GOLDENDOODLE BREED INFO
Goldendoodles are a mix of the world’s most 'intelligent' dogs, the Golden Retriever and the Poodle. Sometimes, in smaller puppies like petite and mini, another breed will be bred in way back in the bloodlines to get the sizing down.... but always, the primary mix of genes are Poodle and Golden Retriever. While we love all dogs, we can’t help but agree that the Goldendoodle’s low shedding, smart, good personality, low rate of breed-prevalent health issues, makes for a fantastic addition for a family that likes to have their pets live in the house with them and to go places and do fun things. Goldendoodles are friendly, loyal, and versatile. Not only can guys and gals be proud to play ball or go for hikes with a Goldendoodle, but kids can have safe fun with them too (with the exception of puppy biting!). Goldendoodles come in a variety of colors and looks.
Size
We are currently breeding medium to smaller sized Goldendoodles – ranging from 20 to 45 pounds - and sometimes we have larger ones called standard size. Goldendoodles come in many sizes; standard/full size can be more than 50 lbs and have been known to reach +90 lbs. Make sure you check with the breeder on the size of the parents, so that you can have an idea of what your puppy will be like as a full grown dog. And remember that Mother Nature will do what she pleases. The size of a Goldendoodle depends on the size of its parents (and, again, the whims of Mother Nature). A general rule of thumb is to add the parents’ weights together and then divide by 2 to get the expected average adult weight of the puppies. This is not always a guarantee though - size cannot be guaranteed.
Please keep in mind that there is a Golden Retriever in the lines - and Golden Retrievers are big dogs! The size is reduced in Goldendoodles by breeding in smaller sized moms and dads, and usually a very small poodle. Genetics can be very random though and if you are set on a very specific size, you should be aware that there are often surprises and this cannot be 100% controlled. No breeder should guarantee an exact size to you.
Hypoallergenic
It is a myth that a dog can be 100% hypoallergenic. Some people are allergic to saliva and not the fur or dander of a dog. A dog will lick themselves, then that saliva is on the coat, and the person with hug him, and could still have a reaction. If you or a family member has severe allergies, do not get ANY dog, not even a Poodle. If you do research, you will find that scientists have ruled that no dog is 100% hypoallergenic. With that said, yes, many people with allergies are not bothered by Poodles or Goldendoodles, particularly the F1b gen. It is a lot of heartache for families AND the puppies to be rehomed over allergy issues, so consider not getting any dog if this is a major concern.
Shedding
If you are looking to have a dog that does not shed, let’s tell you about Goldendoodles. The more curly the hair, the less shedding. If the hair is not curly at all, they still will not shed as much as ‘other’ dogs, such as retrievers, labs, shepherds or huskies, but they will still shed a little. For instance, Benji is a half curly half straight haired Goldendoodle (he's an F1). When his hair gets very long, he looks very cute, somewhat like a teddy bear, but he does shed a little. By trimming him every 3 months, his hair hardly sheds at all. In the winter, we let his hair get long and we keep it brushed, because it’s cute and very warm. He doesn’t shed if you cuddle him, but you will see some hair floating in the corners of the rooms in the house after a few days. Jada, a chocolate Goldendoodle, has very curly hair. Even when her hair is super long, she hardly ever sheds at all. Her hair is curly like a poodle, and sometimes she has a bad hair day! Our other girl, Maggie, is a redhead. It appears like her hair is more like a persons – it has ‘tresses’. It’s gorgeous to play with and she’s very pretty, but we noticed that when it gets real long, she also sheds a tiny bit. We do trim her a little, but mostly just brush her. If we let the hair/fur grow long, we keep our dogs’ eyes and hind ends trimmed so that there are no worries or mess. We do not agree with breeders that say there is NO shedding on Goldendoodles. While there is certainly not a lot of shedding, some of them can shed.
