This is Lola, a Goldendoodle (Golden Retriever crossed with a Poodle). She’s a BorrowMyDoggy dog and her owner works every day so we give her exercise and company three days per week. We love having her. She’s such a delightful dog; so clever and so calm and gentle. I’d trust her with a newborn.
The kids love it when she comes over and Daniel, in particular, is very taken with her. She likes fetching balls which is not surprising given she’s part retriever. Here she is sleeping with a ball in her mouth.
Golden Retrievers were bred to retrieve shot game and they could do it without damaging the animal with their teeth. Today she walked to the back gate carrying her lead in her mouth to let us know it was time for walkies.
If we were ever going to get a dog again I’d want a Goldendoodle. They have the lovely temperament and gentleness of a Golden Retriever and the intelligence and curly coat of a poodle. The only problem is I’d feel bad about getting a designer dog when animal shelters are full of unwanted dogs. However, animal shelters are full of the sorts of dogs I wouldn’t want – scary-looking terriers and pit bulls. I’m also happy we can give a dog like Lola, who would otherwise be home alone all day, some company. I get some company too and it forces me to step away from my desk and go for a walk in the park each day which is good for me.
rachel.blog 
I love Goldendoodles as well! I love the poodle coat and the breed’s intelligence, with the golden’s patience and sweet temperament. If only breeders didn’t charge an arm and leg for the puppies.
I have to agree with you re the dogs filling the shelters right now. Ours are full of pitbulls and chihuahuas. The former are favored by people who want a watchdog, until they discover how powerful and intimidating pitbulls are. They really need lots of hand-on training. Chihuahuas were trendy as lapdogs (remember handbag dogs?), but they’re super needy and can have housebreaking issues if one isn’t consistent with schedules. There are also a number of feral dogs in our area that get brought to the county shelter, and they are nothing to mess with. They need someone with a lot of experience in handling difficult dogs. I feel bad for them, but why should a potential owner, especially one with young children, have to deal with so many issues?
Yes, I 100% agree. Many families with young children would not be able to cope with the sorts of dogs you find in animal shelters which is a shame. I’m not sure whether it’s the type of dog that makes it more likely to end up in a shelter or the type of owner who gets those types of dogs – maybe it’s a bit of both?
Sounds harsh but I tend to blame the owners. Maybe there are dogs with SEND that fall outside the category, but usually problems with dog behaviour are due to owners not training them sensitively and firmly enough. So if someone decides they want the responsibility of a dog, it should be up to them to research the characteristics of that type of breed beforehand to see whether they can cope. And if they don’t and go and buy that type of dog from a breeder, they are supporting the lucrative and (what is described to me by friends) commonly irresponsibly run market in dog breeding.