairing? How is it that we've seen a variance in size regardless of the sizes of either parent and how is it that we've seen a variance in eye color, regardless of the eye color of either parent? We personally have come to know that Goldendoodle dogs can inherit their traits, appearance, sizes, temperaments an coloring from their entire lineage of ancestors. We have come to know that Goldendoodles do not inherit traits exclusively from their parents. We know that their entire lineage plays a part of what and whom they become. Gregor Mendel proposed that some genes are dominant while others are recessive. Since 1999, we have come to realize that our Golden Retrievers Do carry the dominant genes. They dominate personality, color and at times, they dominant coat traits in our Goldendoodles. On occasion, we do see Poodle traits dominate in a select few offspring. For an experienced breeder, it is quite easy to spot the dominating gene. The inexperienced breeder will only be able to rely on information they obtain via the internet and not all of the information is clear, precise or accurate. Hence, why there is so much inaccurate Goldendoodle information over the internet. Much of it drives me crazy. Especially because I've dedicated an extensive amount of time documenting the coat changes; The many coat phases; the personality types; The coat types; The coloring and markings; I've lived, breathed and basically dreamt day in and day out, the Goldendoodle dog. It is very frustrating to try and explain the facts with regards to the Goldendoodle dog to inexperienced people who want to challenge what it is I've come to know through personal experience and my countless hours of research. There are some days, I just don't even try. Some people don't want to know the facts, they only want you to tell them what they want to hear and not what the facts are and I don't like to try and teach someone about the Goldendoodle dog if they are not interested in actually learning and knowing facts vs. rumors or what they've "read" over the internet. I LOVE writing about the Goldendoodle dog and what I've come to know. It's quite obvious that the Goldendoodle dog is a passion of mine, given the fact my website is so extensive and comprehensive where the Goldendoodle is concerned.

I love talking about the Goldendoodle to anyone who wants to know.....and I might even get into some heated arguments with people about the Goldendoodle dog because I'm very passionate about what it is I've come to know to be facts and I am NOT one for believing rumors. The Goldendoodle dog is a very stimulating, entirely new field of study for me. I've created the Goldendoodle dog in nearly every imaginable way and my research has helped literally thousands of people over the years. Some people you just can't convince and it is those people that really need to become breeders themselves or otherwise just shut up. That sounds harsh, but I'm very direct and honest. I don't need to argue with an inexperienced doodle person who doesn't know what they are talking about. They don't know what they are talking about because they haven't done the research on a personal level. They haven't spent the time that I've spent, nor have they indulged themselves in documenting facts and taking thousands of photos as a part of their documentation.

Darwin's problem explaining "blending" and the preservation of variation was essentially solved. However, while Mendelian genetics provided a way to refute arguments concerning the lack of a mechanism for the preservation of variation through inheritance, Mendel's results went largely unnoticed until 1900, when the laws were independently "rediscovered" by several geneticists -- Hugo de Vries, Carl Correns, and Erich von Tschermak -- some 34 years after Mendel's original publication of his findings in 1866!

Resources:

Genetics

http://www.wwnorton.com/college/anthro/bioanth/ch2/chap2.htm

About the author:

Dee Gerrish has been a private, professional, certified breeder for 12 yrs as of January 2008. She is a winning, founding, top 100, featured author for SearchWarp.com

More can be read about the Goldendoodle dog by visiting her site at http://www.goldendoodleworld.com

Description of a Goldendoodle

goldendoodleworld — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 17:04:53 CST

Breed: GOLDENDOODLE

Country of Origin: Australia Height: Height can range from 12"-32" from the withers.

Weight: Weight can range from 9 lbs-150 lbs.

Color: Cream; Light/Dark Apricot; Apricot; Red; Chocolate; Chocolate phantom; Silver; Silver Frost; Silver phantom; Silver with gold hues; Black or White. Goldendoodles can also be of parti or Tri-Color and have white markings any where about the coat with any combination of the coloring listed above. All Goldendoodles who are chocolate in coat color sport green eyes, chocolate nose as well as chocolate paw/eye trimming.

Eye Color: The most common eye color for the Goldendoodle is brown, however, the Goldendoodle dog can also sport eyes that are blue, green or muti-colored.

Coat: Goldendoodles come in three distinct coat types. Shaggy. Curly. Smooth. The shaggy coat is always the result of a 50/50 mix...ie...A Golden Retriever bred to a Poodle. The smooth coat is always the result of either two Goldendoodles being bred together or a Goldendoodle sire bred to a purebred Golden Retriever dam. The curly coat usually is the result of a Goldendoodle bred to a Poodle but the curly coat can also occur during a 50/50 mix.

Character: The Goldendoodle can be a very low shedding dog that works out very well for those with mild allergies. The Goldendoodle is usually a family oriented dog and is usually very sociable towards other pets or people. The Goldendoodle with a shaggy coat or curly coat has a distinct upside down "V" shape facial beard. A Goldendoodle with a curly coat type has facial beard but their beard will sport curls while the shaggy coat Goldendoodle has straighter hairs sprouting from each side of its snout. The smooth coat Goldendoodle is completely void of a facial beard. A Goldendoodle can have ear issues if the dog has frequent water contact and has long, heavy hanging ears with thick over hanging hair. Goldendoodles who have shorter ears that flip over at the top have fewer ear issues than those with the long, heavy, hanging ears. The Goldendoodle has beautiful almond shaped eyes that can be brown, green, blue, amber or sport multi colored eyes. Their intelligence shines through their very bright, twinkling eyes.

The Goldendoodle has no "rare" markings or colors because of the wide range of colors within their Poodle heritage. Goldendoodles have a very wide range in size and weight because they are a hybrid dog. Goldendoodle puppies in any given litter can be of various sizes regardless of the size of their parents. On occasion, the Goldendoodle can have allergy issues that are similar to the Golden Retriever; They can also, on occasion, have dry skin and can also become suddenly sensitive to canine vaccines or the food that they eat. With regards to puppy vaccines, it has been our experience that the Goldendoodle dog is more fully protected from Parvo and distemper when the vaccine NEO-PAR is used as its first two puppy vaccines, rather than any other product type. Neo-Par can be given to the Goldendoodle puppy at the age of three weeks while it is still nursing and this will boost its immune system allowing the dog to be more fully protected. A second vaccine is recommended by age six weeks and then a third by age eight weeks. Some vets are not familiar with Neo-par, but this vaccine is the "cadillac" of all Parvo vaccines and seems to provide the Goldendoodle puppy with a higher protection rate over all other name brands. It is recommended that a differant type of vaccine is used AFTER the puppy has had a series of three NEO-PAR injections, further boosting its immune system. Goldendoodles can become suddenly allergic to the rabies vaccination without warning and caution is urged. It is recommended that the owner remain near their vet clinic for at least 20-30 minutes AFTER any vaccine is given to ensure there is no sudden allergic reaction. Such an allergic reaction can cause death if assistance is not immediately sought. It is also recommended that the owner of a Goldendoodle NOT use topical flea preventatives. On rare occasions, topical flea preventatives can build up a toxic level in the liver or blood stream causing liver issues or seizure issues. The Goldendoodle is an over-all, healthy and hardy dog that can live up to 15 years in an ideal situation.

Temperament:The Goldendoodle dog has two distinct temperaments. One being similar to the Golden Retriever and one being similar to the Poodle. Goldendoodles who come from a 50/50 mix generally carry the Golden Retriever temperament providing the breeders' Golden Retrievers have the most dominant genes. Goldendoodles that come from a Goldendoodle/Golden Retriever mixture generally pick up the Golden Retriever personality/temperament. Goldendoodles that come from a Poodle/Goldendoodle mixture generally carry the Poodle personality/traits and temperament. Goldendoodles who carry more Poodle genetics will usually sport more physical traits similar to the purebred Poodle as well as generally carry a similar personality. Goldendoodles who carry more Golden Retriever genetics usually have a very similar personality/temperament as the purebred Golden Retriever. It has been our experience that families with young children have a higher success rate with Goldendoodles who sport of a Golden Retriever temperament. Goldendoodles who have more Golden Retriever temperaments are usually more acceptable to strangers and are more accepting of other pets. Goldendoodles who have a temperament similar to the Poodle can sometimes be less excepting of strangers or new surroundings and may not always work out for those with young children. We do not recommend Goldendoodles with a Poodle personality if the buyer is not familiar with the purebred Poodle dog or has never owned a Poodle before. It has been our personal experience that those who are not familiar with the purebred Poodle or who have never owned a Poodle before and who purchase a doodle with more Poodle traits, have the least success in ownership. Temperament is not based upon gender of the Goldendoodle dog. Males and females alike share similar temperaments which is dependent upon their lineage/ancestry/genetics.

Care: As a young puppy, The Goldendoodle will go through many coat changes. This applies to all three coat types. Of all three coat types, the smooth coated Goldendoodle is the easiest to care for. Occasional brushing and a bath are all that is needed, including cleaning of the inside of their ears. The shaggy coat and the curly coat will require regular brushing and does require coat maintenence to prevent knots and matting. Most matting areas are under the armpits, the anal area as well as behind the ears. When trimming the curly or shaggy coat, it is recommended that at least 1 1/2" of the coat is left intact to help protect the skin during the summer. Goldendoodles who are light colored can easily sun burn if their coat is completely shaved down. The Goldendoodle that has more Poodle traits can sometimes have the normal Poodle discoloration about the eyes, if it is a light colored dog. This is termed "Rusting" about the eyes that is a common trait for the Poodle dog. Generally this only occurs for Goldendoodles that have more Poodle genetics or traits. Ear care is more important for the shaggy and curly coat Goldendoodle since the hair that over hangs their ears will usually trap the moisture inside of the ear which can cause ear infections or yeast infections. The smooth coat Goldendoodle and the Goldendoodle with shorter ears have fewer ear issues. If your Goldendoodle swims quite a bit, attention to the ears is very important.

Training: The Goldendoodle is very easy to train and should be trained with positive reinforcement. Consistancy as well as repetition in training will allow your Goldendoodle to pick up commands very quickly. Keep commands simple with alot of loving praise. The Goldendoodle dog does not train well using negative or forceful tactics. Always use positive reinforcement and be consistant in your training. Goldendoodles who are placed on a consistant schedule are quicker to learn than Goldendoodles who are not.

The Goldendoodle is generally a very loving, sensitive dog that does not respond well to negative training.

Activity: The Goldendoodle is not an over-active dog or a hyper-active dog. A Goldendoodle is happiest when with its family. A Goldendoodle does not mind laying at your feet or running along beside you if you bicycle. Keep in mind the smaller Goldendoodles are not able to keep up with certain activities. Small Goldendoodles work out better for those who are not very active and larger Goldendoodles work out better for families who are always on the go or who enjoy outdoor activities. A Goldendoodle enjoys playing and is happiest when interacting with its family. It is important, however, to note that Goldendoodles 25 pounds or over will take on more of the Golden Retriever characteristics in behaviour where as a Goldendoodle that is under 25 pounds, will sport more of the quirky traits as that of the Toy Breed. Goldendoodles under 25 pounds prefer to be a lap dog; are not recommended as a pet for small children because Toy sized Goldendoodles tend to gravitate toward a single family member, are not stranger friendly and can be difficult to socialize with "outsiders". Goldendoodles under 25 pounds are considered to be "diva" dogs and work out better for older couples without children or a family who has older children in the household.

Description: The Goldendoodle began to become popular in 1997 in Australia and began to become popular in 1999 in the United States. The Goldendoodle's original purpose was as an assistance dog for those who had allergies to shedding canine hair. Being a very friendly dog and very sociable to other pets, The Goldendoodle makes for a great pet for those who have children of all ages. Because the Goldendoodle is a Poodle hybrid, its size can range far and wide. When a Toy Poodle is bred to a Golden Retriever, the puppies can range from 9 pounds to 18 pounds as adults.

When a Miniature Poodle or small Standard Poodle is bred to a Golden Retriever, the sizes will literally range anywhere from 25 pounds up to 55 pounds or more, depending upon the size of the Golden Retriever.

Puppies will be various sizes in any given litter and not all of the puppies in any particular litter will weigh a particular amount based on the size of the parents. Even if both parents are very large dogs, Goldendoodle offspring will be of various weighs in any given litter.

The Goldendoodle is very popular because of the coat not shedding as much as typical purebred dogs. Because many families have children, the Goldendoodle works out very well because of their friendly disposition. The disposition of the Goldendoodle dog is very dependent upon how they are created as well as their over all lineage.

Over all, the Goldendoodle is a very hardy dog who can have a long life span of up to 15 years. Health issues are usually minor as the Goldendoodle does not always possess the same health issues as that of the purebred dog. This is because neither parent is related and creates what many hybrid breeders consider to be "Hybrid vigor". The term "Hybrid Vigor" has not been scientifically proven and is thus just the personal opinion of some breeders.
Goldendoodles that are inbred or backbred to closely related ancestors generally have more genetic health issues which is similar to the purebred dog than Goldendoodles who are of first generation and do not come from two parents who share close ancestors.

Goldendoodles are considered to have a two-toned effect in their coat.

Many Goldendoodles of color will have silver or gold hues inside of their coat hairs. Goldendoodles who are cream can appear to be white when outdoors and apricot Goldendoodles who are indoors will always appear to be darker in color than when outdoors. Goldendoodles will always lighten in color from the time they are born until the day they turn one year of age. They will never darken. Goldendoodles of color are always born darker than what they will be as an adult. Many black Goldendoodles can turn silver and some black Goldendoodles can turn into a silver phantom with lighter silver legs, face and chest. Nearly all light colored Goldendoodles, to include Goldendoodles who are red, have white hair follicles. This comes about from the Poodle genes. Many dark Goldendoodles sport Golden hues and this comes about from the Golden Retriever. All in all, regardless of color or size, the Goldendoodle makes the perfect pet for those seeking a friendly and very outgoing, comical dog.

Author/Breeder: Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World

Selective breeding through DNA testing

goldendoodleworld — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 19:01:15 CST

Is is possible to create designer dogs through DNA selective testing? With modern technology right at our finger tips...you bet your sweet DOODLE, it is!
Faster? Stronger? Keener sense of smell? More muscles? Shorter? Thicker coat? The list could go on. But is this playing God, with dogs? We have already seen animals being cloned. Genes determine who we are as humans. They also determine what the animal will become too. But, what if we could create our Own special dog? Create pets that are designed for individual families? Is this possible?
Located in Ithaca, NY, the Baker Institute is a part of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. Today, the Institute serves society through discoveries that will have both an immediate affect and long term implications. Along with their historical strength in the study of infectious disease and immunology, the Institute's medical geneticists have gained prominence in recent years through the development of practical tests for detecting carriers of defective genes and strategies for control of genetic diseases. These researchers also investigate a variety of diseases affecting both animals and humans, including osteoarthritis, diseases of the eye, and reproductive disorders. In 2006, the Baker Institute Mapped out the canine rod cone dysplasia type 2 (rcd2) to a region of dog chromosome 7. Their achievements are numerous where the canine is concerned. But who will be the first in achieving a true Designer dog? A dog that is simply created by mixing a variety of specific genes to give someone seeking such a dog, something unique...only to them? Do you think this could become a reality?

