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Post by GhoatMonket on Jan 9, 2024 16:52:05 GMT -6
Fellow big dog to small dog convert. I could not agree more. BATHS, wiping muddy paws when it rains, being in the car, walking in front of you in the house as dogs love to do, dog beds/crates and just general space they take up, the bones and toys are smaller and more affordable. The price of a giant bully bully stick for a big dog… insane. I do still have a very special place in my heart for big dogs. I love them. Just not for ease of care. My Rottie was the best bath taker ever. "Maggie, want a bath?" And she'd go jump in the tub. YMMV.
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Post by newspapers on Jan 9, 2024 17:18:58 GMT -6
We joke in my house that the Doodle's bone budget is like, 5% of total household expenditures. The big dog bully sticks are so expensive, especially when you have an active chewer.
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Post by blurnette989 on Jan 9, 2024 17:31:00 GMT -6
My girl Canela says Portuguese Mastiff (Rafeiro alentejana) all the way. She's big, but such a smart and calm and lazy AF breed. If I walk her too far she will legit just lay down and be like no thank you, I'm done. She just wants to pay on the ground or with her head in my lap. Sweetest ever. absolutely do not get a Frankie (German shorthaired pointer). He will be the death of me.
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caer
Sapphire
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Post by caer on Jan 9, 2024 17:40:44 GMT -6
I adopted from a foster based rescue and had a wonderful experience. We got a 1.5 year old that had lived with a family for a couple of months so they were able to give me a good idea of his personality and needs. And he came completely housebroken and crate trained. If you have any rescues in the area, you could follow them and see if they have any pups they’re describing as mellow.
FWIW, I’m the opposite of many here and am a big dog convert. I had little pups before (mostly Pomeranians) and they were so cute but SO yappy and hyperactive and hard to housebreak. My pittie is 1000x easier. And I know pits are for everyone but a lot of them are pretty chill, including my guy.
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Leaf 🌱
Sapphire
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Post by Leaf 🌱 on Jan 9, 2024 17:59:05 GMT -6
My friends had a cavapoo that they would pay ds1 to care for. Even as a puppy he was an exceptionally good boy. We’re looking into getting a companion dog for ds2, and that is the breed we’re leaning toward. That being said, our Great Pyr is the sweetest dog. She’s huge but very gentle. I swear she knows when I’m having high pain days. She lays her head on my lap and snuggles, but when I’m feeling good she’ll run around and play. Her puppyhood was tough though. Our GP is so chill and low maintenance - she barely sheds and has shorter hair thanks to whatever she’s mixed with. She could 10000% be a therapy/ESA dog and just wants to hang out with you. Every cockapoo I’ve ever met loved to stand outside and bark nonstop for no reason. Unless you really want a puppy, I’d look for a younger dog through a rescue or ethical breeder. They can help you pick the right personality for you.
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George
Gold
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Post by George on Jan 9, 2024 18:13:35 GMT -6
We have an Australian Labradoodle, which has no Australian shepherd in it, but still is not low energy. I thought it was more of a medium to large dog person, but now that we have a dog, I’m glad she’s not bigger than she has, and can see a lot of benefits to going smaller. My favorite, smaller dog I met was a Havanese. Maybe a Havanese? They are non-shedding. For a long time the Havanese was our front runner. But quite a few people we know have said they can be moody and bad with kids at times. And this dog is happening now in part because DD would really benefit from a new dog. We adopted a Havanese from a rescue at the end of August. He is 1.5 years old and the sweetest thing. I live in MN and sometimes it’s too cold to walk, and he does not care. He loves to play a dozen rounds of fetch and then he’s back to resting. He’s about 16 pounds, so not big by any means, and he doesn’t shed. We have a 16 year old dog and two kids (9 and 13) and he’s great with them all. He’s 100% attached to me and has some separation anxiety, but I’m not sure how much of that is due to his home life before we adopted him vs. his breed. He’s the softest dog I’ve ever met. He’s also a gatherer, so sometimes we walk into a room, and there’s a shoe, a towel, and some socks. He just likes to find things and put them in a new spot. It’s very adorable.
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Post by kittyriot on Jan 9, 2024 18:16:05 GMT -6
For a long time the Havanese was our front runner. But quite a few people we know have said they can be moody and bad with kids at times. And this dog is happening now in part because DD would really benefit from a new dog. We adopted a Havanese from a rescue at the end of August. He is 1.5 years old and the sweetest thing. I live in MN and sometimes it’s too cold to walk, and he does not care. He loves to play a dozen rounds of fetch and then he’s back to resting. He’s about 16 pounds, so not big by any means, and he doesn’t shed. We have a 16 year old dog and two kids (9 and 13) and he’s great with them all. He’s 100% attached to me and has some separation anxiety, but I’m not sure how much of that is due to his home life before we adopted him vs. his breed. He’s the softest dog I’ve ever met. He’s also a gatherer, so sometimes we walk into a room, and there’s a shoe, a towel, and some socks. He just likes to find things and put them in a new spot. It’s very adorable. He sounds like the sweetest of all sweet peas!
