Goldendoodle Breed Information
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Some pure bred dog
breeders are attacking the Goldendoodle and the breeders who breed
them, saying that the breeders who breed them are just money hungry,
and why should anyone pay money for a mutt when you can go to the
shelter for one. They're also trying to discredit the "hybrid vigor"
theory, the quality of the breeding stock in the Goldendoodle
breeding programs, and stating that Goldendoodles are ending up in
rescues and shelters everywhere.
So I am going to ask you to do your own homework on the Goldendoodle,
read what the real experts have to say about them, the veterinarians
and the geneticists. Talk to the people who own Goldendoodles, the
breeders who actually breed Goldendoodles, and the trainers that
train them. I think that most of these pure bred dog breeders have
an agenda of their own. The Goldendoodle has become so popular that
families are buying Goldendoodles over Poodles and Golden
Retrievers. I know this for fact, because I was a Golden
Retriever breeder for over 15 years!
Here are some web sites written by actual experts on the subject, click on a link:
Kate's family Pets/Vet & Geneticist
Solutions To Welfare Problems In Dog Breeding
Achieving Genetic Health for Our Dogs
The Genetic Cul-de-sac Dogs as an endangered species Part 1
Goldendoodle Description
The Goldendoodle is a Golden Retriever and a Poodle cross. The
Goldendoodle gets it's name from it's mixed heritage. The
Goldendoodle is a hybrid cross, and as such they exhibit "hybrid
vigor", this is a phenomenon in animal breeding referring to the
fact that the first cross between two unrelated pure bred lines
is healthier and grows better than either parent line. The
puppies take on the best traits of both parent breeds. The need
for dogs that are good with children and other pets, but that
are also healthy and shed less, has inspired breeders to cross
breed two of the most intelligent and popular breeds of our
time. The Goldendoodle's ancestry along "both" parents lines are
water dogs and hunters, so the Goldendoodle naturally loves the
water and retrieving.
Everyone knows that Golden Retrievers were bred for
hunting-retrieving and love water, but what most people don't
know is that Standard Poodles were also water dogs used for
retrieving. Their conformation and the texture and pattern of
their coats to this day reflect the purposes for which they were
bred. Miniatures and Toys have been bred down from the larger
Poodles and they exhibit the same general characteristics.
The appearance of the Goldendoodle looks anywhere from a shaggy
looking Golden Retriever to a curl relaxed Poodle, but usually
falls somewhere in between. The color of their coat can be white
to cream, different shades of golden and blondes, apricot to
red, and brown or black. Like many Poodle crosses most
Goldendoodles don't shed, or shed only slightly, and could be
hypoallergenic.
Golden Retriever x Poodle = F1 (50% Golden Retriever & 50% Poodle)
F1 x F1 = F2 (50% Golden Retriever & 50% Poodle)
F1 x Poodle = F1B (25% Golden Retriever & 75% Poodle)
F1 x F1B = F2B (37.50% Golden Retriever & 62.50% Poodle)
F1B x F1B = F1B (25% Golden Retriever & 75% Poodle)
Goldendoodle Coat Types: Shedding/Allergies
The more percent of Poodle the better for non-shedding and allergies. F1's have been known to shed, some even shed a lot. The Goldendoodles with more Poodle in them like the F1B are excellent for people with severe allergies, and normally they shouldn't shed at all. For someone looking for more Golden Retriever than Poodle, but trying to avoid shedding and maybe they have mild allergies, the F2 or F2B is a good choice. The F2 is basically just like the F1, because it's 50% Golden Retriever and 50% Poodle just like the F1. However because both parents are Goldendoodles instead of one of them being a Golden Retriever, they normally don't shed.
Coat types can vary in any of the combinations, some will be straighter, some wavier, and some might even be curly. But just because the dog is an F1B does not mean it will be curly, we have produced many F1B's with coats that are straighter looking, but because they are an F1B they are non-shedding and great for allergies even when they have straighter coats. A good breeder who has been breeding Goldendoodles for a while, should be able to determine coat types in their litters and recommend the type of Goldendoodle that would best suit your needs.
Goldendoodle Height and Weight
Goldendoodles can come in many different sizes, because they are not a pure breed there is no recognized standard. The best thing to do is ask your breeder what sizes the parent dogs are, and ask for feed back about previous puppies produced by the same parents your getting your puppy from. There are many combinations possible when breeding Goldendoodles, that's why there are so many different sizes. If you breed an F1 Standard Goldendoodle with a Mini Poodle, you can call them F1B Mini Goldendoodles, however you will get a much smaller dog by breeding an F1 Mini Goldendoodle with a Mini Poodle, and those are also called F1B Mini Goldendoodles. Just because a breeder refers to their puppies as "minis", they may still get to be 50 pounds as an adult, so when it comes to sizes of minis you need to be very careful and make sure to discuss sizes with your breeder. The safest thing to do is base the size of the puppies on the size of it's parents. Two smaller parents will produce smaller offspring than one small and one large parent, and when you combine one small and one large parent, the size of their puppies can vary from puppy to puppy in each litter. Breeding dogs of the same size or close in size will produce a much more uniformed litter. Unfortunately we have come across many web sites that we know are not being truthful about the size of their puppies, and we know this by the size of their parent dogs. We are happy to answer questions for you if you need our help determining if the breeder is being honest about the size of their puppies.