Canine geneticists have come a very long way, especially since our modern technology is getting better and better. Our environment being what it is, may be the driving force for those seeking "designer" dogs. When I think of a "designer dog"...this is essentially the reality of what comes to mind. A dog that has been put together by a canine geneticist according to my desires and wishes. Dogs created to specifics. Yes. Now we are talking about "playing God". We already have hybrid dogs that have become wildly much more popular than the purebred, which angers many purebred breeders. But, it is what it is. A new fact of life. Man's best friend, the dog, is proving that it has, yet again, figured out a way to lend a helping paw. The identification of canine genes is not only improving the health of dogs, but is also helping researchers identify genes controlling human diseases and develop treatments. Yes, as much as I hate to say it, dogs are used greatly in many experiments and tests. Some agree it is for the betterment of human kind...some disagree completely.

Dr. Dennis O'Brien, a professor of neurology at the University of Missouri's College of Veterinary Medicine and an expert on neurodegenerative diseases, says he is thrilled about the recent identification of genes that cause two types of rare epilepsy in dogs and humans. "It's very exciting. I think it shows the power of canine genomics to (be able) to start answering some of these questions," Dr. O'Brien said. Berge Minassian, MD, and other scientists at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, turned to the dog in their hunt for genes that cause Lafora disease in humans. With Lafora, seizures begin in the teenage years and increase in frequency until they cause death, usually within five years after the onset of the first symptoms. The researchers had identified one gene in humans but knew there was at least a second gene, because some families couldn't be linked to the first gene. "I knew that Lafora is, relatively, frequently reported in dogs," Dr. Minassian said. "I thought perhaps if we found families of dogs (that) have this disease, it may help us find the gene and, from there, the human gene."

While dogs and cats are used for testing and experiments, they are also man's best friend. Dog and cat alike. Goldendoodles are called, by some, designer dogs but I beg to differ. Goldendoodles have not been created from test tubes or by Canine geneticists. They are selectively created by designer breeders. The dog itself is not a designer dog, but I do consider the breeder who only creates hybrids, a designer breeder. That's not a bad thing. I myself am a "designer" breeder.
Sometime in our future, REAL designer dogs will occur. We will be able to select and design our family pets in a very real specific way. As time goes by and scientists collect more and more DNA of family pets and varying breeds, they will soon have an entire collection to choose from. They can mix and match and perhaps, you'll even be able to check off a list what it is you desire in your own personal, designer dog. ALready breeders can know before their litters are born, what colors to expect through DNA testing. Canine DNA holds more keys than we realize, to knowing what to expect with offspring. Mark my words! Canine DNA is going to go to places they've never known before!

*Author/Breeder: Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World

To test a breeding dog

goldendoodleworld — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 19:00:48 CST

Let's get down to the nitty gritty issue of Canine testing on breeding dogs. Let's stop the finger wagging, the finger pointing and calling names at breeders who share my belief that the tests presently available for breeding dogs absolutely has no bearing whatsoever for their created offspring. The reason being, the tests do not guarantee a longer, healthier life over a non-tested dog or their offspring. I will be the very first to say that I personally believe that many of the tests available for canine are absolutely a waste of money if the tests are the basis for selling a litter of puppies.
Breeders who use the testing as a way to manipulate a buyer's perception that the breeder is a much better breeder because they tested their breeding dogs and that their breeding dogs are far better than non tested dogs are only providing their buyers with a false sense of security. They claim they are "bettering the breed"..."Helping people"...its not about bettering the breed. It's not about helping people. It's about the pats on the head; the adulation; the money. It is just a sales tactic and a way for these breeders to command higher prices for their puppies and a sales gimmick to lure more potential buyers in their direction. Breeders who are veterinarians, vet techs and such, know for a fact that the testing available to them for their breeding dogs does not, in any way, at this time, eliminate genetic issues or health issues for created offspring. Many Veterinarians themselves have had instances where their tested breeding dogs have still produced puppies that came down with severe hip dysplasia or other devestating health issues after it went home with the buyer. Being a Veterinarian or a Vet tech does not make them a "healer". 5 different Vets with the same amount of experience, can come up with 5 different diagnosis' based on the same evidence. The same holds true for doctors and people. There's never any REAL proof what causes an issue or ailment in people or dogs. Just mere speculation and alot of assumption. If it were true that all the canine testing that is available to date could prevent puppies from having health issues down the road, why then would those that do test their breeding dogs not give their buyers a lifetime health warranty? Wouldn't a breeder who is either a Veterinarian or a Vet tech, who has more testing available to them at a much lesser fee, be more sure of the health of their breeding dogs than the average breeder? They do, after all, have a supposed edge over the average breeder. If it were true that all of the testing that is available to humans could produce a perfectly sound human being....why are there so many screwed up people in this world? Why are there so many families torn apart by drug addiction, murders, suicide, depression and all sorts of other health maladies and addictions? Why? Because there's no such thing as being able to produce or perfect a human being, much less a dog, regardless of all the testing that is presently available. Lets say you purchase a puppy from a breeder who tested the breeding parents for every single test known to dog, does this mean your dog isn't going to become ill from something the parents were not tested for? Does it then mean Fido won't run out into traffic and get killed or maimed ? Does it mean Fluffy will never suffer from a health issue at sometime during its life? No....not even close, my friend.
If breeders who test their breeding dogs for every test known to dog, actually believed all the conducted testing was going to provide their puppy buyers with a 100% genetically defective free puppy and that their puppies were much healthier because they were produced by tested breeding dogs, why then are they only providing a limited health guarantee to the buyers? Sherry Rupke told me in her hateful email that she felt it gave puppies a "better chance" at not having a genetic ailment or issue through out their lives, if their parents were tested. Yes, and if Sherry Rupke and others like her, don't get into their car today, they will have a better chance of NOT getting into a car accident. If she and others who share her opinion, don't eat today, they'll have a better chance of NOT choking on the food they put into their mouths. I could go on and on and on about the "ifs" in this world. Forget the "ifs" and lets talk about facts and reality!

Who is she and others like her kidding? I read an ezine article written by Sherry Rupke and laughed myself silly at the nonsense she wrote. It was a fluke that I ran into this article because she had sent me a nasty email not too long ago bashing me as an irresponsible breeder because I didn't test my breeding dogs. This woman has alot of nerve, to say the least. Regardless of her opinions, that was not the basis for this article. The entire reason for this article is to shed some light on the fact that there are many breeders who are as experienced, if not more experienced than myself ( I have 11+ years under my belt) and they share the same belief as I do that more studies need to be conducted before we can know with absolute certainty, puppies will turn out to be healthier and free from diseases or genetic ailments, if breeding dogs are tested.
So she's a vet tech...whoopee doo! Does that somehow make her better than the average breeder? I don't believe so. There are entirely more breeders with more hands on experience, such as myself, than that of Sherry Rupke. As a vet tech, she either gets a huge discount for all of the testing she listed on her ezine article she claims breeding dogs should have BEFORE being bred, or she gets them for her dogs, for free! For the average breeder who doesn't have the luxury of free canine testing, FREE canine treatments or huge beneficial discounts from their Veterinarian BOSS, all of the tests she listed in her article are very expensive and the average breeder would never be able to recoup their money if they had all of the tests she listed, performed on their breeding dogs. Especially since those tests will not guarantee the breeder genetically sound puppies nor will they guarantee that a buyer will NEVER shed a tear because their puppy came down with a health issue. I was very fortunate, when I first began as a breeder to have 2 very important mentors in my life. One was a show breeder who had well over 25 years experience in breeding and showing dogs and the other was my veterinarian who passed away in 2006. I believed I learned the most from my vet, but I learned quite alot from the show breeder as well. Prior to my vet's passing, I learned just as much had I been a vet tech working for him. He allowed me to have "hands on" experience when it came to teaching me how to bring my puppies in the world and other important things a breeder should know. Every vet visit and every conversation with him was a learning experience. Even when he would come to my home to vaccinate my dogs or to bring me medications for my dogs, everything with my vet was about learning. He had the unique ability to share his knowledge freely and he never held back. He enjoyed teaching dog owners and breeders alike, if they were interested in being taught. I do believe in particular tests for dogs such testing for canine brusillosis and yes, I did have such tests performed. But for tests that actually have no bearing on created offspring where genetic issues are concerned, I disagree that they are necessary unless the dog is an affected dog and if the dog is an affected dog, it should not be bred; Just tested, treated, then altered.

It's bad enough that before I deduct the actual expenses of caring for my litter of Goldendoodle pups and the parents on a daily basis, I figured out my actual earnings on a puppy sale is a whopping $6.57 a day BEFORE expenses are deducted. Yes...I'm living high off the hog from selling a puppy! They SURE DO ALLOW ME TO RETIRE FROM A REAL JOB! WHOOOO...I'LL MAKE SURE NOT TO SPEND IT ALL IN ONE PLACE and it appears the fabric makers in China actually make more money than I do, per day. Not only would the average breeder NOT be able to recoup their spent money on all the tests Sherry Rupke listed in her article, but not a single test she listed will guarantee that the breeder's dog won't pass on defective, silent genes that cause many ailments and genetic issues in the created offspring. Dogs in general carry 4-5 silent defective genes that can pass on to offspring. Dogs who are carriers may not be an affected dog or even show signs of any ailment whatsoever. While some studies conducted have been able to find markers for certain diseases in a few breeds, there are many other studies that need to be conducted for all breeds, and we have a very long way to go before perfecting the dog as a whole. Currently, canine genetic laboratories are working in trying to narrow down specific DNA markers that cause issues with the canine in general, but those studies are still in the works.

One of my first thoughts after reading her ezine article was this: If she's so sure that all the tests she lists in her article is a definite way to produce healthy, genetically defective free puppies for people to buy, WHY THEN DOES SHE NOT OFFER A LIFE TIME HEALTH GUARANTEE to her buyers and why is her health guarantee limited? Surely, she feels very confident that the tests she put her breeding dogs through will guarantee her buyers a puppy they can enjoy for life, Right? My other thoughts were, is she married? Is she a parent? If so, and she's so adament that the fact she tests her breeding dogs allows her to be a qualified TOP BREEDER, was she as adament about conducting research on her and her husband's lineage and ancestry prior to getting married to ensure they were both genetically compatible? If she's a parent, did either she or her husband go through any pre-genetic or other available pre-testing to ensure they were not going to create a defective child prior to becoming pregnant? Surely someone who sits upon their self made pedestal would be so thorough as to have this done before becoming a parent or getting married? It is a fact that every few minutes, a genetically challenged child enters this world because of a genetic flaw in either the mother, the father or even sometimes both. It is a fact that many such children are abandoned in our health care facilities, given up for adoption or allowed to die by the very parents that created them. It's also a fact that more genetically challenged children are born each day, than genetically challenged puppies and more genetically challenged children are left homeless or abandoned than genetically challenged dogs. Our health care facilities have more abandoned children than animal shelters have abandoned dogs. Yet, we are smarter than a dog. We have more genetic testing available to us than what's available for a dog and yet, people like Sherry Rupke emphasize testing on breeding dogs and not themselves. I find that quite interesting and strange.

Recent advances in human genetic testing have put the answer to questions about a human's over all health, right at our fingertips. Yet so much of it goes unused by those seeking to wed or have children. Whether the goal is to assist in validating eligibility for government entitlements, such as Native American Rights or just to satisfy one's curiosity, Ancestry DNA testing is the only scientifically rigorous method available for this purpose in existence today. Of course, there are many other human genetic tests available to anyone who desires to be tested BEFORE they decide to wed or have children. Genetic testing is as simple as swabbing the inside of your cheek. Testing accuracy is as good as 99.99% and can tell much about a person's ancestry and lineage. How many people do you think actually go through DNA testing, blood work up, X-rays and all sorts of other testing BEFORE considering pairing up with another human being or before considering bringing a child into this world? A child that could be born with defects; a child that could become a burden to our already under-funded health care system; a child that could bankrupt a couple due to genetic health issues. A child that may become a burden to society. I am willing to guess that perhaps only 10% (or less) of our entire population ever give one single thought at going through DNA testing or any other type of testing before marriage and creating a family. There are entirely more couples creating genetically challenged children than there are breeders and children live much longer than dogs, not to mention, they cost more. Before you hit me with your virtual sledgehammer, I am a parent and a grandmother. My experience and my knowledge goes far beyond that of a breeder. I am entitled to my opinions about people like Sherry Rupke, who go to great lengths of pretending they are holier than thou just because they test their breeding dogs and who actually believe that they are somehow much better than those who do no testing. It is mind boggling to me that a person who firmly believes a breeder who doesn't test their breeding dogs are basically parasites to our society and yet, they didn't do a single test on themselves or any research on their family lineage. Help me understand why these people actually believe they are "improving the breed" through testing when they didn't do anything about improving society by similar testing on themselves? It is also an absurd notion that these breeders actually believe they are "improving the breed" yet they backbreed, inbreed and linebreed a hybrid knowing full well that such practices are not healthy for a hybrid or a purebred dog.

Don't think you have me pegged just because I am writing about genetically challenged children. I have nothing against disabled children. I have children of my own and I also have grandchildren. Many, many moons ago, I worked as a CNA in a children's center for physically and mentally challenged children. Reality hit me squarely in the face when I worked as a CNA for these children. Many a night I sat in a rocking chair, rocking a baby with a shunt in her head because her responsible parents never visited her. She didn't so much as have a single photo in her tiny, white, cubicle of a room to show she had a family. I never felt so loved as I did each day when I was greeted by smiling faces of genetically challenged children who showered me with hugs and kisses and yet, never got them from their parents because they were abandoned as well by their responsible parents. They too, lived in tiny rooms that had little more than a dresser for their belongings. It broke my heart and the mixed emotions drew me to tears every night. It tore me apart knowing these children were so giving of hugs, kisses and love, yet they never received it from the very people that conceived them. I have also put in thousands of unpaid FREE hours as a respite and foster parent for the military community in Mannheim, Germany quite a long time ago, of which both my husband and I received many commendations and awards for. I am very aware of the reality of souls with genetic challenges and issues. I am not laying any blame on parents who may have a child with defects as I am sure their burden is quite great.
I'm merely making a point. The point being that people like Sherry Rupke, these finger wagging, name calling, hypocritical breeders who put so much emphasis on canine testing before breeding a dog, never so much as gave it a single thought of having any genetic tests conducted on themselves before having their own child or children, if they are parents. While there is nothing wrong with having a breeding dog tested before deciding to create puppies (that is a personal option), I do find something very wrong with those who write articles or go into forums and post derogatory information all over the internet....moan and groan all over the internet, anywhere and everywhere they can about breeders who don't have their breeding dogs tested. They do their best at name calling, claiming breeders who do not test their breeding dogs are "irresponsible"...blah, blah, blah....the list goes on to their madness. Who's calling the kettle black? The hypocritical breeders and others like them who point fingers at the breeders who believe that testing is a waste of money if the tests can not guarantee a genetically, defective free canine, that's who!

