# Debating on what type of fence to get.



## Goldendoodle74 (Feb 13, 2012)

Sometime this year we will be getting a Goldendoodle from a breeder. Looking at the fence options available to us. We are in an aviation neighborhood so a standard fence the goes around the whole yard is not an option. Plus we are not allow to have them due taxing airplanes and people sometime have to pull on to peoples yards when airplanes come by. Planes have right of way. 

Everyone that has a dog has an electric underground fence here. We may be able to have a small section of our yard where we can have a standard wood fence. But will only be about .25 acres of our yard. We have about .9 acres, but probably a little less then that due to set backs. 

Is an electric underground fence good for a goldendoodle if trained right for the fence. Also does an about .25 acres enough room for him/her to play around in for a few hours? Do Goldendoodle jump or dig under fences?

Hopefully some help with this answer.


----------



## hamandeggs (Aug 11, 2011)

I don't understand...a lot here. You live in a place with low flying airplanes, but you're going to leave your dog outside? I can't imagine doing that, seems like a quick way to make your dog scared of the yard, especiall if you also use an electric fence. I would just keep your dog inside and go outside on a leash. Plenty of people have dogs without fenced yards. 

I don't think anyone can answer your question about whether Goldendoodles jump and dig, because no one knows whether your doodle will be more Golden or more Poodle. But I would plan on your puppy doing both of those things.


----------



## trainingjunkie (Feb 10, 2010)

Your Goldendoodle will probably not chose to play around in your fence for a few hours. Most dogs only like a fenced yard if their owner is out there with them. However, .25 would be enough for potty breaks. All breeds of dogs may chose to go over or under a fence, especially if they are lonely or bored. I have maybe an acre and a half fenced and my dogs don't like to be out there without me, even if they are out there together. If I just put them out, I think they would dig under or go over in search of grand adventures! 

If you are willing to go out with your dog when it needs to go to the bathroom, the fencing may not be worth it. For me, being able to let them out to do their business is a huge plus. I just don't consider my yard to be an exercise outlet.


----------



## Avery (Nov 22, 2011)

It's hard to say anything about the behavior or other aspects of a Goldendoodle since they are just a mix of Golden Retriever and Poodle, and they could have any characteristics of either one. I suppose you could look up information on both breeds and assume that anything applies. *shrug*


----------



## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

I'm sorry the question confused me because after you asked the question you immediately say you cannot have a fence. Oh well I confuse easily and I really have no answer since I am totally against e-fences. Good luck with whatever you do.


----------



## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

1- your dog could act like a Golden, like a Poodle, like the best parts of both or the worst traits of both. Almost any dog can be a digger, and especially any bored dog which is what a dog hanging out in the yard for hours will likely become. Any dog can jump, depends on if they want to get to something bad enough and of course, an electric fence doesn't require jumping at all.

2- Setbacks are usually for permanent structures and visible fencing (line of sight for vehicles). Since electric fencing can be removed fairly easily if there needs to be roadwork or utilities work in the area, a lot of people don't consider set back an issue for an e-fence.

3- a dog should NEVER be left alone (unattended by a responsible adult) outside with only an e-fence. They are useful tools for supervised play but they do not keep other animals and humans out of your yard and a spooked dog or a dog in prey drive mode can EASILY run through the fence. Running right into danger and also being afraid to come back into the yard since it hurt him to leave it 

Consider an e-fence sure, but also recognize its limitations and consider simply leashing the dog (a long line is great for playing fetch etc). A small physical fenced area in your back yard can provide a potty area.

And I know this wasn't your question, but please stick around here and read some more and reconsider buying a "goldendoodle" from a breeder.


----------



## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

> a dog should NEVER be left alone (unattended by a responsible adult) outside with only an e-fence. They are useful tools for supervised play but they do not keep other animals and humans out of your yard and a spooked dog or a dog in prey drive mode can EASILY run through the fence. Running right into danger and also being afraid to come back into the yard since it hurt him to leave it


Say it again, it's one of those things that's always gonna happen to somebody else.


