Dog Breed Guide – Goldendoodle

Dog Breed Guide - Goldendoodle

History

Goldendoodles are also commonly known as Groodles, Goldenoodles or golden poos. They are a hybrid or crossbreed of the golden retriever and poodle. They are a larger version of the cockapoo, another popular designer breed.

These breed of dogs are not entirely a breed of their own but rather a designer breed whose popularity is growing pretty fast! They became popular in the early 1990s. Goldendoodles are known for their agility and make excellent working dogs as sniffer dogs, guide dogs, service dogs, and therapy dogs.

Their development was to create a doodle with a minimally shedding coat, low dander and possessed the friendly and intelligent nature of the golden retriever.

They make perfect family dogs and live for approximately 10 to 15 years.

Physical Characteristics

The size of golden doodles varies between large and small depending on the variant of the golden retriever or poodle it is crossed with. They are usually come in three sizes namely: miniature, small standard, and large standard.

The miniature groodle is a mix of a miniature or toy poodle and the golden retriever. They usually range between 13 to 20 inches in height and between 15 to 35 pounds in weight.

Small standard Goldendoodles stand at a height of between 17 to 20 inches and weigh between 40 to 50 pounds.

Large standard groodles, on the other hand, grow to a height of between 20 to 24 inches and weigh between 50 to 90 pounds.

They have a long and lean build and a long, curly, shaggy hair coat that requires regular grooming. They are termed as hypoallergic as their fur produces little dander. They come in various colors namely golden yellow, deep orange or red, white, cream, gray, or black.

They have long relaxed ear and a medium-sized muzzle. Their tails are long and feathery.

Personality and Temperament

They are intelligent, friendly and affectionate. They are also very loving, loyal and playful making them excellent family dogs.

They are also easy to train and make excellent therapy dogs.

Just like other breeds of dogs, they require consistent obedience training and early socialization for them to grow to be well mannered all-rounded dogs.

They also get along with children as well as other pets in the household.

Enrolling them to puppy kindergarten, visiting dog parks and exposer to different people allows them to develop good social skills.

Trainability

Goldendoodles are highly trainable making them excellent service dogs and ideal for first-time dog owners.

Never use physical punishment to admonish these breed of dogs rather use positive reinforcement.

Grooming

Goldendoodles have curly hair that is 2 to 3 inches long which may require regular grooming. Hair around the ears, legs, tail, and body is longer and feathery and requires extra attention. They, however, have minimal shedding making them ideal for people hypersensitive to dander.

Many owners prefer to clip the hair as it requires little brushing every few weeks. However if one opts to keep it long brushing once or twice a week helps to keep it in excellent shape.

Brush their teeth 2 to 3 times a week to prevent tartar build-up as well as to prevent gum disease.

Their nails should also be trimmed often to prevent painful tears. Take precaution while clipping their nails as they are laden with blood vessels which can cause bleeding. If they make a clicking sound on the floorit is indicative that it’s time to give them a trim.

Ear cleaning should also be done regularly to prevent infections, redness or bad odor. Only clean the outer ear and avoid inserting objects. Use a cotton ball and a pH-balanced ear cleaner to help clean the ear.

Frequent bathing is discouraged as it depletes the hair of its oils and moisture.

Feeding

Goldendoodles require approximately 1 to 4 cups to high-quality adult food spread over multiple meals. This is however dependent on age, metabolism, build and their level of activity.

It is also advisable to feed them small meals throughout the day as they are prone to gastric torsion and bloat.

Living Conditions and Care

Golden doodles make excellent family dogs. They thrive outdoors as they are active dogs requiring approximately 30 minutes of daily exercise. They also love water making swimming another choice exercise for them.

Stand-alone homes with a backyard make ideal homes for groodles. However, they do not do well sleeping outside or in a kennel. They love the company of their families. Due to their size, they also require ample room to move around making apartment living less conducive.

 Goldendoodles are very friendly and patient with little aggression making them excellent companions for children as well as other pets in the home.

Like other bred of dogs, their interaction with children should be supervised. Teach the children to avoid pulling the dogs ears, tail or taking away their food while eating.

Health

Goldendoodles are prone to various health conditions. Before acquiring a puppy be sure to check the health history of the parents to be better prepared in the event of future health issues.

Common health conditions include:

  • Patellar luxation: This refers to the dislocation of the knee cap that commonly affects the hind leg. It is a painful condition which often leads to lameness.
  • Ear infections: Regular ear cleaning helps to prevent bacterial and fungal ear infections.
  • Hip dysplasia: This occurs when there is a displacement of the hip joint. It is an inherited degenerative condition that also predisposes the hip joint to arthritis. It causes great pain leading to lameness. Affected dogs should not be bred.
  • Gastric dilation and volvulus: This is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the stomach is bloated and twists on itself. To prevent this feed your dog several small meals throughout the day. Exercise after a heavy meal should also be discouraged.
  • Hypothyroidism: This is a condition that occurs as a result of low production of the thyroid hormone. This often leads to alopecia, obesity, lethargy, hyperpigmentation and skin conditions.

Summary

Groodles grown in popularity over the years. They are a crossbreed of the poodle and the golden retriever.

They are bred due to the admirable qualities of the intelligence and friendliness of the golden retriever and low shedding properties of the poodle.

Goldendoodles make excellent family dogs. They are very friendly and playful and get along with children and other pets in the home.

Though they love the outdoors due to their need for the exercise they prefer staying indoors with their families, not in kennels.

They are also low maintenance when it comes to grooming as they do not shed a lot.

They are easy to train making them excellent service dogs.