Need Advice To Give To Friend Looking For An "oodle"

[Guest sharynriding]

I have a friend looking for a pup for her 8 year old daughter. She is convinced that a cavoodle is the way to go for her because she spoke to a "breeder" in Victoria for half an hour on the phone and the lady was really nice!!

Okay, my friend has never owned a dog and I have given her the soapbox rant about designer dogs, no health checks, puppy farms, pet shops etc etc. It seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

Can anyone think of what else I could do to persuade her to go down the purebred, health checked, see the parents of the litter, registered, ethical breeder route?

I have asked her to have a look on DOL and to also check out forums regarding puppy mills, pet shops etc.

She is an intelligent lady and I think that maybe she thinks I am just one of those "purebred dog snobs", which I suspect that her cavoodle breeder told her I was.

I am just trying to give her an informed point of view so she can decide with all the facts rather than the ones that she has been led to believe. Any ideas welcome. Many thanks.

[aussielover]

Do you know any nice purebred cavvies or poodles? perhaps you could introduce them to her?

Or some really naughty cavoodles I have actually found a lot of them to be hyperactive and well, not the brightest. sadly tthe owners seem to think because they are little, it doesn't really matter.

You can only give someone the information and let them decide for themselves though...

This whole DD is out of control now though , I swear my suburb has been overrun by them. First it was the labx poodle, then spanielx poodle and now the cavx poodle.

Also spaniel x lab and GR x poodle is becoming very popular around here.

I have actuallybeen asked whether my dog was a purebred lab (how bad is that!! Though she is not show qaulity, it is obvious she is a lab) only to be told what a shame it is when i reply yes she is a full lab

[Sue & Waldo]

Please do not flame me.

I have a "mini labradoodle" who I love dearly and never trade her but I would NEVER get another one because I've learnt too much.

What is it about the mix she likes? Does she understand the cost of DD compared to pure breeds? If she is concerned about "in-breeding" ask her about the range of breeding dogs the breeder she spoke to has.

I would be happy for her to email me for advice if she wants to.Feel free to PM me.

[poodlefan]

Tell her the truth.

That many "cavoodles" are lovely dogs but they are a genetic lottery. Heavy long bodies on thin poodle legs, big eyes in fine skulls.. you name it.

If she wants a non-shedding pup, she probably won't get one. Its coat may be harder to maintain than a poodles and without the benefits of a non-shedding dog.

As very few crossbred breeders health test their dogs she may end up with one with simple (but expensive) health issues like luxating patellas that BOTH breeds can suffer from.

That many of these dogs are whelped and raised than less than ideal circumstances and may come with temperament issues like timidity.

Then direct her to the issues currently being experienced by one of the owners of this cross in the puppy thread.

Tell her she's buying a pup, not a friend. It doesn't matter how "nice" the breeder is if the pup isnt going to be what she thinks she's getting.

I suspect it will all fall on deaf ears.

ETA: Ask her what she's looking for in a dog. Poodles and CKCS are NOTHING alike in temperament IMO. Even Toy and Mini poodles are different dogs. If she thinks that all dogs are alike she needs to rethink that. If she wants a calm CKCS and she gets an off the wall poodle temperament she may not be happy.

Edited October 9, 2010 by poodlefan

[Kirty]

Ask her if she would like a blind dog by the time its 6 years old? We see so many oodles with PRA. Reputable breeders of purebred dogs DNA test for it, puppy farmers don't.

[TsarsMum]

why not show her the 7pm project thing of pappy farms. and say this is what u most likely are getting and are encouraging do you want to do that.

i think you wont change her mind so maybe give her a list of questions to ask this breeder.

say look do what you want but please ask these questions and ask for proof she does ........... say you are worried she will end up with problems and you dont want that to happen.

thats all you can do really

[Guest sharynriding]

Thanks everybody. She seems to be convinced that the cross is a better dog, temperament wise - because that is what she has been told - the poodle temperament was better than the cav so it would look like a cav but be really laid back like a poodle!! No word of a lie, she bought it hook, line and sinker.

I was trying to steer her towards a purebred cav, no offence poodlefan, I know some great poodles but I figured that the cav's coat would be easier for her to groom. As I said before, she hasn't owned a dog before and I am just worried that with her expectations it will all go wrong and I worry for the pup. She was planning to keep it outside from day one, at least the "breeder" told her that was a no no. As I said earlier, she is totally clueless where dogs are concerned.

I told her the story of my friend's poodle from PP and how both knees had to be replaced before the dog was 2 years old. She was sad for my friend's dog but didn't believe it could happen to her!! And besides, she was buying from a breeder, not a pet shop. She did point out that she had listened to me with regards to pet shops.

Anyway, I will just keep at her with a constant flow of suggestions.

[poodlefan]

Thanks everybody. She seems to be convinced that the cross is a better dog, temperament wise - because that is what she has been told - the poodle temperament was better than the cav so it would look like a cav but be really laid back like a poodle!! No word of a lie, she bought it hook, line and sinker.

I was trying to steer her towards a purebred cav, no offence poodlefan, I know some great poodles but I figured that the cav's coat would be easier for her to groom. As I said before, she hasn't owned a dog before and I am just worried that with her expectations it will all go wrong and I worry for the pup. She was planning to keep it outside from day one, at least the "breeder" told her that was a no no. As I said earlier, she is totally clueless where dogs are concerned.