----------



## Canaqua (Sep 27, 2011)

Agree with the others...a fence isn't super important, because I don't feel that dogs should be out alone unsupervised for extended periods of time. 

That said, I've been very busy lately fencing our front yard. We are on only 1/3 of an acre...funky, bizarre, shaped lot with the house at the back corner. The area I'm fencing is about 1/4 acre. Our dogs are never out alone and we've never had a fence. BUT, young BC mix is 25% sight hound and, accordingly, is not trustworthy off leash, like our Cattle Dog mix always has been. That 1/4 acre fenced bit will be enough to play outside with her off leash, it's flat and wide open, good for running, fetching and general wild dog play, so she can run and chase with us and other dogs, without having an opportunity to run off into the street because she thinks she saw a rabbit. 

We take both dogs for many, long, walks in the woods, where both of them are good off leash...BC mix is nervous enough off her own property to stick close, but it's nice to be able to play outside in the yard with them. The only reason we need a fence now is because this particular dog has a hardcore drive to run after things, recall be damned. Pottying...I go outside with both dogs every time they need to do their business....BC mix on a leash and ACD mix following us.


----------



## Goldendoodle74 (Feb 13, 2012)

hamandeggs said:


> I don't understand...a lot here. You live in a place with low flying airplanes, but you're going to leave your dog outside? I can't imagine doing that, seems like a quick way to make your dog scared of the yard, especiall if you also use an electric fence. I would just keep your dog inside and go outside on a leash. Plenty of people have dogs without fenced yards.


Just to let you the Planes shouldn't scare the dog. Not if they grow up with them around. I know people that fly with their dogs. The dogs even love flying. Small 2-4 seat airplanes really don't have a lot of noise to begin with. Many of the dogs in this neighborhood are well adjusted to the planes. Plus it not like we live in LAX with jets. Now jets can produce quite a bit noise.


----------



## LilasMom (Jan 18, 2012)

Goldendoodle74 said:


> *Just to let you the Planes shouldn't scare the dog*. Not if they grow up with them around. I know people that fly with their dogs. The dogs even love flying. Small 2-4 seat airplanes really don't have a lot of noise to begin with. Many of the dogs in this neighborhood are well adjusted to the planes. Plus it not like we live in LAX with jets. Now jets can produce quite a bit noise.


That is your opinion. It is up to the dog to decide whether planes are scary are not. Just because other dogs are used to it doesn't mean yours will. Your dog could very well show fear and anxiety to the planes, it would be up to you to help and teach him that they are okay. If it ever comes to that, plenty of people here could help you with easing his fear. 

Is there a reason why you are getting a goldendoodle specifically?


----------



## Goldendoodle74 (Feb 13, 2012)

Thanks for the information.

A bit of history. I have lived with dogs most of my life. Except when I moved out. Then I lived in a apartment and it didn't make for an ideal place for a dog. Then just now my husband and I decided to get one. Personally going up we would let out dogs out and not always "supervised" but then again someone was always home. All our dogs lived to happy and healthy long lives. 

That being said, I don't plan to let the Gooldendoodle out unsupervised until I know how she/he does with the fence. I just wanted to know if that amount of space would be enough for the dog to go out and relax. As for doing his/her business I'm going to train the dog to go in a doggy litter box which will be in our hangar were the dog will be able get to through a doggy door. 

I do plan on keeping her active by walks and just playing.


----------



## trainingjunkie (Feb 10, 2010)

The amount of supervision required depends on where you live and on the temperament of the dog. In my area, I need to keep an eye. My dogs are also hyperactive and easily bored. They are also velcro dogs who don't like to be away from me.

Your experience may be different. Or not. The dog will decide it.


----------



## LilasMom (Jan 18, 2012)

Goldendoodle74 said:


> I do plan on keeping her active by walks and just playing.


That is just not enough exercise for a golden retriever/ poodle mix. They are VERY high energy dogs and if not exercised, can be destructive and have bad behavior.