Name calling, name dropping, pointing fingers, blasting, cursing and writing all over the internet their personal opinions about pre-testing breeding dogs is par for the course in a breeders' world. Many do this because they have some kind of "perfection" complex. They're perfect because they test and the breeders who don't test are supposed "back yard breeders", "Puppy Mills" and what ever other delusional names they can come up with. Supposedly an experienced breeder who has dedicated many, many years in their profession isn't quite as "knowledgeable" as the breeder who has only been in the breeding profession for a few short years....but who tests their dogs. Did I also mention that Sherry Rupke also goes to great lengths of promoting a website she claims is a site for TOP GOLDENDOODLE BREEDERS yet fails to tell you those supposed TOP Goldendoodle breeders PAY FOR THEIR INCLUSION UPON THE WEBSITE she lists in her article ??? They are NOT TOP BREEDERS! They are merely breeders who pay the website owner to advertise on the owner's designed website! A website that was created AFTER the Goldendoodle became a popular dog and the website owner discovered a new way of earning a paycheck!
A TOP breeder does not have to PAY ALL SORTS OF BREEDER ADVERTISING WEBSITES to advertise and sell their puppies. A true TOP BREEDER sells their puppies by word of mouth, in Canine magazines or at dog shows. An actual TOP breeder and show breeder would laugh at Sherry's notion that the breeders listed on the website she's promoting in her ezine article, are top breeders. At best, they may be "good" or "okay" breeders, but so are many, many others who do not pay that website owner for advertising or inclusion upon that website. Let's not forget that the very site she's promoting in her ezine article also sports a very dysfunctional forum that goes to great lengths at name dropping in a very negative way towards breeders they have an ax to grind or feel are their competitors. The website owner's forum fuels the flames of those who post erroneous, inaccurate, derogatory information by those with a grudge and an ax to grind and its merely a forum to lure potential Goldendoodle buyers towards those supposed TOP breeders who pay for inclusion on the website she's listed. The forum is a way to lure potential buyers away from the competitors who people inside of the forum had bad mouthed and towards those who paid for inclusion upon that website because they also provide the website owner a paycheck. If the website owner herself didn't have an ax to grind with the breeders who are "condemed to her forum hell hole" and operated the website in a more professional manner, breeders would not be at each others' throats like they are today. There are other breeders who have very similar forums attached to their personal websites and interestingly enough, they themselves were the brunt of being attacked by a woman in Canada who operates a free for all, breeder bashing forum inside of HER website! All of them collect paychecks by doing this and allowing these things to happen. It's a perfect, methodical way at attempting to oust their competition. It's all about self promotion, self agenda, self motives. It is just another sales tactic and gimmick by these people, not to mention its about MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.

I have personally been contacted many times, over the years, from those who had purchased a Goldendoodle puppy from some of those "supposed top breeders" who was either returned to those breeders or had to be euthanized because the puppy had severe health issues. I've also been contacted several times by those who purchased a Goldendoodle puppy from one of those supposed TOP breeders because the buyer felt betrayed over the appearance of their Goldendoodle's coat. It is not unusual at all for people to contact me with Goldendoodle questions, even though they purchased their puppy from those supposed TOP breeders. They contacted me because their own breeder could not answer their questions with regards to the very puppy their breeder created. Imagine that! Supposed top breeders not being able to answer their customers' questions, yet their the best? If anyone actually believes that the supposed TOP GOLDENDOODLE BREEDERS listed on the website that Sherry Rupke promotes in her ezine article never had an issue with a customer and/or never had an issue with the puppies they brought into this world, they are very delusional and naive.
The dog has 78 chromosomes, 39 pairs of homologous (same genes and order, but not quite identical) chromosomes. The dog inherits one of each chromosome pair from the father and one from the mother. A chromosome is composed of long strings of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of four kinds: adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine (A, C, G, T). The sequence of DNA codes for genes, regulation of genes, and chromosomal functions. A gene is transcribed into ribonucleic acid (RNA) which in turn can be translated into an amino acid sequence, a protein. Proteins carry out a wide variety of activities: maintenance and division of cells, communication with other cells, structural components and enzymatic functions (for example, cleavage of other proteins).

One test she lists in her article that a breeding dog should be tested for is Von Willebrand's disease. What is Von Willebrand's disease ? Von Willebrand's disease (vWD) is a common, usually mild, inherited bleeding disorder in people and in dogs. Notice I said "in people" and in dogs. It is caused by a lack of Von Willebrand factor (vWD), which plays an essential role in the blood clotting process. Normally the body responds to an injury causing bleeding through a complex defense system. This consists of local changes in the damaged blood vessels, activation of blood cells called platelets, and the coagulation process. A reduction in Von Willebrand factor leads to abnormal platelet function and prolonged bleeding times. Affected dogs are prone to bleeding episodes such as nose bleeds, and generally experience increased bleeding with trauma or a surgical procedure. Three forms of the disease are distinguished based on vWD concentration and function. Dogs with Type I vWD (by far the most common) have mild to moderate bleeding abnormalities, depending on the level of vWD. The much rarer types II and III vWD cause severe bleeding disorders. Now, obviously a breeder who has several generations of breeding dogs knows full well whether or not their dog has a bleeding disorder long before the dog is old enough to become a "breeder". Obviously, a human being would also know whether or not they have a bleeding disorder long before they become an adult. How many people, do you suppose get PRE-TESTED for Von Willebrand's disease should they NOT have had this disorder as a child ? Better yet, how many people do you suppose get PRE-TESTED for Von Willebrand's disease BEFORE CONSIDERING having a child? I'm going to guess only a person who already knows they have the issue and not those wanting to know whether or not the issue is a possible inherited trait down through their ancestry or lineage. The most common form (Type I vWD) is thought to be an autosomal trait with incomplete dominance. This means offspring may inherit the disorder if either parent carries the gene. NOTICE THE WORD "CARRY". "IF EITHER PARENT CARRIES THE GENE". Not all offspring will be affected to the same extent, should either parent CARRY THE GENE. Dogs with type I disease have reduced but measurable levels of Von Willebrand factor (1 to 60 per cent). Animals that inherit the gene for type I vWD from both parents (homozygotes) die before birth or shortly thereafter. This means that it would be impossible for the breeder to sell you a puppy that has inherited the gene for type I vWD since it would pass away long before ever becoming old enough to be presented for sale.

Type III vWD is relatively rare. This form is autosomal recessive. Animals are only affected if they inherit the abnormal gene from both parents, who are clinically unaffected carriers. Affected dogs have zero levels of vWD, while carrier parents have 15 to 60 per cent of normal levels. Type II vWD is very rare. It is an autosomal recessive trait. Bleeding abnormalities are severe in dogs with Types II and III von Willebrand's disease. For many breeds and many disorders, the studies to determine the mode of inheritance or the frequency in the breed have not been carried out, or are inconclusive. Although many dogs are affected by vWD, only a small proportion have severe problems. Dogs with vWD are prone to nose bleeds, bleeding from the gums, and prolonged bleeding during heat or after whelping. There may be prolonged bleeding from the umbilical cord at birth or when your pup sheds its baby teeth. Excessive bleeding after surgery or trauma is common, and may be the first sign of this condition in your dog. It is quite obvious just from studying the information about vWD, that a breeder who purchases their breeding dogs as a young puppy would become well aware of such a problem if it existed for the dog they were considering for their breeding program! This is a disease that is quite obvious long before it becomes an issue, if it exists for man or dog. Mucosal bleeding time is the best screening test for a potential defect in platelet function, and is prolonged in dogs with a deficiency in vWD. However the test is non-specific for vWD because it is also prolonged in dogs with thrombocytopenia or functional platelet defects. (Bleeding times are normal in animals with warfarin toxicity, hemophilia A or B, or a deficiency of Factor VII.)

Specific diagnosis of vWD requires either genetic testing in those breeds in which it is available, or vWD measurement. The genetic test is performed by submitting a sample (such as a mucosal scraping) to a genetic testing laboratory. The results are reliable at any age. Measurement of vWD:Ag levels is done by electroimmunoassay or enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA). Samples for testing must be submitted to the diagnostic laboratory very fresh in a citrate tube (within 1 to 2 hours of collection). Where this isn't possible, the blood sample should be separated immediately after collection and the plasma submitted frozen. It is best to check with your diagnostic laboratory for shipping instructions. VWF levels vary between breeds and with respect to age. An accurate genetic test has been developed for the poodle. Genetic Testing on Poodles, since it is available, can reliably identify dogs with vWD, dogs that are carriers, or dogs that are clear. We personally own 7 generations of Golden Retrievers who have NEVER had a bleeding issue. None of our Poodles or Goldendoodles have ever had a bleeding issue and our 2 oldest Poodles are 8 years of age, with others ranging from 2-5 years of age, each. All of the dogs in our breeding program have been owned since they were either born or since they were just a few weeks of age. Such naysayers like Sherry Rupke, who write articles to proclaim their personal opinions about breeders who "don't conduct testing on their breeding dogs" and believe that the only TOP BREEDERS (like themselves) that exist are on the website that she promotes in her article is just sheer nonsense. It's all about self promotion to sell their own puppies and deceive the buyer with false hope. A breeder who has several generations of their breeding dogs on hand, who has owned them either since birth or since they were very young pups, such as ourselves, has more of an ability to observe the over all health of their breeding dogs than those who only use testing and are not experienced breeders. A breeder who has several generations or more of breeding dogs on hand also has the same ratio of puppies with possible defects, if not better, than those who use testing. Since 1999, we have not had a single Goldendoodle buyer submit their Goldendoodle's DNA to either prove or disprove a genetic ailment if they believed their doodle had an issue that was caused by their lineage or ancestry nor have we had a single buyer, to date, submit any Veterinarian reports, x-rays, diagnostics or studies to show a direct genetic link if they felt their doodle had an issue that was caused by their lineage or ancestry. Since 1996, the same holds true for purebred Golden Retrievers. We do not breed purebred Standard or Miniature Poodles, so the above is not relevant. To date, we've never had any breeding dog be an "affected" dog with any health issue other than what would be considered age related. Our oldest Golden Retriever passed away at the age of 14 in his sleep and never had a single health issue his entire life! The only issue we ever had with him was his enjoyment of "digging to china". He could dig a hole better than any city worker I've ever seen! My second oldest Golden Retriever passed away in her sleep at the age of 12. We do practice good breeding habits! I would never place a dog that I felt was not an over all healthy dog, into a breeding program. A good example is the fact that I spent a fortune on having both my male and female Boxer dogs CERF and OFA certified and have never bred either one. Simply because I felt my female dog was too aggressive towards other dogs and had too much of an alpha personality. Even though we are desperately attached to my male Boxer and knowing his own mother was hit and killed by a car (we were contacted by the breeder to see if we had used our Boxer as a sire and told us of his mother's unfortunate demise.), there was no way I was going to risk having puppies that might pick up my female Boxer's personality and become an aggressive dog as an adult. I did not want to become burdened with that possibility, especially if the dog turned out to bite a child. Our two Boxers were OFA and CERF certified to prove a point, many years ago. The point being that neither test could guarantee genetically sound puppies. Observing my female Boxers' aggressive tendencies towards other female dogs, over the years, was my deciding factor in NOT using her for breeding. She's terrific around people. She just can't be trusted with other female dogs. Both dogs are now six years of age and neither have ever been bred, nor will they ever be bred. Although my male would make a terrific sire, we decided to simply own him as our family pet. With regards to our Goldendoodles, we provide EVERY BUYER 2 application forms. One being a DNA application and the other an OFA application. We encourage buyers to submit either form for their dogs if they are concerned about a possible genetic issue, should one come about. If an ailment should come about for a purchased Goldendoodle, it is only fair that the buyer submit as much documentation to the breeder as possible, such as DNA analysis, blood work up, x-rays and any other form of testing that has taken place by the owner and all the paperwork so that the breeder can have their own veterinarian look over the documents and see what has or has not taken place with the dog who may have an issue. It is then that the breeder can make the determination as to what course of action to take to assist the buyer. We are very clear to those who buy one of our Goldendoodles that we have no problem at replacing a Goldendoodle if and when such an incident occurs but we DO have to have as much documentation sent to us as possible and IMMEDIATELY as a situation occurs to help US understand what has taken place and we MUST have a DNA report showing the issue is a direct result of the dog's heritage and has not been caused by an accident or neglect on the owner's part. Without documentation, we can't possibly be affective at assisting a buyer. I don't understand why a buyer would not want to submit as much information as they possibly can to their breeder if something has occurred they felt was a result of their dogs' lineage, instead of pointing fingers and playing the blame game all over the internet where ever they can. The only way a breeder can assist one of their customers is if the customer works WITH the breeder instead of against them. It's fine if a breeder wants to test their dogs for whatever testing is available to their dog, but they don't need to point fingers and act like they are better than the experienced breeders who do not test their breeding dogs. Those that wag their fingers and toss sand in the eyes of their competitors are hypocrites and they are merely using the testing as a sales tactic so they can command higher prices for their puppies. Somehow people actually believe if they purchase a puppy from a breeder who has their breeding dogs tested, that they will never have to shed a tear over their puppy ever having an ailment or issue through out its life. That the tests somehow provide created offspring with that magical jelly bean. They will live longer, healthier lives than those who came from parents who were not tested. What an absurd notion. If they really believe that all of the tests they put their breeding dogs through will create defective free offspring, why are they not really showing they believe in these tests by offering YOU, the buyer, a life time guarantee? And if these same breeders who wag their fingers at their competitors are so strongly opinionated about testing breeding dogs, and they themselves have children, why did they NOT have themselves tested (including their spouse) BEFORE getting married to make sure they were genetically compatible and/or do an entire lineage study on themselves before deciding to have children? Surely it would be more devestating to have a child born to them with defects than would a defective puppy. Can anyone say hypocrite ?

The frequency of inherited conditions can be reduced through good breeding practices. This doesn't mean just through testing. This means through testing (if they want) or not breed dogs they know are affected and showing signs of a disease or ailment and to remove any dogs from their breeding program when they become a particular age. Good breeding practices include knowing your breeding stock and many who have several generations on hand, in their breeding program, know the over all health of their breeding dogs. In order to remove dogs who may be carriers of a genetic disease, we need to know how the disease is inherited (the mode of inheritance), how to identify the condition as early as possible, and ways to recognize carriers of the disease who, except in the case of autosomal dominant traits, are not clinically affected.

For many of the disorders that are believed to be inherited, the specific pattern of inheritance has not been established, to date. Breeds that have an increased risk for a condition, relative to other dog breeds, are said to have a breed predisposition. Preferably, affected dogs and the affected dogs' close relatives should not be used in breeding programs. I personally agree that a breeder is then irresponsible if they knowingly breed a dog that is affected by an ailment that appears to have a genetic component. WE ARE NOT ONE OF THOSE TYPE OF BREEDERS. I personally do NOT put a dog into my breeding program if I have not personally observed for quite some time, their over all health. I also remove my breeding dogs when they become a certain age. All removed dogs from my breeding program are spayed and/or neutered and then offered for adoption to someone seeking an older, family pet, for the cost of the altering. The reality to having older dogs who are removed from a breeder's program is that they don't always get adopted and they remain with the breeder if they are not taken to an animal shelter or sold to Laboratories (who conduct all sorts of testing). It's a known fact that 70% of all dogs sold to such laboratoties come from breeders whether private or commercial. There's no way my concious would ever allow me to sell any of my dogs to a laboratory to be poked, prodded and tortured to death. We personally DO observe good breeding practices whether people like Sherry Rupke and others like her believe it or not. They are, after all, entitled to their own personal opinions regardless of how inaccurate they are. Those who enjoy breeder bashing inside of forums or through their articles are also, after all, entitled at being nothing more than a media whore. By that I mean that people like Sherry Rupke post their articles and personal opinions inside of forums, all over the Internet to proclaim how great they are and how bad other breeders are if they don't do this or that, when all they are really doing is just seeking public attention, for self gain. In the business of working with live animals, your going to screw up. In the nature of breeding, your going to lose some puppies, lose some customers as well as shed some tears. As a breeder, your decisions are not always going to make everyone happy and your not going to be popular with every single person that comes in your direction. You will even find you are an enemy of people you've never met and have never spoken to. Breeders don't beome breeders to make the world like them. They aren't looking for popularity. They don't ask to be liked and they don't ask for applause. Breeders aren't out there to solve all of the problems. They live in an unlikeable paradox. Breeders do not need to seek approval from the world. They just need to learn everything they can about what it is they do and do the best damn job they can. That's it in a nutshell.