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mathrun
Gold
Posts: 649 Likes: 2,547
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Post by mathrun on Jan 9, 2024 18:32:22 GMT -6
My SIL has a chocolate lab who could double as the Tasmanian Devil. Like no chill whatsoever.
She also has a golden retriever and an English Cream retriever. They are both super chill. They were energetic as pups though. So agree you might want to look for an older rescue or an ungraduated service dog.
2nd the advice to avoid Jack Russell Terriers. The two I’ve known were not calm at all.
BIL also used to have a Weimaraner who was so incredibly gentle, but she had a lot of training to get her to that point.
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Post by leatherpants on Jan 9, 2024 18:47:20 GMT -6
That is not what we want! 😂 It’s funny because she adopted her from a place and there were 2 dogs she was interested in. They let her take both dogs out for a walk. The other dog (a Lhasa Apso) was so low energy she actually had to carry that dog during the walk lol. My Lhaso Apso who just is in her champagne year when she turned 14 on Dec 14th, has always been the perfect energy. Like she is equally happy playing with dogs at the dog park but wants nothing more than to lay around and run the household. No shortage of attitude on that one.
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Post by Sweetjane on Jan 9, 2024 19:13:38 GMT -6
Italian Greyhound. Small sweet couch potatoes.
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jaygee
Diamond
Posts: 28,262 Likes: 219,683
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Post by jaygee on Jan 9, 2024 19:55:27 GMT -6
Italian Greyhound. Small sweet couch potatoes. Really? I never knew this. I love them so but always assumed they had a lot of energy.
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Bluebird
Amethyst
Posts: 6,391 Likes: 22,181
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Post by Bluebird on Jan 9, 2024 19:56:19 GMT -6
Shih-Tzus are super chill lap dogs and don’t shed. Definitely find a reputable breeder though!
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mc13
Sapphire
Posts: 3,414 Likes: 12,121
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Post by mc13 on Jan 9, 2024 19:58:24 GMT -6
I agree that a lot of it comes with age, but a lot is also just natural personality. We have a 5 year old 55lb golden-doodle who sleeps about 95% of the day when we're home but an anxious mess when we leave and a 2 year old 70lb aussie-doodle who is the calmest, most go-with-the-flow dog I've ever met. They both went through the same training programs and we crate trained the same exact way, but the golden is so stressed, starts crying the minute he hears anyone and the Aussie won't even pick his head up until you completely unlock AND open the crate door.
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willow
Ruby
Posts: 19,607 Likes: 125,142
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Post by willow on Jan 9, 2024 21:08:21 GMT -6
Italian Greyhound. Small sweet couch potatoes. Omg yessss. This is the small dog I would definitely get. My H doesn’t love the idea though but I want to wear him down some day when the kids are older. I love them.
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lizblue
Sapphire
Posts: 3,518 Likes: 27,378
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Post by lizblue on Jan 9, 2024 21:54:40 GMT -6
I have a 12 lbs toy fox terrier who has always been a bit of a couch potato. When she was younger, she had two speeds - super fast or sleeping. As others have said, it’s easy to tire out a smaller breed. She’s super smart and good with kids. She’s a little bit of a cranky old lady now but is snoring happily next to me right now (and every night).
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Post by ellewoods on Jan 9, 2024 22:26:24 GMT -6
I have a 15 pound havapoo (havanese and poodle). She has the sweetest temperament- she’s good with all people and all ages. She can be a bit much for those who aren’t dog people tho / she just wants everyone who comes to the house to pay attention to her. She barks a lot and animals outside and delivery people. She’s a very cuddly dog and is what I would describe as a Velcro dog - she’s next to me ALL the time.
She’s very much like a cavapoo which was also recommended. She was very active as a puppy but now she gets her walks and then sleeps.
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sullivan
Platinum
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Post by sullivan on Jan 9, 2024 22:32:39 GMT -6
We recently got two bernedoodles, and we’re obsessed. (Bernese mountain dog) ours are supposed to end up around 50lbs full grown, but there are options for smaller ones, too. BMDs seem to just want to make their people happy. Our girl just loves to cuddle and I already have a million pictures of her sleeping with my 1 year old. The boy is a little more active but he has some golden retriever mixed in so 🤷🏻♀️.
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hawkward
Global Moderator
Loss, Infertility
Posts: 19,638 Likes: 123,091
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Post by hawkward on Jan 10, 2024 7:29:49 GMT -6
Liking hearing about great cavapoos! And hawkward, Great Pyrenees!?!? I want a picture of that sweetheart. What a beautiful breed! I’ll IG you my favorite pic of her and ds1.
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Pizzaslut
Ruby
*it’s a joke. get some hobbies.
