The Goldendoodle is a crossbreed between the Golden Retriever and the Standard Poodle. It results in a loving, intelligent animal that gets along great with everyone. These easy-going furry companions were originally bred in Australia to be a low shedder. It’s kind of like the best of both worlds. You can thank both the Golden Retriever’s love of playing outside and the Poodle for making this mix so easily trainable.
Personality and Temperament
Goldendoodle dogs are friendly, affectionate, and loving. They make for great family companions where they will get along with children and even other pets. Goldendoodles love human attention, which is part of the reason they do so well in families. The Goldendoodle is also easy to train when positive reinforcement techniques are used. This means that it’s important to avoid harsh training methods when you’re training your furry friend since obedience can be accomplished without pain if done correctly. When you’re training your Goldendoodle, be sure to train them as a pack. These dogs love structure and boundaries and will thrive in this kind of environment.
Goldendoodle Appearance
This breed typically stands around 15 to 26 inches tall and can weigh up to 70 pounds. The body is muscular, athletic, and sturdy in appearance while the fur coat tends to be silky or wavy with a fine or medium length. This pet can vary greatly in appearance, depending on which parent it favors more. There may be very large differences between two siblings, even if they were raised together! You’ll need to decide if that’s something that appeals to you and then look for a puppy that closely matches that description (the breeder will help you determine which pup has the characteristics closest to what you’re looking for).
With this crossbreed there is no standard “Goldendoodle” look so some are larger or smaller than others, some have long silky coats while others have curly coats, and some have a longer snout with a muzzle that makes it look like they’re wearing a teddy bear’s face. When looking for Goldendoodles for sale, remember that most breeders do not put restrictions on the look of their dogs. You can expect to find everything from extremely curly coats to extremely straight coats and everything in between. Your best bet is to meet with several breeders and ask to see pictures of each of their Goldendoodle dogs. This will give you a better idea of what you’ll be getting into with this kind of dog so you can figure out if it’s the right breed for your lifestyle.
Goldendoodle Care
The Goldendoodle tends to be a low-shedding breed, which is great news for families that want furry companions but are trying to avoid the shedding that comes with it. However, this does mean that you should expect some heavy shedding in spring and summer. Regular brushing will help you control this issue so be prepared to spend an evening or two brushing your pup. This breed can be sensitive to common food allergens, so you must know the foods that are most likely to cause allergic reactions in dogs.
Also, make sure to keep an eye on your pooch’s eyes and ears to make sure they’re clean and that no redness or itching is present. When it comes to bathing, you should only bathe your pooch when they’re dirty. Over-bathing can strip the natural oils that protect their skin and cause it to dry out, which is never good for an animal no matter what breed they are. See more details on grooming on our how to groom a goldendoodle page.
Training and Exercise Needs
Goldendoodles are intelligent, which means that training them is usually easy if you use positive reinforcement. Keeping an upbeat mood in the training sessions themselves will go a long way towards encouraging your Goldendoodle to have fun with it instead of dreading it. Keep in mind that repetition is important so repetition in the training process is critical for this breed. They can be sensitive to harsh words and will not respond well to negative treatment no matter how carefully you think you’re disguising your displeasure when they do something wrong. However, when they know that there are consequences for their bad behavior, they learn very quickly because they want to please you more than anything else. This is a great health benefit to you as an owner too.
When exercising your Goldendoodle, you must start slowly. Young pups and older dogs alike will need long walks around the neighborhood to get their muscles working and clear out all of the built-up energy they have from being cooped up in a small apartment or house all day. If you don’t give them this opportunity, they’ll find other ways to work it off on their own… most likely with your favorite shoes, slippers, or furniture. To avoid this, always make sure you give your pup plenty of room to run and play when they get in from a walk. We have many articles on training Goldendoodles.
Health Issues With Goldendoodles
Goldendoodles can inherit health problems from either side of their family tree, which makes them more likely to suffer from certain diseases than other crossbreeds. Hip dysplasia is one such problem that comes with the poodle side of things, and it causes painful inflammation in the hip joints that can eventually lead to crippling arthritis if not treated properly. This breed has a high risk for hypothyroidism as well; this disease affects the thyroid gland’s ability to produce hormonal secretions which leads to a variety of symptoms including weight gain, hair loss on specific areas of the body, and lack of energy. Cushing’s disease is also a common ailment in the Goldendoodle breed, and it causes hair loss from their immune system attacking their skin cells. much like humans with lupus experience.
Living Conditions For Your Dog
When it comes to living conditions, Goldendoodles fare best in homes with a medium-sized yard where they can run around or a large farm where they can roam freely. A smaller yard without a fence around it is not ideal because these dogs are known to be escape artists. Once they figure out that the gate opens, they’ll do whatever it takes to get back outside where all of their friends are. A large fenced-in area with no traffic sounds like heaven to these active pups! If you’re unable to give them access to an outdoor space regularly, consider spending some time at the dog park so your pooch can enjoy some off-leash fun.
While they can be demanding at times, Goldendoodles are wonderful pets that are loyal to their family members. Their protective instincts make them the perfect choice for families with children, and their friendliness makes them great additions to families with other pets as well. With proper training, exercise, and socialization; these dogs will become your best friends in no time.