Welcome to reality. As a breeder, If you can't handle it, you better chose another profession.
Author/breeder: Dee Gerrish from Goldendoodle World

The ideal dog

goldendoodleworld — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 19:00:25 CST

Lets size up the ideal dog!
If that's possible. Everyone will agree that everyone has their idea of the perfect family pet. Everyone will agree that not all agree on just what makes the ideal family pet.

A lot of times, we get phone calls from those who have no idea what type of dog they are looking for. It is essential to look at every aspect of your life, your living arrangements, your budget and write down the dogs that you feel would make the IDEAL dog for you and your family. After writing down the breeds you and your family have selected, read as much about each breed as possible and then break down the list until you come down to one single dog. (That is unless you plan to purchase more than one type of breed.)
America's love affair with dogs has gone on for eons! There is a growing population of older people who share their home with dogs. About 1 in 10 senior citizens have a pet in the home. Also, baby boomers are aging and are getting a bit grayer which could explain the popularity of small breeds.

Owning a dog has a lot of physical and psychological benefits. When trying to determine the dog best for you or your family, there is a lot to think about! Can you afford it? Do you have the room? Who is going to take care of the dog? Do you have the time to invest in a dog? Do you want a lightweight or heavyweight dog? Do you want a small breed or a large breed or something in-between?
Do you live in a quiet area where a lot of barking would not be a GOOD thing? Do you live in the country? Do you have a fenced area to keep the dog in or will this dog stay in the house? Do you want a short hair or long hair dog? Can you afford a dog with a lot of grooming requirements? Are you allowed to own a pet if you live in a condo or an apartment? Do you need spousal approval? Do you need anyone's approval? Many people play the "What kind of Dogs do you have?" game with a breeder and personally, I find this very aggravating. I am sure other breeders find this aggravating as well. It is very frustrating for a breeder to go into detail with someone over the telephone about what type of dogs they have and then, not only do you have no idea what it is you want but you also have to get someone's approval before getting back to the breeder. Your mind should be made up regarding the type of dog you are seeking well before calling a breeder.

If your dog is a family issue, then this should be discussed before contacting a breeder. You should also ONLY call a breeder who is advertising the type of dog you are searching for. If you have not yet figured out what kind of dog you are looking for, don't put it on a breeder to figure it out for you. If you are on a budget, don't be afraid to say so to the breeder IN THE VERY BEGINNING of your call and let them know what you can afford. Don't just ask how much a dog is. Chances are, you are just "Comparison" shopping and where dogs are concerned, this is completely the wrong thing to do. Just because you have calling breeders advertising the same breed, does not mean you are buying the same quality of breed. If you are looking for a show dog...you are not going to want a dog who has no champion ancestors or lineage and if you are looking for a pet, don't expect to pay just a few dollars from a breeder who has taken the time to research their dogs' CHAMPION LINEAGE. If you are on a budget, you should try to obtain a dog that has little grooming requirements, medical needs, upkeep and who has just a pet/average lineage or ancestry........ perhaps you can even look into adopting a dog from a rescue agency, human society or animal shelter. Breeders have to charge a certain amount for their dogs in order to recoup their expenses and pay for overhead & costs involved with their business, whereas, a shelter or rescue agency are compensated through the state or through public funding and donations. Private breeders and kennels do not get reimbursed from the state or receive public donations. Everything regarding raising, breeding and producing a puppy by a breeder is an out of pocket expense for a breeder and Kennel. Very few people have any idea just how expensive and time consuming it is for a breeder, let alone appreciate the difficult, long hours this kind of job requires . It is very frustrating to hear people make the nasty comment to a breeder that they just "live off of their puppies" or are a "puppy mill" and on and on with the name calling. It amazes me how cheap some people can be when they desire to obtain a puppy or dog from a breeder and then have the audacity to do the name calling if they have some kind of issue down the road....it's absurd! If you live in a condo or apartment, you may want to look at purchasing a "social" dog or breed. It is important for dogs who live inside apartments to get out and mingle. It is also imperative that you NOT crate your dog for hours on end. A dog needs to get out and romp around........they need to stretch and build up muscles and use their legs. They can not live their lives for hours on end in a crampy crate. Some of your small breeds who adapt very well to apartments and condos are:

*Toy Poodle hybrids
*Yorkshire Terrier
*Maltese
*Poodle
*Papillon
*Miniature Schnauzer
*Chihuahua
*Bichon Frise
*Boston Terrier
*Japanese Terrier
*Dachshund
*Cairn Terrier
*Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
*American Cocker Spaniel
*Sheltie
*Lhasa Apso
*Shih Tzu
*Basset Hound
*Pomeranian
*Pembroke Welsh Corgi
*Chinese Pug
*Schnoodle
*Pom-Chi
*Goldendoodle
*Schneagle
*Puggle
Many of the above breeds are small, nice and easy to get along with. Some small breeds can cause BIG trouble for people....especially the INDEPENDENT THINKERS such as the Jack Russell Terrier and any that tend to be yappy or high strung such as your purebred toy poodle, Pomeranian and Rat Terrier. Breeds that are traditionally bred to hunt do far better with someone who has a house with a nice large fenced in yard. Those breeds can be the Beagle, Pointer, The English Setter, The English Springer Spaniel, The Harrier, the Black and Tan Coonhound, the Bloodhound. There are many hunting breeds and retrieving breeds that do far better outside than inside. Now here we are in 2006 and there are many very nice small hybrid dogs available that would work out just fine in various living situations.
Dogs that have grooming requirements should be passed over if you are NOT able to afford the time, cost and care they require to keep their coat in tip top shape or feel comfortable taking on this task yourself. Such breeds can be the Bichon Frise, The Poodle, The Borzoi, the Maltese, The Yorkshire Terrier, the Shih Tzu, the Lhasa Apso, the Schnauzer, the Havanese, the Goldendoodle, the Pekingese, the Pomeranian, the Lowchen, Tibetan Terrier, the Bearded Collie, the Shetland Sheepdog, The Old English Sheepdog and all long haired Poodle hybrids.
Never purchase a large breed dog if you do NOT have the time to give this breed many walks outdoors or have an enclosed area to allow this breed to use its muscles. Breeds such as the Golden Retriever, the Rottweiler, The Mastiff, the German Shepherd, Great Dane and other large breed dogs need room to romp and stretch! Crating for hours on end can cause many medical problems for the dog. Many people who crate their dogs for endless hours each and every day mistake a dog's difficulty walking for hip dysplasia! A dog who is not allowed to build up its muscles.......who is not allow the opportunity to have room to grow, stretch, run and be the dog it should be will have all sorts of aches and pains! Of course, there can be joint pain as well due to NOT using the limbs enough. If your dog is crated for endless hours, you are stunting the growth of your dog. There is no way its muscles can fill out and work the way they are suppose to work. Your dog is achy.....in muscular pain and stiff. You'd have to imagine YOURSELF being cramped inside of a crate all day long for hours and hours and never seeing anyone until the end of the day. Even if you have no fence for your yard.....there are kennel pens you can purchase that will allow your dog to be outside and able to jump up.....walk around and breathe fresh outdoor air. Make sure, however, that your dog has plenty of shade and water as he or she can die of heatstroke quite easily during the summer months. Canvas shelter tops can be purchased for as little as $79 for kennel runs and they last for many years. Some hold up quite nice if you do not get a lot of snow in the winter. Kennel runs start at approx. $179- $299 and up. The nice thing is they are easy to put up and you can always add panels as your dog grows or as you need them. This is quite cheap compared to the vet bill your going to have should your dog begin showing signs of medical problems from all the hours and months you have kept him or her confined. So, small dogs fit in well for those who have small living areas or who do not have the time to take fido on long jogs or walks. Large dogs need lots of space! Large dogs also have to be walked regardless of the weather. With small dogs, you may be able to get away with paper training.. Good natured dogs give people a physical and psychological boost. People tend to lead a better life when they own a pet. They get more exercise......they get fresh air.....They can socialize more with others while outside taking their pet for a walk.....People benefit from their pet's unconditional love.
But while a dog can bring benefits to your life.....they can also increase your financial responsibilities and hamper certain aspects to your life....especially if you travel frequently and can not take your dog with you.

This is why it is very important that you can fit a dog into your budget and life. This is why it is important to know what type of dog you can afford before you contact the breeder. Puppies are demanding like infants and Toddlers. They require a lot of training, a lot of your time and can be costly.
While many purebred dogs are great to own....there are wonderful mixed breeds who make great pets and will shower you with just as much attention. Sometimes the benefit of owning an older dog is that they have had all of their vaccinations.....they can be healthier than a puppy.....they have outgrown the chewing stage....they are use to noises and people.....they can be housebroken already and they can sometimes just fit right in with your home. Of course, there are downsides to purchasing an older dog as well. Some can have behavioral problems.....some can still have problems with digging and chewing....some can be wary, nervous and may have a tendency to bite out of fear...especially if they were abandoned, mistreated and abused. You can't blame the dog! Some dogs can be scarred for life due to the way they were treated as a puppy from an abusive home. Abuse comes in many forms and is not always just about hitting. Abuse within the family unit home can spill over to the dog.
Older dogs may also already have developed illnesses or conditions that require medical care, so what may seem to be "cheap" can actually cost you more in the long run through many vet bills. Quite sadly, many older dogs make fine, instant companions, yet few are willing to adopt an older dog. The downside to owning a puppy is of course the fact that they need vaccinations......they need to have obedience training.....they need to be housebroken......they need to learn NOT to chew on your furniture.....they can cost you a lot of money by the time they become an adult.

But, this is the territory that comes with owning a pet! There is NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT PET.
Dogs and cats have their flaws just like humans. They all have their quirks....the medical problems as they go through life....their need for attention and detail.....the need for a bath....the need for teeth cleaning and care.....eye problems......need for vet care and of course...the need to eat, sleep and be happy. No amount of medical testing will guarantee you a defective free animal! Puppy's who have parents that are tested for everything under the sun can still come down with a defect , illness or a disease. That's life! Don't believe you can own an animal and never have to prepare yourself for emotional or financial loss. That's not going to happen. As with all living things....they eventually die from one cause or another. Even dogs who have been tested for everything can still die from a hereditary disease or from age related or medical related problems. It's a fact of life.

I personally believe that you SHOULD NOT purchase a dog based on the testing its parents had from the breeder. You are holding on to a false security blanket if you believe that because a breeder had your puppy's parents tested for every ailment known to man (and dog) that your puppy will NEVER DIE OF ANY AILMENT, ILLNESS OR Disease or come down with any genetic ailment. Well, chances are your dog could get ran over by a car and NOT die of any ailment, illness or disease......There are no guarantees in life! I am not going to paint you a rosy picture where everyone lives happily ever after......you may live well and your pet can live well, but nothing is forever.

The Basics in dog care

When you finally decide to select your canine....you hopefully will have also given some consideration as to where your new pet is going to sleep and what areas your pet will have free reign. For crate training tips, CLICK HERE. Since puppies are well known for chewing on anything they can get their mouths on (just like a baby teething), it is important that you have plenty of toys, knotted ropes, large balls and other great items for your puppy to play with. Never entice your dog to play with your shoes, slippers, socks or other personal items. A dog can not differentiate between your new stuff and old stuff. Parenting a dog is much like parenting a child. They have to learn between right and wrong. It is important to "puppy proof" your home. This means that before you bring your new puppy home....make sure you do not have any extension cords laying about. Pick up any item that is small enough for your puppy to place inside its mouth and possibly swallow. A puppy wants to taste everything! They can choke to death if they get a small item lodged in their throat...such as a marble or other small toy that may belong to your child. Make sure you don't have any glass near the floor or at "puppy level".

It is a very good idea to have a crate....a nice large one....ready for your new puppy. Bedding can be placed inside and a stuffed toy to keep him or her company. But don't mistake this crate as a substitute baby sitter. As stated before, never crate your dog for hours on end every single day. Your puppy wants to explore its new living areas....the same thing with an older dog. This includes the trash can, so make sure your dog or puppy can not get into the trash. Serious illness can occur from eating the wrong thing.
Food is another important factor regarding your new pet. The food you select during the first year of your pup's life is critical to its adult development, health and growth. There are many products on the market and selecting the one that is right for you and your dog is important. Complete nutrition is crucial, so make sure you read the back label on the product you select. Corn meal is something you should stay away from.

For feeding tips, CLICK HERE. You will be faced with many choices......so, it is important to keep in mind that you don't want a high protein food for your puppy because a high protein food can cause your dog to grow too rapidly. Rapid growth can then cause joint and bone problems. You should keep in mind the activity level of your dog. Is he a runner? working dog? couch potato? Science Diet, Pedigree, Eukanuba and Iams are very good products on the market. Pedigree cost less than Science diet. Science Diet costs less than Eukanuba and Iams costs less than Eukanuba. While some stores will tell you that feeding with Iams or Eukanuba is cheaper in the long run, don't believe it! Some dogs absolutely LOVE the taste and will eat just as much as they would the Pedigree. Some owners like to feed with Alpo. I personally have never liked the consistency of Alpo. We have found very good results from Pedigree, however, we have also discovered that sometimes our puppies will develop an "allergy" to pedigree and get dry or itchy skin or not do well over a long period of time with this food. We don't know why, but it is usually just one or two pups in a litter every so often. A dog can become sensitive to their food no matter how long they have been eating it. Many people don't realize that when their dog has intense itching over a period of time and no fleas or parasites can be found, that it is their food causing the problem. Dogs can have sensitivities just like people. When hair loss, weight loss, itching or scratching develops and everything seems to check out fine, take the food your dog is eating into consideration. Sometimes changing the diet can make a world of difference. So, while we start all of our puppies out on Pedigree......not every puppy will do well with it as they continue to age.

Foods with antioxidants provides a healthy defense system. Free radicals attacks the cells, causing damage which can result in a weakened immune system and possibly serious diseases. The antioxidants such as vitamins E & C, Beta Carotene and Selenium have shown to reduce the damage caused by free radicals. They also help maintain your pet's immune system and help reduce it against the risk of diseases.

VITAMIN E: One of the most versatile antioxidants. Vitamin E helps support the body's healing process. It has also shown to help prevent heart and neurological diseases. Vitamin E reduces the effects of aging.
VITAMIN C: Works to boost the power of vitamin E in the body to fight the damage caused by toxins and pollution. For this reason, vitamin C is used to help protect against cancer and other diseases.
BETA CAROTENE: Research suggests that carotenoids, like beta carotene, helps build a strong immune system and are considered a powerful tool in the fight against many diseases. Current studies support their use to fight cancer and other serious illnesses.
SELENIUM: An essential trace mineral that works with vitamin E and helps to create important enzymes.
These enzyme systems help protect against cell damage. Selenium also works with other antioxidants in fighting cancer.
Your puppy needs alot of nutrition to get him or her through their first year. This will also keep your puppy and dog healthy and happy. Fat, protein and minerals like calcium and phosphorus help build strong bones and muscles and they also provide plenty of energy to grow and play. Too much of a good thing? Most certainly, too much of these nutrients can actually stunt the growth of your puppy and can also contribute to problems like obesity, bone disorders, heart and kidney disease and other serious ailments. Dogs come in many different sizes and shapes...so their nutritional requirements will vary. Feeding your dog cheap and poorly put-together food is also a very bad thing to do. This is why it is important that you can fit a dog into your budget. Think of how your system would react if you could not afford proper nutrition for yourself.

