What I wish I knew about Labradoodles before we got George….
1. They require A LOT of exercise
Yes, all dogs require exercise. However, I’ve yet to see a young doodle that prefers couch time to play time. At 14 months, George needs about 5-6 miles per day otherwise he is humping everything in sight. (And yes, he is fixed. The boy hasn’t met a throw pillow he doesn’t like.) It was challenging in the winter as we don’t really enjoy trekking through sub-zero Connecticut temperatures. George’s quiet-time is typically from 7am until about 11am when he goes for his first walk. We have an awesome dog walker who takes him on a long walk at lunchtime. Somebody had better be home and ready to walk by 3:45pm or Georgey-Boy is unhappy. We’re lucky in that he doesn’t destroy things when he is bored or sad.
2. Grooming is necessary and expensive
We take George to the groomer every 9 weeks. We absolutely love our groomer and wouldn’t trust anyone else to cut his hair. It costs about $110 including tip. We brush George every night to keep him from matting. It is especially challenging in the summer when he spends time swimming and playing outside with other dogs.
3. They eat everything in sight
Our house isn’t a crazy one. We’re two, neat-and-tidy adults who always consider our house “puppy proof”. George continues to prove us wrong as he finds a way to eat everything in sight. He doesn’t do well with plush toys or dog beds as he has a tendency to rip both apart. Socks are his favorite snack. No matter how careful we are, he still somehow manages to find them and ingest them on occasion. I noticed he tends to enter the bathroom when I’m in the shower, so I always have to make sure my dirty clothes are in the hamper before showering.
We are so lucky that George has been able to pass everything he has eaten thus far. The vet tells us we are continually dodging bullets.
4. They are so smart with a side of sass
I think it is the Poodle in him, but George can have a major attitude sometimes. It really is the funniest thing. His most obnoxious behavior is refusing to come inside when called or deciding he wants to take a different path while walking. My neighbors have witnessed me dragging him down the street in opposition. It isn’t so funny when I’m chasing him around the yard trying to get to work on time. We’ve learned that he responds well to hot dogs. We use pieces of hot dog to entice him inside whenever he is having a rough day.
5. Cuddling is a learned behavior
George is the biggest cuddle-bug of all time! But, up until he was about six months old, I would have to force him to snuggle with me on the couch.
Getting George was the greatest decision we could have made! I really struggled with buying a dog instead of rescuing one. As someone who has always rescued pets in the past, it felt wrong to buy a puppy from a breeder. That being said, the breeder we went with was a small, in-home operation that I felt super comfortable with. We couldn’t be happier with our decision to get a labradoodle. While he is far from perfect, George is the perfect dog for our family! We are excited to have him with us over the years and as our first ‘fur baby’.
