All right all you dog people...choosing a breed

[Kaitie09]

My aunt has given me the task of picking out a young dog/puppy for my cousin's birthday (she will be 13). They want a female, but if the right male comes along, they will be okay with it.

They have never had a dog, so they are looking for a great beginner family dog.

Looking for minimal to no shedding. Willing to take to the groomer every 4-6 weeks if needed.

Clean-no drooling, or very oily.

No "yappers". Perferable 30-70 lbs.

They go for long walks/ bike rides on the bike trail during the spring and summer, but fall and winter are mainly inside.


I have talked with my cousin before about dogs and she loves Bulldogs/Pugs. However, my aunt loves Labradoodles.

They are willing to look at rescues, but are more into the purebreds straight from a breeder. My cousin is not going to know about the dog until it arrives.


Any ideas? I am going to be putting together a list of dog breeds with pictures and descriptions, along with local reputable breeders (and maybe a rescue or two).

 

[yomama]

Well, since you want non shedding, but medium size, that really limits the breeds to choose from. I would research med size, non shedding breeds. Miniature to Standard Poodle would be a good option. They aren't always as yappy as the smaller versions, non shedding, very outgoing, and love their people. Goldendoodles, Labradoodles and the such are nice options. They aren't non shedding, though. Usually minimal shedding. They can get large, so just depends. I would highly recommend going through a rescue. They have pure breed dog rescues. As for the Pugs and Bulldogs, they can have skin issues, and they do drool, so it does not sound like that would be a good fit. (plus they snore, alot!)
Good luck!

 

[Kaitie09]

I've mentioned standard poodles to my aunt , but she gets a look on her face like

. My aunt is pretty much dead set on a chocolate labradoodle, but I know for a fact that my cousin hates the "poodle" look. I'm going to include them on the list, and I think my cousin will in the end, love any dog that she is given.

Their neighbors used to have pugs, and since my cousin was 5 she has had pug pictures on her wall. Although my aunt keeps mentioning the fact that is is a gift for my cousin, I think she really just wants me to find a labradoodle breeder for her.

 

[yomama]

I've mentioned standard poodles to my aunt , but she gets a look on her face like

. My aunt is pretty much dead set on a chocolate labradoodle, but I know for a fact that my cousin hates the "poodle" look. I'm going to include them on the list, and I think my cousin will in the end, love any dog that she is given.

Their neighbors used to have pugs, and since my cousin was 5 she has had pug pictures on her wall. Although my aunt keeps mentioning the fact that is is a gift for my cousin, I think she really just wants me to find a labradoodle breeder for her.

Believe it or not, Poodles, especially Standards, are hunting dogs. To me, their personalities remind me more of laid back Labs or Golden Retrievers than they do little yappy things. Maybe that will help your aunt think of them less as "frilly" dogs, and more of a hardy, active dog. If they want little to no shedding, they are really are limited to choices. Their are Irish Water Spaniels, but they look like Poodles too. My mil and aunt both have Pugs. Not only do they shed, ALOT, these three are constantly battling skin conditions, ear infections and eye issues. Not saying that all Pugs would be like that, but they are prone to issues. If you get a Poodle, or Labradoodle, you don't have to have it groomed like a Poodle either. There are many types of hair cuts that make them look more sleek, or more like a teddy bear. Hope this helps.

 

[OnBorrowedWings]

Standard poodles are really terrific, fun, bright dogs. But I am somewhat biased on this subject because I have been breeding, training, and happily living with Irish water spaniels for the last few decades...low shedding, intelligent, super devoted, and just funny dogs. The grooming on the Irisher is much easier than a poodle. They are, however, "a lot" of dog for their size, only recommended for inexperienced owners if they are willing to go to training classes, and are active sorts who want to include their dog in many of their activities - an Irisher really wants to be with you.
They are always dark brown, and have "clean" (short haired) faces with a long topknot of ringlets, and amazingly direct, intelligent eyes.
good luck in the puppy search!