PRODUCT BENEFITS:
Controlled level of calcium: for healthy joints and bone development.
L-Carnitine: Helps develop strong muscles and healthy bones. Converts fat into energy.
High quality protein: Includes all 10 essential amino acids needed for proper growth.
Energy: Controlled levels of fat and calories to help large breed puppies grow at the proper rate.
Essential fatty acids: Help promote healthy nervous and immune systems.
23 vitamins and minerals: An ideal balance for growing, large breed puppies.
High Digestibility: Reduces stool volume, which makes for easier house-training and clean up.
Omega 3 & Omega 6 fatty acids: Support healthy function of nervous and immune systems; promote healthy skin and shiny coat.
Digestible Carbohydrates: Supply abundant energy for lively pups.
Calcium: For strong teeth and bones.
Vitamin D: To properly absorb calcium.
B vitamins: For an appropriate metabolism and appetite.

DEFINITE DON'TS:
*Don't ever feed your dog chocolate! This can kill him or her.
*Don't feed your dog cookies. High in fat...low in nutrition.
*Use caution on dairy products. Many dogs are lactose intolerant which can cause diarrhea.
*Bones: NEVER FEED YOUR DOG CHICKEN BONES! These bones are brittle and have sharp edges. Chicken bones can cause damage to your dog's intestines and throat. They can also stick in your dog's throat causing choking which can lead to death. Bones of any kind can also crack your dog's teeth.

Good grooming and veterinarian care is of great benefit to both you and your dog! Regular check-ups and grooming habits can play an important role in keeping your dog healthy, but it is also a great way to bond and spend quality time together.
Keeping your dog's teeth clean is also important to good health. Senior dogs may require soft food if they have lost teeth or have bad teeth.
*Dental kits are available at most pet stores and from your vet's office. Doggie toothpaste is usually included as well as instructions on how to keep your pet's teeth clean.
*Professional teeth cleaning is available through your veterinarian.
*Selecting a professional groomer is just as important as it is making your selection on vet care. While grooming is healthy for your pet, selecting the wrong groomer can be deadly to your dog! We discovered that some groomers actually place your dog under anesthesia.
WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN KILL YOUR PUPPY OR DOG! Using unnecessary anesthesia can be detrimental to your dog. It is dangerous and certainly NOT A PROPER WAY TO GROOM A DOG! While this can make a lazy groomer's job easier,
anesthesia should never be used for convenience sake! We highly recommend that you use a groomer that you know, trust or check out carefully. Word of mouth is always a good way to find a good groomer too! The best groomer for a pet is yourself! If you are not placing your dog in a show event, you really should groom your dog yourself. There are many wonderful videos, books and other materials over the Internet to help you learn how to take care of your dog's coat. Grooming your dog is a great way to bond and your dog has come to trust you. Getting your puppy use to having its coat brushed, ears cleaned and nails trimmed will also make your dog familiar with this routine. Each session will get easier and easier as time goes by.

SPAYING AND NEUTERING:

Every year in the United States, between four and six million companion animals end up in animal shelters. Many of these animals are euthanized. Animal activists and those who are holier than thou want to blame breeders for this problem. It is NOT always because of a breeder. The last place a good breeder wants its dogs is in a shelter. Animals make their way to shelters via their irresponsible as well as uneducated owners. Or sometimes they go to shelters due to an owner's death or severe illness. Provisions for your pet's care after your death is essential. Always include your pet in your will. Many people never give it a second thought. Dogs can make their way to shelters by being allowed to roam the streets and they can make their way to shelters due to irresponsible breeders NOT taking care of their dogs. The best age to sterilize your pet is before he or she turns six months of age. This is the age that male dogs are capable of siring a litter. A female will usually go into her first heat at the age of six months.
Having your dog spayed or neutered before the hormones kick in reduce many unwanted behaviors and also prevents unwanted or unplanned pregnancies. My personal beef with those who advocate spaying and neutering such as veterinarians and some kennel clubs is that they do NOT make it easy for dog owners to spay or neuter. Many owners WANT to have this procedure done, but prices on sterilization have gotten out of control and many Kennel clubs, such as AKC, who hold show events pretend to ADVOCATE the spaying or neutering of dogs, yet they REFUSE TO ALLOW AN ALTERED DOG IN THE SHOW RING....which is complete nonsense and shows a double standard! As a matter of fact, it is BECAUSE of kennel clubs who don't advocate this procedure that there are many unplanned and unwanted pregnancies. A male dog or a female dog can be just as beautiful whether they are intact or altered. Many vets charge outrageous prices and there are many people who can not afford their out of control fees.

A clear example: To
have a cat neutered or spayed costs over $180! As of the year 2006, we have watched the cost of spaying and neutering reach over $400! This is the entire cost for having the procedure, hospitalization and other shots, etc; I personally believe that if vets would set their spaying/neutering fees on a sliding scale based on the owner's income, we would have fewer puppies and kittens making their way to shelters where they will most certainly have only been born to die an early age. Homeless and unwanted. Dog owners would then be able to afford this procedure which could possibly help the population explosion of unwanted and unplanned pregnancies in their dogs.
Many shelters or humane societies are now spaying and neutering dogs prior to them leaving their shelters which is great....but you have to remember that they are getting state funding or donations from the general public to make this possible. It is important that you can afford this procedure when thinking about purchasing a new pet. Depending upon your area, spaying & neutering will vary in price.

DO NOT assume that a breeder will sell a puppy or dog to you with the cost of spaying & neutering included. There are times when canine will be advertised in a local paper or online who have been altered and the owner is not seeking any money or is only asking for a small, reasonable fee to allow you to adopt the dog. Most of the time such owners are having to suddenly move or their lives have changed that can not include their pet.
We are not above spaying & neutering our own dogs. As time goes by, our dogs do age or we no longer want to continue breeding a specific breed or specific dog. Many of our dogs are spayed and neutered "senior" dogs. Every year, as our dogs age and we remove dogs from our breeding program, they are spayed or neutered. Although we advertise these dogs to approved, adoptive homes.....the fact remains that those who call us only want puppies or they want dogs who have not been altered so they can "breed" them. Sadly, senior or dogs ranging from 4-6 years of age, have difficulty being placed into adoptive homes because of the lack of quality homes being available to them. We have learned, over the years, that when someone calls and claims they are interested in our older dogs....they are only seeking a "FREE" breeding dog. When we tell them they have to complete an application and that the dogs are altered and if they have not yet been altered, they must be altered before being allowed into their homes...we get the usual "okay, thanks anyway" response. This shows us that the home, number one was NOT a quality pet home we wanted our aging dog to go to and it also shows the lack of homes available to older dogs who could still contribute love and companionship to someone seeking it.

DID YOU KNOW?
For the record, most people who desire to own a dog, desire to own their dog as a companion/pet. There are large numbers of people who do participate in the show ring and on the field in competitions with the dogs that they purchase, but the majority of people only desire to own a pet. People in other nations such as China, Thailand, Vietnam and other Asian countries take pride in their dogs because they consume them as a meal. The manner in which they are slaughtered is completely outrageous! The beliefs are that if the dog is beaten, boiled alive, burned alive or hanged, they will release their adrenaline which supposedly makes their meat tender and the myth goes that the meat boosts a man's virility. Of course there is no scientific evidence of such and this abuse is outrageous!
South Koreans consume over 1 million dogs a year. Horrific? This is of no concern to those who believe there is no wrong doing in consuming a dog for a meal. To those of us who love them & worship them as pets, it is mortifying!
South Koreans believe that there are health benefits such as easy digestion if they consume dog meat.
Fortunately since many groups have tried to change this practice, this tradition is dying out. JUST NOT QUICK ENOUGH!!! The practice of eating dog meat seems to be exclusively with the older generation living outside of South Koreans' major cities. About 3 million (fewer than 10%) of the country's 46 million people, eat dog meat and consider it a delicacy. This means that millions of dogs are killed each year for this country's purpose. Many of the younger generation find this cruelty to animals (and indeed it is) and hope this practice will fade into history.
Thank God, this is not a practice within the United States, but there is still a large amount of animals who suffer at the hands of their owners & breeders. There is still a problem in the United States with dog fighting rings and those who beat them, train them for fighting purposes. We urge ANYONE who knows of this type of behavior going on to notify their local police. There are many breeders who breed their puppies and ship them to Asian countries and know full well that they are selling their pups to be consumed as meals or kept for breeding purposes to have puppies for consumed meal purposes. There are breeders who do not care where their puppies end up and sell them to pet stores or for commercial purposes. This type of breeder is a worthless human who should not even own a single dog. We have never sold a single puppy or dog to a pet store or for commercial purposes and we definitely will NEVER ship a puppy or dog to an Asian country.
To Micro-chip or NOT to Micro-chip....that's the question:
We believe in micro-chipping all pets! This reality hit home for my eldest son who moved into a new home/area in California and his beloved Golden Retriever (which came from us many years ago) ran away with her pal, a Labrador, when a storm blew through and caused their gate to swing open. During the terrible storm, their dogs became scared and hit the road. For days, my son searched high and low for his dogs. Some weeks later, he happened upon a shelters' website where he saw one of his dogs' picture showing the dog up for adoption! Needless to say, he immediately drove down there and regained his dog. The Lab has never been located or found. Had his dogs been micro-chipped, as we urge everyone to do, Their dogs would have been scanned immediately and found their way home. He is very fortunate to have been able to retrieve at least one of his beloved pets .....however, on a sad note, their Labrador who was their Golden Retrievers' best pal, never made it back home. The two became separated during the storm. We urge everyone to join PETTRAC, the national recovery system backed nationally by state Veterinarian Medical Associations. Nearly every dog and cat that makes its way to a shelter is scanned upon entry. Unless you and your pet belong to this recovery system, there is no way to identify your pet or to know where it came from. Many animals lose their collars or are removed by those who steal them. Should your pet become stolen, this system also notifies agencies and vet clinics to be on the look out for your pet. Micro-chipping is NOT a luxury....its a necessity. Its a very simple procedure that can be done at the same time your pet receives his or her vaccinations and the cost is minimum. All of our canine are micro-chipped and we highly recommend it!

SO, YOU WANT TO PURHASE A PET FROM A PET STORE?

If you have stumbled upon a very cute dog at your local pet store....here's what you need to know about the puppies who make their way to these pet facilities. Breeders who sell their puppies to pet stores are irresponsible breeders who have difficulty selling their pups to the general public or They can also be private uneducated breeders who don't want to "deal" with their litter of pups that they just HAD to let little Susie watch being born. More than likely, they sold a few and then had pups they just didn't want to "deal with". People always assume that puppies in pet stores come from "Puppy Mills" or "Commercial Breeders". NOT ALWAYS SO! More uneducated, private breeders sell their pups to pet stores than any one else. Unfortunately, we are even seeing Goldendoodles being sold to pet stores from the kinds of breeders mentioned above.
Pet stores scour the nation through newspaper and Internet ads for breeders who are either giving their puppies away or who have very low prices because they know that by marking them up by at least 300%, they'll make their money back and then some.
Pet store owners purchase many of their puppies under false pretenses and present themselves to the breeders as a family seeking to replace a dog that has died or seeking a puppy for their "children", knowing full well that the puppy they just bought will go to their store to sit in glass cages for the general public to view. Many become sick and unhealthy from being shuffled from one pet store to the other, if the store is a chain. Believe it or not, the majority of puppies inside of pet stores are registered with the AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB...the supposed GOD of all Kennel Clubs who has "nothing but responsible" breeders registered with them!!! Hmm! Yeah, right! Another sad fact is those who sold their puppies to the pet stores don't even care who buys them or whether or not they will be taken care of properly. No responsible breeder would ever dare sell their puppies to a pet store or any kind of facility like this. One of the ways a responsible breeder can deter pet stores from contacting them is to NOT bargain with a person who wants the breeder to "lower the price" or "give them a break" in the price. When a potential customer claims they'd "give the puppy a good home, but can't afford much to pay". This is a red flag. If a customer can not afford the price a breeder is asking, most likely they can not afford the dogs' unexpected vet bills either. Most pet stores will ONLY purchase puppies from the above mentioned breeders that are registered with the AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB. This is because they can get TOP DOLLAR for the puppies from people who believe that dogs registered with this kennel club are QUALITY dogs. What amazes me even more is how many people assume that all breeders who register their puppies and their breeding dogs with AKC, are RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS with quality dogs! Where do these AKC registered puppies inside of pet stores and pet shops come from??? If your first answer was "a puppy mill"...you just got an "F" for failure to respond correctly! These so called responsible breeders who sold their puppies to the pet stores and pet shops are private breeders and commercial breeders who register their litters with the AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB, CONTINENTAL KENNEL CLUB and other canine registrant services, who breed to make a quick buck! Yes...many quick bucks can be made when all you do is produce a litter of puppies and six weeks after they are born, sell the entire litter to the pet store. It's very simple! Pet stores across the country buy entire litters and then spread them out across their chain of other stores. It is very sickening. The breeder never has to spend a dime in taking care of the puppies...never has to spend any time or effort either! Any breeder...commercial or private can make many quick bucks in doing this. WE KNOW! WE GET CALLS FROM PET SHOPS AND PET STORES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY WANTING OUR PUPPIES and since I began in 1996....I can proudly claim and scream I HAVE NEVER SOLD A SINGLE PUPPY THAT I HAVE CREATED TO A PET SHOP OR A PET STORE! Private breeders who sell their puppies and litters to pet stores and pet shops across the country are the real "puppy mills" and this is exactly what I personally believe a puppy mill to be. The puppy mill is NOT the breeder who spends an arm and a leg on their litters....who has enormous outgoing expenses and who has put in an enormous amount of time with their pups and dogs. I don't care how many dogs a breeder owns....that is NOT WHAT MAKES A BREEDER A PUPPY MILL. Private breeders who dump their litters off at pet stores don't give a rats ass who buys their puppies.....what kind of home their puppies are going to...how long they have to sit being gawked at by passers by through a window...don't care whether or not a pet store or pet shop will take good care of their created pups...all they care about is that they have dumped a litter of 5-12 puppies off and picked up their "pay" check from the pet store. That's fact whether people select to believe it or not! I personally know breeders who do this...don't condone it...don't do it....but know it to be a fact that this practice happens all over the United States on a daily basis.
What you don't know too is that a PET STORE AND PET SHOP don't want anything to do with an older puppy. They also pay very little to the breeder for each puppy....but to the breeder who does this...they'd rather rake in $200 per puppy than pay out more than they know they will take in, by keeping the pups until someone calls them to buy one. They also have less hassle and don't have to pay out any advertising costs. Breeders who dump their pups off at these stores do not have to speak to anyone about the puppies they have created, except the pet store and pet shop they sell to.
Hence, you never know about them until you buy one of their puppies from the store and see their name listed on the pup's registration documents as the breeder.

*Author/Breeder: Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World

Goldendoodle Obedience Training 101

goldendoodleworld — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 18:59:52 CST

"MY GOLDENDOODLE won't come when I call him (or her)." "My Goldendoodle barks so much that the neighbors are complaining." "My Goldendoodle is always jumping on me and on my visitors." "My Goldendoodle won't stop urinating in the house". "My Goldendoodle doesn't like to be around when I have friends over at my house". In all such cases, frustrated doodle owners are asking, "What can I do?"

