Imagine a dog that has the plus sides of Golden Retriever and a Poodle. Yap, that is exactly what a Goldendoodle is. Classified as a “designer dog”, the doodle is a hybrid dog breed. And as all designer breeds, the Goldendoodle is not truly a breed of its own.
However, the crossbreed is enjoying quite a lot of popularity lately. Why? Well, because it combines the strengths of two of the most popular and intelligent dogs.
With that in mind, here are 10 facts that will make you fall in love with the Goldendoodle.
1. One of the friendliest breeds out there
One of the biggest reasons people get a Retriever, or a Goldendoodle for that matter is the personality of the breed. The positive personality treats are numerous.
Your dog will greet everyone with friendly, intelligent, and accepting nature. They love to cuddle, they love to play with people and other pets.
Highly affectionate, the breed is also gentle and patient. That makes the Doodle a perfect family companion.
2. Utter loyal companion
Just try this test. Walk down a park, and see how many retrievers and doodles go close to their master. They never leave their master.
The Goldendoodle is one of the most loyal pets. With proper training, he can be highly obedient. After all, he has the ancestry of the Poodle, which is the second most intelligent dog, and the Retriever, another highly intelligent dog.
With early socialization, a Goldendoodle will be loyal, but also playful, and will never show any signs of aggression towards people or other dogs.
3. Even people with allergies can own one
Truth be told, there is no such thing as 100% hypoallergenic dog breed. But the Goldendoodle is close to that. Because of his Poodle parents, the doodle doesn’t shed. If you manage to get your hands on the second generation of a doodle (a cross between two doodles), he will be even more hypoallergenic.
Getting rid of hairs all around the home is a huge plus. After all, the biggest downside of owning a Retriever is you can make a sweater on a daily basis of the shed hair. But with a Doodle, there is no such thing as shedding.
Just remember, people are not allergic only to the hair and dander of dogs, but also to the saliva. And sadly, there is no such thing as antiallergenic saliva.
4. Can range in size
The size of your Goldendoodle depends on the Poodle parent. Given that there are three different sizes of Poodles, there are three different sizes of Goldendoodles as well.
You can get a mini, standard, and large sized dog. Make sure to ask the breeder of the size of the Poodle. That way, you know what you are getting.
Truth be told, any size is great. But some people simply do not have a large apartment and prefer a smaller, or mini Goldendoodle.
5. They make a fantastic guide and therapy dogs
The Goldendoodle has achieved success as a guide dog, therapy dog, sniffer dog, and more. They can even sniff out peanuts in foods for owners with a nut allergy. Talk about saving your life.
These dogs get the best characteristics of their purebred parents. They have the brain of the Poodle, and the loyalty and obedience of the Golden Retriever.
As a therapy and guide dog, the Doodle can be a great companion to blind people, people in nursing homes, elder people, hospital parents, and more.
6. Loves Learning new tricks
No matter how old your Goldendoodle is, he will always love learning new tricks, new commands, and new stuff in general. That is one of their best treats.
Also known as Groodle, this dog will love to spend time with you in the playground. As smart and obedient, it gives him pleasure to learn and play with you.
You can really say that the Doodle puts the Best in man’s best friend.
7. Can be trained to be a working dog
Even though they are friendly and affectionate, the Goldendoodles can be trained to be very good working dogs. Now, that doesn’t include guarding or watch dog roles. After all, they are friendly to people, and might even want to play with intruders.
But they can work as police dogs assisting in sniffing and detecting smells (drugs and bombs for example). They can also work as herding and search and rescue dogs.
8. Low maintenance dogs, despite appearances
When you see a large Goldendoodle, you might think, wow, this dog requires a lot of maintenance. But the saying “do not judge a book by its cover” is perfect here. As mentioned previously, doodles do not shed. That means there is no need of vacuum cleaning for hair and dander on a daily basis.
Doodles have a wavy to a curly coat of about two to three inches in length. Their hair grows on a regular basis, and they require grooming. But you can schedule that to once in two or three months.
Owners opt to clip the coat for easier maintenance. If you leave it in its natural state, you have to brush your dog on a regular basis. That means once every week or two. Clipped dogs still require brushing once every few weeks.
In terms of bathing, doodles require a bath only when it is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, their skin will lose natural oils and moisture.
9. Thrive in different environments
A Goldendoodle can live in both city and country settings. The only limitation is an apartment. They are not suited for apartment living, since they require space to play and roam around. Generally speaking, they need a few quick exercise bursts of 20 to 30 minutes per day.
10. Most dogs are first-generation breedings
The Goldendoodle is a relatively young cross compared to other designer breeds. It was first developed in the 1990s. That is why most of the litters today are a result of first-generation breeding between a Poodle and a Golden Retriever.
Highlights of the breed
- Called designer breed, because they are cross of two specific breeds
- Result of breeding between Poodle and Golden Retriever
- Non-shedding dogs
- Friendly and affectionate character
- Loves to play and learn new tricks
- Great family dog
- Requires 20 to 30 minutes of daily exercise
- Gets along with children and other pets
