Don't have any myself, but my folks have had Goldens for 40 years, and were breeders for 30.

I've found dogs tend to reflect the personalities of their owners. If you want to figure someone out, just check out their dog(s). Yippy, yappy dogs usually have yippy, yappy owners.

As for Dobie + Shar Pei - I'm having to do some serious mental gymnastics trying to bend my mind around that :)

>We've got 5 dogs
>
>Conan - a Husky/Border Collie mix who is his father's dog. His basic attitude is: "What is it? Can I eat it?"
>Valeria - a 'lab' mix (I'm thinking Dobie and Shar Pei). "What is it? Will it love me?
>Bear - a Lab/Border Collie mix "What is it? Oh, don't matter, I'll grin at it and it'll be ok"
>Xena - toy Poodle "What is it? Can I kill it?" and her brother
>Jaxor - toy Poodle "Hey, how's it goin'? I'm gonna be over here"
>
>My mother and I also spent about 18 years breeding poodles.
>
>And I'm assuming the by schnoodle, you mean a schauzer/poodle mix?
>
>It's been my experience that most yippy, yappy small dogs have owners who talk to them, very excitedly, in a real high pitched voice - teaching the dogs that that's how you're supposed to talk.
>
>
>
>
>>Then how come my ex's schnoodle is so yippy and annoying?
>>
>>He's not a bad dog, and not stupid. Mainly yippy. Whenever the wind blows he starts jumping up and down and yipping.
>>
>>There is a funny set piece when he stays here. (I guess it's a good sign when your ex leaves her dog with you while she is away). He likes to go for walks and when we turn to the left at the end of the street we go past a house with three chihuahuas. They all bark their heads off, giving each other what's what. They probably weigh about 20 pounds between them. Rottweilers trapped in the bodies of chihuahuas and schnoodles.
>>
>>Do you have a dog?
>>
>>>All sizes of poodles can be used for what they were bred to be, water retrieval hunters. And, by the way, that clip originated from their working background. Hair is left long around the torso to help keep the body core warm (in fact it's designed so that the upper layers can freeze without harm), clipped close around the haunches, legs and tail to keep movement free and to help with swimming (less to waterlog) and leave the 'bracelets' to keep joints warm. Most people keep their poodles in what's called 'the companion' clip (about 1/2 long on the body, little longer on head and ears, unless you're showing the dog in conformation.
>>>
>>>Back in the day, our vet's wife showed in Obedience and she flat said she'd have to be happy with 2nd anytime there was a poodle in her class.
>>>
>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Rated the 4th most intelligent of all dog breeds, behind German shepherds, poodles (!), and I forget the other one. They hide their brains behind their charm.
>>>>
>>>>I guess I was exagerating a bit. TBH all the dogs I've had have been working dogs - and retrievers do what they are meant to do extremely well. No first hand experience with Poodles but I've seen the larger working strain (which look far more attractive then the pimped and clipped varieties usually seen) working well. Top on the intelligence list for me will always be a sheep dog (specifically Welsh collie, of course).....
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Have I mentioned I'm excited? I'm excited.
>>>>
>>>>Yes, I think so :-}