[LB]

My husband & I want a medium sized dog that would be happy in a courtyard apartment (limited outdoor space).

I have heard labradoodles can be quite destructive, but I was wondering what they are like when they get enough exercise.

I would like our dog to be my running partner so he/she would get an 6.5 mile run each morning, but after that he/she would be left alone for 9 hours until we get home. At night, the dog would get plenty of attention but not much exercise.

Will a labradoodle still get bored and destroy everything (even if I donate a couple of old socks to go with the normal doggie toys)? Can they be trained out of destruction?

If it is likely to be a problem, can anyone recommend a suitable non-shedding medium sized dog for our lifestyle?

 

[lmtoth2]

If you got an older dog it could work out. Our doodles are almost 2. We walk them 1 mile in the morning...they are then alone (in our basement) for ~9 hrs and then we play with them when we get home. Yesterday it poured here so we played indoor fetch for about an hour and they played a bit together and then passed out by 8 pm. Our dogs do quite well on our schedule...Dexter did fine with it even when he was an only doodle.

It is more difficult with a puppy though - I would look into getting a dog that is at least 2 yrs old because younger dogs shouldn't run as much as you indicated you want your dog to run (as a running partner).

 

[LB]

Thanks lmtoth2.

I have been considering an older dog (as cute as puppies are!), mainly to avoid the destruction. Plus there seem to be quite a few on offer, although many ads have the words boisterous or extremely playful in them, so hopefully the owners aren't rehoming due to a destructive nature.

Don't worry, I know I can't get a puppy as a running companion. If I get a pup, I'll wait till he/she is mature enough mentally as well as physically.

I used to have a rough collie when I was a teenager and it took him until he was well over one year old just to stay focused on the run and not want to stop at every mildly interesting object along the way (even though he was athletic enough by about 9 months to start coming with me). He always seemed to love our runs, but it wasn't until he calmed down a bit (desexing helped) and became more obedient that I could enjoy the run without stopping every 2 min. In hindsight, I probably wouldn't try to run with a dog till he/she is around 2, but at least we both got some exercise! My collie was a beautiful dog and I would get another one if I had the time, but he required daily brushing and plenty of attention. Plus he had a 1/2 acre backyard, which I can't provide for a new dog.

It sounds like you have a bit of an advantage due to your basement, although the weather where I am rarely prevents us from going outside, so maybe it would be ok.

Did you also find that you needed the basement to keep the dogs away from things they might destroy or was it just so they had more space?

 

[Guest]

If you are getting a puppy find a breeder you can trust and talk to them about your concerns with destruction. A puppy will be a puppy but some are less destructive than others. Maya is now 12 mos old. I got her when she was 3.5 mos. To date she has chewed 1 flip flop strap (needed a new pair cause she chewed through it and I left her alone with no other toys so my fault), a brim to a baseball hat (still useable), a little bit of the back of my tennis shoe (still useable can't really tell), and a bra. Now her toys look like they have gone off to war but she leaves everything else alone. Maya has had free run of the house since she was 7 mos old. If you talk to your breeder they can help you pick out a pup that is more calm and less mouthy. Maya never nipped at me or anybody else either like many pups do (maybe cause she was a little older when I got her). Also a lot of mouthing behavior is training. When I first got Maya if she even looked like she was going for something inappropriate to chew on I gave her a toy and praised her like crazy when she went for a toy. Toys were scattered all over the house the first month I had her so that there was always one in reach for me to give to her. (Also take this with a grain a salt you have had a dog before Maya is my first but I was told never to give them things like shoes or socks to chew on cause they will get confused between which are their toys and which are not to be touched)

As far as running my vet told me not until at least 18 mos. But if I could wait until 2 years. The reason is they are still growing til about 2 and you could cause hip problems later if you run with them. Maya's exercise regimen is 2-3 walks per week with me. Fetch daily in the backyard. Plus she has a playdate at least 3 times a week. Now that I am seeing my BF Maya has another dog to romp with almost every day.

One more thing....keep in mind that a young pup will not be able to go 9 hours in a crate with out going potty. Would you be able to come home at lunch to let the pup out? If not (I wasn't always able to either) find a dog sitter that can come over and walk your pup at lunch time at least.

Sorry so long!!

 

[annieG]

I am glad you have joined this forum, it is a great place to learn about doodles and you are very wise to do your research before getting one.

One thing you mentioned was that your collie requited daily brushing. My labradoodle requires regular brushing. I don't mind because for us it is a bonding time but you need to be aware that there are many different coat types of doodles and some require a good deal of maintenance.