Below is information taken from the AKC web site:
Golden Retriever: Size, Proportion, Substance
Males 23-24 inches in height at withers; females 21-22
inches. Dogs up to one inch above or below standard size
should be proportionately penalized. Deviation in height of
more than one inch from the standard shall disqualify.
Length from breastbone to point of buttocks slightly greater
than height at withers in ratio of 12:11. Weight for dogs
65-75 pounds; bitches 55-65 pounds.
Poodle: Size, Proportion,
Substance
The Standard Poodle: is over 15
inches at the highest point of the shoulders.
Any Poodle which is 15 inches or less in height
shall be disqualified from competition as a
Standard Poodle. <As
you can see here, there is no height limit for the Poodle
like there is for the Golden Retriever. This is why there
are some very large Poodles that breeders refer to as
"Royals".>
The Miniature Poodle: is 15 inches or under at the
highest point of the shoulders, with a minimum height in
excess of 10 inches. Any Poodle which is over 15 inches or
is 10 inches or less at the highest point of the shoulders
shall be disqualified from competition as a Miniature
Poodle.
The Toy Poodle: is 10 inches or under at the highest
point of the shoulders. Any Poodle which is more than 10
inches at the highest point of the shoulders shall be
disqualified from competition as a Toy Poodle.
Goldendoodle Temperament
A Goldendoodle is an intelligent and obedient family companion.
Like the Golden Retriever the Goldendoodle is everybody's
friend. They are good with children, other dogs and pets, and
are easy going with strangers. The Goldendoodle's intelligence
and eagerness to please also makes them very easy to train. The
Goldendoodle is a very social dog and could become mischievous
and destructive if they are left to spend most of their lives
alone. Like the Golden Retriever the Goldendoodle is happiest
when with people or other dogs.
Goldendoodle
Health Issues
As a hybrid cross the Goldendoodle grows healthier and lives
longer than either parent line. The only genetic diseases the
Goldendoodle can be prone to would be those shared by "both" the
Golden Retriever and the Poodle. There are no known "major"
concerns at this time. Minor concerns for the Goldendoodle would
be - cataract, SAS (heart disease), and CHD (Canine Hip
Dysplasia), but CHD is far more commonin the Standard Goldendoodles,
and not very common for Goldendoodles that will be 45 pounds or less when
full grown.
We frequently get asked if there are more health problems with the Mini Goldendoodle, because of the father being a Mini or Toy Poodle. People often wonder if that can cause health problems in the offspring, we have heard all kinds of odd things people think can go wrong with mini's, but the truth of the matter is they're actually healthier! What most people don't know is that all small and toy breeds originally were bred down in size from larger dogs. The smaller Goldendoodles actually have less health problems and live longer. The smaller Goldendoodles have less health problems, because they share less of the same bad genetic traits, and they live longer because they are smaller, smaller dogs generally live longer than larger dogs. The breeders that tell buyer's that Mini Goldendoodles have health problems, and that their organs are too big for their bodies, those breeders obviously do not breed them! And no they do not come out disproportioned, I've heard that one too!
Goldendoodle Living Conditions
Goldendoodles do well in the city or the country. The smaller
versions do well in Apt and condos.
Goldendoodle Exercise Requirements
Goldendoodles require a moderate amount of daily exercise. This
can be in the form of walks or retrieving games. They also love
swimming!
Goldendoodle Life Expectancy
Standard Goldendoodle:
10-14 years, depending on size and condition.
Mini Goldendoodle:
12-17 years, depending on size and condition,
smaller dogs generally live longer than larger dogs.
Goldendoodle Grooming & Maintenance
Most Goldendoodles shed very little or not at all, and
Goldendoodles may not cause allergies. Daily brushing is
required to prevent matting. Some people like to keep their
Goldendoodle in a puppy cut, which makes them virtually
maintenance free.
Goldendoodle Group
Hunting Dogs, Flushing Dogs, Sporting Dogs
Goldendoodle Recognition
Click on a Link:
ACHC
American Canine Hybrid Club
CKC
Continental Kennel Club
Goldendoodles are not recognized by the AKC, the AKC only recognizes pure breeds