Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Getting to Know the Goldendoodle


I first want to start off with the importance of rescuing dogs instead of purchasing them from a breeder. There are so many good dogs out there waiting for good homes. I feel - since the mixing Poodles with other breeds such as Golden Retrievers, Labs, Cooker Spaniels, etc has become so popular - more puppy mills are taking advantage and capitalizing on this demand. You can find amazing dogs (as well as other animals) from shelters and rescue organizations. How do I know? I'm one of them! I'm a rescue dog from an amazing organization called RAGOM (Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota)
So please Adopt don't Shop.  


First, lets start by looking at the two breeds individually:

Golden Retriever
  • Originated: England and Scotland
  • Best known for their hunting
  • Golden Retrievers come in three colors
    • Dark Gold, Gold, and Light Gold
  • Great Behavioral Skills and Personality for:
    • Children
    • Other Pets
    • Time Alone
    • Training
      • Field Trials, Hunting, Obedience, and Guide Dogs/Service Dogs
  • Large in Size
  • Medium Energy
    • Goldens are a very active breed. Goldens are a active and energetic and need daily exercise.
  • Care Required:
    • Grooming
      • Goldens have a water-repellent double-coat that sheds seasonally. They require regular brushing.

Poodle
  • Originated in Germany
  • Great Behavioral Skills and Personality for:
    • Children
    • Other Pets
    • Training
  • Poodles come in 10 colors
    • Apricot, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Cray, Red, Silver,Silver Beige, and White
  • Three Different Sizes
    • Standard, Miniature, and Toy
  • Medium Energy
    • Poodles are enthusiastic walkers, runners, and swimmers.
  • Care Required
    • Regular Professional Grooming
      • Poodles don't shed which makes their coat hypoallergenic; it may reduce allergic reactions.

5 of my litter mates and me! 

Now we are going to look at the two breeds combined or - as they are commonly called - Goldendoodles. Goldendoodles are not a breed of by itself but, rather, a hybrid (basically a mixture of two purebred dogs). 

Please refer to this chart.

First Generation

First Generation (F1) Goldendoodles have one parent which is 100% Golden Retriever while the other parent is 100% Poodle. In my case, my mom was a Golden Retriever and my dad was a Standard Poodle. F1 doodles split the attributes of their parents 50:50. Most of the F1 Goldendoodles either don't shed or shed lightly.

First Generation Backcross

First Generation Backcross (F1-B) is where you mix a F1 Goldendoodle with a 100% Poodle. These dogs have a higher success rate for non-shedding.

Second Generation

Second Generation (F2) is where you mix two F1 together.

Multi-generation

Here you mix together Third Generation (F3) or higher (F3+) with a F3 or F3+.

Myth: Goldendoodles don't shed.
Fact: F1 Goldendoodles CAN shed. Half of my litter mates shed. It all depends if they get more of  the "shedding" attribute from the Golden or the Poodle.

My eight liter mates and me. From the left Maggie, Spencer the Goldendoodle, Tanner, Charlie, Leia, Gideon, Sebastian, Abby (RIP), and Kraelyn.

Goldendoodles
  • Life Expectancy is about 10 - 15 years old
  • Size
    • Standard - 45 pounds or more (some have grown to more than 100 pounds)
    • Medium - 30-45 pounds
    • Miniature - 15-30 pounds
  • Characteristics
    • Adaptable to family, kids, pets, strangers, and weather changes
    • Trainable, Intelligent, Playful, and Loyal
  • Energy Level is high so daily exercise is recommended as well as mental stimulation
  • Most of them have hypoallergenic coat which may reduce allergic reactions
  • Grooming is a must
    • Whether you keep their coat at a manageable length or allow their coat to be longer and more natural looking they both will require lots of brushing. You are looking at brushing anywhere from once a week to once a day.
  • Expensive
    • Professional Groomer - If you decide to pay a professional groomer to manage your Goldendoodles coat, you are looking, on average, $50-$150 per trip. However, they can also clip the nails and clean the ears during that time as well.
    • Personal Grooming - If you choose to groom your Goldendoodle yourself, it can be cheaper. However, you have to take into consideration the cost of the supplies and your time because it is time consuming. 
  • May suffer from separation anxiety if left for long periods at a time.
  • Goldendoodles also make great therapy dogs. 

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I had writing it. Remember, every dog is unique and different in their own way.
If you have any questions, please leave me a comment and I will try my best to answer them.