_____________
www.madcap.name

 

[dainerra]

it's highly doubtful that you will find a responsible breeder of labradoodles. There are some out there, but they are few and far between. At the absolute minimum, you want to see health tests on the parents and grandparents. It's always preferable to have the health history of the whole family, but highly unlikely with a "oodle" mix
Here are the problems common to poodles -

• Addison's
• Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)
• Basic Genetics
• Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (Bloat)
• Chronic Active Hepatitis
• Cushings
• Epilepsy
• Hip Dysplasia
• Hypothyroidism

• Legg-Calve-Perthes
• Neonatal Encephalopathy (NEwS)
• Patellar Luxation
• PRA
• Optic Nerve Hypoplasia
• More Eye Health Links
• Sebaceous Adenitis (SA)
• Vaccination Information
• Von Willebrand's disease (vWD)

For labs - hips, elbows, eyes, exercise induced collapse,and neuro-muscular problems. Both breeds are also prone to bloat, so you will want to know if there is a family history of that.

Any breeder who doesn't test the lab and poodle parent for the diseases of their breed or the labradoodle parent for the diseases of BOTH, you might as well buy from the pound as you will be taking the same risk of getting an unhealthy puppy.
And never buy the "vet says she is healthy" Most diseases are genetically based and dogs can pass it on to their pups even if they don't have it. Not to mention dogs are excellent at masking illness.

You will want to do some research for any breed you are considering to find out what tests should be done. See the proof of the results, don't just take their word for it.

Good luck finding a puppy for your cousin (Aunt? )

 

[GableBabble]

I think they should visit some breeders. Reading up on a breed does not always do them justice. Even if it is a gift, she could give her a card that says she is getting a dog/puppy. Bad dogs are made by people. Breeding, and raising improperly leads to problems. Which is why a trip to the breeders would be a good thing. Also they need to get a hands on experience with whatever breed they want to choose. Most people never do this, get the first puppy they see, then wonder why they are having problems. Our first dog when we got married was a GSD. Even though we had both had experience with the breed we still visited 14 breeders before getting our puppy.
An informed dog owner is a good dog owner. I cannot stress this enough. Maybe you can go with them, to help.

 

[Kaitie09]

I put together a list that included a poodle (but I included a photo with one that has a sport coat), a Havenese, a Boston Terrier, and an Austrailian Labradoodle. I also included links from petfinder to short coated labs in their area. I added the Boston for my cousin, and the Havenese just because I think they are great family dogs. I think they will most likely go with the labradoodle.

I think they should visit some breeders. Reading up on a breed does not always do them justice. Even if it is a gift, she could give her a card that says she is getting a dog/puppy.

I mentioned this to them, but they don't want to bring her into it. I hate to say it, but they are very wealthy, and spoil her rotten. Because of this, she gets over emotional if she does not get her way, and comes up with fake problems so she gets attention. They are trying to do it behind her back so that they don't have to deal with her crying to bring the entire litter home.

 

[Stuart77047]

This is just my two cents on the issue. I have had dogs all my life. I have had great ones and I have had ok ones. Some of the ones with the best personality were mutts. Unless you are getting the dog to do a certain thing like hunting or need a dog to able to run with you everyday, you don't need a purebred. I know people want purebred dogs because they think that they are "better" than other dogs. The problem is the a lot of purebred dogs have issues they did not have in the past when breeders as a whole were more trust worthy. What you end up with is breeds that no longer reliably have the same temperament and intelligence. You also end up with more health problems from these same purebreds. So unless you are going to do a lot of research about your breeder (not just their website either) then it is not worth the risk. The best thing to do is go to multiple animal shelters and find a young adult dog. That way you have a very good idea of the temperament and since it is not a pure bred the chances of health issues go way down. Also you will be able to house break them fairly fast (a couple days) if they are not already house broken. Puppies just don't have enough control for a few weeks or a month after they are of selling age to be effectively house trained without accidents.

 

[GableBabble]

I know people want purebred dogs because they think that they are "better" than other dogs.

We get our "purebred" dogs b/c we like to know what we are taking on. Also I am guilty of not wanting to pay in excess of 100 dollars for a dog who was sent to the pound for some problem or another. We have gone to shelters in the past, and gotten good animals and bad, but mostly gotten sick animals. Some are a work in progress, others are a joy. We got our two cats at a shelter and we really like them. We are getting a Cana corso/mastiff/saint Bernard mix puppy in June. We know the owners and parents as well as the vet who they use.
I guess what I am saying is: Sometimes you truly get what you pay for. And not all purebred owners get them b/c they feel they are better. It is just that they like the breed and/or want some control over what type of dog they are getting to raise.