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 dawn of time dogs have been known as man’s best friend!
Golden doodles are no exception. A golden doodle is a mix between a golden retriever and a poodle. Australian breeders began breeding this cross in the mid-1980s and North American breeders have been breeding them since the mid-1990s. They were first bred in Australia as guide dogs for people in need! larger dog and allergy friendly!
Goldendoodles are amazing and healthy family dogs for many reasons!
First of all, the mix between a poodle and a retriever gives the doodle a quality known as “hybrid vigor” (the offspring of genetically different parents), which means that mixed breed dogs are typically healthier and live longer than poodles. purebred ones. 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, the puppies can’t get it. This is why many mixed breed dogs, including the goldendoodle, are healthier than purebreds. You still have to choose your breeder carefully and make sure they are doing all the required health tests, temperament tests, and researching the lines thoroughly before you breed your dogs, but in general 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 had.
Most Scribbles have a very low or no shed coat. This depends on the dog and the type of fur it has. There are 3 different coat types, wool (which is a tight curl and the most hypoallergenic), fleece (which is wavy and usually remains very low and hypoallergenic), and shag (which is smoother and generally sheds the most). 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 find the right puppy for her needs. Goldendoodles’ fur will continue to grow and can be anywhere from 3 to 8 inches long if left uncut. A doodle requires regular brushing or it will get matted 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. In 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″ and under 10-24lbs).
Their life expectancy is usually 12-15 years for Standards and 14-17 years for Minis.
Doodles also come in many different generations, and depending on what you’re looking for, one generation may be better than another. The F1’s are a purebred golden mixed with a purebred poodle. This generation is usually the healthiest and possesses the most “hybrid vigor” traits. F1b is a backcross and is a goldendoodle crossed with a poodle. These types of golden doodle 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. The pups in a litter of f2 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 swing more towards a golden, some more towards a poodle, and some will be in between), f3 (f3 and highest is also known as multi-spawn) is and f2 golden doodle re-spawns to f2 golden doodle and f4 is a f3 golden doodle re-spawns to f3 golden doodle. The more you breed them with each other, the more you lose the hybrid vigor trait. A seventh generation goldendoodle (f7) 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 run all the tests on the parents. It is better to expect 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 the Breeding of Golden Retrievers
1. Hips (HD) OFA or Pennhip or OVC
2. eyes (CERF) Mandatory Annual
3. Cores… 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) blood or DNA test (bleeding disorder)
5. Sebaceous adenitis (SA) skin disorder
* Thyroid Malfunction – Not required, but highly recommended for all breeding dogs.
Required tests 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 for all breeding dogs.
I have given you a brief description of the doodle. If you have more 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 kind of environment. The best way to describe these amazing dogs is “Little People in Fur Coats.”
