This past weekend while at the park with my kids I noticed a woman with her dog.  This particular young lady happened to be wearing tiny running shorts and a jog bra.  So of course, I was not surprised when three guys came into the park to play Ultimate Frisbee and immediately approached her and asked what type of dog she had.  Total pick up line, right? 

She replied, "German Shepard Hybrid".  Huh?  Seriously, did I just hear that right--Hybrid?  You've got to be kidding me.  How politically correct.  We can't even call a mutt a mutt anymore.  Well, at least that makes me feel a little better about spending $2,000 on our designer mutt.  After all, a Goldendoodle is not even a recognized breed by the AKC.  Hybrid sounds much better.  He is after all very eco friendly--no shedding dog hair waste, no VOC odors (he doesn't smell like dog) and he's also hypo-allergenic.  Yes, Hybrid it is...

In all seriousness though, we got our dog last Summer just about this same time of year and fell in Love.  He is the best dog ever and I wasn't joking, he doesn't shed -- not one hair!  He's also smart, obedient and great with the kids.  And best of all, he loves the lake and the beach.  Living on the water it was key for our family to find a dog breed that loves to swim.  We have friends who also live on the lake going through the dog search right now.  We've been discussing the pros and cons of the various breeds. 

I also highly recommend either the Goldendoodle or the Labradoodle.  Even though they are not on the list, all three parent breeds are listed:  Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever and the Poodle.  Since they are a cross-breed, they usually have less health issues and typically have low to no shedding.  I can tell you this first hand.  We have a Goldendoodle, and our neighbor has a Labradoodle.   Both dogs are great with the kids and LOVE being out in the boat on the lake.  Our Goldendoodle also has a great time running in the ocean waves and turns into quite the Salty Dog during the summer months.   These are Goldendoodles from our breeder at Moss Creek Goldendoodles.

Whatever breed you choose, summer is a great time to train a puppy while the kids are on break and the entire family can get to know their newest family member.  Let me know about your favorite dog and if he loves the water.