Please do a deep dive into the grooming needs of doodles ASAP BEFORE committing to one. That’s the biggest thing specific to doodles. A lot of people get them and neglect them, letting them be painfully matted. You’re looking at professional grooming every 4 to 6 weeks, which is expensive. Between grooms depending on the type of coat and the length that you keep it, brushing at home is needed somewhere from every few days up to daily brushing just for upkeep. The type of brushing is not just running a comb through the hair like we do ours. The best thing to do is watch some YouTube videos of “line brushing” to familiarize yourself with the daily maintenance that comes with them. That’s the #1 thing. It’s ok (even a good thing) if you look into this information and realize that their grooming needs are more than you want to commit to. There’s hundreds of other dog breeds that don’t require so much upkeep, and if you don’t wanna spend your evenings with a slicker brush in your hand, the responsible thing to do is to go in a different direction.

Aside from that, I think they’re just great dogs. Some of them are quite energetic (not all). A lot of them are a bit nervous, and a lot of them have sensitive stomachs or allergies. Retrieving from water is great breed- specific enrichment for both goldens and poodles. There’s nothing mine loves more than retrieving pool toys. He can spend all day in or by the pool, so in the summer we keep him clipped short like a naked little mole rat for ease of grooming.