TRAINING DOGS: THE DOODLE DOGS

The cross breeds of Yellow Labrador Retriever x Standard Poodle, Chocolate Labrador Retriever x Standard Poodle, and Golden Retriever x Standard Poodle, are Delightful Dogs but can be a challenge to own because of their wiry ways and grooming needs. (We have only trained pure bred Black Standard Poodles and Black Labrador Retrievers at Anna Lee. We have never had a black doodle dog; which is probably a blessing! lol).There are also smaller Doodle mixes of Minature Poodles and Labrador Retrievers but they are also a challenge to own and train because of their hardy nature. No matter what the dog, his condition affects his training and hence your life.

Doodle Dogs, like many of the designer mixers, can have a lot of allergies. Some of these prove to be less allergy and more coat and ear care issues, but if all else fails and it is allergies, diet and environment must be adjusted. Including your own personal care products that rub off on the dog or which he can smell. Here is a thought, I wonder if Doodle Dogs look for hypoallergenic owners!

Seriously Nana!

Looking at the coat of the DODDLE MIXES:
You have the coat of the Retrievers and the coat of the Poodles. There be issues especially with ears. They will get hot and stinky if you do not care for them. You must care for the doodle dogs ears meticulously because you have a very heavy leathered ear full of hair. Moisture and yeast can be a problem so it is vital to get airflow around the ears. Removing hair as in a poodle grooming, is the best solution. Clear as mush coat from the ears as is possible and thin out or shave the face cheeks.

There are two schools of thought on tweezing, vets don't like it but they are not groomers, are they. As a Professional dog handler I will tell you that is is best to do, but then only if done correctly. If there is and abundance of hair in the ears bell, like there is in pure bred poodles...then it should be tweezed. Even is not tweezed in the canals, the flap should be shaved under and over, the bell should be shaved away and the bell itself swabbed with cleaning solution and properly dried.

Some Veterinarians fail to show owners how to properly care for the ears when they prescribe solutions for mites or yeast. When putting drops in the ears, you must wipe the excess away, using a clean tissue wrapped around your finger. Wipe all the parts you can see of the ear, but do go down deep. Just do it like you would clean your own ears. Use a cotton dauber to wipe around the folds and creases of the dogs ear bell. Itchy ears can be mites, yeast or allergies etc, but they can also just be lacking cleaning, so regular grooming is the rule for doddle doggies. The chocolate and vanilla doodles are less heavily coated that the golden doodles. The coat is thinner but the care is still required weekly.

Also if you have mats on your dog, any mats any dog, you are not grooming it properly so get rid of the coat or look after it. Dogs experience a lot of pain from coat mats and the condition of the dog affects its ability to learn and perform. Mats also make a dog miserable and inclined to be snappy.
I cannot say enough about your duty to groom your dog. Every Saturday if there is any poodle involved in the mix. Watch cartoons while you groom. BTW the STAND STAY exercise...IMPORTANT.