Goldendoodle: Pet Profile

What do you get when you mix a Golden Retriever and a Poodle? A Goldendoodle. Goldendoodles are known for their fun-loving, goofy personalities, combining only the best features and qualities of Golden Retrievers and Poodles. The Goldendoodle is one of the best family pets because they’re naturally sweet and love to play. They’re often good with kids and other pets.

Is a Goldendoodle the right dog for you and your family? Keep reading to learn a few Goldendoodle facts and essential breed information to ensure you can provide your dog with the care, love, and attention they need to live a happy, healthy life.

• History & Origin Of Goldendoodles
• Physical Attributes Of Goldendoodles
• Behavioral Characteristics Of Goldendoodles
• Goldendoodle Care & Health
• Goldendoodle Breed: FAQs
• Final Notes

History & Origin Of Goldendoodles

Goldendoodles are a designer breed—a hybrid between the Poodle and Golden Retriever—originally bred during the 1960s. At the time, Labradoodles and Cockapoos had already gained popularity as service dogs. However, trainers wanted a larger dog, so breeders combined the Golden Retriever’s happy and sweet disposition with the Poodle’s intelligence to create what we know today as the Goldendoodle.¹

The first Goldendoodle was bred in 1989 by Wally Conron from the Royal Guide Dog Association of Australia, and this breed eventually made its way to the states in the 1990s.¹ Goldendoodles are a new hybrid, having only been around for a few decades, but they’ve certainly gained popularity in their short time. 

Unfortunately, since Goldendoodles are hybrids, they’re not recognized by the American Kennel Club as an official breed, but they’re allowed to compete in agility and obedience events.

Physical Attributes Of Goldendoodles

Here’s a quick overview of the Goldendoodle breed:

• Average height: 19-24 inches
• Average weight: 48-90 pounds
• Average lifespan: 10-15 years

So, how big do Goldendoodles get? The traditional Goldendoodle is a hybrid between a Golden Retriever and Standard Poodle. However, over time, breeders received requests for smaller versions and started breeding Golden Retrievers with Poodles of different sizes. Now, Goldendoodles typically come in the following three sizes:

• Miniature: The miniature Goldendoodle stands at 13-20 inches and weighs 15-25 pounds.
• Small: The small Goldendoodle is much more comparable to medium-sized dog breeds, standing at 17-20 inches and weighing an average of 50 pounds.
• Large: The large Goldendoodle is similar to other large breeds, weighing 50-90 pounds with a height of 14-20 inches.²

The coat colors of both parents will determine the child. However, most Goldendoodles take after their Golden Retriever parents with golden fur, while others have Poodle colors ranging from orange and cream to dark brown, gray, and black.

The type of Goldendoodle coat also varies depending on the parents. For example, you can find Goldendoodles with wavy, straight or curly coats, and many even have tight curls.

Behavioral Characteristics Of Goldendoodles

The Goldendoodle’s personality largely depends on the parents and their upbringing. However, Golden Retrievers and Poodles are highly active dogs that require a lot of exercise and mental stimulation. They also enjoy being part of a family since they’re extremely social and outgoing.

Poodles and Golden Retrievers are two of the smartest dog breeds, making Goldendoodles highly intelligent and eager to please, which is good news for you! In addition, your Goldendoodle will be easy to train and love to learn, so they make great service dogs.  

This breed is often good with children, but because much of a Goldendoodle’s temperament depends on their upbringing, supervising them around new people, pets, and kids is still a good idea. Unfortunately, Goldendoodles are so friendly that they don’t make good watchdogs. Instead, they’re more likely to welcome strangers into your home.

Remember that while a Goldendoodle’s personality and behavior largely depend on its parents, there are several key differences between parents and their children when you cross two breeds. For example, a recent study found that Goldendoodles experienced more dog-directed fear than Golden Retrievers and Poodles.³

Additionally, because your Goldendoodle is so smart, they can get bored easily. Ensure they get enough exercise and mental stimulation throughout the day to prevent destructive behavior. 

Goldendoodle Care & Health

Your Goldendoodle’s overall health will depend on their parents, which  can be predisposed to some conditions. Therefore, when adopting a Goldendoodle, try to learn as much as possible about the parents and ensure they have no history of health issues. 

