Description of the Goldendoodle

Breed: GOLDENDOODLE Country of Origin: Australia Height: Height can range from 12"-32" from the withers.

Weight: Weight can range from 9 lbs-150 lbs.

Color: Cream; Light/Dark Apricot; Red; Chocolate; Chocolate phantom; Silver; Silver Frost; Silver phantom; Silver with gold hues; Black; White; Goldendoodles can also be of parti or Tri-Color and have white markings with any combination of the coloring listed above.

Coat: First Generation Goldendoodles always sport a long, thick, shaggy and wavy coat as an adult. Goldendoodles bred back to a Poodle can sport more curls in the coat. Goldendoodles who sport more curls in their coat are not less shedding. They will just have a thicker coat than those who have fewer curls. Goldendoodles bred back to a related Golden Retriever will shed just like a Golden Retriever and will sport more of a flat coat. More than likely, this type of pairing will result in the doodle NOT sporting a facial beard.

Character: The Goldendoodle is a very low shedding dog that works out very well for those with mild allergies. ANYONE who has severe allergies should be tested PRIOR to the purchase of a Goldendoodle and consult their allergist. The Goldendoodle is a family oriented dog and is very sociable with other pets. The Goldendoodle has a "V" shape appearance in the face that resembles a beard and because the coat is quite shaggy and wavy, it does require weekly coat maintenance from 1 year of age, on. The Goldendoodle can have ear issues if the dog has frequent water contact and has long, heavy hanging ears. Goldendoodles who have shorter ears that flip over at the top have fewer ear issues than those with the long, heavy, hanging ears. The Goldendoodle has beautiful almond shaped eyes that can be brown, green, blue, amber or have multi colored eyes. The intelligence of the Goldendoodle shines through their very bright, happy eyes. The Goldendoodle has no "rare" markings or colors because of the wide range of colors within their Poodle heritage. Goldendoodles have a very wide range in size and weight because they are a Poodle hybrid. Goldendoodle puppies in any given litter can be of various sizes regardless of the size of their parents. On occasion, the Goldendoodle can have allergy issues that are similar to the Golden Retriever; Can on occasion have dry skin and can, on occasion, become suddenly sensitive to canine vaccines. With regards to puppy vaccines, it has been our experience that the Goldendoodle dog is more fully protected from Parvo and distemper when the vaccine NEO-PAR is used as its first two puppy vaccines. NEO-PAR is the "cadillac" of all puppy vaccines and seems to provide the Goldendoodle puppy with a higher protection rate than other name brands. The Goldendoodle is an over-all, healthy and hardy dog that can live up to 15 years in an ideal situation.

Temperament: The Goldendoodle, when created as a first generation and weighs 25 pounds or over will behave like the Golden Retriever. It will be very friendly towards strangers as well as get along with other family pets. Goldendoodles enjoy water sports and being active but their best trait is being a "family" companion. The Goldendoodle enjoys human interaction and enjoys alot of personal attention. The Goldendoodle is great with children of all ages providing the dog weighs 25 pounds or more. Goldendoodles who are under 25 pounds in body weight as an adult will behave more like a Toy breed and can sometimes be less friendly with strangers or people they are not familiar with. Smaller Goldendoodles tend to gravitate towards a single person rather than the entire family and prefer to be lap dogs rather than outdoorsey, sporty dogs. If a Goldendoodle is purchased as a child's pet, a larger doodle should be considered.

Care: As a young puppy, The Goldendoodle will go through many coat changes. The coat requires little care other than an occasional bath and brushing until it reaches the age of one. From one year of age, the coat is longer and thicker and does require regular brushing. The coat maintenance can be reduced by having the Goldendoodle trimmed on a once every six month basis. If you have your Goldendoodle trimmed, ensure that the groomer leaves at least 1 1/2 " of coat out from the skin so your Goldendoodle's skin is protected from insects while outdoors. Attention to the ears is a must if the Goldendoodle has alot of water contact.

Training: The Goldendoodle is very easy to train and should be trained with positive reinforcement. Consistancy as well as repetition in training will allow your Goldendoodle to pick up commands very quickly. Keep commands simple with alot of loving praise.

