The hate towards doddle owners.

[RedDeer]

The hate against doodles,
I keep reading about Doodle owners, in a negative way on here, I'm wondering why they is so much negativity around them.

For context I have a poodle cross, who gets treated like a dog, we have used trainers, she goes hiking with us, is groomed regular. Doesn't sleep in our bed, can be left alone for a few hours no problem, and not a fussy eater, just eats dry food.
I didn't pay 1000s for her, paid the same as a cross breed. She has no health issues etc.

Yes she does have traits of both breeds, she can be hyper, and prone to barking at times. But we are aware of her breeds, both working dogs.

So am I unusual in that my doddle is treated like a dog. Or is there an unfair reputation towards doodles and owners?

I don’t think it’s that people hate doodles, it’s that they hate what they represent.

They're often bred in puppy farms, where the parent dogs have pretty shitty lives, or by people out to make a quick buck from the family pet who don't bother with any health screening (eg for hip dysplasia). That is what people are judging.

Mind you, the same can be said for a lot of the smaller breeds of dog.

Personally I reserve judgement for people who buy puppies of breeds where the health issues are rife - flat-faced dogs who can't breathe, breeds prone to IVDD, etc.

The poo crosses I know are mostly quite nice little dogs (or in a couple of cases, big dogs), if a bit bonkers and untrained.

I agree. People can be such twats about it and think they are all high and mighty as they got a pure breed. For the record, we have a cockerpoo - the farmer down the road had one litter from her poodle. He is the most loving, best tempered dog I have ever met and is such a faithful friend to my DD. He’s absolutely no trouble at all - happy to come out with us all day or happy to snooze in the kitchen when we need to go out. He’s well trained and a happy little chap.

In contrast, my sister got a pedigree spaniel with all the checks….he randomly snapped at my niece last week. She’s now really worried as vet checks have thrown up nothing. My brother got a lab…same thing, well known breeder, had all the checks….both of his legs have gone at age 5. So you can’t guarantee a decent dog well you follow all the rules and that’s with going to decent breeders.

Some people need to find proper problems to concern themselves with. I’ll stick with my doodle thanks!

We have a cockapoo and there's a certain kind of snobbery from some other dog owners, who see them as not real dogs in some way. I don't care - Ive put a lot of work into training him and am still learning, I do loads with him, and he's very much loved. If they want to hoik their bosoms then they can be my guest. No puppy farm, didn't pay 1000s, know who is mum and dad are, he had all his health checks etc.

Oh god... donning my hard hat for this but here we go:

Doodles exploded in popularity almost overnight. That led to backyard breeders cashing in, producing poorly bred, unsocialized, or unhealthy dogs. But the chihuahua (a "proper breed") also had a popularity boom in the early 2000s and with it, the same cycle: backyard breeders, poor socialisation, health issues, etc... But people were not really blaming chihuahua owners in the same way doodle owners are singled out today.

The only reasoning I can come up with is that it’s about control. The kennel clubs and purist breed circles lost their grip on defining what makes a “good family dog,” and doodles became popular outside their rulebook. That’s unsettling for some.

Once a certain group starts mocking something (like doodles), others pile on because it makes them feel savvy or superior, even if they don’t really have strong views or experiences of their own. But in reality, it’s often just noise.

Like any dog, recognised KC breed or not, it can be born from a nice background or a terrible one, can turn out to be a nightmare dog or a well adjusted one, can be acquired by people who train or acquired by people who don't.

Bit like someone assuming someone drives like an idiot because they're holding the keys to a BMW. The stereotype gets louder than reality, and people stop looking at the individual. Doodles became the BMW of the dog world: popular, visible, and easy to blame.

My cavapoo is the best dog. I dont care what “proper” dog people think. He is happy, healthy, well trained and everyone we know thinks he is the perfect dog. I didn't want a dog and he has brought me round to dogs in general.

Bit like someone assuming someone drives like an idiot because they're holding the keys to a BMW

This bit is true though. 😜

I thought 'Doddle' was going to be a new type of crossbreed and opened the thread to find out what it was!

chihuahua (a "proper breed") also had a popularity boom in the early 2000s and with it, the same cycle: backyard breeders, poor socialisation, health issues, etc... But people were not really blaming chihuahua owners in the same way doodle owners are singled out today.

I think it would today, the internet has made the conversation bigger, the current trendy dog is the daxie (with it's new trendy name) and I've seen more social media recently blaming their owners.

I’ve not come across any hate towards ‘doodle’ owners. My friend has an Australian labradoodle and he’s absolutely gorgeous.

The only thing I don’t understand is how much they cost. She paid £2k for him, which is £100 more than I paid for my registered pedigree dog. She had him DNA profiled and he’s not just a cross between two purebreds, there were about 5 breeds in the mix.

Conversely this is what I can't wrap my head around.

The idea that a “mutt” should be worth less than a “pedigree". Dogs aren't luxury items! All puppies should be expensive!

Designer sunglasses? Sure, I expect my real Chanel shades to be worth more than my other pair from accessorize . But that's a inanimate object. Not a living breathing animal.

They are actual little lives - mutt, pedigree or Heinz 57. Why should your dog be worth more money than hers?

We don't do the same on maternity wards, and for good reason! If I typed out an example the thread would probably get removed, and quite rightly.

