jeffnick
Guru
Merlin is not a licker/kisser, his specialty is a nose rub.
Merlin is a Goldendoodle - 1/2 Golden Retriever, 1/2 Poodle. Both breeds are 'water dogs'.
The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized breed of dog. They were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties. They were named retriever because of their ability to retrieve game undamaged. Golden Retrievers have an instinctive love of water.
In fact, the English name poodle is derived from the German word pudel, or pudelin, which means to splash in the water. And in France, Poodles are called Caniche, a name derived from chien canard, meaning duck dog.
We didn't get Merlin because he is a water dog, we were able to adopt him because he's hypoallergenic and is a great family dog. I've since been advised that it's not 100% that your Goldendoodle won't shed and/or be hypoallergenic, but Merlin does not shed or make my highly allergic wife uncomfortable.
The breeder we bought Merlin from offers Goldendoodles in 3 sizes.
Standard (50-80 lbs)
Medium (30-45 lbs)
Mini (18-25 lbs)
Merlin is a medium at just under 50 lbs.
It wasn't my idea for Merlin to be a Therapy Dog, it was his. He loves people. And being gentle, polite and loving, he's perfect for the job.
I like to think one of the reasons Merlin is the way he is, is because I've let him be who he is. I'd much rather be more like him than make him more like me.
One More Time Around: How Not to Train Your dog
When we went to the breeder for a look, there were two pups that caught our eye. We have kept in touch with the folks who bought Merlin's twin brother and even though they're in FL and we're in SC, we get the boys together every now and then.
Being 'twin brothers', it's not surprising that the two dogs are so much alike, but because Niko lives with an Aussiedoodle he's not as people oriented as is Merlin who only has me as a playmate.
My wife's allergies dictated that we get Merlin from a reputable breeder so we had the best odds of getting a dog we could keep. I'll warn you now, not to go to their web site cause those puppies will haunt you until you take one home or they put one on a plane for you.
Loveable Doodles
Turns out that the Loveabledoodle folks, Anna and Charlie, are also boaters, so we swap an occasional eMail.
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