Goldendoodle

All you need to know about the Goldendoodle

The friendly, lovable crossbreed known for its high intelligence

The beloved Goldendoodle is a crossbreed between a Golden Retriever and a Standard Poodle. These cute pups are known for being incredibly loyal to their owners, as well as highly intelligent. They are playful and love being active.

These dogs make amazing pets for families. They are easy to train and make for great first pets. If you’re inexperienced with owning a dog, perhaps you should look into getting a Goldendoodle!

As most Poodle mixes, they come in various sizes, which means that you can fit smaller ones into your apartment without a problem. Naturally, having a hypoallergenic coat helps as well.

These pups are affectionate and playful. They are gentle and love human interaction. Outside activities are something they will enjoy tremendously, and they are quite easy to train. 

Fast Facts

Group - Designer breed (non-official)

Weight - 45-70 Pounds (male) 35-55 Pounds (female)

Height - 21-25 Inches (male) 20-23 Inches (female)

Hair Length - Medium, Long

Shedding - Light

Lifespan - 12-17 Years 

The Appearance of the Goldendoodle

Goldendoodles are most known for their curly coats, but even that can depend on the parents and sometimes be straight or wavy. Their coat can also grow quite long if left unclipped. It is a double coat with a dense undercoat.

The size of a Goldendoodle will depend mostly on its Poodle lineage. If a standard-size Poodle is a part of the mix, you can expect a full-size Goldendoodle, while a Miniature Poodle will result in a smaller hybrid - Miniature Goldendoodle.

As you can see, the appearance of a Goldendoodle can vary, as is the case with most mixed breeds. However, their eyes, are almost always brown and have a cute, intelligent look to them. They have floppy, soft ears, and a medium-length tail. 

These pups are often seen with a happy expression on their faces, making it seem as if they are smiling! Their body shape can also vary, with some being stocky like Golden Retrievers, while others are more slender like Poodles.

Of course, we need to mention the Goldendoodle generations because this determines your pup’s look. Simply put, the generation determines how much of each of its parent’s genes did the Goldendoodle inherit.

The F1 Goldendoodle is the first generation, and these dogs are 50% Golden Retriever and 50% Poodle. They have the biggest genetic diversity, so their appearance can vary greatly. These pups can also shed quite a bit.

Moving on we have the F1B Goldendoodle, which is a mix between an F1 Goldendoodle and a Poodle. These pups are 75% Poodle and 25% Golden Retriever. They are low shedders and are mostly curly.

The F2 generation is a result of mixing two F1 Goldendoodles. The gene ratio is 50:50 again, as is the case with the F3 Goldendoodles, which are the mix of two F2 Goldendoodles. These are not that common since they are unpredictable to breed.

There are several other generations, including the F1BB Goldendoodle, which combines an F1B with a Poodle, and ends up with 87.5% Poodle genes and 12.5% Golden Retriever Genes. The most important thing about these generations is that the more Poodle genes a dog has, the curlier the hair and the more hypoallergenic it will be.

What colors does a Goldendoodle come in?

Most commonly, the Goldendoodle can be found in the following colors:

• Cream
• Gold
• Apricot
• Red
• Chocolate
• Brown
• Black
• Grey

The large variety of Poodle colors is the reason why these pups can come in many different coat color variations. The most popular one is arguably the teddy bear gold, but there are multiple other colors to choose from, as you can see.

Goldendoodles with recessive color traits, such as gray, blue, or even multi-colored ones, are a bit rare. These dogs are usually more expensive.

All about the Goldendoodle personality

Goldendoodles are happy, gentle dogs with no exception. They inherit their kind nature from their Golden retriever parent, so they make great pets for large families with children. These dogs will be careful and affectionate with infants and will be with them as companions while growing up.

They are not aggressive or nervous and love to socialize. Goldendoodles will show affection to you almost constantly. The good thing is that their prey drive is extremely low, so they won’t react to smaller animals or try to hunt them.

These pups get along well with other animals, so you can freely have other pets, such as cats. They are laid-back and timid. Goldendoodles will think of themselves as a member of your family. They won’t be happy unless they are with you.

Goldendoodles love to socialize and will adore spending time with you walking in public places. Expect your dog to greet everyone with a happy expression. If left alone for too long or neglected, these dogs can become depressed.

They can become destructive if not stimulated enough. Some will even swallow things they chewed up to hide the evidence.  Be careful of this and always devote enough time to your Goldendoodle.

Other than that, these dogs are loyal, and we can safely say that you’ve hit the “personality jackpot” when it comes to Goldendoodles. It would be hard to find pups that are as kind, friendly, easygoing, and happy as them.

Is a Goldendoodle easy to train?

It would be safe to assume that Goldendoodles are highly trainable with a personality like that, and you would be absolutely right! Both of their parent breeds are extremely intelligent. 