Training
Our experience has been that Goldendoodles are very easy to train. All dogs have different personalities, and some are certainly easier than others to train. They are natural clowns, so they want to please you, but they also want to have fun - so they will also train you to do what they want (pet them or play fetch or snuggle haha). Depending on the weather, we let our puppies outside to learn to ‘do business’ outside, starting at 4 to 5 weeks of age in addition to learning how to go on a potty tray. Some take longer than others, and we recommend the first month or so that your dog is home with you, that you are vigilant about taking your new dog outside to ‘do business’ – with lots of praise and treats whenever a good job is completed! Never beat or hit your dog – you will just confuse them and make them difficult to train on other tasks. Goldendoodles are very smart, both breeds that they come from are on the high scale of intelligence in comparison to other breeds, and they will quickly learn from a patient and consistent owner.
Fun
Most Goldendoodles like to swim if the water is calm and safe. While some are better than others, they all for the most part like the water. Take your time with your dog when introducing him to water, and if you can, bring another dog that is an ‘old hat’ to swimming to encourage your dog in to the water. We take our dogs to swim a lot in the summer to help with the heat – and it’s good for their joints and keeps them in great shape. Watch out for ear infections as well. One of our dogs gets constant ear infections when swimming, so we keep ear cleaner on hand and keep an eye out for any ear redness or itching. If this happens, get the prescription ointment from your vet.
Kids – our dogs are good with kids. Many people will ask, "are your puppies good with children?" - and our reply is, "yes, now, are your children good and gentle with puppies?" Both puppies and children can be boisterous and they look at each other as toys. Without supervision, it can be a dangerous situation, not only for a child, but for the puppy. Not only do puppies nip at children - surely, they think they are litter mates - but, they are teething and chew on anything. There are many scary stories that can be found online of puppies accidentally dying from mishandling by a child. It's a sad issue that many do not like to talk about. But, it is a reality. Before deciding to get a puppy, really think about if your family is compatible for a puppy. When visiting us, younger kids will try to pick up puppies and we do not allow this - we do not want them dropped and accidentally hurt. Young children should always be supervised with young dogs. The pup could also think the child is a toy or fellow litter mate and their teeth are their hands, so biting and chewing will happen!
Puppies will take some time to grow and mature – be patient with them! They will be excellent companions and will learn to behave in an acceptable manner.
Do not leave your dog outside to live.
If you are going to be the type of person that ties their dog up outside to a dog house to live, please don’t get a dog. Let someone else have the opportunity to have fun with the dog and let the dog be able to have a family that will allow it to be included into their life. It’s not fair to the dog or to anyone else that has to see it. We realize some dogs just want to always be outside (we had huskies), but we always let ours inside to spend time with the family and to have fun. Imagine your life tied up to a box with nothing to do and no one to talk to – and you didn’t even commit a crime – and you have that punishment to serve – it’s cruel and not necessary. Dogs outside get forgotten – people forget to feed and water them, and they have to deal with awful weather and storms. Don’t be that cruel person. Get a dog walker or a neighborhood kid to the let the dog out and to play with it, if you can’t get home at certain times. Dogs are a big responsibility – they cost money, and they also ‘cost’ time….but there is no doubt, you will get much more in return than you’ll ever pay out.
Follow our Blog to receive additional information about training, fun dog things, and goldendoodle tidbits.
Visit Puppy Owner Updates and Past Litters to see how various RVD Goldendoodles look like. Our Pinterest Page has a lot of pins with our puppies.
Size
We are currently breeding medium to smaller sized Goldendoodles – ranging from 20 to 45 pounds - and sometimes we have larger ones called standard size. Goldendoodles come in many sizes; standard/full size can be more than 50 lbs and have been known to reach +90 lbs. Make sure you check with the breeder on the size of the parents, so that you can have an idea of what your puppy will be like as a full grown dog. And remember that Mother Nature will do what she pleases. The size of a Goldendoodle depends on the size of its parents (and, again, the whims of Mother Nature). A general rule of thumb is to add the parents’ weights together and then divide by 2 to get the expected average adult weight of the puppies. This is not always a guarantee though - size cannot be guaranteed.
Please keep in mind that there is a Golden Retriever in the lines - and Golden Retrievers are big dogs! The size is reduced in Goldendoodles by breeding in smaller sized moms and dads, and usually a very small poodle. Genetics can be very random though and if you are set on a very specific size, you should be aware that there are often surprises and this cannot be 100% controlled. No breeder should guarantee an exact size to you.
