Brodie That Dood Questions & Answers • helloBARK! (2024)

There’s a fairy good chance you’ve seen one of Brodie’s viral videos on social media.

This Goldendoodle is perhaps most famous for sticking his head out the car window sporting his stylish doggles.

It’s little wonder that Brodie’s owner Clifford gets asked for photos of Brodie all the time.

We spoke to Clifford to learn more about Brodie, the Goldendoodle cross breed and their success on TikTok.

1) How did you first hear about Goldendoodles?

I followed a couple good boys on social media and thought they were a unique cute looking breed.

2) What attracted you to the Goldendoodle breed?

Golden Retrievers were, and still may be, my favorite breed. Any variation of the golden pedigree really intrigues me.

3) How did you end up with Brodie?

I bred him! His mother is my Golden Retriever, Luna. His father is a standard poodle named Rusty.

4) Can you describe Brodie’s personality?

Just a Dood’s Dood. His main goal in life is to have a good time. He doesn’t really put much thought into his actions, he’s just interested in making me and the people around him happy. He is an attention seeker and loves being noticed in public. If he feels the correct amount of attention is not being allotted towards him (typically when I am working from home), he will march around with a bath mat, kitchen towel or sock, to try to get more attention focused his way.

5) What are the perks of owning a Goldendoodle?

Unconditional love and cuddles from a living, breathing teddy bear.

6) What are the challenges of owning a Goldendoodle?

The biggest challenge is grooming, especially maintaining a coat the length of Brodie’s. If unattended for just a short time, Goldendoodle’s coats will tangle, knot, and matt very easily. This is why most Goldendoodle owners keep their dog’s coat much shorter than Brodie’s; it almost becomes a full-time job.

7) What does an average day look like for Brodie?

Brodie jumps on my bed to wake me up and start the day and might opt for a quick zoomie session, entailing a few laps from my kitchen to the living room. He will play with his mother, Luna; take multiple naps, go for a car ride (which is one of his favorite activities), be brushed out, possibly cooperate for a new TikTok video idea, and then cuddle before bed.

8) Are Goldendoodles hard to train?

Generally speaking, they’re fairly easy dogs to train, I believe it can vary generation to generation. I have heard F1s tend to be more trainable than some of the other generations, but overall they’re a very trainable breed.

9) Do Goldendoodles shed a lot?

Brodie is an F1 standard Goldendoodle, which is the variation that tends to shed the most out of Doodle generations. He has mild shedding, but it’s nearly unnoticeable compared to my Golden Retriever.

10) Do Goldendoodles bark a lot?

Brodie only barks when he hears people at the door, otherwise he’s a pretty quiet lad.

11) How much time does it take to groom Brodie?

A lot! I brush Brodie at least three times a week, 20-30 minutes a session. I also have him professionally groomed about every 6-8 weeks.

12) How did you get Brodie acclimated to wearing his protective sunglasses?

Brodie is exceptionally docile, he allows himself to be placed in any type of accessory or apparel. I never have to force him to wear anything. I think he also enjoys the doggles because they help provide maximum wind speeds out the window, without drying out his eyes.

13) What comments do you get when people see Brodie around town in your car wearing his shades?

“What is that!?”

“NO.WAY.”

“Is that a small man in a dog costume?”

14) Why did you decide to start a TikTok for Brodie?

I mainly decided to start posting him because of the constant reactions I would get out in public with him. So many people would film him and stop me to meet him, he seemed to bring everyone who he met joy. I figured, if this many people are interested in-person, let’s let the rest of the world get a dose of Brodie. He seems to be really good at bringing smiles to people’s faces whether in person, or through a screen.

15) What are the secrets of your success on TikTok?

High quality videos (resolution and sound), short enough to keep viewers attention, which in-turn will keep video completion rate high, this is an important metric the TikTok algorithm uses to determine which videos should go viral. Also, putting a unique spin on whatever trends are popular at the moment.

16) Do you prefer Instagram or Tiktok? Explain why if you wouldn’t mind.

TikTok, and it’s not close. Instagram provides very little opportunity for growth. TikTok’s algorithm works exceptionally well at getting your content in front of the audience that would be most interested in it, which typically converts to new followers.

17) What is your favourite memory or social media post with Brodie?

My favorite memories with Brodie so far have been driving around town with him, watching how much he enjoys himself. I’m looking forward to experiencing many more memorable moments with him.

18) What advice would you give yourself if you could go back to when you first got your Goldendoodle?

“Start brushing!” Initially, I was unaware of the grooming maintenance time required to keep his coat healthy.

Goldendoodle Pros and Cons

Pros

•Goldendoodles sweet demeanor, largely inherited from the golden retriever cross.
• Goldendoodles benefit from the high intelligence of both of their predecessor’s breed. Golden retrievers and poodles are both recognized for their high canine IQ.

Cons

• Coat maintenance required: Like I’ve said previously, maintaining a long, healthy coat is a time commitment not required with most other breeds.
• I’ve noticed a weird disdain that many doodle owners have to incur from what I would call “Breed Purists.” Some feel very strongly about the fact the American Kennel Club (AKC) does not currently recognize the Goldendoodle as a breed, and therefore feel there is no place for the Goldendoodle mix. They choose to ignore the fact that this is historically how every breed came to be recognized, and in large part, is a subjective measurement. Not to mention, the Goldendoodle cross benefits from hybrid vigor and tend to be significantly healthier than many AKC recognized breeds. I personally feel a lot of the hate stems from breeders who have lost significant demand for their purebreds in favor of doodle variations. How can you hate doods?!