According to the book The Intelligence of Dogs by Stanley Coren, Poodles and Golden Retrievers both rank among the top 4 smartest breeds. Goldendoodles inherited this trait, meaning they can be trained easily.

Make sure always to train them in a positive atmosphere. Be encouraging since they won’t respond well if you raise your voice or criticize them. House training can be a bit slow, so you can try crate training for starters. They are eager to please and will always happily listen to all your commands.

First-time dog owners should have no problems with this breed, so it is recommended for them.

How much Grooming does a Goldendoodle need?

As most Poodle mixes, Goldendoodles basically never shed, which means they are highly hypoallergenic. People with dog allergies need not fear when a Goldendoodle is near them! If you suffer from allergies, these pups are one of the safest picks for you.

Still, even with minimal shedding, these dogs need constant grooming. You will need to do this to keep their curly coat healthy. Visiting the groomer every 6 weeks is recommended, and if you prefer to do it yourself, make sure you’re properly prepared.

Goldendoodles won’t need much bathing since they stay relatively clean. Too much bathing can actually be bad for their skin. Only do it if your Doodle is smelly or dirty.

When it comes to brushing, it depends on the curliness of the coat. The curlier it is, the more brushing it will require. It would be best if you brushed your curly Goldendoodle daily because this will prevent matting. This can be quite painful for your dog, so remember to brush the coat regularly to prevent it.

If your Goldendoodle has a straight coat or one with a very short clip, you can get by with weekly brushing.

Check your dog’s teeth regularly, and wash them with doggy toothpaste. This will prevent bad breath and many other possible health issues. Check with your vet on what the best toothpaste for your dog is.

Clip the nails regularly, you don’t want them to grow too long, as this can be painful for your pet. If you can hear the nails clicking on the floor, it is a good sign to clip them. Also, make sure to clean the ears and eyes of your Goldendoodle regularly as well.

The Living Environment of the Goldendoodle

The best living environment of the Goldendoodle will greatly depend on its size. Since they can come in different sizes, it makes sense that the larger ones will require more space, such as a house with a backyard. 

However, even they can get used to living in an apartment if they get plenty of daily activity. Exercise is important for these dogs, and it can be basically anything. They will enjoy a simple walk or a fetch session. 

If they have playmates, Goldendoodles will be the happiest. They can be other dogs, cats, or humans, it doesn’t matter. Playing with someone else is when they will be the happiest. These dogs also love water, so swimming is a great option for exercise if you can access the beach or a lake.

Miniature Goldendoodles will actually prefer staying indoors. Although they still require outdoor time, the majority of the day will be spent laying around the house for them. 

These dogs don’t like being alone and can develop separation anxiety. Be careful when leaving your house for longer periods of time. You don’t want your pet to become depressed or destructive.

Goldendoodles are not barkers, especially not if properly trained. You won’t have to worry about your dog making too much noise.

The Health and Nutrition of the Goldendoodle

The lifespan of a Goldendoodle is between 10 and 15 years. They are generally quite healthy, and you won’t have any issues in most cases. You should always do your research and get health clearance from your breeder, though, just to make sure.

Some conditions can arise, even with a breed as healthy as this one. Goldendoodles can be sensitive to hip dysplasia, an eye condition known as progressive retinal atrophy, and a blood clotting disorder called von Willebrand Disease.

They can also develop a skin condition known as Atopic dermatitis. This disease causes itching and redness and is common in this breed because of its coat. The Golden Retriever parent can also pass down some types of cancer, so always be in touch with your vet and get health clearance from the breeder.

As previously mentioned, these dogs love the water, which means they can develop ear infections easily. Moisture gets trapped inside of their floppy ears so you should always make sure to clean them after swimming or bathing them.

The type and amount will depend on your Goldendoodle’s size, activity level, and age when it comes to food. Always consult a veterinarian. They will be able to tell you which is the absolute best food for your pup.

Divide the daily food intake into two meals, and make sure your pup doesn’t overeat. That can cause a plethora of health issues.

Where does the Goldendoodle come from?

We don’t really know the exact birthdate of this lovely breed, but we do know that breeders started making more Poodle mixes during the 1990s. This happened because the Labradoodle (a Labrador mixed with a Poodle) started gaining popularity.

The Goldendoodle is actually quite similar to this earlier crossbreed. One of the main reasons these mixes started becoming more popular is the fact that they have hypoallergenic coats. 

Once these pups started getting more and more fans, breeders started working on different variations. This was when we started getting the various Goldendoodle generations. These dogs were bred to please different types of owners.

Some people want their Goldendoodle to be miniature, while others want a standard-sized one. Now add colors to the mix and we can see that these pups offer something for everyone. Their popularity is still rising.