In search of a new forever best friend? Not sure what puppy breed works best for you and your family? We’re giving you a deeper dive into popular dog breeds, from a puppy trainer’s perspective, to help you make this incredibly life-changing decision!
The Goldendoodle, a hybrid breed that launched into popularity in the United States in the 1990s and never left the top list, Goldendoodles are affectionate and smart dogs whose amiable personalities are well-suited for a variety of owners and lifestyles!
How do you know if the Goldendoodle is the right fit for you and your family? We’re offering you a puppy trainer’s take on this breed, from their personalities, care needs, and of course, training advice to help you raise a wonderful adult dog!
A Brief Background on Goldendoodles!
As we quickly stated earlier, the Goldendoodle is a hybrid, a cross between a Poodle and a Golden Retriever. This designer breed actually started around the 1960s but didn’t gain the status of hybrid until the 90s. Thanks to the success of Labradoodles (Labrador Retriever and Poodle cross-breed), dog breeders began to intentionally breed Golden Retrievers with a range of Poodles, creating a variety of Goldendoodles in different coloring and sizes.
What are Goldendoodles Breed Characteristics?
Some distinguishable characteristics of the Goldendoodle include their sizing range, variety of coloring, and temperament. Goldendoodles can come in mini to standard size, thanks to the genes from their poodle side. And their coats also offer a wide range from the popular cream/buff color to chocolate or black! Goldendoodles can weigh starting at 15 lbs (for miniature sizes) up to 80 Ilbs (for standard). One of the most distinguishable features is their thick, soft, curly coats that are considered hypoallergenic because they shed less frequently than other dog breeds.
What are Goldendoodles Personalities like?
Goldendoodles love people! They are friendly, affectionate, and love to please. With the right amount of socialization, this breed will be a friend to everyone! However, their fun-loving personalities also bring a lot of high energy, jumpiness, and nippiness throughout puppyhood. This is important to remember especially if you have young children at home. Goldendoodles can make excellent family dogs, but proper training and boundaries must be started the moment you bring them home to help get them there!
What is a Goldendoodle’s Ideal Living Environment?
Think about your current living environment and where you plan to be in the next few years. That being said, if you were planning on adding a Goldendoodle to your life, consider that these pups do best in a home with enough space (especially if you are getting a standard-sized Goldendoodle) and a fenced in yard!
While some Goldendoodles on the smaller range of the size scale work great for apartment dwelling, these are energetic breeds that need space to exercise and play. Regular walks and training sessions at a local park will help them expel some energy in a constructive way, and are highly recommended for this breed, especially if you live in a city environment!
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How to Care for Your Goldendoodle!
While Goldendoodles benefit from the mixed genes of Golden retrievers and Poodles, making them less prone to develop certain illnesses, it’s a good idea to research the potential risk factors and discuss them with your puppy’s veterinarian!
Goldendoodles can suffer from hip and elbow dysplasia, ear infections, allergies, hypothyroidism, and Gastric Dilation Volvulus (Bloat). Knowing about these conditions beforehand can help you talk about proper nutrition and prevention early on in your puppy’s life.
While Goldendoodle’s aren’t extreme shedders, their curly thick coats tend to get matted quickly! To avoid having to shave down their beautiful coats, daily brushing to remove mats is recommended, along with regular professional grooming appointments. Like all other breeds, having their nails trimmed and teeth brushed regularly will ensure they stay clean and healthy!
Puppy Trainer’s Advice for Raising a Well-behaved Goldendoodle!
Goldendoodle puppies are very smart and love to work! With consistent puppy training from an early age, they can master basic obedience skills quickly, and also move on to more advanced training, including therapy and service animal training. Start your puppy off on the right paw by establishing their daily puppy schedule complete with feeding, potty breaks, nap times, playtimes, and puppy training sessions!
1. Start crate training from day one
For young puppies that are just starting potty training, a crate can help speed up the potty training process providing your puppy a “den” environment. Going back to their wilder instincts, puppies will naturally avoid soiling where they sleep. Keep in mind that if your puppy is going to the bathroom on one side of the crate, and hanging out on the other side, it’s too big for them.
Crate training your Goldendoodle puppy will help boost their confidence and resilience while learning to be alone at home. Your puppy’s crate will also provide a safe and comfortable place for them to relax during downtimes in between active playtime or puppy training sessions, teaching your puppy to learn to settle down much faster.
2. Socialization is a must
Goldendoodles are very friendly and playful but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t benefit from proper socialization interactions! Puppy training can provide your puppy with controlled socialization with other puppies under the supervision of a puppy trainer that can watch out for rough playing or dominant behaviors between puppies.
When done correctly, socialization helps teach your puppy the proper way to great people, other dogs and create boundaries. During socialization sessions, you can work with your puppy on barking or jumping, which are common puppy behaviors when they are excited or over-stimulated when meeting strangers. And if you're not sure how to do this on your own, hire a local puppy trainer to help set you up for the best success!
3. Consider advanced training to keep them engaged
Goldendoodles are very intelligent which means they love stimulating activities! Along with basic obedience, dog sports like agility are a great way to motivate them and help your puppy work out their energy. Agility helps establish a stronger communication bond through body language while your puppy is participating.
Therapy dog training is another great way to advance on your puppy’s basic obedience with emphasis on working through distractions, at distances, and performing obedience for longer durations of time. You will learn to communicate with more body language and signals to focus your puppy at performing tasks necessary to help individuals that are incapable of doing it themselves.
4. Respect their alone time.
Because they are so darn cute as puppies, it’s hard to resist constantly petting them, holding them, and wanting to snuggle with them 24/7. This is especially challenging for young kids when they can look like real-life stuffed animals! But, this constant handling can often cause some frustration for these young pups, having them act out with more nipping to try to make the petting stops, or growling, which can lead to more serious behavioral issues down the road. Make sure to give them dedicated time through the day to rest and their own space where they can be left alone to nap, unbothered. And always monitor young kids when they are interacting with the puppy so you can easily step in to give your puppy a break when they need it!
Did you recently bring home a Goldendoodle puppy? Are you still planning and not sure what breed fits your lifestyle? Let us know in the comments! We’re available to answer questions live every Wednesday at 1 pm PT on @thepuppyacademy Instagram.
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