Goldendoodles Are a Perfect Package of Trainable and Affectionate Pups
With its curly coat, expressive face and friendly demeanor it’s easy to see why the Goldendoodle has quickly become such a popular choice as a family dog. As the name suggests, it is a mixed breed combining the Golden Retriever and Poodle. It can vary in size from Miniature to Large Standard depending on the size of the poodle parent. Generally, Miniatures range from 13 to 20 inches in height and 15 to 35 pounds, while Small Standards range from 17 to 20 inches and 40 to 50 pounds and Large Standards from 20 to 24 inches and 50 to 90 pounds. Their coat can be black, copper, white, cream, gray, golden, apricot or red though golden seems to be the most common color. Varying from straight to curly depending on their parentage, Goldendoodles tend to be very light shedders making them ideal for people with allergies.
History
The Goldendoole was first bred in the 1990s as a larger alternative to the popular Cockapoo. The main goal in breeding was to combine the best traits of the Golden Retriever and Poodle to create a dog that was easy to train with a light shedding coat that makes it hypoallergenic. The charming personality of this new breed caused it to catch on quickly and it has been steadily gaining in popularity in both the United States and Australia.
Temperament
Combining the gentle, friendly demeanor of the Golden Retriever with the intelligence and trainability of the Poodle, it’s not surprising that this new crossbreed has gained in popularity so quickly. The affectionate, gentle and patient nature of the Goldendoodle makes it a perfect family dog, particularly around children. It’s a very social breed, interested in making friends with anyone they meet. At the same time, their extraordinary intelligence and eagerness to please makes them easy to train, which means they are a great choice for novice and experienced owners alike. They are loyal dogs but because they are extremely social so they don’t do well when left alone for long periods of time.
Environment
While the Goldendoodle can adapt to both city or country living, they do tend to be high energy and need room to move around, making apartment living less than ideal. In general they tend to do better in a house with a large fenced in yard where they can get regular exercise. It’s important to remember, however, that even though they need space to roam as social dogs with a strong connection to their family they don’t do well when left outside or in a kennel. They’ll be much happier when they are inside the house with their family around them.
Exercise
As highly social dogs, Goldendoodles don’t do well when left alone for long periods of time and their frustration and anxiety can lead to destructive behaviors. You can counter this by crating them if you have to leave them alone for any extended period and providing them with chew toys and treats to keep them busy. Their extraordinary intelligence makes them easy to train with positive reinforcement. They take well to both agility training and swimming but for the most part, a daily walk or romp in the yard is usually enough to help them burn off excess energy.
Grooming
While Goldendoodles are considered hypoallergenic, they do require some grooming to keep their coat healthy. Grooming needs depend on their coat type, with curlier coats requiring more maintenance to avoid matting. The coat can be clipped to make maintenance easier but if left in its natural state you’ll likely need to brush it about once every week or two. In order to retain the necessary oil and moisture, you should only bathe your Goldendoodle when absolutely necessary.
