The Right Puppy

Thinking about what your puppy will look like is usually the first thing people do. They want a puppy that has a big fluffy coat or one that looked like a dog they has as a child. It is normal to do this, afterall that is the first thing that you can see and respond to. But look much deeper - consider not only what the puppy will look like, but make sure that it is the right puppy in every way. Make sure that you have the time, make sure that you select a good breeder, make sure that a labradoodle or goldendoodle is the right type of dog for your family...

You need to determine what temperament and what attributes you are seeking. If you live on a farm with other types of animals, selecting a strong willed doodle might be best for you, if you live in a suburban area where most activities are leash walking, a milder temperament may be best for you. Evaluate your life, what type of activities will the dog be doing and select a temperament that is most suitable. Then there is, finally, the factor that so many think of first - attributes. The attributes are the icing on the cake... sex, size, color, coat type and body structure.

Sex: Male or Female? Doodles that have been altered (which is recommended, and often required by breeders) do not generally show any marked differences, their temperaments will be more of an impact to behavior.

Size: Range from small (mini doodles) to large (standard doodles). Note: the size of the doodle will be influenced by the parent lineage. You can not expect that your puppy's size will be an average of the parents sizes. Also note that the size of the doodle is determined by height.

Mini Doodles 13 - 17 inches tall and between 20 - 40 pounds

Medium Doodles 18 - 21 Inches Tall and between 30 - 55 pounds

Standard Doodles 22 - 26 Inches tall and between 55 - 90 pounds

Color: White, Cream, Cafe (ears a few shades darker than body), Golden, Apricot, Red, Chocolate, Silver, Black and Phantom.

Coat Type: (This is a general guideline) Range from flat, wavy to curly – most doodles will be in the middle range of wavy. The texture can range from silky, wooly to wiry – most goldendoodles will be in the middle range of wooly with some having influences of silky. The labradoodles will often be in the middle range of wooly with some influences of wiry. The doodles may be light to moderate shedders. The flatter coats appear to have a higher chance of shed, whereas the curlier coats appear to have minimum shedding. This could be surmised by the influences of the poodle versus either of the retrievers… more poodle influence, less shed.

Body Structure: Range from the poodle body structure; lean, deep chest, angular head to the retriever body structure; rounded, broad chest, boxy head. Most doodles will be comprised of an average of the two extremes.

Tails: Most doodles will have a sabor shaped tail, some may have a swirled tail over the back.

TAIL DOCKING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!

Allergy Risks: The doodle is often touted as the perfect dog for allergy or asthma sufferers. Use great caution. If allergies and asthma are serious, we do not recommend you select a doodle. No breeder can guarantee that the puppy will be allergy free. If a family member has only minor allergies, work directly with the breeder to determine which, if any, puppy will be best. Puppies that express more poodle characteristics have the best chance of being allergy friendly.

F1 Goldendoodles have a higher chance of having low shed and allergy friendly attributes than a F1 Labradoodle. If you are considering a Labradoodle, consider a F1B or a Multi Gen.

About the breeders puppies

1. The puppy should not leave the home/kennel before 8 weeks, many breeders are electing to keep the puppys up to 12 weeks. Some States prohibit the sale of a puppy prior to 8 weeks. The period between 4 and 8 weeks is a crucial developmental period where the puppy learns to interact with littermates and mother. Puppies have been known to elicit aggressive and other behavioral problems if taken away from their mother and littermates too early. Please note that is does not relate to the age that the dogs is weaned. The period between 6 and 12 weeks the puppies should be introduced to people and other animals. Your puppy should have received at least one vaccination before being sold. If not, there's no guarantee your puppy will not have or soon contract a life-threatening disease.

2. Ask them what kind of socialization they will get or have received. Have they been exposed to children, strangers, other animals (cats, birds, cows, horses, etc), cars, and loud noises. Ask them about the puppies’ personalities. The breeder usually will try to match the puppy with its new home. If someone lives on a farm and has cattle or other livestock, then that person needs a dog with a strong personality. If the dog will live in the suburbs and take walks mostly on a leash, then the dog needs to be a little mellower. It is very important to get a good match.

