[NAGDU] Any experience with Golden Doodles?

[Parham Doustdar]

Hi Jenine,
Wow, this is very helpful, both your personal experience and the wider statistics. Also, the advice on questions at the end was gold.
The reason I’m asking about cross-breeding with poodles isn’t that I’m allergic to dogs. It’s a couple of reasons. First, this is the guide dog with the shortest waiting list, and their timeline is between 2 weeks to 1 year from the date of application.
Second, I’ve heard that other breeds like Labradors and Retrievers shed a lot, and Poodle cross breeds don’t, so I figured this might be a good side-effect as well.
However, I’m not sure if the risk of inherent diseases and higher probability of having to retire the dog early are worth it?
Also, guide dog schools here aren’t very forthcoming with helpful statistics or information to educate a first-time owner who doesn’t know what to ask. Any other questions you’d suggest I ask them before I commit?
Thanks,
Parham

> On 18 Dec 2023, at 15:24, Jenine Stanley via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi Parham, 
> 
> My experience with Poodles and Poodle crosses comes from working at Guide Dog Foundation and having worked a Lab/Poodle cross. 
> 
> Poodles in this country have been so overbred it’s difficult to find stable ones with both good health and solid temperament to work as guide dogs. It’s not that they can’t do the work or that they would be a poor choice. It’s more that breeding and selection for the work is very important. 
> 
> You are luckier in Europe that schools have better stock to start with, in theory anyway. 
> 
> When you cross breeds, it’s typically a toss up as to which characteristics you get from each. For example, I think there were 8 or 9 Lab/Poodle crosses in my dog’s litter. Of those 9, 8 made it through class. Each one was very different. Several worked for over 5 years without issues or health problems. Some were retired quickly while my girl retired due to aggression at age 5. We later learned her aggression was due to a vision problem common to Poodles that was very hard to diagnose. 
> 
> I’ve heard from instructors that training Poodles is a lot like training German Shepherds in that you need to compel the dog using other methods than food. Poodles tend to be very particular about their food as many shepherds can be. My girl, Molly, had the Lab tendency toward her food, and anything else she could get into her mouth. 😄
> 
> As for the Poodles at GDF, they tried, and still do to my knowledge, to select healthy solid stock but it’s not easy to find those dogs. In a litter of 3 or more maybe 1 will make it and even then, may implode the day before class starts. In other words, they aren’t exactly a good return on investment. Which is why you won’t find many schools here in the states using them. As for crosses, GDF tried, as did many US schools, the Lab/Poodle cross to help those with allergies. This, btw, is a bit of a myth as the dander of crosses varies so much that it’s hard to know how someone will react, even to dogs of the same litter. 
> 
> As for Golden Poodle crosses, GDF tried exactly two litters. None of them made it out of the puppy raising stage to training. There are probably some really good Golden Poodle crosses out there but it’s even more of a crapshoot than Lab Poodle crosses in part because Goldens have almost as many inherent health issues as Poodles. Both breeds are also very intelligent but can also be a bit high strung. All this is very subjective and varies widely. 
> 
> I’ve wondered the logic of crossing Poodles with so many breeds then claiming those dogs are hypoallergenic. At GDF we would send someone seeking a hypoallergenic dog a bag of the dog’s hair for testing. Again this could vary widely between siblings. 
> 
> I’d ask any program training this type of cross about their breeding, success rate, meaning how many of this type of dog work past 24 months, and what is the primary cause for retirement. Of course you should ask these questions of any program regarding any breed. 
> 
> Hope this was somewhat helpful. 
> 
> Jenine
>> On Dec 18, 2023, at 7:24 AM, Parham Doustdar via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi all,
>> I was wondering if anyone here has had any experience with Golden Doodles, which are a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. Some people seem to think that poodles won’t be a good guide dog, and since I have no experience with guide dogs, I wonder why that is, and if anyone has actually experienced it themself.
>> Thanks,
>> Parham
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