Labradoodles and/or 50+ pound pups

[mcgintyrch]

Belbein,
Congrats on your AS! I'm a dog person first and Airstreamer second - okay, the AS is my home away from home for me and my four dogs. We travel to competitive dog events. Dog weights are 2 @ 55+lbs, and 2 @ 40 lbs. I have a 23' Lounge setup. It works for me as two dogs need to sleep in crates and the other two can sleep in the corner bed with me. It can be tight, but most of our time is outside in the yard fashioned from several x-pens. I also carry a small plastic lattice barrier so I can "separate" the front from the rear (inside) if needed. With respect to dog type and Labradoodles, etc. - my experience is you get what you train. Two at one time can be tough (been there done that). I will tell you that my neighbor's Labradoodle is high energy and mischievous.
Good luck in whatever you decide about the dogs!
Susanne, Hooley, Beamish, Twist, and Ben

[KenSanLan]

Think about how to handle the away-from-the-trailer times. A competely sedate older dog can - trust me - remove your window screens and go walkabout while you think he is securely locked in your trailer. We have four dogs, and love them all, (they go camping one at a time) but there are safety hazards on the road that you might never encounter at home. We saw two beautiful irish setters go on a spree throughthe woods where they might never have been found. We've seen a teacup sized dog attacked by geese. Just saying - lots of people travel successfully with dogs, but make SURE you think it through carefully. I have a feeling that a majority of people camping with dogs had the dogs first, and I wonder how many of them would choose to get another if something happened to the first dog?

[Lara Me]

We have a 65lb golden doodle, and she travels in the TV in the rear seat next to our two kids. The rear is a 60/40 split seat that folds up with a flat floor platform. She sits next to the kids. We could put her in a kennel in the rear truck bed, but she does so well with us in the cab.

Our golden doodle is 2 years old, and is easily the best and most well mannered of the 7 dogs I've owned, ranging from collies, shelties, schipperkes, Pyrenees mix etc. She's loyal, sweet, quiet, and friendly, and absolutely the best companion. Only time she acts up is when we finally stop after a long stretch, and she barks a bit to get out. Otherwise, she's quiet.

Our 28 with two adults and two kids gets tight, and the dog has to work to find her quiet space when we are up and moving about. At night, no worries.

We love this breed and love traveling with her. Not sure if the golden's are a bit mellower than the labradoodles, as we see lots of variety in our neighborhood which has lots of doodles. She's a beautiful dog and the only challenge is keeping her beautiful coat free of tangles. I'd not hesitate in getting another golden doodle.

[gmw photos]

Originally Posted by Lara Me

We have a 65lb golden doodle, and she travels in the TV in the rear seat next to our two kids. The rear is a 60/40 split seat that folds up with a flat floor platform. She sits next to the kids. We could put her in a kennel in the rear truck bed, but she does so well with us in the cab.

Our golden doodle is 2 years old, and is easily the best and most well mannered of the 7 dogs I've owned, ranging from collies, shelties, schipperkes, Pyrenees mix etc. She's loyal, sweet, quiet, and friendly, and absolutely the best companion. Only time she acts up is when we finally stop after a long stretch, and she barks a bit to get out. Otherwise, she's quiet.

Our 28 with two adults and two kids gets tight, and the dog has to work to find her quiet space when we are up and moving about. At night, no worries.

We love this breed and love traveling with her. Not sure if the golden's are a bit mellower than the labradoodles, as we see lots of variety in our neighborhood which has lots of doodles. She's a beautiful dog and the only challenge is keeping her beautiful coat free of tangles. I'd not hesitate in getting another golden doodle.

Your post made me smile when I saw Schipperke ! Rare to see them, my Schip has turned out to be the perfect travel companion for me. In fact, she is sacked out over there on the bed right now after our morning walk in the Santa Cruz river wash.
For me, a ten pound dog...and just "one" is the size and number that works best. But I sure see a lot of travelers with large dogs, and/or multiple dogs.

[Ahab]

We have found that female Standard Poodles tend to be the ideal travelers. They bond quickly and once they have you trained form a great pack.The Airstream becomes their den and they do not stray like the males do if they smell another dog in heat. They do not bark unless there is a good reason and normally ignore other breeds as being inferior or if one enters the pack space without being invited. While they take readily to the leash, (I've never had to train one) they naturally heel and will stay near you. They make great companions.

[gmw photos]

Originally Posted by Ahab

We have found that female Standard Poodles tend to be the ideal travelers. They bond quickly and once they have you trained form a great pack.The Airstream becomes their den and they do not stray like the males do if they smell another dog in heat. They do not bark unless there is a good reason and normally ignore other breeds as being inferior or if one enters the pack space without being invited. While they take readily to the leash, (I've never had to train one) they naturally heel and will stay near you. They make great companions.