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Sources:


27 comments:

  1. That is very interesting. Have a wonderful Wednesday.
    Best wishes Molly

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  2. I think the biggest problem is a lot of families get doodles and are not expecting the high energy levels. We have two families in the neighborhood who got rid of their doodles during the first year because they had too much energy. So sad.

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    1. Couldn't agree more and it is very sad. Just like any dog, they need plenty of exercise and attention.

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  3. Great info! Definitely sharing this.

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  4. Great post. We looked to adopt a goldendoodle but had no luck. Our last dog, a wheaton mix was a rescue and our newest is a rescue - a maltipoo. Our one year old goldendoodle is from a breeder. He has loads of energy and love and we are blessed with a big yard that he loves to run around in.

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  5. Hi Spencer, Awesome post! I completely agree with you when you say you feel puppy mills are taking advantage & capitalizing on the demand for what some call "designer" breeds. I wish more people realized this. I have a family member who is looking into purchasing a silver colored Labrador Retriever. Have you ever heard of such a thing? I have not! All dogs are beautiful, fascinating creatures, and there are so many who need and deserve good homes. Fortunately, it looks like due to social media (and so many dog loves like us) peoples perspectives are changing, slowly, but changing! Have a great day!

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  6. Your breeding chart was really interesting, especially the F1-B level where they breed in more of the poodle. I know a lot of people think all Goldendoodles are non-shedding, but it makes sense why many still shed quite a bit.

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  7. Excellent post. I agree with you. This happens to many families/individuals who buy puppies of any breeds; they get the pup home, and soon enough, they have a dog in which they cannot handle, because they failed to understand and therefore meet the needs of their chosen breed. And it's entirely the owners fault; they have just committed themselves to a puppy, and in no time, they just can't deal with their new family edition. The dog was born the breed it was born, and breeds have in built natural ways. It's up to the newly responsible owners to understand and know how to cope with and meet the needs.

    sumskersandearlskers13.blogspot.com

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  8. We like that! Adopt don't shop
    Snorts
    Lily & Edward

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  9. It's great to learn more about your breed Spencer! I agree about adopting. There are so many cats and dogs of every breed - including purebreds - available at rescues and shelters. I'm not sure that people are aware of all of the pets that can be found for adoption.
    -Purrs from your friends at www.PlayfulKitty.net

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  10. True stories - while there are many dogs (purebreds, hybrids and mixed breeds) waiting for forever homes, let's not forget there are also responsible breeders in the world. Like any "fad" sometimes people jump into something and they're not built to go the distance. So unfair that pets fall into that category too often. Can't wait until we live in a world where pets are always thought of as "family members" and not given up on so easily. Nicely done Spencer.

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  11. Hi Y'all!

    Great points for adoption!

    Y'all come on by,
    Hawk aka BrownDog

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  12. An interesting post of a unique breed - thanks for sharing.

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  13. I certainly didn't realize that some of them shed - I (like many others) were under the assumption that none of them do. I absolutely love their hair - my coworker brings in hers occasionally and I love petting his beautiful fur. Great information for anyone considering this breed - especially the possibility of separation anxiety (which my childhood Lab had) and high energy level. I haven't owned a Goldendoodle but from my experience with Labs their energy is pretty intense - and it lasts a long time. For some reason a lot of the Labs I've known have a 4 year teenager phase :)

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  14. Cool post! I've been interested in learning more about Goldendoodles - they are awfully adorable!

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  15. We love our Rotties. Always will. Friends at the farm have a Labradoodle. Nice dog, our guys like playing with him. Gets "grounded" a lot, though, when it's muddy outside - the dirt just penetrates his fur and skin. Our guys can get all muddy and half an hour later they're as good as new. This guys stays black even after a bath. Poor guy.

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  16. My brother has a Labradoodle, an awesome dog, and he acquired the pup at a "discount" when it was returned to the breeder for reasons unknown. Great dogs can be found in many places.

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  17. I love this post! So many people think they know what they are getting when they get a Golden or Labradoodle, but they forget that these are new breeds. Many are also misled about what level of Goldendoodle they have.

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  18. Thanks for this peek into a Goldendoodle! My family has a Labradoodle who is an F1-B, so he is a bit more poodle-y. It's always great to remind people to check rescues first! Luna is a Puggle, which is a desired breed, AND a rescue.
    -Jessica from Beagles & Bargains

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  19. Great post to let folks know more about this breed - and the graphic is fab, too.

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  20. This is a great post! I particularly liked that chart. I've never seen anything like that before. Thanks!

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    ReplyDelete
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