With mixes you never know what you are getting behavior-wise, so expect the worse and hope for the best. It is a gamble.

I am not sure what you mean by "hangar", but I don't really like doggy doors because that allows the dog to go where he/she wants without me knowing. If you have a yard, I don't recommend a litter box. Especially for that big of a dog. And a dog should never be left unsupervised, regardless of how well it does with a fence. If something spooks it or it gets excited and tries to go after a cat or something, an electric fence will not stop it, and like others have said the shock will make it reluctant to come back. Real fences can be hopped over or dug under easily. Any unsupervised outside time is just a bad idea in general. Doesn't matter if they are well behaved or not, because you can't control external factors like a plane scaring him, a cat going by, females in heat, unneutered males, etc. Just not a good idea.


----------



## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

I don't like those types of fences for a couple reasons but want to say that you have no idea what kind of dog you can get. You could end up with a dog who is scared of loud noises then you're crap out of luck. You're buying what is essentially a "mutt", nothing wrong with mutts at all but that's what a doodle is. You dont' know if you'll get traits of the golden or the poodle or traits that none usually exhibit.


----------



## Goldendoodle74 (Feb 13, 2012)

LilasMom said:


> That is your opinion. It is up to the dog to decide whether planes are scary are not. Just because other dogs are used to it doesn't mean yours will. Your dog could very well show fear and anxiety to the planes, it would be up to you to help and teach him that they are okay. If it ever comes to that, plenty of people here could help you with easing his fear.
> 
> Is there a reason why you are getting a goldendoodle specifically?


If the dog is brought home as a puppy it can be trained to not be afraid on the plane. Many people do get their dogs use to planes and many people do fly with their dogs. Besides there is a lot of resources that I look to for this. Just a few links below.

http://www.safeandsoundpets.com/page/page/2449012.htm
http://www.4pawsaviation.com/aopa_article.html

The reason we getting a Goldendoodle is because thats the dog we decided on.


----------



## Goldendoodle74 (Feb 13, 2012)

> I am not sure what you mean by "hangar"


It's like a BIG garage, but for an airplane. Its connected to the house.


----------



## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Short answers...
Fence a quarter acre or whatever you can with physical fence. That is plenty of room for fetch, training and potty. For real exercise, you will need to be out with the dog walking, jogging, hiking etc.
Remember that even though many dogs can get used to noise if raised and trained to it, there is nothing for certain. Consider that you may have to deal with a do that is scared of planes. I have a totally bombproof dog to noises and sights of all kinds- fireworks, sirens, Boeing 777s etc but he is terrified of small spaces. Trainin has helped but not eliminated that.
And last, chose a goldendoodle if you want but be clear that you will be paying good money to a breeder that is only in it for the money and 99% of the time does no health testing etc on the breeding dogs and you are gettin no assurances of health or temperment.

Please excuse any spelling errors, I'm postin from my phone


----------



## Goldendoodle74 (Feb 13, 2012)

That's why I'm looking into a "certified" breeder also. 

As for the plane thing, that's why we would watch how he/she reacts to car rides. It's not like we put the dog in the plane and fly for two hours for the first time. Heck I had a dog a long time ago that would get car sick, so I know that can happen. Believe me you don't want a dog getting sick in a plane or freaking out. I have read articles in different aviation mags on how to handle flying with dogs. 

Thanks for the reply on the fence also.


----------



## hamandeggs (Aug 11, 2011)

"Certified" by whom? 

Don't worry about certifications. It's a bunch of BS, frankly, for these designed crossbreeds. Instead, you should be asking about temperament and health testing specifically. NOT just "we took the sire and dam to the vet," but OFA, Penn Hip, things like that. You want to find out what genetic disorders goldens and poodles are prone to, and find out how they test and screen for those things. I think there are Goldendoodle breeders that do this, but they're certainly not the norm - but worth seeking out. Otherwise why bother with a breeder at all? If you don't care about health testing and quality breeding, then just get a rescue mutt, there are plenty of them.