I told her the story of my friend's poodle from PP and how both knees had to be replaced before the dog was 2 years old. She was sad for my friend's dog but didn't believe it could happen to her!! And besides, she was buying from a breeder, not a pet shop. She did point out that she had listened to me with regards to pet shops.

Anyway, I will just keep at her with a constant flow of suggestions.

Ah.... there's not much "laid back" about poodles. CKCS are way more laid back than my woolly friends are.

Ask her if she wanted a small SUV and someone bolted the front end of a Nissan Micra to the back end of a Nissan Patrol would it look like a Micra but drive like a patrol? That's the crap that 'breeder' is spinning her.

For the record, some of the poodle crosses out there can only be described as HYPER. No doubt the quality of the parent breeding stock has something to do with it.

Get her to ask the breeder if she'll take the dog back if it doesn't end up looking like a CKCS but acting like a poodle. That might produce an interesting result.

[Genabee]

Just warn her of OCD and other behavioural issues..... seems to be the thing among cross breeds, particularly the smaller dogs.

I was most educated about the pure breed vs cross breed debate when I read a blurb here on DOL, about 'Why Buy a Purebreed'... send her the link.

Don't get her off side, but just provide her with all the information.

[AmandaJ]

Another one you might like to make her aware of...the guy who started the "oodle" craze with the Labradoodle recently said he regrets ever doing it because of what it has caused with the "Oodles of Oodles". His reasons were "noble" - he wanted a dog which could be used for blind people who were allergic to dogs. Unfortunately none of the hybrids were ever used for guide dog work - their temperament was unsound!

[Andisa]

Tell her all about grooming or this is what she will have to look forward to. Now the weather is warming up this is what I am getting a lot of.

Not a cav x poodle but it is a poodle x ?? who is quite over sized and very timid.

[poodlefan]

That poor bloody dog.

[GoldenGirl85]

The only "Cavoodle" Ive ever seen was ugly!

If she is after a laid back dog that looks like a Cav...then she wants a Cav! they are the most laid back dogs Ive ever met! Granted I havnt met a lot of breeds, but Cavs are certainly a #1 breed if you want laid back

Some photos you could show her

(Cavalier ears maybe? but I wouldnt have picked Cav in this one)

Cant tell me this one has a 'non shedding coat'

All "Cavoodles" from "breeders" websites, yet they all look different and to me just look like every day mutts

[Guest sharynriding]

Thanks everybody, keep them coming. I don't want to go on at her but just give her the other side of the argument, from people who have an idea of what they are talking about and have no vested interest in the outcome. Many thanks to you all.

[WreckitWhippet]

Tell her all about grooming or this is what she will have to look forward to. Now the weather is warming up this is what I am getting a lot of.

Not a cav x poodle but it is a poodle x ?? who is quite over sized and very timid.

I did a cav cross poodle the other week, that was quite likely worse than that one. She was blind, from the hair growing over her eyes, here ears were stuck to her head, her tail to her body and her urine and poo, well you can imagine the rest. 3 hours it took just to free her from her coat and yep, her owners purchased her because she would be non shedding and laid back.

They got a mongrel of a coat to groom and a hpyer pup, that became a hyper dog and then got chucked in the back yard.

[wuffles]

Sounds similar to my friend who, even with education, did end up with a (supposed) cav x poodle. Their dog is lovely, but he is much bigger than they expected (15kg), his temperament is very poodle, and his fur grows in long, tight curls which are hard to maintain. He's a bundle of energy, boisterous, very smart and takes advantage of them at every opportunity he gets

I grew up with a purebred cav and he was the most delightful dog ever.

All you can do is educate as much as possible, but in the end if that's what she wants, that's what she'll end up getting.

[Tay.]

If all else fails, maybe show your friend a heap of cute little Cav puppy photos, who could say no to that?

[GoldenGirl85]

If all else fails, maybe show your friend a heap of cute little Cav puppy photos, who could say no to that?

Thats right, how could she resist these beautiful faces

(my mums dogs, blenheim girl Molly and black and tan boy Sam)

[Christina]

If your friend is intelligent she just does not want to listen, understand or acknowledge anything you say.

Its basically

Been there with many who do know better. She wants an oodle, the lady is nice.

Defies all logic & reason really.

[Andisa]

Tell her all about grooming or this is what she will have to look forward to. Now the weather is warming up this is what I am getting a lot of.

Not a cav x poodle but it is a poodle x ?? who is quite over sized and very timid.

I did a cav cross poodle the other week, that was quite likely worse than that one. She was blind, from the hair growing over her eyes, here ears were stuck to her head, her tail to her body and her urine and poo, well you can imagine the rest. 3 hours it took just to free her from her coat and yep, her owners purchased her because she would be non shedding and laid back.

They got a mongrel of a coat to groom and a hpyer pup, that became a hyper dog and then got chucked in the back yard.

I did another poodle cross today - after 2 yrs they are not so in love with this poor bloody dog, not as bad as the one I posted earlier but close. I know several owners who have bought poodle crosses that have been told all sorts of crap just for a sale - best ones are that they don't shed or need much grooming - priceless...I see them come in all very excited about their new puppy "insert breed here" only to be told that they are a cross bred poodle and will require heaps of grooming. If they don't believe me at first they soon learn the hard way - or should I say - the poor bloody dog is the one who suffers....

I have seen quite a few cavie x poodles and they all vary in size from small to medium. One of the biggest that I used to groom was the size of a beagle and it had a real crappy temperament - looked most like a cavie on steriods with a bit of poodle thrown in.