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I had several long paragraphs written on all the things to look for in a good breeder (health testing, proven parents, etc--most mentioned before), but I deleted it all.
There is no such thing as a "good breeder" of mixed breeds.
If you want a mix, go to the shelter, or to a rescue (who will be more than happy to help you find a dog whose temperament is good around small children). If you want a purebred dog from proven lines, I would be more than happy to help you find a breeder for that.
How the dog will do with kids is GREATLY affected by the breeding and temperament of the dog.
The best part about working with a rescue or shelter is they have members that can help match your family with the right dog. Dogs in foster get a chance to be evaluated to great length, introduced to different environments, and medical taken care of.
Best advice, especially going to the shelter, is LISTEN to what they have to say. They know the animals better than you do. I was at the shelter a while back and one of the workers was telling me a bout a Jack Russell was returned after a week. The adopter didn't listen to them when they said the dog was not a good fit for their home, but they took the dog anyway. The dog came back a week later because, guess what, it wasn't a good fit. No good for the dog.
I just recently discovered that there are breeders for mixed/designer breeds. I had no idea LOL. And interestingly I have found from some people who have purchased mixed (labradoodle) in NC Chapel Hill area that they paid over $1000! Unreal. I have seen pure bred dogs for much lower that that.
I found some rescues in the area that I'll be checking out in the next few days, maybe even as soon as this weekend.
Thanks for all the replies. I will probably be heading to a shelter this week just to scope things out. We are pretty new in our plans for this (although we've talked about getting another dog since our beloved pet died last May, before we moved), so right now I'm mostly gathering information and taking it slow with the final plans.
The only reason I'd hesitate about a shelter or rescue is b/c we have small children, and I'd be concerned about getting a dog who was abused before and somehow does not adjust to normal family/kid activities. I know most dogs do fine with a second home, but I have known a few who just did not make it and would be concerned about taking that chance.
It's such a huge decision either way
It *is* a huge decision and good for you for being cautious. I had a bad experience with a rescue dog whose behavior suddenly and without warning turned. He was a great dog and we'd raised him from a puppy, but around two he changed - drastically - and attacked my 10-year-old daughter.
It *is* a huge decision and good for you for being cautious. I had a bad experience with a rescue dog whose behavior suddenly and without warning turned. He was a great dog and we'd raised him from a puppy, but around two he changed - drastically - and attacked my 10-year-old daughter.
If you raised him as a puppy, it has nothing to do with the fact that he is a rescue and EVERYTHING to do with poor genetics--which can just as easily be found in a purchased dog, purebred or not!
That's why, if you choose to buy a puppy, it's important to go to a breeder who has their dogs temperament tested, tests for genetic issues that could affect stability, and keeps tabs on all the dogs they've sold in the past, so that if an issue arises with a dog 5 years down the road, they can trace back the lineage and try to find out why.
Most of the time when people have young children, I recommend getting a 3-4 year old dog for the family. That way, the adult temperament is established and you have a much better idea of what you're actually getting.
Goldendoodles can cost up to $2,500 depending on the size. Designer dogs are not mutts. A mutt is a dog of unknown origin, it has nothing to do with mixed breeds.
Purebred dogs have all been mixed at some point. The Golden Retriever has not always been a Golden Retriever, it was developed in Scotland in the late 1800s by crossing the Flat-coated Retriever with the Tweed Water Spaniel (now exctinct), the St Bernard is a cross of Mastiff, Great Dane, Newfounland and other breeds and the list goes on. Whether the cross has been done 150 years ago or 20, what difference does that make?
For a good breeder, the cost of producing mixed breed dogs is the same as the one for purebreds. The parents should be pure Poodle and Golden Retriever to start with, then you have the genetic & health testings, the vet expenses etc… I don’t see why a Goldendoodle should be cheaper than a Poodle or a Golden Retriever.
I don’t have a Goldendoodle but I would definitely considered them. You will have a hard time finding one on Petfinder, but it's worth trying.
Goldendoodles can cost up to $2,500 depending on the size. Designer dogs are not mutts. A mutt is a dog of unknown origin, it has nothing to do with mixed breeds.
Purebred dogs have all been mixed at some point. The Golden Retriever has not always been a Golden Retriever, it was developed in Scotland in the late 1800s by crossing the Flat-coated Retriever with the Tweed Water Spaniel (now exctinct), the St Bernard is a cross of Mastiff, Great Dane, Newfounland and other breeds and the list goes on. Whether the cross has been done 150 years ago or 20, what difference does that make?
For a good breeder, the cost of producing mixed breed dogs is the same as the one for purebreds. The parents should be pure Poodle and Golden Retriever to start with, then you have the genetic & health testings, the vet expenses etc… I don’t see why a Goldendoodle should be cheaper than a Poodle or a Golden Retriever.
I don’t have a Goldendoodle but I would definitely considered them. You will have a hard time finding one on Petfinder, but it's worth trying.
Quote:
Mutt: a dog, esp. a mongrel.
Mongrel: 1. a dog of mixed or indeterminate breed.
2. any animal or plant resulting from the crossing of different breeds or varieties.
3. any cross between different things, esp. if inharmonious or indiscriminate.
Show me a goldendoodle breeder who is doing all the required health testing, performance proving, selective breeding necessary. I don't know a single person who has a championship golden retriever proven in the field who is OFA/CERF tested, temperament tested, and within standard who is going to breed it to a similar quality poodle. On top of that, show me that breeder who has strong puppy contracts with a mandatory return clause, spay/neuter contracts, health guarantees, etc.
Then, tell me what the purpose of their breeding is. Why is matching dog a and dog b going to produce high quality puppies? It's a MIX (and yup, that's the same as a mutt!) which means that the puppies are a complete crap shot. A poodle/golden mix could end up with the best traits of the poodle and the golden, or the worst of each. It could end up with the temperament of either. There's no guarantee. Until a breed has been standardized over dozens of generations, you have no idea what you're going to get each time. And getting those dozens of generations of healthy dogs requires culling the poor ones (and I don't think anyone's doing that)
If you can do that, I will believe you. I don't think such a breeder exists.
A good breeder is not in it for the money. They are in it for bettering their breed. The only dog I can think of where $2500 is not a ridiculous price is a bull dog--those dogs are physically incapable of delivering their pups thanks to the large heads, and need csections and special vet care during pregnancy. They also often have small litters, meaning the price per pup is higher for the breeder to break even.
Breeding dogs should not ever be a business. When it becomes a way to make profits, the ethics tend to fall by the way side.
(By the way, my dog is a mutt--got her from the shelter, and she's my baby and the love of my life. I think mixes are wonderful dogs--but my mix is COMPLETELY different from her siblings. You'd have no idea they were even related)
(By the way, my dog is a mutt--got her from the shelter, and she's my baby and the love of my life. I think mixes are wonderful dogs--but my mix is COMPLETELY different from her siblings. You'd have no idea they were even related)[/quote]
Of course your dog is a mutt! According to your definition, every dog is one: Shar Pei, Doberman Pinscher, Shetland sheepdog etc. What about the Bulldog? Some say it could be the cross of a Mastiff and a Pug? Oops, could it be another mutt??
"Show me a goldendoodle breeder who is doing all the required health testing, performance proving, selective breeding necessary. I don't know a single person who has a championship golden retriever proven in the field who is OFA/CERF tested, temperament tested, and within standard who is going to breed it to a similar quality poodle."[/quote]
Oh well, I guess if YOU don't know a single person like that, that means such breeder doesn't exist then. I am sure that you really looked into it.
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