Goldendoodle Dog Breed Information

It has been a year since my neighbors brought home their Goldendoodle puppy – Samson.

Having spent time with many Goldendoodles and having done extensive research on them I have learned a lot about this breed.

Here are a few notes for people that are looking to welcome a Goldendoodle puppy into their lives.

Table of Contents

Everything You Need To Know About Goldendoodles

Goldendoodle History and Origins

Goldendoodles are also known as Groodles! They are hybrid dogs that are a cross between golden retrievers and poodles (either a miniature or a standard one).

They are one of the youngest crossovers and are a part of a wide range of Oodle designer dogs (like the Bernedoodle, Labradoodle, etc.)

They originated in the United States of America fairly recently – as late as the 1990s.

When the Labradoodles became a rage, breeders set out to create a dog with an allergy-friendly coat like that of a Poodle with all the lovable traits that a golden retriever is known for.

And voila – as a result, there came along the Goldendoodle – an absolute mix of style and substance.

Golden retrievers have been indispensable companions for hunters as well as gamekeepers and excelled at seeking out fallen birds.

Likewise, Poodles were extremely valuable for duck hunters in Europe who swiftly retrieved fallen birds from water bodies.

However, interestingly, the Goldendoodle is far removed from its hunting dog past.

Goldendoodle Physical characteristics

Owing to the Poodle in their lineage, Goldendoodles can also be categorized into three sizes – toy, mini, and standard.

The standard Goldendoodle is 50-60cm in height and typically weighs between 22-30 Kgs.

Samson is the slightly smaller, mini, which is about 40-48cm tall and weighs in the range of 14-21 Kgs.

The adorable little toy Goldendoodle is the tiniest of them all at 30-38 cm tall and weighs only about 6-10 Kgs.

The lifespan of Goldendoodles on an average is 10-15 years. However, this may vary as per their size. For instance, the standard Goldendoodle may live up to 10-12 years.

On the contrary, the smaller you Goldendoodle can often live for as long as 15 years.

Another thing that depends on the Goldendoodle’s heritage is its fur type and colors.

Depending on its poodle parent, the Goldendoodle can come in many different colors.

Moreover, its fur type can be shaggy like the golden retriever parents or can have loose curls closer to the poodle parent in appearance.

Goldendoodle Personality and Temperament?

Goldendoodles are focused people-pleasing and intelligent doggos.

As hunter dogs, golden retrievers and poodles needed endurance, grace, and determination to maneuver across tough terrains.

Therefore, their crossbreed Goldendoodle has inherited their patience and self-control.

What Is The Goldendoodle’s Temperament?

In essence, Goldendoodles are intelligent, friendly, and moderately active to say the least.

They are known to be extremely friendly and with proper socialization can quickly become best buddies with everyone in the house.

They not only get along with the children in the family but also with everyone in the neighborhood including other pets.

This amiable personality makes for a dog that isn’t very territorial and will not be a great watchdog or guard dog.

Are Goldendoodles Affectionate?

A Goldendoodle will be genuinely loyal and would likely have a soft, gentle, and loving disposition.

Since they enjoy spending quality time with their family they’d make for excellent therapy dogs for those who need one.

They would surely bond closely with their handlers in particular and would be very receptive to their emotions.

Are Goldendoodles Playful?

Goldendoodles are known for their friendliness and playfulness.

They tend to greet everyone with the most cheerful energy – from children to other animals to strangers. I have seen him warm up especially to children across all ages.

They are still cautious around infants and toddlers, I would still advise parents to keep their young children and puppies under supervision as the Goldendoodle’s nature could vary depending on his or her genetics, socialization, and other factors.

Are Goldendoodles Sensitive?

The Goldendoodle is all love and cuddles. It is truly a companion dog at heart. This is why it has an inherent need to live in the house with its family and not outdoors.

It has a high social need and living the Goldendoodle alone for long periods of time should be avoided since they want to be around other humans or animals as much as possible.

You should plan to arrange either a pet walker and sitter or make a schedule yourself so you can get your Goldendoodle the exercise and socialization they NEED.

I have noticed that Goldendoodles are a bit more sensitive as compared to other dog breeds. Even minor soft punishment tends to affect them emotionally.

Ideally, it is best to avoid irregular daily routines with a Goldendoodle at home because they are not very comfortable with noisy households or frequent guest visits that disrupt the schedule that they are used to.

At times like this, it is best to keep them busy with toys and treats so that they don’t notice these disruptions.

Another pro tip that you could consider is to keep the radio on if you have to step out for a bit. The ongoing sounds keep them happy.

Goldendoodle Barking And Biting Tendencies

The Goldendoodle is not very loud and barks occasionally. They usually need a reason for barking which could be because of emotional turbulence or because they are trying to say something important.

A few of the reasons why they bark are protection, alarm, fear, boredom, attention-seeking, greeting, or separation anxiety.

They are unlikely to bite somebody. However, if they are provoked, are in pain or are trying to protect someone then they could definitely grind those teeth.

In comparison to other dogs, they also have a lower tendency to nip, chew or herd people. This could be common when they are puppies but they lose the habit as they grow up.

Caring For Your Goldendoodle

Like all dogs, the Goldendoodle needs to be looked after. Any family would need to care for its basic requirements to ensure a healthy and happy life together.