I am 59 and have had dogs all my life. I have had Labradors, boxers, lurchers, a number of rescues (mongrels as opposed to crossbreeds 😂) and currently have a doodle. She’s a wheaten terrier x poodle and is 3/4 poodle. She is hands down the best dog I ever had even though I have loved every one of them.
She’s funny and friendly. She’s completely empathetic. She loves walking and hiking but spends hours lying around also. She lies on the couch beside me every evening but happily sleeps in her bed in the utility room. She’s had a lot of training up to being a fully trained assistant dog but honestly pretty much trained herself. She’s only three but I keep saying she will be my last dog because I’ll never get another as lovely as her 😊.
she was bred by a really good friend of ours, absolutely not puppy farmed. A number of people that have met her have asked for the breeders name but he’s not breeding her mother anymore as she has had 3 litters and he feels that’s enough.
My point is that there are lovely, well trained, well bred doodles out there. I still would be very slow to recommend one though because I don’t know how you could be confident about the puppy farmed aspect unless you personally know the breeder

We don't do the same on maternity wards, and for good reason! If I typed out an example the thread would probably get removed, and quite rightly.

But it does happen in places that allow non altruistic egg/sperm donation and commercial surrogacy. People pay a premium for the attributes they want.

Why should your dog be worth more money than hers?

A puppy from a good breeder is more expensive due to the tests that the parents have, the lineage of responsible breeding, the limited litters, the increased age of the bitch when having first litter.
The vast majority of doodles are from puppy farms or people looking to make a quick buck that haven't considered the health/temperament of the parents.

I agree with this - if chihuahuas exploded in popularity today, it would be all over social media.

And people do have issues with the owners of lots of "pure breds" today - the bulldog breeds and pugs are the main ones that spring to mind.

Puppy farming. Animal abuse and cruelty. Lack of proper oversight. Lack of generational health testing. Not using the best quality animals for breeding.

The fact is, most doodle owners and buyers seem less fussed about the animal abuse and puppy farming and checking for generational health tests than most pedigree owners. That’s where the dislike on my side comes from - the lack of fucks the owners give about their puppies health and the health and life of the bitch. Every time I’ve engaged with a doodle owner on mumsnet about that aspect, and particularly that a well-bred pedigree is healthier than a doodle (for bloody obvious reasons that I trot out every time on these threads) they never reappear.

A well bred doodle that comes from a good and ethical breeder and is sold to the right family is a lovely thing. But that’s a one in a million dog.

I don’t think they get the talk that eg pugs get because people can’t believe they bred dogs that have such health issues but my groomer has said eg cockapoos were a lunatic choice as a breed because of the nature of both dogs (I have a cocker who’s a bit of a lunatic!) so yes I’d guess if you had such a breed you might feel a bit like people aren’t for your breed

I think a lot of it stems from people saying they're looking at getting a doodle and explain the reason they need a doodle is because of x,y,z when in fact x,y,z would be met by a pure poodle or another pure breed and is not guaranteed with a poodle cross. Often the only thing the poodle cross brings to the table is a far higher chance of being puppy farmed.

Then there's the notion that well bred just means not a puppy farm as opposed to considering temperament, health tests etc.

latest i heard about was Doxiepoo
cannot take that seriously!

And people do have issues with the owners of lots of "pure breds" today - the bulldog breeds and pugs are the main ones that spring to mind

Agree, and I guess this is also to do with the internet- it is so easy to find information of the issues that brachycephalic breeds face, that ignorance can no longer be an excuse.

I guess it is because most people chose their breed of dog and it is a reflection, in the same way a car is.

i judge those walking their pugs in the heat

There's some fairly indiscriminate breeding of them in some cases to meet demand. I think it's a myth that poodle cross breeds are healthier dogs. There seem to be a lot of apricot cockerpoos around our way that are very neurotic, anxious dogs that have behavioural issues.

I know at least three people who bought cockerpoos from who they all referred to as ‘pikies’ and actually joked about the dodgy set up when they went to get the puppies. I am relieved that the dogs got out of the situation but I don’t know how people can’t see they are basically perpetuating abuse of animals. I never forget when we were looking for our dog, someone messaged to say he was bringing a litter from Poland and we would have to meet him at a service station. I felt so sorry for those poor dogs.

Yep - the same way people have been judging Tesla owners.

Humans will always judge the actions of other humans. If you choose to get a dog known for being puppy farmed, over-bred etc. then I guess you're also choosing to deal with the judgement that comes along with that.

I'm judged for my breed too - a working dog that's never done a day of work in hi life. It is what it is, really.

Hating doodles??? Emotionally impossible! Surely you mean 'mildly disapprove'?

I get pissed off by owners of whatever dog breed who (unlike the OP) don't treat their dogs like dogs, or who have jumped on the dog-owning bandwagon without any real understanding. But I don't associate that with any kind of crossbreed, let alone doodles, which seem like a very sensible and healthy cross in general.

Short/flat-muzzled dogs, and any other dog with inbred causes of distress, are the only ones that make me tut inwardly (not hate, just tut inwardly)

the reason they need a doodle is because of x,y,z when in fact x,y,z would be met by a pure poodle or another pure breed and is not guaranteed with a poodle cross.

I agree. Breed is so important, so often I see people wanting to train out a major component of the breed, when they should have chosen better.

actually joked about the dodgy set up

I see this so often as well- then they have the audacity to say they have a 'rescue' pup. They don't rescue the pup, they continue the cycle of the puppy mill and condemn more dogs to cruelty.