Also, the amount of running per day that you mentioned, 6.5 miles, seems like a lot. My neighbor is a marathoner and she runs with 3 border collies. She will do half her run with them, dropping then off at her house after 3 miles then continues on for the remainder.

If there are any runners on this forum that run with doodles, I hope they will join in this discussion.

good luck!

 

[lmtoth2]

Just to answer your question - we keep the dogs in the basement most because I don't want them barking at things in the front all day. We leave them loose in the house for many hours if we are out on a weekend night and they are totally fine (they just lay on the sofa together). Dexter was a little bit destructive until 12 months but nothing major. You just really need to make sure your future dog has enough appropriate things to chew on (kongs, etc) and to make sure he/she knows what not to chew on

 

[MaxandMe]

HI and most dogs if not exercised/walked, trained and given some attention ALL can be chewers destroying things as puppies or even as adults.

Doodles as puppies do go thru chewing stages and when they need to break in their adult teeth...the most major ones being: 5 to 6mo, 8mo and 10mos old

Running with any dog for long lengths/miles till they're at least 18mos old can do damage to their ligaments/tendons and body structure. Later contributing to health problems

Bright side: they're very loving and comical dogs...F1s usually require little to no grooming whereas f1b's may require grooming cutting down every 3mos


good luck!!keep us posted

 

[L's Mom]

I agree with everyone in saying that any dog without proper attn can become distructive...

I have 2 doodles... 10 and 4 months, the only destruction so far is 1 pair of flip flops, 1 shoe lace, and their own toys... now this doesn't mean they don't take things that don't belong to them (ie socks, bra's, boxers, shoes) and scatter them through out the house every now and then... but very little destruction...

They do both require grooming, we brush/comb ours whenever they are still... But, and I think someone did mention this... F1's tend to need less grooming... I noticed that you said, you wanted a No-shedder?... How about a s little shed?

Here's a thread with a F1 Labradoodle who needs to be rehomed... maybe he could work for you?
http://labradoodle-dogs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8172

 

[LB]

Thanks L's mom.

I'm in Australia, so I've been looking at rehoming ads closer to home.

Being in Australia, it also seems that the coat characteristics of the dog are a bit different to those of dogs being bred in the US. There aren't many F1s around here any more. It's mostly fourth to seventh generation and the breeders do more or less guarantee certain coat types when they sell the dog. It's fairly rare to se a labradoodle that sheds at all here, so I think I should be ok on that front.

(I assume there wouldn't be anyone on this forum that would be buying a labradoodle from Australia, but just if you're interested in the Australian labradoodle breeders they have a site that shows the 2 types of coats you get from a multigeneration doodle at http://laa.org.au/lab-coats.html)

In any case, I'm mainly concerned about the temperament of the dog. Breeders will always present the most positive light and I'm not sure how to interpret things like extremely energetic.... it makes me think of when you inspect an apartment and the ad said original kitchen.

But, it looks like most people haven't had any major problems.

It was interesting too that a poster said not to give old socks. I hadn't thought of that. The collie I had as a teenager was definitely an outdoor dog and was only allowed into the games room on the bottom floor of our house, so he never had the opportunity to steal other socks, but I can see how if our dog has access to your bedroom he might get confused.

It sounds like I need to do research on indoor dog keeping as well as on breeds.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Lucee&Rusty]

I can help you with the difference in care for the Australia type doodles.
We have a fleece and a wool. The fleece is so much easier than the wool.
Lucee's fur tends to need more grooming than Rusty's. They are both ALF3.
Rusty is very calm and laidback for a 17 week old puppy. They do not shed.
There are a couple available for rehoming on the Aust Labradoodle site.
http://www.laa.org.au/puppy-rehoming.html
We walk our dogs twice a day most days. They usually walk approx 6kms each day.
We have had very little destruction from our doodles. Lucee has been my worst.
She had a thing for electrical cords and chewed through a couple until someone
suggested putting dencorub on them. She chewed one shoelace and one wooden
door wedge stopper. The only other destruction since early puppy days have
been her own toys. Some of those don't last a day (I think she is doing her 8 mth old teething period)
Rusty hasn't destroyed anything except his own toys. He does have Lucee to keep him occupied.

They aren't left for long periods by themselves, usually only for 2 to 3 hours.
We leave them loose in our kitchen - family room area and have
never had anything destroyed.
They are both doing dog obedience training with ADT every week rain or shine.
They both started at 8 weeks old.

I think if you can exercise them everyday and spend some quality time with
them then you shouldn't have any problems. They love your company and
follow you when you are home. They are not the type of dog you can put in the backyard and forget.
Our doodles sleep in our bedroom on the floor. They are very special dogs.
We love our guys sooo much and look forward coming home to them when
we have to go out.