The Goldendoodle is a very loving, sensitive dog who does not respond well to negative training.

Activity: The Goldendoodle is not an over-active dog or a hyper-active dog. A Goldendoodle is happiest when with its family. A Goldendoodle does not mind laying at your feet or running along beside you if you bicycle. Keep in mind the smaller Goldendoodles are not able to keep up with certain activities. Small Goldendoodles work out better for those who are not very active and larger Goldendoodles work out better for families who are always on the go or who enjoy outdoor activities. A Goldendoodle enjoys playing and is happiest when interacting with its family. It is important, however, to note that Goldendoodles 25 pounds or over will take on more of the Golden Retriever characteristics in behaviour where as a Goldendoodle that is under 25 pounds, will sport more of the quirky traits as that of the Toy Breed. Goldendoodles under 25 pounds prefer to be a lap dog; are not recommended as a pet for small children because Toy sized Goldendoodles tend to gravitate toward a single family member, are not stranger friendly and can be difficult to socialize with "outsiders". Goldendoodles under 25 pounds are considered to be "diva" dogs and work out better for older couples without children or a family who has older children in the household.

Description: The Goldendoodle began to become popular in 1997 in Australia and began to become popular in 1999. The Goldendoodle's original purpose was as an assistance dog for those who had allergies to shedding canine hair. Being a very friendly dog and very sociable to other pets, The Goldendoodle makes for a great pet for those who have children of all ages. Because the Goldendoodle is a Poodle hybrid, its size can range far and wide. When a Toy Poodle is bred to a Golden Retriever, the puppies can range from 9 pounds to 18 pounds as adults.

When a Miniature Poodle or small Standard Poodle is bred to a Golden Retriever, the sizes will literally range anywhere from 25 pounds up to

55 pounds or more, depending upon the size of the Golden Retriever.

Puppies will be various sizes in any given litter and not all of the puppies in any particular litter will weigh a particular amount based on the size of the parents. Even if both parents are very large dogs, Goldendoodle offspring will be of various weighs in any given litter.

The Goldendoodle is very popular because of the coat not shedding as much as typical purebred dogs. Because many families have children, the Goldendoodle works out very well because of their friendly disposition.

Over all, the Goldendoodle is a very hardy dog who can have a long life span of up to 15 years. Health issues are usually minor as the Goldendoodle does not always possess the same health issues as that of the purebred dog. This is because neither parent is related and creates what many hybrid breeders consider to be "Hybrid vigor". However, Goldendoodles that are inbred or backbred to related ancestors may not have the "hybrid vigor" and may be more prone to having health issues as that of purebred dogs who are highly inbred or backbred to close ancestors. There are no "rare" colors or markings for the Goldendoodle since the Poodle has a very wide range of colors and markings in their heritage. Goldendoodles can even sport green, amber or blue eyes or a combination of those eye colors. Most Goldendoodles sport brown eyes.

The Eye color on all Chocolate or Chocolate phantom Goldendoodles is always green or amber with liver pawpads, nose and eye trim.

Goldendoodles are considered to have a two-toned effect in their coat.

Many Goldendoodles of color will have silver or gold hues inside of their coat hairs. Goldendoodles who are cream can appear to be white when outdoors and apricot Goldendoodles who are indoors will always appear to be darker in color than when outdoors. Goldendoodles will always lighten in color from the time they are born until the day they turn one year of age. They will never darken. Goldendoodles of color are always born darker than what they will be as an adult. Many black Goldendoodles can turn silver and some black Goldendoodles can turn into a silver phantom with lighter silver legs, face and chest. Nearly all light colored Goldendoodles, to include Goldendoodles who are red, have white hair follicles. This comes about from the Poodle genes. Many dark Goldendoodles sport Golden hues and this comes about from the Golden Retriever. All in all, regardless of color or size, the Goldendoodle makes the perfect pet for those seeking a friendly and very outgoing, comical dog.

Courtesy of Goldendoodle World

Leave a Comment