Vaccinating Your Goldendoodle

A Goldendoodle puppy should receive its first vaccination at 6 weeks.

Make sure that the vaccines of your choice are of good quality since there is a large degree of variation in the efficacy of lesser-known brands.

Thereafter, vaccines should be administered at three-week intervals. Once the four doses have been given, consider the series to be completed. The final puppy shot will be the one for rabies.

One year from the date of the final puppy shot, a booster of the DHPP and Rabies will be given. From then on, you’d have to repeat the vaccines once every three years.

Yearly vaccinations are not required but a good practice is to always take your Goldendoodle to visit the vet for a yearly examination.

Managing Fleas In Your Goldendoodle

In most cases, a Goldendoodle benefits from positive breeding practices which means it is likely to experience fewer allergies than its breed parents. However, some may still inherit sensitivity to fleas.

If your Goldendoodle catches the fleas, the first thing to do is to offer relief from the bites and subsequent symptoms that are caused.

If the allergy or infestation is severe, then immediately ask your vet to recommend a product that can wipe out adult fleas fast.

Usually, a nitenpyram-based product that is administered orally is the most effective.

It is a single pill that is wrapped in a treat. It is super quick and once eaten, shows results within thirty minutes. In another four hours, you will find that 90% of fleas have been eliminated.

The best part about these products is that they have fewer potential side effects and are completely safe for dogs of all ages including pregnant/nursing dogs.

In fact, they can also be given to a young Goldendoodle puppy as old as four weeks.
Living

The preferred living arrangements depend on the size of the Goldendoodle. Most of the dogs of this breed are quite apartment friendly.

Since the toy Goldendoodle is the smallest of the lot, it is best suited for living in smaller apartments as they barely take up any space.

While the mini and standard Goldendoodles can also get used to apartments, they’d prefer a bit more space to move around since they are medium-large sized.

Since a Goldendoodle is primarily people-oriented its biggest requirement is to live in close proximity to the family, therefore, the size of the apartment/home is not as important as long as it gets to spend quality time indoors.

Of course, having a garden or backyard is always an added bonus for the dog to romp around with its friends. Although this is not a priority.

They are definitely not ideal for living outdoors or in kennels. Owners should keep them close to themselves for them to thrive.

Feeding Your Goldendoodle

It is recommended that a Goldendoodle be fed 1-4 cups of high-quality dry food per day. This should be divided across multiple small meals.

The amount of food given each day largely depends on certain parameters such as size, age, build, metabolism, and activity level of the Goldendoodle.

Just like people, all dogs don’t require the same amount of food. A highly active dog will obviously need more to eat than its lazy counterpart.

The most important thing to bear in mind is the quality of food. The better the quality of the dog food given the higher are the chances that it will completely nourish your dog.

To keep a Goldendoodle in good shape, some people recommend feeding him measured portions twice a day instead of leaving food around.

This is useful since the golden retriever’s trait of suffering from gastric torsion, or bloat can be passed on to the offspring.

The easiest way to keep a tab on your Goldendoodle’s weight is to give him the eye test and the hands-on test.

For this, look down at your dog to make sure you are able to see a waist. Place your hands on the back of the dog (thumbs along its spine and fingers spread downwards).

At this point, you should be able to feel its ribs without pressing too hard. In case you cannot feel or even see the ribs, your dog is leaning towards being overweight in all probability.

In order to fix this, you would need to give it less food and ensure it gets a whole lot more exercise.

Grooming Your Goldendoodle

As you must know, shedding is a natural process of the hair growth cycle. The most helpful way to reduce the amount of hair a dog sheds is by brushing it regularly.

A Goldendoodle sheds moderately and the amount it sheds is dependent on its health status.

The Goldendoodle’s parent, the poodle, is popular in hybrids because its coat is extremely appealing. If the Goldendoodle is close to its poodle parent then it will have a coat that is curlier and less likely to shed.

On the other hand, if the dog is closer to a golden retriever then it will have long and wavy fur which will shed a whole lot more. Plus it could also retain more of a doggie smell in its coat.

Before getting a Goldendoodle, some pet parents usually check in with their breeder about the kind of coat the dog has.

On the bright side – regardless of what kind of coat your beloved puppy ends up with, he or she will definitely have a cuddly coat and a winning temperament!

For at-home care, you will need to brush and comb your Goldendoodle daily. This way the fur will not tangle or mat next to the skin.

You will also loosen up any dead skin in the process. Be sure to adhere to this routine.

In addition to this, you should also take your dog to a professional groomer every once in a while.

The standard schedule is about every 4-6 weeks.

Professional grooming is very important for this breed of dogs to keep them in good condition. Most importantly the dogs’ hair should be cut by professional groomers.

Along with taking care of the coat, the dog’s ears and eyes must also be cleaned frequently to avoid any infections.

Your weekly schedule should also include nail trimming and a bath.

If you want to read more the Goldendoodles coat, check out our article on are Goldendoodles hypoallergenic.

Conclusion

The Goldendoodle is no different from other dogs of the Oodle breed which are friendly and goody. Once a Goldendoodle is a part of your family, it will make you laugh and surely steal your heart.

Since they are fairly active, you will have a great time training them. Plus, everyone you know will come to adore these dogs because they are cute as buttons.

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