The answer is very easy and simple but requires commitment from the doodle owner! Basic Dog Obedience Training - teaching your doodle to respond to simple commands. Making a commitment to have a successful relationship with your doodle dog! While it is definitely best to start your Goldendoodle out with obedience training as soon as he or she is old enough, the truth is, ALL DOGS CAN LEARN regardless of their age! Ever heard of the saying "Old dogs can learn new tricks?" One professional dog trainer said: "The minimum age of dogs that we receive for training is four months, and the maximum is five years. But I have taught basic obedience to dogs that are even ten years old."

Goldendoodles are intelligent.

Golden Retrievers have been trained to sniff out drugs, explosives, assist those with physical challenges, even perform search-and-rescue missions. But how can you train your doodle to obey you? Teaching smart dogs to obey or how to perform such duties, took alot of time and effort on those who were dedicated to the training of dogs used for the above mentioned missions. Goldendoodle owners who were serious about teaching their doodle tricks or simple commands enrolled their doodle in obedience classes or took their doodle to a dog trainer who was professional and who worked out a plan that was specifically meant for that particular doodle and doodle owner.

Genetic Makeup

The genetic makeup of your dog plays a key role in your doodles' level of intelligence! The fact of the matter is, genetics is everything! Like wolves and most dogs, Goldendoodles are hierarchy conscious. They instinctively gravitate toward living in a pack under a leader, or alpha dog. A doodle owner needs to know that THEY and their family is your doodle's pack, and the doodle owner needs to understand that they, not the doodle, are the leader. Many people make the mistake of acting unsure of themselves....nervous....or timid around their doodle. It's very easy for a Goldendoodle to run the household if the leader of the pact isn't! Goldendoodles, like Golden Retrievers and Poodles, are extremely smart! Take charge of your doodle by acting like a leader!

In a wolf pack, the leader chooses the warmest, most elevated spot to sleep. The leader also eats before the others. So if your Goldendoodle is allowed to sleep on your bed, get on the furniture, or is allowed to run amuck, your doodle may conclude that he or she is the leader. The same will happen if your Goldendoodle is fed scraps from the table during your mealtime. Your behavior affects how YOUR Goldendoodle behaves. Your actions teaches your Goldendoodle how and when to respond whether your actions are positive or negative. Goldendoodles are very sensitive dogs and respond best to positive training and positive reinforcement. Not by yelling, screaming and scolding or hitting.

Even as a puppy, your Goldendoodle can learn that it is subordinate to you...the doodle owner. How is this? Try holding your doodle's gaze with your eyes until he or she looks away. Also, alot of belly rubbing while your doodle is on his or her back is a good exercise, as this puts your doodle in a submissive position. If your Goldendoodle is being a nuisance and does not stop when you say "No," try ignore your Goldendoodle or leave the room. Giving in to bad behavior only reinforces bad behavior to continue.
When your Goldendoodle responds to your commands, he or she is acknowledging that you, the pack leader, are in charge. If you as the Goldendoodle owner do not establish your position of leadership, your doodle dog may conclude that he or she is equal or superior to you, and this might affect your doodles' behavior. Believe it or not, children to the same thing when they are young! Children learn how to manipulate their parents to get what they want, when they want it. You have to think of your doodle as a small, young child who is learning.

How to Teach Simple Commands

In order to teach your Goldendoodle basic commands, you will need several things.... a collar, a leash, time and plenty of patience. So many people assume that training a Goldendoodle...or any dog for that matter, is simple and requires just one or two lessons! No! That is a very wrong assumption! One canine training manual recommends the following: (1) Use simple, one-word commands, Do NOT use long drawn out sentences or talk to your dog as though it has the human capacity to understand everything you say. (2) demonstrate to your Goldendoodle the desired action, and (3) immediately give praise to your Goldendoodle when he or she has performed the action. Your tone of voice is more important than the words you use when training your doodle. A command should always be given in an affirmative tone, and praise should always be given in a happy, affectionate tone with a touch of excitement on YOUR part. This gives your doodle encouragement to do better. Becoming frustrated or showing signs of frustration only causes your doodle to perform poorly or not at all. When children are learning in school...they are taught that good grades will get them much further as they continue through school! For your Goldendoodle, plenty of pats on the head reinforces that he or she will have more coming!
NEVER USE PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT to train your Goldendoodle! Physical punishment, such as hitting or kicking, is not necessary nor will it get your doodle to perform the actions that you desire him or her to learn. Simply say ‘No' in a sharp tone, prolonging the vowel, so that the doodle will know that you are displeased with their performance. A dog is intelligent enough to know when you are rewarding and when you are reprimanding it. There is no need to hit your doodle. Physical punishment actually reinforces the Goldendoodles' fear of being reprimanded and will cause your doodle to become a very timid dog or could also cause your doodle to even lash out through biting if he or she feels they are in danger or being injured. Goldendoodles are very gentle, loving, non aggressive dogs but all dogs who fear they are in danger use the only mechanism they know and that is to bite their aggressor....which would be YOU.

If anything more drastic is needed, you might grasp the Goldendoodle by the scruff of his or her neck and give a little shake while at the same time lightly saying "No." I don't actually recommend this because again, you are encouraging your doodle to become fearful...but some professional dog trainers say this is a method that can be used. Reprimands should be given during or immediately following the undesirable behavior and never hours later! Remember, a dog cannot discern why they are being scolded if the scolding occurs minutes or hours after the act. Neither does your Goldendoodle understand why a certain action is acceptable on one occasion but objectionable on another. So be consistent in everything you do when it comes to training your doodle. It is also very helpful to place your Goldendoodle on a consistent schedule.
The foundation for all canine obedience is the command "Sit!". If your Goldendoodle knows this command, you can control your doodle when he or she becomes overly active. For example, you can tell your Goldendoodle to sit when he or she begins to jump on visitors who come to your home. Or if you have your doodle out in public and people desire to pet your doodle. To teach your Goldendoodle to sit, put the leash on your doodle's collar, and give the command "SIT" while pushing down on your doodles' hindquarters. Gently pull your doodles' head up with the leash at the same time. Always give praise immediately to your Goldendoodle so that you can reinforce the good behavior. Repeat these steps until your Goldendoodle obeys the command on his or her own. Don't expect your doodle to learn this right away. Continued training will allow your doodle to learn each command.

In order to teach your Goldendoodle to remain in the sitting position, use the command "Stay!" while standing in front of him or her. Put your hand out with the palm facing flat toward your doodle. If your Goldendoodle moves, say "No" and then place him or her back into the "SIT" position. Repeat the command. Make sure to always praise your Goldendoodle when he or she stays in the sitting position even if just for a short period. Gradually increase the time that your doodle stays in the "SIT" position and then gradually make the distance further between you and your doodle as he or she responds to the command.

The best way to teach your Goldendoodle to come to you is to use a nice long leash and give a gentle tug off and on while calling your doodle's name and giving the command "Come!". Always Back up as your doodle moves toward you. Continue giving your doodle praise even if your doodle is only showing a little progress. Encouragement to do better is always key! Soon, your Goldendoodle will respond to your call without being prompted by the leash. If your doodle gets loose and will not respond to the command "Come!" call it and run in the opposite direction. Often, a dog will instinctively give chase because they want to play. Most Goldendoodles enjoy being right next to you at all times, so unless your doodle has found something interesting to distract its attention away from you, they usually won't run away. The best environment to train your doodle is in a secure area. Doodles off of a leash could accidentally run out into the road and become hit by a car. If you do not have a fenced in area to train your doodle, it is best to always keep your Goldendoodle on a very long leash when outdoors.
A word of caution: Never use the word "come" if you are calling your doodle to reprimand him or her! Using this command to reprimand your doodle will cause your doodle NOT to obey this command because he or she will be in fear that they have done something wrong. Your Goldendoodle must learn that responding to the command "Come" will bring pleasurable results whether it is for praise or for a food treat. If you become frustrated or if lose your patience while attempting to teach your Goldendoodle commands, your Goldendoodle will only learn that the commands are unpleasant and that they are to be avoided. You must not begin obedience training expecting immediate gratification! Think of obedience training as training for both YOU and YOUR doodle! Think of obedience training as a gradual, training process that is pleasurable for both you and your dog.

You can also teach your Goldendoodle to walk by your side without pushing ahead or lagging behind. In order to do this, use a link-chain training collar and a short leash. With your Goldendoodle always on your left side, give the command "Heel!" then step out with the left foot. If your doodle attempts to push ahead or lag back, give a quick, sharp jerk on the leash and repeat the command. Remember to always give praise even if your Goldendoodle is only showing small signs of learning. PRAISE! PRAISE! PRAISE!
How can you keep your Goldendoodle from jumping up on you or others? One method is to back away while using the command "Off!" followed by "Sit!" Another is to catch a forepaw in each hand and step toward the doodle, repeating the "Off!" command. Always Give praise when your Goldendoodle obeys. Some trainers use the command "Down". Some trainers use the command "off". Professional dog trainers can vary in their methods of training. With guard dogs, some trainers rely on commands spoken in various languages other than English. Some trainers teach their dogs to obey hand commands and never verbal commands. You will have to use a professional dog trainer that suits what is best for you and your Goldendoodle or enroll your doodle into basic obedience classes that you feel will benefit both you and your dog. Many dog trainers are using the "clicker" method and some of our past doodle customers have told us they are using a "bell" to hang on their door to teach their doodle to let them know by ringing the bell on the door (by jingling it) if they want to go outside. You may want to try different training methods to find out which one suits you and your dog best.

A Loyal Companion

First and foremost, always Remember, your Goldendoodle...as a dog.... is a social animal. Long periods of confinement or being left alone can lead to hyperactivity, excessive barking, and destructive behavior. With commitment to training, lots of effort and patience on YOUR part, your Goldendoodle can learn to become a delightful, loyal companion as well as an asset to your family, instead of a nuisance or a frustrating animal. Too many times, the doodles' owner is the reason he or she does not have a successful, permanent, loving home. For some reason, some people just are not willing to incorporate obedience training or even take the time to teach their Goldendoodle how to become a respectable part of their family. Whether its a Goldendoodle or a different breed of dog, every one of them need to have a positive, loving home if they are going to become a lasting part of your family. Goldendoodles are very loyal to their family members. Loyalty back from its owner is much appreciated by your doodle.

Tips for Training a Goldendoodle:

1. Be consistent in your use of words for commands.
2. Goldendoodles like to hear their name, and this usually gets their attention. Use your Goldendoodle's name along with every command. ("Doodle, sit!") Never use your doodle's name in conjunction with a reprimand, such as "No!" Your Goldendoodle must learn that responding to its name brings positive - not negative - results.
3. Use liberal praise as a reward. Many dogs will do more for affection than for food. Give lots of body rubs or gentle pats on the head while saying "Good Boy! Good Girl!"
4. Keep training sessions short and pleasurable. If you don't have the time to train your Goldendoodle yourself, you may want to hire a professional dog trainer. If you feel you are becoming frustrated, stop the training and wait until later.
5. Do not inadvertently reinforce negative behavior by giving your dog a lot of attention when it misbehaves. This will only reinforce the undesired behavior.

Housebreaking Your Puppy

Here at Goldendoodle World, we always start our puppies on newspaper as soon as their eyes open and they have learned how to walk. Constant repetition and placing the pups on the newspaper teaches them to use the bathroom on newspaper. Once you have purchased your Goldendoodle, it is not that difficult to teach your puppy how to use the bathroom outside rather than on the newspaper. According to Dog Training Basics, the keys to successful housebreaking are confinement, training, timing, and praise. Most doodles do not like to soil their sleeping area. Therefore, keep your puppy confined when unsupervised. However, it is important to know that you should NOT leave your doodle confined for hours! A young puppy feels like it has to urinate and defecate much more often than when they are older. Place your Goldendoodle on a consistent schedule. Teach your doodle that it has a designated toilet area...YOUR YARD. Take your outside (on a leash) to the designated area immediately after he or she wakes up, after a meal, after a play session, or before bedtime. Give loads of Praise after he or she eliminates. You may want to teach your doodle a trigger word such as "Outside??" When your puppy is not confined, be alert to signs that your doodle needs to relieve itself, such as an abrupt stop of play, circling and sniffing, and running out of the room. If you catch your puppy in the act of eliminating in the house, scold your doodle, and then take him or her outside immediately. Always keep your doodle on a leash if you do not have a fenced in yard. I always recommend using a retractable leash or a very long leash. Again, no good will come of your training efforts if you give correction long after the act. Clean up any accidents with vinegar water to remove the scent; otherwise, your doodle will continue to use that place to eliminate.

Urination during an excited greeting is an involuntary, natural behavior in most dogs. Sometimes called submissive urination, it can mean that the dog recognizes that you are the leader, or in the alpha position. This commonly occurs when dogs are greeting or meeting each other for the first time. It lets the other dog know that the one urinating is submissive to the other. Reprimanding your doodle, should this occur, may only worsen the problem, as this may cause your doodle to urinate more in order to show further that it views you as the one in charge. Usually, this behavior stops by the time a dog reaches two years of age. Always remember that training must be in small baby steps. Dogs all learn differently...some quicker than others. Some slower than others. Staying calm; staying focused; Not becoming frustrated will help your doodle learn all that he or she needs to learn.

AUTHOR/BREEDER: DEE GERRISH. Copyright protected 2007.

Domestic Violence affects family pets

goldendoodleworld — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 18:55:29 CST

Domestic violence is at an all time high here in the United States. While many people believe domestic violence only affects the humans who are involved, it also affects the family pets. Horrific crimes against family pets occur when a spouse or loved one goes off on the deep edge and decides to get revenge by either maiming, murdering or causing serious injury to the family pet as a way to "get even".

Domestic violence has always been a problem here in America. But it isn't just a problem that affects humans. It also affects the family pets who can be caught in the middle. You can watch it on the Discovery channel nearly every day, which is basically why I no longer watch the Discovery channel. It pains me dearly to see the horrific crimes that are commited upon innocent animals who have no way to defend themselves.
Take for instance a man who burned his girlfriend's kittens to death on his charcoal grill because she packed her bags and left for her mother's house after they became combative during a very heated argument. The man later called his girlfriend to tell her what he had done. The woman, rushing home, saw the smoke coming from the grill and to her horror, there lay her kittens dead. Burned alive. Of course the police were called and the man was arrested, but he didn't serve much jail time. Had it been his girlfriend laying upon the grill, he would have gotten life in prison or the death penalty. As it was, they were merely kittens. I am sure he got nothing but a slap on the wrist. A paltry fine for his horrific deed.
Unfortunately, here in America, crimes against animals doesn't fetch much jail time. It doesn't surprise me that so many animals die at the hands of people who are just teetering in the brink of being a killer for people. When a person is aggressive and hard core enough to kill or maim or severely injure an animal, there's definiately something going on with that person that isn't right. But these people barely get jail time and know that for now, the courts will give them nothing more than a slap on the wrist which is why they do it. Domestic violence is a problem for American society. Even if the family pet isn't killed, many are severely injured when they get caught up in the battles between family disputes. Sometimes the person who causes injury to the family pet, during a domestic dispute, does so to "cause emotional duress" to the person who has bonded the closest with the animal. Some do so to keep the intended victim from leaving him or her and some do it for pure spite. Many who cause injury to a family pet during a domestic dispute have anger issues they are unable to control.

