Puppy?!

Paul and I have been seriously talking about getting a puppy when I move out to VA in December. We both feel like it would be good for me to have a little buddy when Paul is gone or when he is studying late. I am the type that if no one is there – this is really sad to admit – I will talk to myself. Not like a psycho that answers their self too, I just run through my day and what I need to get done.

Some of you that know me may be wondering why the change of heart. It seems like I don’t like dogs because I hardly ever pet them or like them, or their hair, all over me. I have come to realization that I am a clean freak and really despise when I go to pet a dog – or any animal for that matter – and have a smell and dander/hair on my hands until I can go wash them off. I consciously will not pet a stinky dog if I know I can’t go wash my hands within the next few minutes because I just feel like my hands are contaminated. The other thing I really don’t like about some dogs is the fact that they shed. I hate having little hairs stuck to me and everything else around me too. That is just my personality and how I am wired.

So in doing some research on dogs, we have found out a lot of new information about them. For instance long hair dogs usually shed less, some are hypoallergenic, some are genetically stinky and emit oils, and of course some are very smart and easier to train then others. In doing our research, we keep going back to a Labradoodle which is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle.

The Poodle is thought to be one of the smartest dogs and trains the easiest. They are hypoallergenic and of all the dogs they have hair that is most similar to humans (thus why people dye it colors). Their hair (I prefer calling it hair then fur since it technically is) only sheds when it is combed out, like a humans. I think Poodles get a bad rap because they do look really weird with their hair all trimmed off in some areas and not in others. However, I learned the reason behind it, and it is oh so fascinating. Poodles are French gun dogs and were trained to go into the water. Because it got really cold in the winter when they were used, they kept the necessary hair around their chest, hips, head and joints so that they wouldn’t lock up or get stiff in the freezing water. They shaved the rest because it was so thick and heavy many times it would weigh the dog down too much. Their name in French actually means “Splash”.

The Lab is very friendly and is known to be hyper for the first few years (compared to a two year old on a sugar high). Many Labs are mellow but it may be because of breeding another breed into their line somewhere. I guess a true breed will always have webbed feet and their legs will be as long as their body is deep. If that isn’t the case, their line is contaminated somewhere down the line. They are one of those genetically stinky oily dogs. This is because of their swimming habits (I mean come on, they have webbed feet) and it helps keep the water from soaking all the way down to their skin. This is probably why I developed the no touch policy with many dogs to not pet; we have owned labs all of my childhood and true to the breed, they were outside dogs. Living with farm animals compounds the smell on them, which is only natural considering they are outside. I feel bad that I really didn’t pet our dogs a whole lot, but that freaky ‘germaphobe’ thing and smell just prevented me. Poor Grizz and Remy! L

Being one who likes learning, I have set my hopes on obtaining a F1B or Multigenerational Labradoodle. They first cross a poodle and lab and from that offspring they take one (the F1) and breed it to a poodle. This results in a F1B offspring that has hypoallergenic non-shedding curlier hair, the boxy lab figure, and the stocky face of the lab. So in short, the body shape of the lab is mostly preserved but the hair is more of the poodle. Obviously the size of the Labradoodle can be configured based on the parental poodle. The standard Labradoodle weighs in anywhere from 35-55 pounds and can have the variations of coloring. If you straight cross a Lab and Poodle the results, in my opinion, is a Lab looking dog with wavy hair. They do not carry the hypoallergenic coat either. The multigenerational Labradoodle is just what the name says, it is crossed again and again with Labradoodles. I know, I like genetics way too much! ;) One thing we want to make sure we purchase a puppy is that their parents have been OFA certified in their hips. Poodles and Labs are prone to hip dysplaysia because of breeders focusing heavily on other characteristics (like color, size, demeanor, etc) instead of conformation. This needs to be done after the dog is two years old as the defect will normally be visible by x-ray then.

So this little guy is what we are looking at for our future dog. I can't help it if I like non stinky animals with smart brains! :)