Ever seen a GoldenDoodle?

[rabernet]

Some of you may or may not know, but I volunteer locally with an organization called Canine Assistants that trains service dogs for the physically disabled. I've been a Certified Volunteer Trainer for six years now and will occassionally bring a dog home for a weekend or as long as two weeks for a home visit.

They live and are trained at the "farm", where we have donkeys, goats, bunnies, pigs, horses (for theraputic riding) and cats. Having all the additional animals is good for them as the last thing you want is a large dog tied to a child's wheelchair see another animal and take off after it, pulling the wheelchair behind them. Since they've seen them all, it's not a new novelty to be checked out.

Anyway, as a Certified Volunteer Trainer, we are the only volunteers allowed to take dogs out in public without the trainers. They go everywhere with you when they are on a home visit - restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, movies, library, work, etc to gain additional experience in the "real world" and learn house manners.

I was talking to Jo on the way home from picking up Irene and told her that Irene was a GoldenDoodle and she asked me to snap a few pictures. These were taken as Irene and Diamond were meeting each other (Diamond, by the way, is convinced that Mommy brings home these dogs JUST for her!)

Irene:












Irene meets Diamond's best bud in the whole world - Savannah, our neighbor's dog:


Diamond and Savannah - when these two play, you'd swear they hated each other until you realized that the tails are wagging. They growl and snarl the whole time they play:

[Laooda]

K, I just gotta tell you that I caused a traffic jam one day because I watched a Lab walk it's blind master across a street and I started to BALL Couldn't stop the tears.... It was sOOO beautyful. Hats off to you and to your work.

ps... I do know what a G.Doodle is! They're GREAT DOGS!

[Bdadawg]

Up until a few years ago goldendoodles, york-shis, and all thes other stupid name, were called mutts, cross-breeds, mixed breeds, heinz 57, etc. Slap a name on it and suddenly its worth 800 a pup.

I bought my mixed breed dog for $75 (from a rescue). Its a shepard/labrador mix. I think I'll call it a Shlab and start charging 1500 for its pups.

Bryan

[rabernet]

Up until a few years ago goldendoodles, york-shis, and all thes other stupid name, were called mutts, cross-breeds, mixed breeds, heinz 57, etc. Slap a name on it and suddenly its worth 800 a pup.

I bought my mixed breed dog for $75 (from a rescue). Its a shepard/labrador mix. I think I'll call it a Shlab and start charging 1500 for its pups.

Bryan

Thanks for the commentary, but that wasn't really the point of the thread. Sorry that's all you got out of it.

We call them Labs, Goldens, Shepards, Goldendoodles and Labradoodles instead of "go get the male curly blonde dog out of kennel 18". Instead, it's "go get the male goldendoodle out of kennel 18".

We really don't care what they are as long as they become good service animals for someone who really needs them. We simply use the terms for a descriptive nature. And if you'd gone to the link provided, you'd see that the recipients don't pay a thing for these dogs, purebred or mixed, even though the cost to Canine Assistants for the lifetime care (food and lifetime vet care is provided to the recipients as well) and training of these wonderful animals is about $15K a dog.

[Bdadawg]

Sorry Robin ... I didnt mean to make light of your work.

Bryan

[Laooda]

I gotta add 1 more thing. I work in the "pet industry", and I frequent many stores. I asked a owner recentlly what had made the crosses, or "designer dogs" boom... Labradoodles, Puggles, not to mention the established crosses- Maltipoos, Cockapoos, ETC, ETC, ETC....(There is a new issue mag. in stores titled "designer dogs" Dog World I think?)

His anwser was that by crossing, you eliminate alot of the health risks that "full-blooded" dogs have. THAT BEING SAID.... I've owned doggs my entire life. Some were "Show dogs" and others were "Mutts".... Some were "rescues" and others "Fostered".... But they were/are all loved.
Again, hats off to your work!

[Shelby]

Oh.. I LOVE g.doodles! They are the SWEETEST biggest puppies. They never lose their love of fun and people. I'm not a big 'designer dog' fan, but I really do enjoy the goldendoodles.

We have one named Rex that comes into our groom shop often. His hair is very long, and he bounces around and dances and comes up to play and say hi.. his hair is so darn cute and beautiful when it bounces along with this 80 lb puppy. hehe

[joepythons]

Up until a few years ago goldendoodles, york-shis, and all thes other stupid name, were called mutts, cross-breeds, mixed breeds, heinz 57, etc. Slap a name on it and suddenly its worth 800 a pup.

I bought my mixed breed dog for $75 (from a rescue). Its a shepard/labrador mix. I think I'll call it a Shlab and start charging 1500 for its pups.

Bryan

You and i both have the same things to say about these hybrid $800 dogs .We adopted a full blooded Rotty(awhile back she has passed on now) from the pound for $75 and that includes being spayed.I comend you on the work you are doing for the disabled by training these animals to help out the owners .

[rabernet]

Sorry Robin ... I didnt mean to make light of your work.

Bryan

No problem Bryan, I may have been a little over-sensitive. This is a cause that is near and dear to my heart. I've had many special dogs pass through my home as part of their training, and the recipients are equally dear to me.

[rabernet]

Oh.. I LOVE g.doodles! They are the SWEETEST biggest puppies. They never lose their love of fun and people. I'm not a big 'designer dog' fan, but I really do enjoy the goldendoodles.

Irene is certainly living up to that description. She's just a big love bug! I told Karl - she looks like a sheep with a rats tail! She's still not to sure of Mr. Karl yet! She's being very clingy to me.