Country of Origin: North America, Australia
Size: small to large
Weight: 23kg (50 lbs) standard
Height: 0.5m (20 inches) standard
Grooming Requirements: Frequent
Exercise Requirements: Moderate
Popularity in Australia: Moderate
Dog Type: Hybrid / Cross retrievers
Most suited As: companion, sports hunting and retrieving
Also known As: Doodles
Expected Life Span: varies with size of dog
Origin
Breeders in both America and Australia crossed the Golden Retriever with the Poodle, both being registered animals from good lines, to come up with a healthier dog that sheds less and has less health problems than either full blooded dog. Both dogs are natural long time retrievers with good instincts, and both retrieve on land or in the water.
It’s not clear just when this mix began, but the name of this designer breed became common around 1992. The breed has progressed to the point that now they are available in different sizes, from the full size standard to the miniature and even a toy.
Temperament
Goldendoodles are loyal, affectionate, easily trained, and good with children. Since they are a cross between two well-known breeds, pups from the same litter may have more traits from either breed, but both are family devoted and friendly to other dogs. Many are used as assistance dogs, such as therapy dogs or guide dogs.
Watchdog qualities
The Goldendoodle is friendly and non-menacing, but will usually alert you to approaching strangers.
Backyard/Exercise requirements
As with both parent breeds these dogs have moderate exercise requirements, and enjoy walks with their people. A small yard for romping is ideal, but frequent walks will suffice if you don’t have a yard. The smaller sizes do quite well in apartments.
Size/weight and Colour
Goldendoodles come in as many varieties of size as their parent counterparts. A standard Poodle and a Golden Retriever will have pups that will grow to the adult size of the average parent. Goldendoodles that have been bred down in size by using Toy Poodles come in a variety of sizes.
The smaller Doodles have not shown signs of health problems, nor do they have disproportionate body parts.
Grooming
These dogs were bred in hopes of producing a dog that sheds minimally, like the wooly Poodle. Some of the cross bred dogs have more of this trait than others. So if you are picking out a puppy, it’s very difficult to tell how much he will shed as an adult.
The fur from this cross breed may be straighter, wavy, or curly. The fur will need to be brushed regularly to keep it from matting, especially on the dogs that are curly.
Health
Goldendoodles can be afflicted with hip dysplasia, as both Poodles and Golden Retrievers have the anomaly in some lines. They are also affected occasionally by an eye disorder. Potential parents should always be checked for these disorders before an owner considers breeding.
The dogs bred for smaller size live significantly longer than the larger dogs, but this is true for any dog breed. While the small, miniature sized Goldendoodles may live up to 17 years, their larger counterparts average 12 years of life.
Dog Sports/Activities
These dogs are happy with family activities that keep them interested and moving. They are very loving and playful with children, and take to the leash for walks and runs with adult members of the family as well. They love to swim, and are intelligent enough for any type of sports training. As they are bred from two types of retrievers, they may be the world’s best at playing fetch.
Livestock work
This is not a herding breed and is much better suited to retrieving in sport hunting and as a family companion.
Puppies/Litters
The size of the litter is dependent upon the size of the parent dogs. There are now so many different sizes of this breed there is no set standard for litter size. As a general rule the larger dogs will have more pups than smaller dogs. The average litter for the standard size breed is 8.
Goldendoodle – Golden Doodle Organisations in Australia
No club information listed
Goldendoodle – Golden Doodle Organisations in the UK
Goldendoodle Association – Berkeley Springs
Goldendoodle – Golden Doodle Organisations in the US
UK Doodle Club
Goldendoodle Rescue
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