I know about ten people with Doodles (Golden or Labra) and every single one of them has some problem. Hyperactive, neurotic, giant and crazy, itchy and rashy, etc. etc. etc. The one exception is an "Australian Labradoodle" that came from a breeder that was doing health testing and attempting to establish a breed.


----------



## Bordermom (Apr 28, 2010)

Based on the many doodles that I've dealt with when at the boarding kennel, I wouldn't go with the invisible fence. Most of them seem very spooky/jumpy and I'm not sure they'd handle that sort of thing alone, and if someone drives onto your lawn like you've said they can do, that might push them over the edge. Many of the ones we've boarded are like that, different 'breeders' but all with that standoffish behavior. They do not get all the golden's behavior and just a non-shedding coat!

I totally agree with hamandeggs's post, unless you get one from the one or two breeders who are actually breeding labradoodles and not a golden to a poodle, you're better off getting a hairy mutt off of petfinder.

ETA: if you are still looking at breeders, insist that hips, elbows, eyes and heart clearances are done on both parents. Ask how long the grandparents, and great grandparents have lived - cancer is very, very common in goldens and it's not unheard of for dogs to pass at early ages in some lines. Ask if the breeder is testing their dogs for PU, it's an eye disorder that's becoming common in goldens as well - the dogs need to be tested as they get older and if they have the problem go on daily meds to save the eye. 

Also keep in mind with many of the doodle association websites that list breeders, they will have all the health information so it looks good, but then list breeders regardless of the testing that breeder does. Or doesn't. Which says a lot about their ethics if they know what testing should be done but are willing to promote breeders who don't test. The golden retriever forum is a great place to learn more about goldens and doodles, expect that you'll have a lot of people saying 'don't' but it's because of the horror stories over the years with these 'breeders' who are mostly in it for the money and not for improving the dogs they produce. 

You will likely see lots of 'multi generation' breeders saying hips, elbows etc. done, but keep in mind there are NO GOLDENDOODLES listed on the OFA website, where the test results would be available for anyone to confirm..... make sure they send you that information if you're going to fork out money on a doodle puppy....


----------



## LilasMom (Jan 18, 2012)

Goldendoodle74 said:


> It's like a BIG garage, but for an airplane. Its connected to the house.


I am against letting dogs go into garages. There are all sorts of oils, chemicals, and tools they can get into. I highly recommend against letting your dog go in there on its own.


----------



## LilasMom (Jan 18, 2012)

Goldendoodle74 said:


> The reason we getting a Goldendoodle is because thats the dog we decided on.


Lol but why did you decide on them? There looks/temperament?


----------



## lisahi (Jun 19, 2011)

I don't own a Goldendoodle, but I did adopt a poodle mix (mostly poodle, a bit maltese, although she looks more maltese, oddly). If my Coco were the size of a Goldendoodle, she would be very hard to manage. She has almost endless energy. She can jump much higher than you would expect she could, and she's only a little 10 pound girl.

I don't think an electric fence could keep her in. She is far too fond of, well, everything that catches her eyes or nose.

One of Coco's friends back when I lived in an apartment was a Goldendoodle, and he was an adult that acted like a puppy. He didn't know his own size and would bound around the grass mowing down anything in his path. Very sweet dog, but not a dog for everybody. Again, he had that energy. So be aware that you may be getting a dog that doesn't stop... much. He will settle if you exercise him enough, and what "enough" is may be more than you think.

I have a 6 foot wood privacy fence that surrounds my backyard. My backyard is a bit smaller than .25 acres. For a 10-pounder, it's more than enough. I would say that even for a big dog it's fine for playing fetch, going out to potty, etc. However, because of my dog's proclivity to dig where she sees exposed dirt (as opposed to grass), I do not let her have the whole lawn when I'm not there. Digging is her favorite. Not to escape, mind you, but just for the pure pleasure. I could be out there initiating play with her and she will choose instead to find a spot to dig.

The problem, however, is when the dog tries to dig close to the fence, thereby exposing an escape route. If they weren't thinking adventures before, they are now. I can only imagine what would happen if she could _see_ what's on the other side of the fence, which is what you get with an electronic fence.