Goldendoodles are prone to certain conditions like hip dysplasia and canine seizures because Golden Retrievers and Poodles are. However, they’re typically physically healthier than their parents, which may be due to a concept known as “Hybrid Vigor.” Hybrid Vigor is a theory that hybrid animals are healthier than their purebred parents, which may be why the Goldendoodle has a longer lifespan than the Poodle and Golden Retriever.⁴ However, there’s not enough evidence to prove this theory, so conducting genetic testing for inherited diseases is essential.  Additionally, Goldendoodles score significantly higher than their parent breeds in some problematic behaviors, including dog-directed aggression, dog-directed fear, and stranger-directed fear.⁵

Exercise requirements

Golden Retrievers and Poodles are highly active breeds, so you can expect your Goldendoodle to require daily physical activity. Most Goldendoodles will be happy with at least 30 minutes of exercise daily, but some might need several hours, depending on their age and overall health. In any case, expect your dog to want to spend a lot of time outside playing fetch, running off-leash, and going on adventures. 

Nutrition

Like all dogs, Goldendoodles require a balanced diet to keep them healthy and happy. Your dog should eat high-quality food appropriate for their age. For example, puppies should eat food formulated for puppies to ensure they get the right balance of nutrients. Your dog’s nutritional needs will change as they age, so talk to your vet about the appropriate time to switch from puppy to adult and adult to senior food. 

How much you feed them is as important as feeding them a healthy diet. How much your Goldendoodle should eat largely depends on their activity level. The more your Goldendoodle runs and plays, the more they should eat. However, if you’re unsure how much to feed your dog, always talk to your vet to avoid weight gain and associated health problems. 

Grooming

Grooming is essential for all dogs because it can help prevent odor and treat certain skin conditions like canine dermatitis. Unfortunately, you can’t always predict what type of coat your Goldendoodle will have because they can inherit this trait from either parent. Goldendoodles shed minimally but still need regular brushing and baths to remove dirt and debris. Additionally, some Goldendoodles have skin allergies you can treat with medicated shampoos. 

Your Goldendoodle will also need regular trims to prevent their fur from matting. You can either trim your dog’s coat at home or find a reputable groomer to do it for you. 

In addition to grooming, trimming your dog’s nails and regularly cleaning their ears is crucial. Dogs with floppy ears, like the Goldendoodle, are prone to ear infections, so you should check their ears for discharge and odor every time you groom them. 

Training

Goldendoodles are highly active, intelligent dogs that will require training. High-energy dogs without proper training are prone to destructive behaviors, like chewing furniture or jumping on people. However, obedience training at a young age can prevent undesirable behaviors. Luckily, your Goldendoodle will be easy to train since they’re very smart and love pleasing their owners. 

These dogs are known to be food motivated, so find them a treat they love and invest in reward-based obedience training to help them learn how to behave in everyday situations. In addition to obedience training, you should focus on socializing your dog. Goldendoodles are highly social, so they don’t normally have issues with aggression. However, socialization can prevent fearfulness around strangers and other dogs. 

Remember, most of your dog’s behavior will depend on their training and upbringing. Abused or neglected dogs are more likely to have behavioral problems, so taking the time to train your Goldendoodle should prevent any unwanted behaviors. Additionally, training is beneficial for your dog because it provides mental stimulation that can prevent boredom and keep them calm when relaxing at home. 

Goldendoodle Breed: FAQs

Do Goldendoodles make good house dogs?

Goldendoodles make great house and family dogs, but they’re not ideal apartment dogs because they’re large and have tons of energy. This breed typically does best in homes with extensive, enclosed yards that allow them to roam freely, run, and play. 

Additionally, Goldendoodles tend to get along well with other people and pets, even cats, because they’re social. 

Where can I get a Goldendoodle?

You can adopt a Goldendoodle from a shelter or purchase one from a reputable breeder. However, adopting from a rescue specializing in Goldendoodles is usually much cheaper. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee they’ll have a Goldendoodle in your area when you’re ready to become a pet parent, but you can check out other shelter listings online. 

Are there any downsides to owning a Goldendoodle?

Goldendoodles are smart, fun, cuddly, easily trainable, and enjoy being around people and other pets, which is why they’ve become such a popular breed in a short period of time. However, there are several downsides to owning a Goldendoodle. Firstly, they’re prone to hip dysplasia since both Poodles and Golden Retrievers have a genetic predisposition for it. However, if you get your dog from a shelter or breeder, they can provide a health history to ensure both parents are healthy. 

In addition to potential health issues, Goldendoodles need a lot of exercise and play. Goldendoodles that don't receive enough exercise may engage in undesirable behaviors. 

Goldendoodles also require lots of grooming, like their Poodle parents, to prevent their fur from matting. Taking your Goldendoodle to a groomer every month or so is recommended. 

Final Notes

Goldendoodles can be great pets for first-time and experienced pet parents because they’re intelligent and easy to train. They also make good family pets since they're social. Apart from grooming and providing them with exercise, caring for a Goldendoodle is straightforward. 

Worried about your dog’s health and wellness? Talk to a Dutch vet today. Dutch offers telemedicine for pets to ensure your Goldendoodle gets the care they need from the comfort of home. Try Dutch today.