Posts: 22,727 Likes: 131,010
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Post by Pizzaslut on Jan 10, 2024 8:25:50 GMT -6
I could go over my expenses for my big ol' labradoodle but it seems you don't need swayed. At age 10, arthritis has kicked in and I recently had to carry him upstairs, all 85 pounds.
He's also been in a cone 7 out of the last 9 months and the amount of times that thing has been shoved into my legs and/or stomach is not fun.
He is the dopiest, bestest dog though!
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STP
Diamond
Posts: 43,332 Likes: 314,806
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Post by STP on Jan 10, 2024 8:32:32 GMT -6
My parents have a Haveanese, and she's wonderful if you want a small hypoallergenic dog that isn't a doodle.
Cockapoos have a lot of energy, cockers need a great deal of walks. But they're very sweet dogs, and love their humans. Doodles are neurotic. They just are. So go in knowing that. Small, big, medium. Doodle Derangement is real.
Also, I lOVE big dogs, but they come with a ton of work (even the low energy ones). Big Dog was an English Mastiff, and she didn't want to do anything, but just bc of her size it was a lot of clean up, physical effort, wear and tear on the house. Don't get me wrong, I'd take a million of her, she was the best. But a dog that is the size of another person is a huge commitment, and if you're looking at a cockapoo, I don't think that's probably a shift you want to make.
Puppies are a lot of work, just inherently, so you're in for a few years of effort regardless of breed.
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STP
Diamond
Posts: 43,332 Likes: 314,806
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Post by STP on Jan 10, 2024 8:34:53 GMT -6
I will say that after a Goldendoodle and a Bernedoodle, this is the end of our Doodle Phase.
Bagel is a sweetheart, but it's too much. I'm going older, smaller, and non-Doodle next time.
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flojo
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Post by flojo on Jan 10, 2024 8:36:41 GMT -6
We had a cockapoo. She was so chill and was lazy from day 1. Just a snuggly love bug. 10/10 would recommend.
We’re also getting a cavapoo next month and we’re going to see the litter next week. I’ve been told they’re very easy pups so we’ll see!
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flojo
Sapphire
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Post by flojo on Jan 10, 2024 8:40:26 GMT -6
I would also look into whether you want an F1 or F1b. So 50/50 mix of cocker (or cavalier) and poodle vs. that 50/50 mix bred with a poodle so the pup is 25 cocker (or cavalier) and 75 poodle.
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Post by kittyriot on Jan 10, 2024 8:49:53 GMT -6
I will say that after a Goldendoodle and a Bernedoodle, this is the end of our Doodle Phase. Bagel is a sweetheart, but it's too much. I'm going older, smaller, and non-Doodle next time. There's a little Shitzu at our local shelter, 2 years old, house-trained, I'm trying to get H to think seriously about her.
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STP
Diamond
Posts: 43,332 Likes: 314,806
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Post by STP on Jan 10, 2024 8:51:19 GMT -6
I will say that after a Goldendoodle and a Bernedoodle, this is the end of our Doodle Phase. Bagel is a sweetheart, but it's too much. I'm going older, smaller, and non-Doodle next time. There's a little Shitzu at our local shelter, 2 years old, house-trained, I'm trying to get H to think seriously about her. Oh that sounds ideal, honestly.
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Post by kittyriot on Jan 10, 2024 8:54:23 GMT -6
There's a little Shitzu at our local shelter, 2 years old, house-trained, I'm trying to get H to think seriously about her. Oh that sounds ideal, honestly. I know. It feel's right. H is still mulling over what he wants and doesn't want to make a decision based on impulse ad heart alone. I think we're likely a few weeks away from making a decision. So it's very likely we miss out on her.
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jaygee
Diamond
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Post by jaygee on Jan 10, 2024 9:23:49 GMT -6
The way this thread had ME looking for a dog yesterday. 🤦🏻♀️
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Post by kittyriot on Jan 10, 2024 9:43:10 GMT -6
The way this thread had ME looking for a dog yesterday. 🤦🏻♀️ Do you have space in your home and heart? Cause if you do, do it!!
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Post by lifesaverz on Jan 10, 2024 9:54:10 GMT -6
I grew up with Golden retrievers, & they are so chill & loving. They're some of the best dogs. I participated in dog training classes, & they were some of the best ones. It was not hard to walk them/control them. My family did own a cocker spaniel at one point, & I've had friends that have poodles, & neither are chill, just a heads up. Especially poodles.
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willow
Ruby
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Post by willow on Jan 10, 2024 9:55:58 GMT -6
I will say that after a Goldendoodle and a Bernedoodle, this is the end of our Doodle Phase. Bagel is a sweetheart, but it's too much. I'm going older, smaller, and non-Doodle next time. Zara recently started doggie daycare and one of her fave dogs to play with is a Bernedoodle named Cannon. It is funny to watch the live stream of those two.
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