Nature's Doodles

They say that dogs are descendants of wolves. Well, if that's the case, Goldendoodles may be the furthest relative.

To make up this breed, they combined two of the most domesticated dogs: the Poodle and America's beloved Golden Retriever. With this combination, you receive the stubbornness of a Poodle and the attention-demanding energy of a Golden. Lost is the posh, runway-like attitude of a poodle, and gained is a treat-driven cuddle bug.

Growing up, my dad had two rules regarding pets. First, there must always be at least 2 in our family at a time, out of fear that one may be too lonely. Second, we would not repeat breeds. This was evident, as most of the time our family had 3 dogs at one time, ranging from black labs, collie mixes, Plott hounds, and more. No dog was the same breed and that was how we liked it. Until we met Benson.

We had watched as there became a growing desire for this breed and my dad said we would never have one. We were used to rough and tumble sort of dogs and had seen friends get doodles who often appeared to look like giant, lovable mops. My dad had an affinity for the muscle-bound hunting dog, with a strong nose and even stronger desire to run. My mom loved the calm, cuddly types.

I think it's safe to assume who won this argument, as I drove 15 hours to Ohio to pick up an 11-week old Goldendoodle puppy.

One thing we quickly learned about this breed was that they did not mind being photographed. And like you do with a new baby, in this case, puppy. ; we took a ton of photos. In the past, we had dogs who would squint their eyes the second you'd point a camera remotely in their direction. Our Benson was the complete opposite.

Though Benson soon became the best couch-potato companion, he did not lack the ability to fit our highly active lifestyle. He came to every soccer game, went on every hike, and even gave our German Shorthair a run for his money when it came to chasing squirrels. It appeared both of my parents got what they wanted out of this one breed. We loved the dynamic qualities so much that we broke our second rule.

Our oldest dog passed away, leaving 2 instead of 3. The lively energy in the house subsided and there was a noticeable change. We knew we needed another buddy, as our pointer was getting older, but we also feared it would be too much. My sister and I were both away for school and my parents still worked full-time, traveling to attend our college sporting events.

As Benson grew out of his puppyhood, he became a lot more calm. His quirks remained though: he watches TV and barks at every animal he sees, he attacks the hose as if it threatens his life every time the water is turned on, and he turns his nose up at most people's foods.

Looking at our goofy, shaggy dog, we decided to take the plunge. My friend owned a female doodle that was 5 days younger than our Benson and they had been asking for puppies. We took the trip up North and the two took to each other immediately.

Before long, we got a call from our friends. Their dog was pregnant, and by the looks of the ultrasound, there were 11 puppies. Knowing we had the pick of the litter, we were thrilled. There was some part of me that felt a bit odd about the concept of my dog, who I'd just watched grow out of puppydom, now become a "dad".

Along came Ollie.

Ollie came with hair thicker than Benson, but much straighter. Right away, we noticed we would not be blessed with the same calm nature that Benson held regally. Unlike his dad, he eats everything under the sun and will nearly bit the tips of my fingers off to get a snack, especially if it's one of mine.

A few years ago, I had brought up getting a puppy and naming him "Pig". I thought the irony of naming another animal the breed of another was worth it, but I was quickly shut down. Well, the universe must have heard me, as we soon realized Ollie's favorite noises to make resembled that of a pig, with snorting and short little whines that sounded all too close to oinks.

Now he is nearly 7 months old and the differences between him and his dad are astounding. He could care less for TV and does not get nearly excited when we turn the water on outside. He does not bring the ball back when playing fetch and rarely sleeps.

Bundled with his energy source is the desperate need to be near you when he finally does decide to sleep. You can find Ollie jammed into any cubby of the house nearby, or better yet, in cooler weather, the crook of your arm and shoulder, or between both of your legs.

We thought Benson was a sure doodle, the blueprint of what to expect when choosing this breed. But Ollie has proved us wrong in so many ways. They could not be any more different from each other.

One thing they share, that might be the most important, is their heart. Their ability to be gentle and kind to every human they meet (though Ollie is still learning not to jump) is something we don't take for granted. I believe less and less that "it's a breed thing". I think it's because they're dogs.

With that said, I'd get another Goldendoodle in a heartbeat. But I think I have a good chance of having these same feelings towards any other breed I chose to shower with love. When you put love into a dog, you get it back tenfold. With doodles, however, it's guaranteed to be goofy.