I cant decided which dog to buy

Question
I appreciate your help! I have lots of company, I have a good sized property on the water, and I need a very active, but not hyper dog. I'll be using my dog for Indoor/outdoor, love and affection, lots of tricks (with naturally lots of training), running around playing games, intelligence, and hunting. I have narrowed my selection using lots of time and resources to five dogs: Flat Coted Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Poodle, goldendoodle, or Labradoodle (Lab, Poodle mix). I have spent a lot of time looking and trying to decide, but I can't get more than standard breed type or comparison info on these dogs. If you could please give me your personal opinion, and/or personal info on these dogs; I would be very happy. Thank you for your time!
                                                                            Sincerely,
                                                                                   Marcus Burt  

Answer
Hi Marcus,

Since I do not know you, I really can't suggest which breed of dog would be the best match for you.
All of the breeds you are considering would make fine pets, that are known to enjoy outdoor activities.

Any breed description is a generality, based on a puppy's potential, not on any hard facts. Aside from this potential, you also need to factor in the variable of a dog's individual personality, your skills at dog training and socializing the dog, and the environment the dog lives in. There are aggressive, silly, shy, outgoing and goofy dogs (and everything in-between) in any particular breed.

Once you narrow down the breeds to a "short list", make a few appointments with breeders and visit their kennels, so you can meet their sires and dams (the breeding stock and parents of the puppies). I think once you actually meet the dogs, you would be able to make your decision.

Call or e-mail dog breeders, and asked them specific questions about the of temperament of their dogs. Any good breeder is happy to answer questions. They love the dogs they raise and are always ready to talk about them! Be sure to ask about breed specific health concerns. All pure bred dogs are prone to certain diseases or conditions, though it's never known if the individual dog will develop problems, or to what extent. Be sure to ask the breeders about any health guarantees they offer.

If after meeting the dogs, talking to breeders, and reading up on the breeds leaves you still asking "which do is for me?", maybe the answer is any dog! Many mixed breeds have the intelligence, love to run and play and are also certainly able to give you all the love you are looking for in a pet... with the big added plus of being healthier and generally longer lived than any pure bred dog!

Sometimes a breeder will sell "pet quality" dogs cheaper than "show quality dogs". Be sure to ask, since you really only want a pet and not a show dog. You would probably have to sign a contract which would state that you will spay or neuter the puppy, and promise not to show it.

Though adorable to look at in the shop, poor breeding in many pet shop puppies means temperament problems. In addition to being poor physical specimens, pet store puppies may be high-strung and hyperactive, difficult to housetrain, and very tough to obedience train.

You know your lifestyle best. Here are a couple of free dog breed selectors which can help you decide on a breed of dog based on your lifestyle and skill level:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm

http://www.selectsmart.com/dog/

http://sy.adiho.com/ASA/Controller?
adi_hasScript=1&_AD_195R22=80&adi_scriptSID=B5D33B21413D61C41652F6F30FD0E086&sysid=4&appid=9901

A small note; Goldendoodles, Labradoodles and the like, are not breeds, they are mixed breeds which for some reason command as much money as some pure bred dogs. Save your money.  If a pedigree isn't as important as having a loving healthy active dog to share the things you like to do, then you can save an awful lot of money, and probably save a life at the animal shelter to boot.

Here's a wonderful site to search for available dogs, which you may already know about, go to:

http://www.petfinder.com/

Fill in the fields in the "Quick Pet Finder" on the left side of the screen. It goes by zip code, which keeps your search for dogs local.

I hope I've been a help, feel free to get back to me if I can be of further assistance.

Regards,
Patti