You must be onto something there. Around my home in the midwest, I rarely see standard poodles, but on this winter stay in Tucson, I have seen maybe as many as ten of them total that folks have as travel companions.
They have a stately looking gait....fun to watch their movement.

[Belbein]

[QUOTE=az-streamer;1417451] a couple of thoughts/questions:[quote]

Fair enough. A couple of answers.

- have you had a dog before? seems like you have based on your post.

Yep. A bunch. Schnoodles, hounds, labs, and my favorites, Airedales.

have you camped with 1 or 2 dogs before?

Yes.

have you had 2 dogs at the same time before?

Yes.

- have you had 2 puppies! at the same time before?

It's been a really, really long time--like, 33 years. Unless you count the kids, then it's only been 22.

having 2 is not just double the fun/work as one. often it is 3x or more.
trying to herd 2 puppies outiside to do their business on command could be interesting.

also, the type of dog makes a huge difference. we have had german shepherds, a rat terrier and now a mini-schnauzer. one at a time. each dog has considered us as part of her pack. active when we are active - resting when we rest.

We just adopted a beagle/collie mix from the pound, at 8 weeks old. And we've just committed not to a labradoodle, but to a goldendoodle. Have we had the dogs, or have they had us?

don't get more dog(s) than you can physically handle. we often see someone with 1 or 2 dogs that they can barely control. this can make for unhappy owners, dogs and others.

Absolutely true. We also do obedience training with our dogs and get help when we need it. These puppies are going to school as soon as their SAT scores come in. The beagle/collie starts next week.

that being said, i can't imagine our Airstream without our 'furry friend' as co-pilot.

I can't imagine how I lived a single day without my dogs.

[Belbein]

It turns out that our little beagle/lab gets in the car, and immediately falls asleep. Takes after my big brother, who used to do the same thing. Car started, Big Bro asleep. (We did break him of hanging his head out the window, though, about the time he finished medical school.)

[Ahab]

Originally Posted by gmw photos

You must be onto something there. Around my home in the midwest, I rarely see standard poodles, but on this winter stay in Tucson, I have seen maybe as many as ten of them total that folks have as travel companions.
They have a stately looking gait....fun to watch their movement.

Yes, they tend to be regal.

[Belbein]

This is by way of an update, by the "OP." My wife and I decided that we were going to adopt (1) littermates who were (2) female and (3) medium-large sized or large and (4) anything but a beagle. This has worked out perfectly.

The other day I was checking out a dog in one of the shelters (whom I'd seen on line) and this little puppy caught my eye, demanded to be picked up and ... well, if you're reading this thread, you know what happened.

My plan worked perfectly. (1) Solo dog, no siblings; (2) male; (3) small; and ... (4) oh, yes, he's a Beagle. (Maybe a Beagle/collie, but a Beagle is a Beagle is a Beagle.) In his defense, Farley* is a sweet, very smart and very cute little clown who won me over, and then won my wife over. (* Farley after Farley Mowat, the Canadian writer/naturalist.)

We're also adopting a Golden Doodle puppy, due to our home when she's weaned in a few weeks. At least this one will be female. And hey, they'll be almost siblings ... step-siblings, or something.

Dogs. Sheesh.

[SteveSueMac]

Belbein - great story!


My wife tried to talk me out of adopting another dog by trying reverse psychology. "Go look for one," she said - figuring the research would be a pain and I'd give up.

Here's Daisy enjoying a little sun bathing on her "perch" - which used to be a place for family photos and beautiful flowers...now just our family hound with a flower's name.

Dogs. Sheesh. Indeed. :-)

[Air Cruiser]

We have a +/- 75lb. Goldendoodle, male, who is now 2yrs. old, and is the sweetest dog we've ever had. We wanted a doodle and after doing some research went with the Golden due to reports of Labradoodles being very mischievous; Cooper never gets into anything he shouldn't. I know that may sound a stretch, but never bothers shoes, anything laying on the floor, does not get into chairs he's not allowed in (we have a cover on the sofa and he knows he's allowed there. If I'm lying on the sofa, he'll stand in front of me, staring at me waiting to be invited up, and then lays his head on my hip to look at me with dreamy eyes.)