3. The puppies should be alert, playful, and clean. The insides of their ears should be clean. They should not have any fleas or ticks on them. There should be “extra” skin around the neck and you should only be able to slightly feel their ribs. If you can see and touch directly onto the ribs the dog is underweight. Their eyes should be clean and "gunk" free. Check inside their mouth to make sure they have adequate teeth to eat the food. The anus should not show signs of diarrhea (redness, irritation or feces in fur surrounding the anus). Male testicles should be descended.

4. After purchasing your puppy, take him to your vet for a check up within 2-3 days. If there are any problems, report them to your breeder. If the puppy has worms or any other contagious problem, your breeder will need to treat any puppies they still have and should call the owners of any puppies already purchased to let them know as well.


	Generational Options (“F” stands for the Latin word “filial” or “generation”)
	F1: Is a first generation cross. One parent is a labrador retriever or golden retriever and the other parent is a poodle. (50% retriever, 50% poodle) *Advantage:* Highest possibilities of hybrid vigor and will also have reduced risks of genetic defects. Disadvantage: Higher chances of shedding. ___________________________________________________________ F1B: One parent is an F1Labradoodle, or goldendoodle and the other parent is a poodle. (25% retriever, 25% poodle #1, 50% poodle #2) *Advantage:* Highest possibilities of low shedding. Disadvantage: May have reduced hybrid vigor and may have increased risks of genetic defects if breeder isn’t prudent with the proper background history of parents.	F2: Is when both parents are F1 labradoodle, or goldendoodle (25% retriever #1, 25% poodle #1, 25% retriever #2, 25% poodle #2) *Advantage:* To be able to select the most desirable traits and produce them consistently. Disadvantage: May have reduced hybrid vigor and may have increased risks of genetic defects if breeder isn’t prudent with the proper background history of parents. Please note: Breeding a F1 to an F1 is not considered to be an appropriate step in breeding crosses. Two F1's produce on average 40% purebred pups of the Poodle breed, 40% purebred pups of the Golden Ret (or Lab) breed, and only 20% true F2 crosses. The breeders crossing two F1's are not following proper protocol for developing deeper generations. One must first cross an F1 back to a Poodle to produce an F1B. An F1B and an F1 produce the first F2. ___________________________________________________________
Site contents and design Copyright by International Doodle Owners Group. All photos in this site have the approval of owners for their use. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. - 2005