It is unthinkable to most of us that anyone would cause injury on purpose to their family pet. They love us unconditionally regardless of how dysfunctional we may or may not be. Perhaps that is the dogs' downfall. Too compassionate. Too caring. Too trusting of humans of whom some do not deserve such love, care or trust. So far, only three states -- Maine, New York and Vermont -- have enacted laws permitting family pets to be included in protective court orders involving cases of domestic violence. Such court orders are meant to shield animals as well as spouses and domestic partners from abusers. An additional 12 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia, have considered "pet protection" legislation. It is such a shame that all of our states have not hopped upon this protective bandwagon. Every state should enact laws to protect family pets as well as animals, in general. We need laws to recognize the deep significance of strong relationships held between human and pet. All of our states need to acknowledge that for most people, a pet is part of the family and therefore can become a victim – and a pawn -- in the horrendous cycle of domestic violence.
Facts:

Seven out of every 10 families with minor children include a pet -- more than 64 million households in total.

Research shows that pet abuse is a predictor of domestic violence. Paying attention to pet abuse can save human lives.

Studies show that up to 71% of battered women report their pet was threatened, harmed, or killed by their partners.

A national survey found that 85% of women's shelters indicated that women seeking safety described incidents of pet abuse in their families.

Batterers threaten, abuse, or kill animals to demonstrate and confirm power and control over the family, to isolate the victim and children, and to prevent the victim from leaving or coerce her/him to return.

Domestic violence shelters and animal protection organizations have begun partnering to develop "safe havens" for pets of domestic violence victims because many victims delay leaving out of fear for their pets' safety. All too often, batterers punish victims for leaving by killing their pet. Yet, with the help of over 100 safe haven programs currently operating today in the U.S., many victims no longer have to choose between their safety and their pets.
Like many professionals working to protect victims of domestic violence, Jeanne Yeager, Executive Director of Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence in Maryland, supports adding pets to protection orders. "Such measures will provide much needed protection to clients with pets. Pet protection orders will offer victims of abuse an alternative to staying in abusive relationships for fear of what will happen to their pets if they leave. I agree that more needs to be done. As a matter of fact, most shelters do not allow family pets to be brought with the person seeking shelter which can cause those in need of protection, to not leave an abusive situation. Not wanting to leave the family pet behind can make a person stay in a situation they should not stay in. Unfortunately, as incredible and cruel as most cases sound, the Human Society has more than 200 such cases on their list that could easily be considered among the 100 most extreme," said Bartlett, deputy manager of animal cruelty issues for the Humane Society of the United States and is among those who came up with the idea for an annual list of the 100 worst cases of animal cruelty.

For most of us, deliberate injury to our family pet would not even be considered. For those with questionable mental health, expressing their outrage upon an animal who can't protect him or herself is far too easy. But seeing horrible things happen to animals at the hands of people is nothing new to Nancy Cummings, president of SARAH Inc., a Stratford-based animal rescue organization that cares for injured and handicapped dogs.
"I don't think there's any way to explain how people can do these kinds of things to any living, breathing being," Cummings said. "But it seems to be the nature of the human beast. If a person is going to choke a rabbit or shoot a puppy, they need to be locked up and given serious attention and rehabilitation. I agree it's just a first step when people hurt animals because how do you know who will be next children, old people, spouses. If they can do such horrendous things to little furry creatures who can't defend themselves, it's obvious they just like to prey on the weak."
We need tougher laws and the only way that can happen is for people to lobby for them. Writing letters to your congressman is a start. Laws need to be changed nationwide. It's not just this or that person's problem. It's everyones' problem. We need everyone to get involved to make changes in our legal system. Every person can make a difference, even if they don't believe so. Mass murderers Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Albert DeSalvo (the "Boston Strangler") and other serial killers committed heinous acts of animal cruelty before brutally maiming and killing their human victims. We need more people to get involved at protecting the innocent.

Breeder/author: Dee Gerrish 2007

The variety of Goldendoodle colors

goldendoodleworld — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 18:54:54 CST

Goldendoodles come in a variety of colors. What many people assume is that they are all GOLD! Nope! A goldendoodle can actually be many colors! Why? Because the Poodle has such a wide variety of color genes in its genetic scope. Goldendoodles can be of any color and have any marking. There is no such thing as a "rare" colored Goldendoodle dog. The most popular color in a goldendoodle is apricot...with cream being second.....red being third and we have found that Black is the least popular color of all colors in a Goldendoodle and We can not figure out why! A black Goldendoodle (nicknamed "Nictendoodle" by our doodle world) is very gorgeous! They are the very same dog as the lighter colored doodles. It is very sad to see so many people disregard a dog just because of its color or marking.
We see many dogs of various breeds who are black, be picked over for the lighter colors. Those who do this miss out on the beauty of owning a very gentle, loving, family-oriented, shaggy low shedding dog who would do just about anything you ever asked of it...just to please its owner! Many fantastic dogs are over-looked based on color or gender and I think this is a down-right shame.

Since creating the Goldendoodle in 1999, we have seen a huge variety of colors! The following are the colors we have personally observed, to date:

*Apricot (light and dark)
*Cream
*Red
*Black
*White
*Chocolate
*Silver
*Silver Frost
*Silver phantom
*Parti colors
*Tri-colors
*Apricot with black tips
*Black and tan
*Black with white markings
*Red phantom
*Silver phantom with gold hues

Goldendoodles can also have varied colored eyes! We have personally observed Goldendoodles with blue eyes, brown eyes, green eyes, amber eyes and multi-colored eyes such as having one blue eye/one green eye or one blue eye/one brown eye. Goldendoodles can have markings anywhere on their coat. This is very common. Be wary of any breeder who claims they have "rare" colored or "rare" marked Goldendoodles. This means they are very inexperienced and are not familiar with their Poodles pedigree and lineage.

How to groom a Goldendoodle

goldendoodleworld — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 18:52:30 CST

So you own a Goldendoodle and want to know how to groom him or her? It's not as hard as one might think, given
all the lovely thick hair your doodle has. There are many different ways you can groom your Goldendoodle. As a puppy, most do not need but a slicker brush ran through the coat once a day. Maybe a bath, once a month unless your puppy has gotten him or herself into a messy situation. Young puppies only need to be trimmed around the anal area, the front and back paws and in front of the eyes. Clipping the coat in front of the eyes prevents the growing hairs from turning inward and causing a corneal abrasion on the eye itself. Unlike the Poodle, a Goldendoodle should never be shaved down completely to the skin. The reason for this is because the Goldendoodle has very fine hairs that appear to be thick and its coat actually protects him or her in the heat as well as in the cold. If you are going to have your Goldendoodle shaved down, we recommend leaving at least 1 1/2" - 2" of the coat out from the skin.

Unless your Goldendoodle has extensive Poodle within its DNA genetic make-up, the doodle coat is never as thick as a purebred Poodle. As your Goldendoodle becomes a teenager, you will have noticed he or she has gone through many coat changes and phases. This is why only scissoring to even up the hair and remove any straggly hairs may be the only necessary "grooming" at this age. The Goldendoodle's coat will thicken and become shaggier as your doodle nears its first birthday. We recommend using a slicker brush during the Goldendoodle's coat phases and changes because the slicker brush has different lengths of bristles inside of the brush and the bristles will remove any dead hairs or lingering "baby" hairs. It will also help your Goldendoodle's coat from matting. Leaving an upside down "V" shape about the face is the most popular trim for a Goldendoodle.

While there are many fine canine shampoos on the market, I never recommend using them because many canine shampoo products have harsh chemicals that can cause dry skin with the Goldendoodle. I always use either baby shampoo or Pantene that has a conditioner inside of the shampoo. Non-tearing shampoos, though, work out better for your Goldendoodle dog. Lets discuss the matter of bathing and then we will discuss trimming. When bathing your Goldendoodle, using either a large utility type tub or your own tub is recommended. This is dependent upon the size of your Goldendoodle. If he or she is too large to lift, you can even use your shower. With the dogs that stay inside of my home, I will put them in the tub with myself or the shower and I never have to worry about getting wet! With my outdoor dogs, I use a normal sized bathtub that is elevated and situated in my grooming shop. Any time you bathe your Goldendoodle, you want to make sure that you do not use any soap or shampoo on the face or near the eyes. I am sure that you know what it is like to have soap or shampoo in your eyes and its the same feeling for your lovely dog! I always use a wet washcloth to clean the face, that is just wet with water. To clean the ears, I recommend a "spritzer" bottle that is one part white vinegar and one part hydrogen peroxide. This helps clean your Goldendoodle's ears and also helps them smell better. Never use Q-tips! A Q-tip can cause damage to the ear canal. You can use cotton balls or a thin washcloth and use your finger or pinky to clean inside the ear as far as you can reach. Depending upon whether or not your Goldendoodle has hairs growing inside of the ear, you may feel more comfortable having your vet clean his or her ears.

Grooming is one of the biggest expenses in owning a Poodle hybrid because of their long coat. If you can afford it and don't have the time or knowledge on grooming your Goldendoodle or don't want dog hair in your bathtub or shower, have them groomed by a professional groomer. It's very important to Pick your groomer as carefully as you would pick your own hairdresser. There are many lazy groomers who use anesthesia or other sedatives on dogs when they groom and this is highly inappropriate as well as dangerous! If a groomer has a problem with you watching them work on your dog or waiting while they work on your dog, I'd find another groomer. Unfortunately, many canine deaths and injuries have been linked to lazy, inexperienced groomers. Grooming your Goldendoodle is not as hard as one might think. It usually takes the coat approx. 2 hours to completely dry, depending upon the thickness of the actual coat. Even using a blow-dryer, your Goldendoodle's coat will take two full hours of drying time. Make sure the room is nice and warm.

When bathing your Goldendoodle, it's important to work up a good lather from the back of the head on down. I always use a fine comb to go through the coat while I have the Goldendoodle all lathered up. This helps remove any small debris that might be in the coat or little tangles that can occur from lathering. You have to remember that shampooing your Goldendoodle is a great time to bond with him or her. I always gently massage their legs, back, belly and neck as I lather the coat. This not only feels good to your Goldendoodle, but it helps him or her know that this is a pleasant experience and not one to be afraid of. Some Goldendoodles may not like being groomed at first, but over time, they do learn to accept it and like it. After working up a good lather, using a shower nozzle or sprayer will make it easier to rinse the coat. You'll want to rinse your Goldendoodle's coat several times to make sure you have removed all of the shampoo. Never rinse the shampoo towards your Goldendoodle's face. Always from the back of the head and downward.

When drying your Goldendoodle, you have to remember that the loud noise from the dryer may scare him or her. While holding your Goldendoodle, you may want to start with the slow speed and then increase the speed once your doodle gets use to the sound. I personally use a commercial, cool air type of dryer for my dogs but they can be very costly ($400 and up). This type of dryer forces out only cool air and blows the water out of the coat. For family pets or homes with just one or two dogs, a good hand dryer will work just as well. If the weather is warm you can partly air dry them and just use the hand dryer to fluff and brush the coat out but NEVER, partly dry your Goldendoodle in the winter and then allow him or her to go outside until your Goldendoodle's coat is COMPLETELY dry! If you do use a commercial cage dryer make sure that your Goldendoodle does not get too hot especially if they are a senior dog. Some can cause older dogs to have a heat stroke, especially if placed too closely to the dog with out proper ventilation. When using dogs dips, I always recommend partly drying the doodle's coat and then allowing the coat to "air" dry. This prevents the dip from being blown off of the coat, which would be a waste of money.

If you decide to groom your Goldendoodle in the winter, make sure that you pre-heat the room that your Goldendoodle is going to be groomed and bathed. We all know how cold we feel AFTER getting out of the tub or shower. You don't want your Goldendoodle to catch cold from shivering after his or her bath is complete. Assuming that you are using a regular heat blow dryer after your Goldendoodle's bath, if you use the slicker brush while blow-drying, you will help remove any dead hairs inside of your Goldendoodle's coat. The slicker brush will also help prevent your doodle's coat from tangling. Never allow your Goldendoodle to go outside until he or she is completely dry, especially in the winter. If using a heat dryer, keep the heat on low and do not place the nozzle too closely to your doodle's coat as it will burn his or her skin.

Bathing your Goldendoodle can either be a nightmare or a pleasant experience. I have a raised bathtub (it's easier on my back) with a non-slip mat inside of the tub. This prevents my puppies from slipping and becoming injured during the process. It is necessary to have a long shower hose with good water pressure if at all possible. The biggest mistake most home groomers make is not getting out all the shampoo in the coat. This is why I recommend rinsing your Goldendoodle several times after a good lathering. Leaving soap in the hair will dry out and irritate your Goldendoodle's skin; perhaps you have seen your Goldendoodle scratching even after you checked his or her coat for fleas. Speaking of fleas, regular shampoo will not kill fleas or their eggs. You must use a shampoo specifically for ticks and fleas or you can use "Equate". This is a human "lice" shampoo that has pyrithins that will help kill fleas, ticks and lice that may get into your Goldendoodle's coat. Make sure to Read the label on any flea and tick shampoo or preventative. Some canine flea and tick preventatives will kill only the fleas on the dog and some will kill the eggs and adult fleas as well as the ones that may jump on later. While you can certainly use a light cream rinse on your Goldendoodle's coat, make sure to use it sparingly. Creme rinses can cause your Goldendoodle's coat to lay "flat". If you decide to towel dry your Goldendoodle, don't rub the coat against the grain or this will encourage knots and tangles. Also do NOT towel dry your Goldendoodle if you use flea and tick dips. This will remove the dip and be a huge waste of money. Just squeeze the coat out with your hands if you have dipped him or her or if you have not used any dips, squeezing the coat with good absorbent towels will help, should you want to "air-dry" your Goldendoodle. I do recommend NOT bathing your Goldendoodle but once a month unless he or she really requires a bath. Bathing more than this can cause your Goldendoodle to have dry skin.

Cleaning the ears of your Goldendoodle is very important, each and every time he or she is groomed. Some Goldendoodles tend to have ear problems for a number of reasons. Many tend to have very long, heavy ears and the long hair that drapes over the ear prevents air flow that causes moisture build up. This causes the ears to become a perfect environment for breeding bacteria. It seems that once you have ear problems with your Goldendoodle, they are very hard to clear up and they seem to re-occur. While Goldendoodles generally do not have the issue of the hair growing inside of the ear, some will if they have more Poodle DNA. Goldendoodles who have more Poodle DNA and have hair growing in their ears prevents their ears from "breathing". Cleaning the ears and keeping the hairs plucked or pulled out of the ear canal is a must each and every time you groom or have your Goldendoodle groomed. Check the ears frequently if you only groom your Goldendoodle once a month. This is important. I remove unwanted ear hairs by "plucking" any hair I can reach in the ear canal with my fingers. Hairs that can not be reached with my fingers, I personally use small canine forceps that lock, so that I can clamp onto the hairs and in a slow twisting motion, gently pull them out of the ear. While this is not a pleasant experience for your Goldendoodle, it will help him or her from getting an ear infection later down the road. I then wipe the ears out with one part white distilled vinegar and one part hydrogen peroxide. It's important to make sure the ears are dry when you are done. If you think they are damp inside (after bathing this could happen) use a hand dryer to dry them out. (Wet ears grow bacteria easier then dry ears). As I mentioned before, never use Q-tips to clean the ears. Q-tips can cause the ear canal to rupture as well as drive ear wax, if any, further down into the ear canal. If your Goldendoodle dog does have an ear infection or issue, talk to your vet about the best way to treat it. Excessive shaking of the head can cause the ear canal to rupture and ear infections, as we may well know, are very painful. A couple of drops of "IVERMECTIN" can be placed inside of the ears to kill ear mites and "IVERMECTIN" works the best. If your doodle has a slight ear infection, you can use "Otomax", purchased through your veterinarian. This is a gentocin based solution that can be placed inside the ears.

