Goldendoodles: 10 Crazy Facts About The Ultimate Doodle Mix

Goldendoodles, also known as Groodle, Goldenpoo, or Goldiepoo, are a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. Having both breeds as their parents make them a hybrid, or what is commonly known as “designer breed.”

They're the ultimate combination of good looks, intelligent wits, and friendliness. In addition, Golden Doodles are immensely popular as the ideal family dog due to their loving and loyal nature inherited from their parent breeds.

Furthermore, they are low to non-shedding dogs, making them suitable for first-time and experienced pet owners alike. 

If you plan to add a Goldendoodle breed to your family, here are the Top 10 things you should know about them!

1. Goldendoodles Have An Interesting Origin

The Goldendoodle first appeared in the 1990s, during the Doodle era. The reason for its development was the successful breeding of Cockapoos and Labradoodles. 

However, the main reason behind its formation is to create a giant Doodle breed that is hypoallergenic like the Poodle and friendly like the Golden Retriever.

There are several types of Goldendoodles based on their breed generation, which includes: 

F1 Goldendoodle: This generation is the first-generation Goldendoodles because their parents are pure Golden Retrievers and Poodles.

The F1 Goldendoodle is the first variation everyone thinks of when the Goldendoodle breed comes to mind.

F1B Goldendoodle: This generation is when a Poodle and an F1 Goldendoodle crossbreed.

This variation is considered the most hypoallergenic type of Poodle due to the percentage of Poodle genetics.

F2 Goldendoodle: This generation is the second generation because both of its parents are F1 Goldendoodles.

F2B Goldendoodle: This generation is a multigeneration mix because their breed came from a cross of the F1B and the F2 types of Goldendoodles.

Bear in mind that the higher the Poodle gene in the Goldendoodle mix, the higher are its chances to shed less. 

2. They Vary in Sizes, Hair Types, & Color

If they vary in generations, of course, they will also vary in their appearance! Goldendoodles can appear in the standard or more minor variants.

Furthermore, it is also possible that we may get four types of fur from them. Depending on which parent breed is more dominant, they can be flat, straight, wavy, or curly. 

Their wavy coat comes in various colors that range from cream, black, red, apricot and can even be multicolored or particolored. 

Furthermore, they can grow up to 24 inches by the shoulder and weigh 50 to 90 pounds. 

3. Goldendoodles are Hypoallergenic 

The more dominant the Poodle gene is in your Goldendoodle, the more likely they are not to shed. Nevertheless, you must still be careful—they might activate your allergies just by licking you on your face!

It's essential to note that allergens may still be present in their discharge, dander, or saliva. Because of this, you must still take caution if you want to take care of this jolly breed.

However, as a consequence of their low to non-shedding coat, Goldendoodles are prone to matting. Your dog may not mind if its hair grows long, but it may grow up to 8 inches if left unattended, which can be a hassle. 

Thus, they need grooming at least once or twice a month. Furthermore, try to check for any signs of skin damage or other external conditions.

4. Goldendoodle Dogs Are Low Maintenance

With their non-shedding quality, Goldendoodles are considered a low-maintenance breed. It only means that you won't have to see yourself spending a lot of money on them.

Furthermore, unlike other dogs, they don't bark a lot, so they're also suitable for apartment living.

They may not be watchdog material, but the calmness of Goldendoodles is an addition to their kind and friendly personality.

5. Goldendoodles Have The Ideal Personality 

Like other crossbreeds, you cannot precisely identify a Goldendoodle's temperament due to their parent breeds' genetic patterns. Thereby, they may show behavior similar to one or both of the Goldie and Poodle.

Goldendoodles tend to show Golden Retriever traits and personality, such as sympathy, kindness, enthusiasm, and affection.

In addition, they have strong gundog instincts—they can fetch and retrieve anything with their mouth. Unfortunately, they're not a good watchdog because of their friendly and adaptive characteristic.

Furthermore, they also exhibit the friendly and intelligent side that they earned from their Poodle parent. These qualities make them easy to train and comfortable to bond with. 

If a Goldendoodle doesn't meet their required exercise within the day, they may tend to become agitated and destructive.

However, as long as you appropriately interact with your pup, the Groodle will be a good dog around the household. Otherwise, they might become rowdy and tend not to understand if it's playtime or not.

Lastly, Goldendoodles are also known to be affectionate with other pets in the house. They bond pretty quickly with others because of their friendliness and patience.

6. They Are the Ideal Babysitters and Service Dogs 

Goldendoodles can also make good service, guide, and therapy dogs because of their great diligence. Their obedience and patience make them good babysitters around toddlers and other children as they rarely show aggression. 

However, they still need to experience high-intensity activities to maintain their temperament and become happy and healthy dogs. 

7. They Are Natural Athletes 

It's best to train your Goldendoodle from a young age for easier handling once they get older.

You must do plenty of research to determine what kind of training they need that matches their physical attributes (e.g., size and build) and personality (e.g., cooperativeness). 

You may consider Clicker training a practical way to train your Goldendoodle. Still, you must add positive reinforcement while teaching them to participate without worrying on your part.