				The Right Puppy Thinking about what your puppy will look like is usually the first thing people do. They want a puppy that has a big fluffy coat or one that looked like a dog they has as a child. It is normal to do this, afterall that is the first thing that you can see and respond to. But look much deeper - consider not only what the puppy will look like, but make sure that it is the right puppy in every way. Make sure that you have the time, make sure that you select a good breeder, make sure that a labradoodle or goldendoodle is the right type of dog for your family... You need to determine what temperament and what attributes you are seeking. If you live on a farm with other types of animals, selecting a strong willed doodle might be best for you, if you live in a suburban area where most activities are leash walking, a milder temperament may be best for you. Evaluate your life, what type of activities will the dog be doing and select a temperament that is most suitable. Then there is, finally, the factor that so many think of first - attributes. The attributes are the icing on the cake... sex, size, color, coat type and body structure. Sex: Male or Female? Doodles that have been altered (which is recommended, and often required by breeders) do not generally show any marked differences, their temperaments will be more of an impact to behavior. Size: Range from small (mini doodles) to large (standard doodles). Note: the size of the doodle will be influenced by the parent lineage. You can not expect that your puppy's size will be an average of the parents sizes. Also note that the size of the doodle is determined by height. Mini Doodles 13 - 17 inches tall and between 20 - 40 pounds Medium Doodles 18 - 21 Inches Tall and between 30 - 55 pounds Standard Doodles 22 - 26 Inches tall and between 55 - 90 pounds Color: White, Cream, Cafe (ears a few shades darker than body), Golden, Apricot, Red, Chocolate, Silver, Black and Phantom. Coat Type: (This is a general guideline) Range from flat, wavy to curly – most doodles will be in the middle range of wavy. The texture can range from silky, wooly to wiry – most goldendoodles will be in the middle range of wooly with some having influences of silky. The labradoodles will often be in the middle range of wooly with some influences of wiry. The doodles may be light to moderate shedders. The flatter coats appear to have a higher chance of shed, whereas the curlier coats appear to have minimum shedding. This could be surmised by the influences of the poodle versus either of the retrievers… more poodle influence, less shed. Body Structure: Range from the poodle body structure; lean, deep chest, angular head to the retriever body structure; rounded, broad chest, boxy head. Most doodles will be comprised of an average of the two extremes. Tails: Most doodles will have a sabor shaped tail, some may have a swirled tail over the back. TAIL DOCKING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE! Allergy Risks: The doodle is often touted as the perfect dog for allergy or asthma sufferers. Use great caution. If allergies and asthma are serious, we do not recommend you select a doodle. No breeder can guarantee that the puppy will be allergy free. If a family member has only minor allergies, work directly with the breeder to determine which, if any, puppy will be best. Puppies that express more poodle characteristics have the best chance of being allergy friendly. F1 Goldendoodles have a higher chance of having low shed and allergy friendly attributes than a F1 Labradoodle. If you are considering a Labradoodle, consider a F1B or a Multi Gen. About the breeders puppies 1. The puppy should not leave the home/kennel before 8 weeks, many breeders are electing to keep the puppys up to 12 weeks. Some States prohibit the sale of a puppy prior to 8 weeks. The period between 4 and 8 weeks is a crucial developmental period where the puppy learns to interact with littermates and mother. Puppies have been known to elicit aggressive and other behavioral problems if taken away from their mother and littermates too early. Please note that is does not relate to the age that the dogs is weaned. The period between 6 and 12 weeks the puppies should be introduced to people and other animals. Your puppy should have received at least one vaccination before being sold. If not, there's no guarantee your puppy will not have or soon contract a life-threatening disease. 2. Ask them what kind of socialization they will get or have received. Have they been exposed to children, strangers, other animals (cats, birds, cows, horses, etc), cars, and loud noises. Ask them about the puppies’ personalities. The breeder usually will try to match the puppy with its new home. If someone lives on a farm and has cattle or other livestock, then that person needs a dog with a strong personality. If the dog will live in the suburbs and take walks mostly on a leash, then the dog needs to be a little mellower. It is very important to get a good match. 3. The puppies should be alert, playful, and clean. The insides of their ears should be clean. They should not have any fleas or ticks on them. There should be “extra” skin around the neck and you should only be able to slightly feel their ribs. If you can see and touch directly onto the ribs the dog is underweight. Their eyes should be clean and "gunk" free. Check inside their mouth to make sure they have adequate teeth to eat the food. The anus should not show signs of diarrhea (redness, irritation or feces in fur surrounding the anus). Male testicles should be descended. 4. After purchasing your puppy, take him to your vet for a check up within 2-3 days. If there are any problems, report them to your breeder. If the puppy has worms or any other contagious problem, your breeder will need to treat any puppies they still have and should call the owners of any puppies already purchased to let them know as well.













	Can't See the Blue Buttons Above? Here are the Sections About IDOG What Is A Doodle Is a Doodle For You Selecting A Breeder Selecting A Puppy Puppy Preparations Doodle Health Frequently Asked ?s Training Tips Doodles With Jobs Doodle Reading Doodle Fun Stuff Where You Live Doodle Photo Gallery

	Lola - 10 week old F2 Labradoodle

The Right Puppy

About the breeders puppies

F1: Is a first generation cross. One parent is a labrador retriever or golden retriever and the other parent is a poodle. (50% retriever, 50% poodle)