I recommend fencing what you can with a privacy fence (meaning, he can't see what's beyond the fence), or take him out on a leash or long line to play. I do have a doggie door for Coco, but it leads to an ex-pen in the backyard that is only sufficient in size to potty.


----------



## Goldendoodle74 (Feb 13, 2012)

LilasMom said:


> Lol but why did you decide on them? There looks/temperament?


If I seemed rude then sorry. I have never had anyone question why I want a certain animal in my whole life.. LOL I have many types of animals over my life time. My husband and I have decided to add another animal to our lives. We have a cat and bird also. We want a dog that will take to the cat well. Plus we have little kids that come to the house in the way of grand kids. The goldendoodle fit that bill not to mention the temperament. Beside we will be training the dog anyways.

As for the Hangar. The dog is not going to be living out there. It is only for him to do his business while in the house. Our cat goes in and out to the hangar all the time with out issues. His food and water will be in the house. So I doubt he is going to be spending anytime out there. We work from our home so that dog is "rarely" going to be alone anyways. Except for those times were we can't take him with us.


----------



## lisahi (Jun 19, 2011)

Goldendoodle74 said:


> If I seemed rude then sorry. I have never had anyone question why I want a certain animal in my whole life.. LOL I have many types of animals over my life time. My husband and I have decided to add another animal to our lives. We have a cat and bird also. We want a dog that will take to the cat well. Plus we have little kids that come to the house in the way of grand kids. The goldendoodle fit that bill not to mention the temperament. Beside we will be training the dog anyways.


I think what people are warning you about is that there is no standard "temperment" for a Goldendoodle because it is made up of two different breeds. He could be more Golden or more Poodle; he could inherit the worst traits of both or the best traits of both.

If you really want a Goldendoodle, then I would consider looking into adopting one instead of buying from a breeder. Because mixed dogs are not recognized "breeds" there is no purpose to breed them other than to make a profit. When you have a "breeder" that's in it for the profit, you have to question the type of health testing they are doing on their dogs before breeding. Reputable breeders of pure bred dogs are hobby breeders - they do it for the love of the breed (to improve the health, stamina, etc. of the breed), and not to make a profit. That isn't the case with those who breed Goldendoodles because you can't perfect a mixed breed (at least not unless you're working under very controlled circumstances, breeding Goldendoodle to Goldendoodle and attempting to create a fully recognizable new breed, which is not what 99% of Goldendoodle breeders are doing; they are breeding Goldens to Poodles).

There are TONS of poodle crosses on petfinder.com - I would give it a look. That way, you are saving a dog from a shelter/rescue situation, rather than encouraging the breeding of more mixes.


----------



## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Goldendoodle74 said:


> If I seemed rude then sorry. I have never had anyone question why I want a certain animal in my whole life.. LOL I have many types of animals over my life time. My husband and I have decided to add another animal to our lives. We have a cat and bird also. We want a dog that will take to the cat well. Plus we have little kids that come to the house in the way of grand kids. The goldendoodle fit that bill not to mention the temperament. Beside we will be training the dog anyways.
> 
> As for the Hangar. The dog is not going to be living out there. It is only for him to do his business while in the house. Our cat goes in and out to the hangar all the time with out issues. His food and water will be in the house. So I doubt he is going to be spending anytime out there. We work from our home so that dog is "rarely" going to be alone anyways. Except for those times were we can't take him with us.


Standard Poodles are/were hunting dogs. A lot of them have high prey drive and cats are prey. You have absolutely no guarantees at all about temperament in a mixed breed puppy from a BYB/Puppymill

I wouldn't let a dog in a garage, hanger or any similar place unsupervised. Just because the cat has managed not to hurt himself doesn't mean that a curious puppy won't get into dangerous chemicals, equipment, sharp objects etc. Also, if you are encouraging him to potty inside the hanger, it will make potty training harder since its sort of "inside" and not truly "outside" - dogs don't generalize well.


----------