Good Training Exercises for Goldendoodles 

Start with obedience training, where you teach them basic dog tricks like sitting, lying down, begging, and fetch. Take baby steps when training your dog before taking them to more agile activities.

1. Start clicker training. Let your dog register that every click in every successful trick means a reward or an accomplishment.
2. Potty train them. By potty training your Goldendoodle, you will establish how important it is to know where they should defecate in your dog. 
3. Crate train them. Let them know where they'll fall in line with a routine, like where to sleep or rest to avoid the possibility of developing a velcro syndrome.
4. Train them to socialize well with others. Although Goldendoodles are naturally friendly, you must still train them to socialize with other people or animals to prevent any likeness of aggressive behavior. 

Furthermore, while training your dogs, expect to face some problems like:

• Biting and chewing on you or furniture,
• Suddenly digging on dirt or anything that they could explore on,
• Excessively barking to get what they want,
• Jumping around the house to gain your attention; and
• Eating non-food items.

Surprisingly, Goldendoodles have a love for the water, likely taken from the Golden Retriever personality. Consider using this feature to train them. 

Swimming is also their way to cool down, but you must stay clear if they're going to shake the water off.

8. Golden Poos Are Extremely Healthy 

Being a mixed breed gives you the best of both worlds from your parent breeds, and Goldendoodles are lucky to have this.

From physical attributes to personality, they attributed all of it to the Poodle and Golden Retriever. Their unique genes also make them healthier compared to other breeds. 

However, even with an improved system than the Poodle and Golden Retriever, Goldendoodles still have their fair share of possible illnesses. 

Due to their build can suffer from hip dysplasia, subvalvular aortic stenosis, and even Addison's disease.

Hip dysplasia is the unusual formation or development of the hip socket, which causes arthritis in dogs and eventually lameness in the lower region.

It's a genetic condition and may be affected by environmental factors; a symptom is that they keep on hopping like a bunny.

Subvalvular aortic stenosis is a heart condition with a blockage within the heart's aorta, causing irregular blood flow.

This genetic condition is frequent in dogs and may be harmful if not diagnosed and treated as early as possible.

Addison's disease is a condition primarily in the dog's immunity system, characterized by the destruction of adrenal tissue due to trauma, infection, or cancer.

Although Goldendoodles live a longer life, avoid (approximately 10 to 15 years) than their parent breeds, you must still be mindful of any conditions that could potentially harm your dog in the future, as early as possible. 

9. They Need A Protein and Fat Based Diet 

Their diets consist primarily of protein and fat-based food, along with vitamins for their nourishment. But because of their activeness and energetic nature, they will also need something to get them back on their feet.

Protein that they require includes chicken, beef, lamb, and other white meat; dark meat is not recommended. You may also feed them vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts.

Fruits are great, especially for older Goldendoodles which may help their digestive tract, mainly fiber for their metabolism. Examples of fruits that you can give them are apples, bananas, or any fruit rich in fiber.

High-quality kibble rich in protein and fats is recommended for your dog to take care of their dental hygiene. Kibble in dogs can effectively remove plaque in dogs' teeth because of their texture.

Even if there are many foods with protein and fat suitable for your dog, there are still several that you cannot give because of potential allergens or toxic substances that may harm your dog. 

Below are the food products that you cannot give to your dog:

• Soya
• Prunes
• Nuts
• Dark or baker's chocolate
• Garlic
• Grapes
• Citrus fruits, which may cause acid reflux,
• Raw eggs and raw or undercooked meat, which may contain salmonella,
• Coffee,
• Avocadoes,
• Onions,
• Salty food, which may affect their urinary tract,
• Sugary food, which may cause diabetes,
• Cherries, considered as toxic to both dogs and cats; and
• Soft drinks.

If they're picky eaters, you might try mixing a bit of the food they like onto their bowl or changing their diet plans. If these tricks are not effective, you may have to take them to your nearest veterinarian for check-ups.

10. No Two Goldendoodles Look-Alike

Due to circumstances around crossbreeding and generational breeding, Goldendoodles may appear similar. But this is not the case because their genetics enables them to look unique to their own.

Even if it depends on their sizes and fur coat types, variations within their genes make them different. You may get two similar copies of Goldendoodles, but one is either short or the other standard-sized.

You may also get a Goldendoodle that looks like a Retriever with a Poodle coat and vice versa. But, again, this varies because these are two different breeds mixed to create hybrids of their own.

Conclusion

Goldendoodles are not purebred; they are a designer breed. Thus, their appearance and personality depend on which parent trait they inherited from. 

They are unpredictable. But Goldendoodles' qualities can be more consistent when you breed the Goldendoodle from each other. 

If you are planning to own a Goldendoodle, it'd be best to do a background check if they suit both your hypoallergenic needs, time management, and lifestyle.

Furthermore, you must also evaluate your choices and current circumstances in life to raise a dog.

For example, they don't function well in an apartment because of their large build and size. Thus, Goldendoodles are better if they have a large area to roam. 

However, if you are already sure of letting a Goldendoodle enter your life, verify the dog breeder you are buying from or the shelter you are adopting.

Also, avoid shady deals that say they're 100% healthy—chances are they might try to scam you and get away from it!

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