Today’s dogs are a very important part of a family environment. They keep us entertained, they put smiles on our faces, they are our children’s best friends, they are there to talk to us when we feel lonely and have no one else! They love us unconditionally and bring an abundance of joy and love to a family. There is no doubt in my mind that since the beginning of time dogs have been known as man’s best friends!
Golden doodles are no exception. A golden doodle is a mix between a golden retriever and a poodle. Breeders in Australia began breeding this cross in the mid 1980’s and North American breeders have been breeding them since the mid 1990’s. They were first bred in Australia as guide dogs for people in need! a larger dog and allergy friendly!
Goldendoodles make amazing, healthy family dogs for so many reasons!
First, the mix between a poodle and a retriever gives the doodle a quality known as “hybrid vigour” (the offspring of genetically different parents), which means that mixed-breed dogs are typically healthier and live longer than the purebred. This is because most genetic traits are recessive. Golden’s and poodles don’t have many diseases in common, so if both parents don’t have a particular trait for a certain disease, puppies can’t get it. This is why many mixed breed dogs, including the goldendoodle, are healthier than purebreds. You still need to choose your breeder carefully and make sure they do all the necessary health testing, temperament testing, and extensive line research before you breed your dogs, but generally mixed breeds are more genetically sound!
Goldendoodles also possess many qualities of both the poodle and the golden. Most goldendoodles are friendly, highly intelligent, goofy dogs who love to be part of the family. They love to swim, play fetch, and interact with people. They are very social dogs and love to be active and have fun. I have donated dogs as therapy and service dogs and the doodle excels at this type of work! As a breeder I hear hundreds of stories about how smart these dogs are and how they are at the top of their puppy class and how they are the best dogs my clients have ever owned.
Most scribbles have a very low coat or no shedding. This depends on the dog and the type of coat it has. There are 3 different types of fur, wool (which is a tight curl and the most hypoallergenic), fleece (which is wavy and usually remains very low and hypoallergenic), and hair (which is smoother and generally sheds more). An experienced breeder can usually tell when the puppy is 6-7 weeks old what type of coat he will have as an adult and the breeder will help you find the right puppy for her needs. Goldendoodles’ fur will continue to grow and can be anywhere from 3 to 8 inches long if not clipped. A doodle requires regular brushing or it will matte and you need to go to the groomer for a clip every 4 months or so!
Goldendoodles also come in many colors and sizes depending on the poodle used. At our kennel we breed blonde, gold, apricot, red, black, silver and ghost doodles. We also have 3 different sizes, standard (anything over 21″ and 50lbs and up), mini (13″ to 20″ and 25-49lbs), and tiny (12″ or under 10-24lbs).
Their life expectancy is usually 12-15 years for the standards and 14-17 years for the mini.
Doodles also come in many different generations, and depending on what you’re looking for, one generation may be better than another. F1s are a purebred golden mixed with a purebred poodle. This generation is usually the healthiest and possesses the most “hybrid vigour” traits. F1b is a backcross and is a goldendoodle crossed with a poodle. These types of golden scribbles are usually better for those with severe allergies, as the f1b usually has a curlier coat than the f1 (note that this is not always the case and your breeder will be able to help you with this). F2 is a goldendoodle bred back to a goldendoodle. Puppies in an f2 litter tend not to sway as much in one direction or the other. They seem to be a good mix between golden and poodle (sometimes, but not always, in an f1 litter, some pups will sway more towards a golden, some more towards a poodle, and some will be in the middle), f3 (f3 and higher is also known as multiple generation) is and f2 golden doodle is regenerated to f2 golden doodle and f4 is a f3 golden doodle is regenerated to f3 golden doodle. The more you breed them with each other, the more you will lose the hybrid vigor trait. A seventh generation (f7) goldendoodle is eligible for registration as a Thoroughbred (this has not been done to my knowledge).
As I mentioned before, goldendoodles are healthier than most purebred dogs, but breeders should still perform all tests on the parents. It is better to wait for a good quality puppy from a great breeder than to support careless breeders who just want to breed as many puppies as possible without worrying about the breed as a whole.
If you buy your golden doodle puppy from a one-of-a-kind breeder, you may end up with a lot of health problems and expensive vet bills.
Tests Required for Breeding Golden Retrievers
1. Hips (HD) OFA or Pennhip or OVC
2. eyes (CERF) Compulsory Annual
3. Hearts… tested and certified by OFA
4. Elbows (OFA)
Tests Required for Breeding Standard Poodles
1. Hips (HD) OFA or Pennhip or OVC
2. OFA elbows
3. Eyes (CERF) required annually
4. Von Willebrands (vWd) (Bleeding Disorder) Blood or DNA Test
5. Sebaceous Adenitis (SA) Skin Disorder
* Thyroid Malfunction – Not required, but highly recommended test for all breeding dogs.
Tests Required for Breeding Miniature and Toy Poodles.
1. Hips for HD and Legg-Perves disease OFA, Penn hip or OVC
2. Knees to dislocate the patella
3. Eyes (CERF) required annually
4. Von Willebrands disease (vWd) DNA or blood test
* Thyroid Malfunction – Not required, but highly recommended test for all breeding dogs.
I have given you a brief description of the doodle. If you have any further questions about this breed, you can visit my website. These dogs are becoming very popular and I have no doubt why. They are amazing with children and can live in almost any type of environment. The best way to describe these amazing dogs is “Little people in fur coats.”