- What kind of dogs do you breed? Are they doodles?
The term doodle refers to a poodle cross bred with any other type of dog. Cross breeding with poodles has become a popular thing to do because poodles contribute coat traits that reduce shedding, and they are an incredibly smart, biddable, and rarely aggressive breed. Some doodle breeders do a good job, some less so, which is true of any type of dog. Any sentence that starts with “doodles are….” is probably oversimplified because doodles are so many different things depending on the non poodle breed involved and other factors. The doodles we breed are the original, you might even say “traditional” ones. Labradors and Golden retrievers were originally crossed with Poodles in hopes of creating non shedding service dogs. That original idea, regardless of the controversy about it, was actually a good one. Many doodles of this type are successful in service dog work.
3. Ive read that “F1bs” dont shed and are good for people with allergies. Do you breed those?
What people usually call F1bs are about 75% poodle. Crossing twice to a poodle to get “F1b” puppies is a quick and simple breeding method to produce mostly non shedding coats and the one that many doodle breeders use. Faster doesnt mean better. Because my breeding goal is non shedding straight coated retrievers, I DNA test all my dogs for coat traits and I am able to predict coat traits of puppies, regardless of generation. This way I can select for the retriever temperament and straighter coats.
As far as allergies, I make no claim to any level of hypoallergenic qualities in my puppies. I breed for non shedding coats and temperament. Fully non shedding dogs are much less likely to trigger allergies, but there is no guarantee. If severe allergies are a concern, please let me know.
4. Whats the difference between a Bearded Retriever and a goldendoodle or labradoodle?
A Bearded Retriever is a dog that is bred as part of the long term goal to create a new, healthy companion breed consisting of non shedding lab/golden retrievers. Bearded Retrievers that I produce contain lab, golden and poodle. At this stage they have a variety of coats including some short and shedding coats and this is a necessary step in reaching the goal. I will always be able to tell you what to expect as far as shedding and appearance from a puppy.
5. Are non shedding dogs easy to maintain?
Non shedding dogs require regular hair cuts. Most people need to have a groomer do this every 6 weeks or so and it costs $60-75 or more. in addition, face trims and brushing are needed between groomings. Less curly dogs like I strive to produce are less likely to matte than curly ones, but they are still a lot of work! DO NOT underestimate this. All dogs will have hair to deal with. If you have a dog that sheds you will need to vacuum hair off the floor. If you have a non shedding dog you will need to shave hair off the dog.
5. Do you have minis?
No, not yet. We are hoping to breed some smaller puppies in the future, but we dont want to compromise on temperament and we are still looking for the right small dog breed to add.