Man, let me tell you about this Goldendoodle journey. Always loved dogs, saw those fancy F1 Standard Goldendoodles online looking like perfect teddy bears. Figured, hey, how hard can it be? Big mistake thinking it was just about the cute pictures.
Getting this Fluffball Home
Searched around, found a breeder couple hours drive away. Drove out there last spring. Saw the litter – honestly, they all looked kinda the same, little fluff balls wobbling around. Picked one, a little golden guy full of beans. Paid the price tag – oof, that part stung a bit more than I expected. Loaded him up in the crate, little dude cried the whole way home. Welcome to parenthood, right?
The First Few Weeks: Chaos Central
Set up a little corner in the kitchen with pee pads, toys, the whole setup. Got cocky thinking I was prepared. Ha!
- Night one? He screamed like a banshee. Barely slept.
- Next morning? Puddle on the kitchen floor. And another. And another. Was basically mopping non-stop.
- Trying to figure out feeding times was a guessing game. Too little? He whined. Too much? Explosive results. Not fun.
- Teething started quick. Felt like I was constantly shouting “NO!” as he tried to turn the couch leg into sawdust.
Honestly felt like I’d lost my mind some days. The picture-perfect doodle dream felt miles away.
The Great Hair Debacle
Okay, knew the “low-shedding” thing was a thing with F1s (half Poodle, half Golden Retriever). But nobody warned me about the brushing.
Flipped him over around 5 months old? Boom. Mats hidden under his armpits. Big ol’ felted clumps. Felt like an idiot. Went out, bought a bunch of brushes:
- Slicker brush? Made him flinch.
- Metal comb? Got stuck in a tangle.
Started forcing brushing sessions every other day. Holding him still? Like wrestling a slippery bear cub. Took forever. One missed week? Instant mats. Forget that breezy “occasional grooming” idea folks online push. Total myth for an F1 Standard Goldendoodle. They get big and their hair gets long fast.
Training? A Work in Progress
Tried the whole “positive reinforcement” gig. Treats galore.
- “Sit” worked easy-peasy.
- “Come”? Ha. Squirrel! Bird! Leaf blowing! World’s way more interesting than me calling him like a fool.
- Leash training? Started great. Now he’s 70+ pounds and sometimes thinks he’s a sled dog.
Still working on it. Some days are wins, other days I’m dragging a furry tank down the sidewalk.
Right Now
He’s about a year and a half. Big goofball. Chewed a brand new pair of shoes last week – thought we were past that stage. Nope. Hair tumbleweeds still roll across the floor daily, “low-shedding” my butt. Just dropped him at the groomer this morning for another expensive shave down because I spotted mat number three near his tail. Constant work, folks.
Would I trade him? Nah. Love the big dope. But this F1 Standard Goldendoodle thing? Not the easy, fluffy walk in the park some make it sound like. It’s messy, expensive, and takes way more effort than I bargained for. You gotta really want it.
