Minnie the GoldenDoodle—the all around perfect dog

Two years ago my 2nd Old English Sheepdog died (age 12) and I decided I needed a dog that would be a good loyal companion (since I retired), was smart and loving, really good with small kids, smaller than the 100 pounders I'd had, and be very well behaved in public. So, I did some research on Doodles and decided I wanted an F1b GoldenDoodle. I ended up picking Minnie (Cha-Cha at the time) even though she was the "runt" because she was so darned cute. Her parents are Cassie and Jake -- I don't know if they are still producing litters or not. I ended up with a "smaller sized" Standard GoldenDoodle (46 lbs) that successfully completed basic obedience training at 7 months old, can run with whippets, loves to retrieve, loves to swim, loves kids, is gentle with handicapped or old people, plays well with almost any other dog (or cat), likes to camp in the mountains, likes long walks or hikes in either the back country or the local trail system, does not chase wildlife (horses, cattle, moose, elk, deer etc.), has a terrific nose, is an excellent alert sentry dog, is not a bit gun shy, waits patiently outside businesses on the street in town, and just recently passed all requirements for off-leash "voice and sight" control for our county park system with no formal training at all. She is, of course, spoiled rotten, will not leave my sight, and insists on cuddling given the least provocation. She also has all the employees of businesses that do allow dogs wrapped around her paw. In short, if you're looking for a really good utility/companion dog, after 2 years evaluation I would still highly recommend a Heartland Classics Doodle. I got way more than I expected!

- Jim Bacon