We were open to either sex, but ended up with a male. In talking with the breeder was told that in her opinion sometimes females pick one member of the family and becomes that person's dog and she felt that a male was pretty much equal in his devotion to all members of the family. Well, our male is very friendly and loving towards all members of the family, but he definitely is my dog -- follows me around the house; lays at the top of the stairs waiting for me if I go down to work in my studio (he knows he's not allowed to do large stairs as we're afraid he'll blow a hip or break a leg).

Cooper is the most intelligent dog we've ever had -- he quite often looks at us as though he'd love to be able to talk to us. He knows if I get my coat, or if I'm carrying my purse, that I'm about to go somewhere and he trots along behind me hoping to go too, he loves to go byebye and loves all the attention he receives everywhere we go. He loves people and other animals, however, he barked at the first horse he ever saw, I think he thought it was an incredibly large dog.

He loves to go camping with us, but we are selective as to when we take him, and that depends upon what we'll be doing. We never leave him alone in the AS in order for us to go somewhere.

I agree about their coats, though, you must work at keeping them brushed. Cooper is a F1b, which means his mother was 1/2 Golden and 1/2 Poodle and his father was a full Poodle, so Coop's hair is very curly, which we wanted. The curlier, the less shedding.

Deb

[paiceman]

Great story and outcome. I train abused shelter dogs as a hobby and now retired from the real world do it multiple days a week. My strong suggestion on the puppy - socialize, socialize, socialize. Aside from getting her tired you almost cannot socialize a puppy too much. People, dogs, cats, kids et al. I am right now raising and training an English Lab puppy to be a Therapy Dog. She has, since eight weeks (now 7 months) gone everyplace with me. Some retail establishments allow dogs, most Home Depots do. So, we take her there and stand at the front entrance with the managers approval and act as a second greater, she meets every type of person there is and some dogs as well.

As you can tell I am pretty emphatic about socialization, especially between 8 weeks when I am assuming you are getting her (DO NOT TAKE HER BEFORE) and 24 weeks. Taking her before the 8 weeks deprives her of the necessary training given her by her Mom and her littermates - ie bite inhibition self control etc.

Good Luck and enjoy. We traveled a lot with our aggressive rescue Lab mix that had been severely abused and never had an issue, but I worked hard and often with her the first two years we had her.

[cameront120]

Originally Posted by paiceman

As you can tell I am pretty emphatic about socialization, especially between 8 weeks when I am assuming you are getting her (DO NOT TAKE HER BEFORE) and 24 weeks. Taking her before the 8 weeks deprives her of the necessary training given her by her Mom and her littermates - ie bite inhibition self control etc.

Although I agree with you about the importance of socialization, I don't recommend the pup being taken out before vaccinating is complete. It's too easy for a young pup to be exposed to Parvo or other diseases that linger on the ground.

[paiceman]

cameront120 agreed, unless one knows the dog, it's owners and where it has been. But yes preferable to wait for all shots to be concluded.

[silverlabs]

We bought our 25' so that we can travel the country AND take our 2 labs, which are 65 and 70 lbs respectively. One is a nervous nellie and we were concerned that she would be afraid of the rig. She seems completely comfortable and jumped right in with no hesitation so we were thrilled! Our shakedown cruise is this weekend but we are planning that they will sleep on the floor. We got the twin bed model just so there would be room on the floor for them. AND because we know they will not stay off the beds when left alone I switched out the dry clean only bed spreads for a dog friendly washable version.

[robert claus]

In a 19' Bambi, we found that the this was the only place to get a doodle-less 90lb Lab out of the way. Not enough floor space. At night, we'd make up the dinette bed for him, then move him to the bed so we could make it up the dinette for breakfast.
He's been gone a few years now, but just thinking about him brings tears to my eyes. I still miss him so.

[Belbein]

Originally Posted by robert claus

In a 19' Bambi, we found that the this was the only place to get a doodle-less 90lb Lab out of the way. Not enough floor space. At night, we'd make up the dinette bed for him, then move him to the bed so we could make it up the dinette for breakfast.
He's been gone a few years now, but just thinking about him brings tears to my eyes. I still miss him so.

My best friend, Seamus the Airedale, died just four months ago. I can't see an Airedale without tearing up. I love my new little puppies, but really, there's a hole in my heart where an Airedale should be.

An update on my "50 lb ~doodles" of the title of my original post. Farley Beagle-Collie turns out to be mostly Beagle, and one of the smartest dogs I've ever had the pleasure to be friends with. He's probably going to top out at 50 or so lbs. Ginger the Goldendoodle, on the other hand, is about as smart as a sawed-off cypress stump, and not only is she not going to be 50lbs, it's doubtful that she will clear 35 lbs when fully grown. But she's cute, and according to all of the women that have cuddled her, she's "ahhhhDOOOORable."