In selecting a breed of dog which suited our family well we had two major issues to consider:

• we have 4 very active, physical and bright kids with ages ranging from 3 1/2 to 10, so a tiny, or high strung dog just wouldn't do (we all love large dogs anyways)
• Scott has allergies to most breeds, so a hypo-allergenic breed is best.

The final decision came down to a much longer (and particular) list of criteria, all of which were met by the Golden Doodle hybrid.

In fact there was no other purebred breed which met all of our needs! The Soft Coated Wheaten came a close second, but we prefered a dog which didn't fall into the Terrier Group as the Terriers tend to have a more dominant personality.

• low allergy dog
• patient and good natured with our children
• patient and good natured with neighbourhood kids who are always coming and going from our home
• good with other dogs (we have many in the neighbourhood)
• an obedient, well mannered, intelligent and highly trainable breed
• we are outdoor type people (well most of us anyways!) so we need a dog who can handle all types of weather (hot or cold) as we love hiking and biking and everything in between. Sadly, short haired breeds such as Dalmations and Boxers are fairly sensitive to temperatures, other issues aside
• we enjoy all sorts of group sports as a family, many of which (such as Frisbee and ball sports) we wished to share with our pup. Dogs with Retriever and/or Poodle blood are ideal for retrieving activities as they are both hunters by trade
• we are also water lovers (swimming, wading at the river nearby, splashing at the beach, cottage or pool, even boating at the cottage), so a water loving dog would be ideal
• we do want to spend time grooming, but a low or no shed coat would be great for Mom! A low maintenance coat would be nice from a time and cost perspective
• a healthy, long living dog. Due to a trait called 'hybrid vigor', which occurs in F1 generation Doodles (see the WhatsADoodle page for more info). Doodles tend to live longer (15+ years) and have better health than either the Standard Poodle or the Golden Retriever
• finally, given the busyness of our house, not to mention personal preferance, we prefer to have a larger bodied dog. We have even heard dogs larger than 50 lbs sometimes enjoy recreational carting/sledding, which might be fun to explore as another activity

Fortunately, we are able to offer a puppy the following:

• a large house with lots of room for him to fit
• a large, fenced in yard in which to run around
• a neighbourhood filled with trails and greenspaces
• a leash free park nearby (Bechtal Park) which we already frequent for tobogganning and hiking
• the Grand River a few minutes walk away for splashing in on hot days (the kids do already!)
• access to a cottage up north with a big blue lake to swim in (and lots of wildlife to chase... no bears, porcupine or skunks please!) thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Brown!
• access to a house with a couple of acres in New Brunswick near the seaside, thanks to Aunt Dawn!
• access to awesome, dog friendly sandy beach on Lake Huron for yet more sun and water family fun
• six dog loving, energetic people who will be devoted to playing with, caring for and training a willing puppy
• a stay at home mom who will be around for companionship when the rest of the hoard leaves for school and work

Why a Doodle? Why not! A GoldenDoodle and our family is a match made in heaven!

Do I hear cries already for a second dog?! One Dude of each colour perhaps!?