BREED SPOTLIGHT
Breed Spotlight: Goldendoodle
Goldendoodle Quick Stats
LIFESPAN:
10 – 15 years
WEIGHT:
15 – 100 lbs (varies widely based on the poodle gene)
HEIGHT:
13 – 26 inches
DO I SHED?
Minimally
Personality:
Intelligent, sociable, loveable, energetic
Common Health Problems:
Hip dysplasia, skin disease, heart conditions
Goldendoodle: How Do I Look?
These sweethearts are a mix between a golden retriever and a poodle. The Goldendoodle size and Goldendoodle weight largely depends on what type of poodle they’re mixed with. A miniature Goldendoodle comes specifically from a miniature or toy poodle.
Goldendoodles of all sizes are known for their cuddly teddy bear-like appearance, floppy ears, and thick, fluffy fur.
Coat Type and Colors
Goldendoodles’ coats range between curly and wavy, depending on whether they inherit their fur pattern from their retriever side or their poodle side. Although golden retrievers only have a few coat color options, poodles have more diversity. This lets Goldendoodles come in a beautiful variety of colors. According to the Goldendoodle Association of North America, these colors can appear as solids or in one of four patterns: merle, parti, phantom, and brindle.3
While Goldendoodles are best known for their teddy bear brown, they can come in any of the following colors.3
- Cream
- Apricot
- Red
- Chocolate
- Black
Ears
Goldendoodles love water and may develop ear infections from moisture getting trapped in their floppy ears.
Shedding and Grooming
The Goldendoodle is hypoallergenic, but may shed some due to the retriever genes in them.
Depending on the length and curliness of their coat, you may need to brush them daily to prevent matting and keep their coat healthy. However, if your pup has a straight or short coat, weekly brushings may suffice.
A professional groom and a bath every 6–8 weeks is generally recommended. Unless your dog takes a roll in the mud, a bath every 6–8 weeks is enough, especially since frequent baths could dry out their skin.
Drooling Level
Goldendoodles are not big droolers.
Goldendoodle: Personality Traits
What My Adoption Bio Would Say:
I’m social, loyal, and looking for a human to explore my world with. I make a great hiking companion and love the water, but am also happy just spending time with my people. My gentle nature makes me a great choice if you have kids or other pets. Plus, I’m eager to please, which will make training a breeze for everyone involved.
Behavior
The Goldendoodle temperament is extremely affectionate. They rarely meet a critter or person they don’t like! They are easy to train, have a low prey drive, and are considered a good choice for first-time pet owners.
Exercise Needs
It’s important to provide Goldendoodles with a minimum 30 minutes daily of physical exercise, hiking, walking briskly or playing fetch in a securely fenced yard. Doodles love the water, but they will also be couch potatoes if you let them.5
Good with Other Pets?
This breed tends to be sociable and easygoing. They’re known for their gentleness with other household pets.5
Trainability
Doodles inherit large brains from both sides of their family tree making them incredibly trainable. According to the Goldendoodle Association of North America, both poodles and golden retrievers rank top five of the 150 smartest breeds!4
Their intelligence, sociability, and lovable nature make them great therapy dogs. They also make incredible service or guide dogs. They are intuitive, loyal, and respond well to the complex training needed to be a good service dog.4
Good with Kids?
Goldendoodles get their gentle nature from their retriever genes, making them wonderful companions for young children. They are naturally inclined to be careful around smaller humans and animals, but as with any breed, always supervise kids and dogs and teach both to properly interact with each other.6
Barking Level
Goldendoodles are not particularly vocal dogs.
Goldendoodle: A History
The Goldendoodle is a fairly new breed that breeders introduced in the 1990s.4 They were likely inspired by the popularity of the labradoodle (a cross between a Labrador and a poodle). Both breeds combine all the loyal and loveable traits of Labradors and retrievers with the low-shedding and hypoallergenic traits of poodles.
Goldendoodle Health Issues
As with any mixed breed, Goldendoodles are predisposed to health issues from both sides of the family tree. Here are a few conditions to watch out for from the poodle gene and from the retriever gene.
Health issues from the poodle gene
- Hip dysplasia: Improperly fitting hip socket
- Hypoadrenocorticism: Hormonal disease that results from the insufficient production of cortisol and aldosterone
- Epilepsy: Neurological disease that causes seizures
Health issues from the retriever gene
- Subvalvular aortic stenosis: Heart condition that causes a narrow aortic valve
- Cataracts: Clouding of the eye lens that causes poor vision and leads to blindness
- Cancer: In particular, goldens are prone to lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma, and mast cell tumors
- Von Willebrand disease: A blood clotting disorder that may require blood transfusions
Protect your Pets
Even the healthiest of pups can come with unexpected vet costs. Pet insurance can help keep your dog and your bank account happy.
How Pet Insurance Can Help Goldendoodle
Between the golden retriever genes and the poodle genes, Goldendoodles are prone to many costly and painful health conditions. A dog insurance plan can help improve your Goldendoodle’s lifespan. Let’s look at a few specific diagnoses and the treatments for them.
Subvalvular aortic stenosis
Subvalvular aortic stenosis is a genetic heart condition where the aortic valve narrows. Since the aortic valve is the valve that pumps blood back into the body, the heart muscle must work harder to push the blood through. It can cause blockages and heart failure.7
The diagnosis alone includes expensive testing such as x-rays, electrocardiography (ECG), and echocardiograms. If your Goldendoodle has a mild case, your vet may choose to just monitor it with annual visits and testing. But if it’s more severe, they may put your pup on prescription medications.7
Von Willebrand’s disease
Von Willebrand’s disease is a bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency in a certain protein (the von Willebrand factor). This protein helps platelets form clots. Without it, your dog will have trouble clotting and may bleed excessively. This level of blood loss can be dangerous.8
Diagnosing this disease requires a buccal mucosal screening time test and a highly accurate blood test to determine clotting time and protein levels. Once your Goldendoodle is diagnosed, the primary treatment is expensive blood or plasma transfusions if they experience blood loss.8
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a seizure disorder that may cause convulsions, spasms, and shaking in your dog. This can leave them in pain, disoriented, and confused. Diagnosing epilepsy requires a full physical workup complete with x-rays, blood and urine tests, CTs, and MRIs. All of these diagnostic tests can be expensive and add up quickly.9
After a diagnosis, your vet may put your Goldendoodle on anticonvulsants. These are anti-seizure prescription medications. Like all prescription medications, they can be expensive, but they will significantly improve your dog’s quality of life.9
Goldendoodles are lovable bundles of joy to have around. However, even the sweetest dogs are prone to health problems. Protect your puppy with a dog health insurance policy. Metlife dog insurance can help cover diagnosis, treatment, and medications when your dog isn’t feeling their best.1,2 Get started with a quote today, this way you have the insurance when you most need it.