Now that your Goldendoodle is dry, lets discuss how to trim him or her. If you can't afford expensive sheers, you can check the sewing section of any department store and purchase a good pair of scissors. You can generally find a very good pair for under $20. Canine grooming scissors are very expensive and can run into the hundreds of dollars. Be very careful with a new pair of scissors as the blades are sharp and you can severely cut your Goldendoodle's skin if you are not careful! Trust me! I've had a few pups get nicked because they would not sit still and one quick turn will cause YOU or your doodle to get cut. Your Goldendoodle should have a fuzzy face or an upside down "V" shape to the front of its face, from the forehead down to the nose. Above its eyes you can create bangs or just trim the hair so that the hairs are not sticking towards the eyes. I usually trim the hairs close underneath the eyes and in an upward motion so that I can keep the "V" shape between the eyes down to the nose. Some Goldendoodles tend to have dirty mouths because of all the hair around the face, so you can even trim the hair around the mouth if you like. Trimming is really not only to keep your Goldendoodle comfortable, but to help him or her keep as clean as possible. It's also a personal preference of whether you trim or leave your doodle shaggy. Every Goldendoodle should sport a full facial beard by the time he or she is a year old. This facial beard is generally in the shape of an upside down "V". Looking at the eyes in a frontal position, and then glancing at the nose, you can visualize the upside down "V" and this helps you maintain the appearance of your Goldendoodle, if you decide to trim him or her on your own. Sometimes the coat will mat underneath the armpits, so you may want to check there as well as behind the ears. Little tangles that can't be brushed or combed out can be trimmed off. Your Goldendoodle should also have paws shaped like the Golden Retriever. I personally trim the coat around the paws closely and I also trim the hairs in-between the pads but care is the be taken so that you don't accidentally cut the pawpads of your Goldendoodle. While trimming the coat, you can also clip your Goldendoodle's nails. I use the guillotine type of nail clipper but they all seem to work well and if you want, you can even use a sharp pair of scissors if you are trimming a Goldendoodle under the age of one. Young puppies can have their nails trimmed with simple nail clippers. The most important thing to remember when trimming the nails is to not get them to short. Remember, cutting your own nails too short is painful! Take off a little once a week because this will help the quick stay short. If you do plan on grooming your own doodle regularly have some "quick stop" on hand in case you nick your Goldendoodles "quick". You can purchase this at most pet stores or feed stores. The "quick" is a small blood vessel running through the nail, similar to our own nails. The pink portion on our nails is where we feel the pain if we cut our own nails too short. Clipping the nail too short and hitting the quick is not life threatening to your Goldendoodle, but it will make it harder to do his or her nails the next time. Trust is an issue here! It is painful for your Goldendoodle if you cut into the quick and should definitely be avoided.

Your Goldendoodle is more than likely a very shaggy dog. All dogs that have a thick coat or a shaggy coat will have an issue of fecal matter becoming imbedded into the coat, if this area is not kept trimmed. Special attention underneath the tail is a must with any Goldendoodle! He or she will also thank you because fecal matter that builds up around the anal area can cause your Goldendoodle to have constipation issues or rectum issues. This should definitely be avoided. While there is no wrong or right way to actually trim your Goldendoodle dog, I do find that the Goldendoodle's skin is sensitive to the sun if he or she is light in color. You must remember that your Goldendoodle can be harmed by the sun's rays just like we can.
Keeping your Goldendoodle's coat trimmed no less than 1 1/2"- 2" out from the skin will also help protect his or her skin from insect bites as well. During the wintry months, you may want to allow your Goldendoodle's coat to stay shaggy. Remember that unless he or she wears a sweater when going outdoors, that shaggy coat is all they have to weather the elements. Having grooming equipment will help with coat maintenance if you plan to groom your Goldendoodle yourself. Good clippers are costly and should be very well cared for. They will last longer this way and your clipper blades will stay sharper. A good set of Oster clippers costs about $175 and blades can be anywhere from $2 to $40 or more. Never use clippers on a very dirty dog or you will have to sharpen the blades quicker. Clippers must be oiled and greased inside regularly. They will break if you drop them and it always seems that they get kicked off the table by your doodle, so never leave them on the table. It is convenient to have a number of blades for your clippers. I generally have about 10 blades on hand with some still in the package in case I forget to send them out to be sharpened. They can be changed in the midst of clipping if they get too hot, but I do recommend using a blade wash or blade "cooling" spray, as this helps prevent the blades from overheating. Whatever size blade you choose to use is always ready if you have several sizes on hand. I personally use a "10 medium" on my Groom Master clippers by Oster. The blades should be changed rather often, since a dull blade pulls the hair and tends to leave the coat ragged. Not only this, but a dull blade will eventually stop cutting and only pull the hair causing your doodle to get upset! The small carbon brushes and springs wear out quickly in an old clipper, making the machine rattle when it runs; They are easily replaced by unscrewing the small knobs on the side of the machine and its important to always have these extra parts around in case you suddenly find yourself in need. As I said, grooming equipment isn't cheap, but paying a Groomer over time can become more expensive.

If you are wanting to have your own grooming supplies on hand (which is recommended), you can order many things for your Goldendoodle by CLICKING HERE. Just make sure that you tell them "Dee Gerrish" recommended you. We have purchased from Revival Animal for many, many years! Their prices are reasonable and they have many terrific items to select from. Groom Master, by Oster, is a very good clipper. I've had owned two in 11 years and my second one is still going and going and going, like the Energizer bunny. They are long lived clippers and do very well. Some breeders and groomers like to use clippers that have two speed settings; Some even use what is called "clipper boosters". This is really not necessary unless you intend to shave down or groom multiple dogs in a single day. Money should NOT be spared where clippers blades are concerned. I learned the hard way. A good set of clipper blades are "Cryogenic" and run approx. $28 each. Oster will sharpen them for you but they are usually behind by up to 4-6 weeks. Another reason I say it's good to have at least 10 sets of blades on hand at any given time. You can send out 7 and have three new ones on hand while waiting for Oster to send your other blades back. During the summer heat, we always recommend trimming your Goldendoodle's coat down but as stated above, it's really personal preference. Most Goldendoodles with a shaggy coat are more comfortable with a short coat during the summer and in the winter, many do better with a shaggy coat to help keep them warm. Keeping your Goldendoodle groomed will always make your doodle happy! It's also a great way to bond!

*Author: Dee Gerrish (Goldendoodle World) 2007. Rights reserved.

Taking the bite out of canine crime

goldendoodleworld — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 18:51:45 CST

If you think its unusual for a crime to be solved using canine DNA, think again. Sounds like a CSI case? When Marilyn Christian’s beloved cat, Cody, was found dead under suspicious circumstances two years ago, she vowed to seek justice. Christian suggested to animal control officers that perhaps they could take a DNA swab of her neighbor's dog, Lucky, to find out if he had anything to do with Cody's death. Cody had hairs on his paws and in his mouth that seemed to be a match for Lucky, but animal control officers basically felt Christian was watching too much CSI. Eventually, Marilyn Christian paid $500 for a DNA test and what do you know?

The DNA of Lucky was sent to a Veterinary Genetics Lab at the University of California at Davis, which has the largest database of domesticated-animal DNA in the country. The result? A one in 67 million chance the hair belonged to any animal other than Lucky. While she didn't get the justice she was seeking (the owners and Lucky moved away and animal control officers would not declare Lucky to be a vicious animal), she did prove he was the culprit behind her beloved cat's death. Whether the animal is a victim, perpetrator or even a witness, DNA of animals is becoming more widely used to help solve crimes. When someone loses their family pet, it becomes personal and emotions run high. Pet owners seek resolutions if they've lost a family pet due to aggressive neighborhood dogs or even perhaps something worse such as a crime committed towards their pet by a neighbor. Law enforcement officials have come to share Marilyn's interest in applying forensic methods to cases involving animals, to include the Goldendoodle dog.

Beth Wictum, acting director of the lab’s forensics division, has said that an animal's DNA can help tremendously when trying to solve cases involving animals. "There’s some real serious cases where animal DNA has played a role in helping solve a case," said Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey, a DNA expert who has asked investigators to collect DNA samples from murder suspects’ pets at crime scenes. “I believe, over time, DNA will be used more and more to help solve cases that involve an owner's animal." Beth Wictum’s lab usually handles between 150 to 200 cases per year sent to their lab from around the world. Using animal DNA to solve cases is not the only reason it is sent to genetic laboratories. Animal Scientists deal with issues, as well, other than pet-on-pet attacks. They also process evidence from cases involving animal attacks on humans, human attacks on animals, and even human crimes against each other in which an animal may yield important clues. In one case, the lab used DNA testing to match dog excrement found on the bottom of a murder suspect’s shoe to excrement found near the crime scene — a piece of evidence that helped secure the man’s conviction. In yet another, a woman could not identify a man in a line up suspected of attacking her but she did remember that her dog had urinated on the man's truck tires! The dog’s DNA matched DNA traces found on the truck’s tire and the suspect pleaded guilty.

ASPCA forensic veterinarian Melinda Merck relies on the same techniques as standard crime scene investigators; ballistics, toxicology, blood spatter analysis to help solve animal cruelty cases across the country. As the interest for using animal DNA grows, in helping solve crimes, so does the need for more training. Colleges are just now beginning to take note. This year, Purdue University’s School of Veterinary Medicine began offering a forensic veterinary medicine course, believed to be the first of its kind in the country. Professor Janice Sojka said she recognizes a need for the course after noticing a recent explosion of interest in the field.

Author/breeder: Dee Gerrish *Goldendoodle World* 2007

Should I micro-chip my doodle?

goldendoodleworld — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 08:02:18 CDT

Many Goldendoodle pet owners are encouraged to micro-chip their pet to help recover them in the event they become lost or stolen. As a breeder for 11+ years, we always encourage pet owners to have their puppies micro-chipped. However, some states are now mandating mandatory micro-chipping. I had never heard of this until the other day when I came across a website that seemed to be written by a canine activist. Their website seemed to be geared towards canine politics, if you will, but I found it interesting all the same. The site goes on to say they believed that mandatory microchipping was an invasion to the privacy and civil liberties of all dog owners and that such laws would have a great impact on the lives of everyday pet owners, especially those with targeted breeds like the Pitbull, Rottweiler, Doberman, etc.

The article goes on to say they believed that mandatory microchipping laws would force dog owners to chip their dogs. That this would allow the local government to track and monitor dogs and their owners. Honestly, I don't see what the problem is but maybe I'm just not a very political person and I have nothing to hide. Personally speaking, it seems that every time one hears about a child or person being attacked by a dog, nine times out of ten, it was caused by a Pitbull. Too many people are using Pitbulls and Rottweilers as fighting dogs and it's a known fact gangs use such dogs to protect their property because they also have illegal things going on. Of course the issue isn't just a problem with the dogs mentioned. It is the violence and the type of people who own these dogs that are causing the problems.

The other issue politically charged animal rights activists say are problems with the micro-chip is that the chips themselves cause cancer in the dogs who have been chipped. I don't know if they are only basing this theory on one article but supposedly a 9-year-old male French Bulldog was examined by a veterinarian for a subcutaneous mass located at the site of a microchip implant. Cytologic examination of the mass was suggestive of a malignant mesenchymal neoplasm. The lymphoid cells were positive for CD18 and CD3. No aluminum deposits were detected by the aurintricarboxylic acid method. A diagnosis of fibrosarcoma morphologically similar to feline postinjection sarcomas was made after conducting many tests. Fibrosarcomas at the site of injections have been reported in dogs and ferrets. Furthermore, neoplastic growth at the site of microchip implant in dog and laboratory rodents has been described. But who is to say that indeed this cancer was caused by the chip? Sure it seems suspicious, but how many other dogs and cats were found to have the same type of cancer after having a micro-chip implanted? Enough to convince me that we should now stop micro-chipping our pets? Should we all have to worry that micro-chipping our family pets will somehow give the government more access into our lives?

Or are these fears just suggested by paranoid activists who believe we should be concerned about why states are now making it a law to micro-chip our family pets? Is there a difference between a sex offender and a dog owner? Not according to those rallying a petition to stop states from making micro-chipping your pet mandatory! While I disagree with this notion, many have the same beliefs that its nothing more than the government stepping further into our lives by keeping pet owner information stored in their government databases. Called "spy chips" by most activists, mandatory micro-chipping of breeding dogs and family pets have been passed by Florida and Texas. Other states are proposing the same laws be passed, including New York.

Over all, I have to say that I believe having your family pet as well as breeding dogs micro-chipped is a good thing. For one, its helps the breeder identify their breeding dogs if they have dogs who are nearly identical in appearance and size, to include the same gender. It helps identify the dog if a pet owner's dog should be lost or stolen. A micro-chip will help the pet find its way back home if he or she somehow gets away from its home and is picked up by animal control or a humane society or some other service that has micro-chip scanning devices. I personally own a micro-chip scanning device and use it if I find a dog wandering the streets. Collars can be removed but a micro-chip is forever! A micro-chip will actually outlast the life of the dog and the capsule is very, very small. About the size of a grain of rice. Many breeders and dog owners micro-chip their dogs and cats voluntarily. I don't think we should become so paranoid as to believe that the government is now going to watch over us through our pets. Micro-chipping is becoming very popular not only with animals, but for credit cards and humans alike. The following article was written about the plans of American Express:

" The top brass at American Express, chagrined at the discovery of its people tracking plans, met with CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering) last week to discuss the issue. One outcome of the meeting was a promise by American Express to review its entire patent portfolio and ensure that any people-tracking plans be accompanied by language requiring consumer notice and consent. The meeting was organized after CASPIAN called attention to one of the company's more troublesome patent applications. That patent application, titled "Method and System for Facilitating a Shopping Experience," describes a Minority Report style blueprint for monitoring consumers through RFID-enabled objects, like the American Express Blue Card.

According to the patent, RFID readers called "consumer trackers" would be placed in store shelving to pick up "consumer identification signals" emitted by RFID-embedded objects carried by shoppers. These would be used to identify people, track their movements, and observe their behavior."

The article goes on to discuss further about the issues of using such tracking devices and while some were indifferent to the idea, some were greatly opposed. Just another method of big brother stepping in? The VeriChip implant is a glass encapsulated RFID tag that is injected into the flesh to uniquely number and identify individuals, or pets for that matter. The tag can be read by radio waves (scanners) from a few inches away. The highly controversial device is being marketed as a way to access secure areas, link to medical records, and serve as a payment instrument when associated with a credit card or pre-paid account. But is this all hyped up worry like what we saw when the "bar code" was introduced? Many people opposed the bar code on items we purchase in supermarkets and stores, but we seem to have now embraced the bar codes, not giving them a second thought any more. I think after all the fuss dies down, the same will be said about the micro-chip implant. Once something of the future, the micro-chip is finding its way into the market for all sorts of useful reasons.

Author/breeder: Dee Gerrish 2007. Goldendoodle World