A great breed for many types of households and families, the Goldendoodle is a friendly, sweet-natured, gentle dog that loves spending time with people and other pets. These cheerful dogs are athletic without being hyperactive, intelligent without being aloof, and playful without being aggressive. Keep reading to learn more about this widely popular designer breed.
Breed History
The Goldendoodle, also known as the Curly Golden, the Goldenpoo, and the Groodle, is a popular designer dog that’s a mix between a Poodle and a Golden Retriever. This dog is a newer designer breed that came into existence in the 1990s after Cockapoos and Labradoodles jumped in popularity. Goldendoodles were bred in hopes of creating a dog that has the low-shedding coat of the Poodle and the good-natured temperament of the Golden Retriever.
This beloved breed, which has been added to many designer and hybrid registries, has many dedicated groups such as the Goldendoodle Association of North America (GANA) and the Goldendoodle Registry (TGR).
Goldendoodle Characteristics
Appearance & Coat
Goldendoodles have long tails, shaggy coats, and ears that hang down. This breed can be standard-sized or mini-sized. Standard-sized Goldendoodles are generally around 20 to 24 inches tall and between 50 to 90 pounds while Mini Goldendoodles tend to be 13 to 20 inches tall and between 15 to 40 pounds.
Goldendoodles that inherit the Poodle’s curly coat are considered hypoallergenic and shed very little. The curlier a Goldendoodle’s coat, the less it will shed. This makes a curly-coated Goldendoodle a better fit for households with allergies over its straight or wavy-coated counterparts. Like other designer breeds with Poodle parentage, Goldendoodles can be many colors. The most common Goldendoodle colors are brown and cream, but this breed can also be black, red, white, gray, apricot, or multi-colored.
Temperament
Goldendoodles have wonderful temperaments that make them great family dogs. This breed loves playing with kids and other pets. This perfect family addition will bring extra love, playfulness, and happiness to your home. The always lively Goldendoodle loves people and is highly affectionate, wanting to be friends with everyone it meets. Because they’re so friendly, Goldendoodles don’t make great guard dogs.
Health
Because the Goldendoodle is a mixed breed, there are certain health conditions owners should be aware of and make sure breeders screen for. These conditions include hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, hereditary cancer, atopic dermatitis, patellar luxation, seizures, and von Willebrand’s disease. While there are various health concerns owners should watch for, the Goldendoodle is generally a healthy breed and has an average lifespan of 10 to 15 years. You can keep your dog healthy with regular vet visits to help prevent, treat, and catch health concerns early on.
Caring for a Goldendoodle
The Goldendoodle’s Ideal Home
An ideal home for a Goldendoodle would be a family or individual who can spend a lot of time with their dog. This breed thrives when it can be around its loved ones and doesn’t like to be frequently left home alone. This social breed needs people and other dogs to keep it company. For owners who travel and cannot take their Goldendoodles with them, boarding their dogs where they will receive lots of attention and playtime is ideal. These dogs also do extremely well at doggy daycares, a great option for owners who work full-time away from home.
Goldendoodles are also best suited for active households that can meet this breed’s exercise requirements. These dogs have high energy levels that need to be met daily and will be happiest in homes where they can burn off energy and get lots of exercise. If you’re looking for an active and lively workout buddy, the Goldendoodle is a perfect fit.
Training Best Practices
Goldendoodles are generally easy to train as they have a working background. These dogs like having a job to complete and enjoy learning new things. The best method to train a Goldendoodle is by rewarding its behavior with treats and other dog-friendly foods. This breed is known for being extremely friendly and loves to make its owners happy. Because Goldendoodles are people-pleasers, this breed is generally obedient and easy to train.
Along with their well-behaved and easy-to-train behavior, Goldendoodles have calm and affectionate personalities that make them fantastic service dogs. Likewise, their intelligence, gentleness, and sweet nature continue to help them grow in popularity as ideal service dogs. Through the years, Goldendoodles have been guide dogs, emotional support dogs, therapy dogs, medical alert dogs, and many other types of service dogs.
Exercise Needs
While their working background makes Goldendoodles easy to train, this background also gives them high energy and a need to be mentally stimulated to avoid boredom. If Goldendoodles are not given plenty of physical and mental exercise every day they may begin to destroy things as a way to release energy.
These athletic dogs need at least 1 hour of exercise every day. Their daily exercise can be in the form of walks, jogs, hikes, trips to the dog park, learning new tricks, dog sports, running around a fenced-in area, and playing games like fetch. Additionally, Poodles were bred to retrieve waterfowl and spend lots of time in the water. This trait is frequently passed down to Goldendoodles who generally love water and swimming. While not all Goldendoodles will be ecstatic about the chance to swim, many of these dogs will enjoy burning off energy through swimming.
Grooming & Hygiene
Despite curly-coated Goldendoodles being light shedders, their coats are higher maintenance than those that have straight or wavy coats. Goldendoodles with curly coats need to be brushed daily to prevent matting and keep their coats tangle-free. Goldendoodles with wavy or straight coats can be brushed once a week. To avoid drying out your Goldendoodle’s coat this breed should only be bathed when necessary. Overbathing will reduce the oils in your dog’s coat that keep it healthy and can dry out its skin as well.
Owners with curly-coated Goldendoodles should get them professionally trimmed on a regular basis to keep their coats from becoming overgrown and matted. Wavy or straight-coated Goldendoodles don’t need trims as frequently, but will still benefit from one occasionally. All Goldendoodles need to have their ears checked and cleaned out regularly to remove any built-up earwax and avoid ear infections. Like other breeds, to keep your Goldendoodle comfortable and healthy, regularly brush its teeth and clip its nails.
Does the Goldendoodle sound like your ideal pet? Check out Goldendoodle puppies on Lancaster Puppies to find your new best friend.