Short History of the Breed

A Goldendoodle is a Golden Retriever and Poodle cross. Goldendoodles, also called Golden Poos, Goldie Poos, or Groodles, have been bred in North America and Australia since the mid-1990's. A goldendoodle is not a purebred and they are not a registered breed. Goldendoodles make amazing pets and they are great family dogs. Mix breed dogs are known to be healthier and more genetically sound then purebreds. Goldendoodles are fun, goofy, family dogs that are great with kids and love to participate in family activities. The best way to describe a goldendoodle is “little people in fur coats!!!” As the smaller poodle had been such a success in filling the niche for small, allergy friendly family pets, Golden Retriever breeders decided to try a breeding with a standard poodle for a larger family pet. The quick rise of the popularity of Goldendoodles is due to the dogs themselves.

Physical Description and Size:

The Goldendoodle, like the Labradoodle and many other Poodle cross breeds, was bred to be a very low shedding assistance dog for individuals who need such a dog, but who suffer from allergies to shedding hair or have other problems with excessive shedding. However, not all Goldendoodles will exhibit the "hypoallergenic" coat style of the poodle; as a mixed breed dog, the traits of puppies cannot be accurately predicted. While some Goldendoodles are low-shedding, many others shed a small amount and still others shed as much as a Golden Retriever. While some breeders claim that the Goldendoodle is a hypoallergenic canine, allergists believe that there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic animal. There have been no studies to date verifying whether any canine is completely hypoallergenic. Goldendoodles also make excellent bird dogs, and will try to catch anything that has wings.

Goldendoodles come in difference sizes - standard: 50lbs and up, mini's: 25-49lbs and tiny's: 24lbs or less.



A Goldendoodles average size of the mix with a Standard Poodle and Golden Retriever are usually is 55-65 pounds for females and 60-70 pounds for a male. Goldendoodles also have different coat types. They can range from curly, wavy, or straight depending on its genes. Goldendoodles can have different colors, depending on the Poodle genes passed onto the pup. However, Goldendoodles can be white, blonde, tan, cafe, chocolate, red, black, silver, parti, phantom, or a mix. A mix of colors can come from the same litter.

Temperament:

Goldendoodles are very intelligent family dogs. Retrievers and poodles are ranked in the top 5 smartest dogs in the world. Goldendoodles love everyone and are very in tune and loyal family dogs! They are great with children, other animals and all people in general. They love being with the family and aren’t a dog to be left on a chain all day outside by themselves. They need human companionship. When golden doodles are taken to obedience class and trained properly they learn very fast and I’ve heard time and time again that they are always in the top of the class. They are such goofy, fun loving, clown like dogs that make everyone laugh. They are so full of charisma and character. They will bark to warn you that someone is at the door but they are NOT excessive barkers. If you are a goofy person that loves to have fun and be able to look at your dog and laugh then the goldendoodle is the dog for you!

Health Issues and Life Expectancy

The Poodle and Golden Retriever breeds are sometimes prone to several detrimental traits. Therefore, it is important that responsible breeders certify their parent dogs are free from hip dysplasia (such as by having them OFA or PennHIP evaluated), cataracts, and other potentially inheritable problems.

Goldendoodles are such a popular breed that there are many careless breeders out there who are doing little to no testing. Please do your research and make sure breeders are performing the testing below. It’s better to wait for a good quality pup from a great breeder then to support careless breeders who are just out to breed as many pups as possible without caring about the breed as a whole.

If you buy your goldendoodle puppy from an unrepeatable breeder you may end up with many health problems and expensive vet bills.

The website www.goldendoodle-labradoodle.org has some of the top goldendoodle breeders in the world.


Tests that should be done prior to breeding of Golden Retrievers

1. Hips (HD) OFA or Pennhip or OVC

2. eyes (CERF) Required Yearly

3. Hearts......tested and certified by OFA

4. Elbows (OFA) - Elbows have become a recent problem in the breed.



Tests that should be done prior to breeding of Standard Poodles

1. Hips (HD) OFA or Pennhip or OVC

2. elbows OFA

3. Eyes (CERF) Required Yearly

4. Von Willebrands (vWd) (bleeding disorder) DNA or Blood screen

5. Sebaceous Adenitis (SA) Skin Disorder

* Thyroid malfunctions - Not Required but a highly recommended test for all breeding dogs.




Tests that should be done prior to breeding of Miniature and Toy Poodles

1. Hips for HD and Legg-Perves Disease OFA, Penn hip or OVC

2. Stifles for Luxating Patella's

3. Eyes (CERF) Required Yearly

4. Von Willebrands Disease (vWd) DNA or Blood screen

* Thyroid malfunctions - Not Required but a highly recommended test for all breeding dogs.


Information and picture provided by: Swissridge Goldendoodles

Additional Resources:

Wikipedia
Goldendoodle World- An educational Goldendoodle site to learn about the Goldendoodle.
IGOLDENDOODLE- A Goldendoodle portal for all things doodle.
Goldendoodles On-Line Community
Search Warp- Articles on Goldendoodles can be found here.
Goldendoodle-Labradoodle
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