- Standard: Goldendoodle that is expected to be 55 lbs or more at adulthood.
- Medium: Goldendoodle that is expected to be 40-55 lbs at adulthood.
- Miniature: Goldendoodle that is predicted to be 25-45 lbs at adulthood.
- Petite: Goldendoodle that is predicted to be 15-30 lbs at adulthood.
Hypoallergenic
It is a myth that a dog can be 100% hypoallergenic. Some people are allergic to saliva and not the fur or dander of a dog. A dog will lick themselves, then that saliva is on the coat, and the person with hug him, and could still have a reaction. If you or a family member has severe allergies, do not get ANY dog, not even a Poodle. If you do research, you will find that scientists have ruled that no dog is 100% hypoallergenic. With that said, yes, many people with allergies are not bothered by Poodles or Goldendoodles, particularly the F1b gen. It is a lot of heartache for families AND the puppies to be rehomed over allergy issues, so consider not getting any dog if this is a major concern.
Shedding
If you are looking to have a dog that does not shed, let’s tell you about Goldendoodles. The more curly the hair, the less shedding. If the hair is not curly at all, they still will not shed as much as ‘other’ dogs, such as retrievers, labs, shepherds or huskies, but they will still shed a little. For instance, Benji is a half curly half straight haired Goldendoodle (he's an F1). When his hair gets very long, he looks very cute, somewhat like a teddy bear, but he does shed a little. By trimming him every 3 months, his hair hardly sheds at all. In the winter, we let his hair get long and we keep it brushed, because it’s cute and very warm. He doesn’t shed if you cuddle him, but you will see some hair floating in the corners of the rooms in the house after a few days. Jada, a chocolate Goldendoodle, has very curly hair. Even when her hair is super long, she hardly ever sheds at all. Her hair is curly like a poodle, and sometimes she has a bad hair day! Our other girl, Maggie, is a redhead. It appears like her hair is more like a persons – it has ‘tresses’. It’s gorgeous to play with and she’s very pretty, but we noticed that when it gets real long, she also sheds a tiny bit. We do trim her a little, but mostly just brush her. If we let the hair/fur grow long, we keep our dogs’ eyes and hind ends trimmed so that there are no worries or mess. We do not agree with breeders that say there is NO shedding on Goldendoodles. While there is certainly not a lot of shedding, some of them can shed.
Training
Our experience has been that Goldendoodles are very easy to train. All dogs have different personalities, and some are certainly easier than others to train. They are natural clowns, so they want to please you, but they also want to have fun - so they will also train you to do what they want (pet them or play fetch or snuggle haha). Depending on the weather, we let our puppies outside to learn to ‘do business’ outside, starting at 4 to 5 weeks of age in addition to learning how to go on a potty tray. Some take longer than others, and we recommend the first month or so that your dog is home with you, that you are vigilant about taking your new dog outside to ‘do business’ – with lots of praise and treats whenever a good job is completed! Never beat or hit your dog – you will just confuse them and make them difficult to train on other tasks. Goldendoodles are very smart, both breeds that they come from are on the high scale of intelligence in comparison to other breeds, and they will quickly learn from a patient and consistent owner.
Fun
Most Goldendoodles like to swim if the water is calm and safe. While some are better than others, they all for the most part like the water. Take your time with your dog when introducing him to water, and if you can, bring another dog that is an ‘old hat’ to swimming to encourage your dog in to the water. We take our dogs to swim a lot in the summer to help with the heat – and it’s good for their joints and keeps them in great shape. Watch out for ear infections as well. One of our dogs gets constant ear infections when swimming, so we keep ear cleaner on hand and keep an eye out for any ear redness or itching. If this happens, get the prescription ointment from your vet.
Kids – our dogs are good with kids. Many people will ask, "are your puppies good with children?" - and our reply is, "yes, now, are your children good and gentle with puppies?" Both puppies and children can be boisterous and they look at each other as toys. Without supervision, it can be a dangerous situation, not only for a child, but for the puppy. Not only do puppies nip at children - surely, they think they are litter mates - but, they are teething and chew on anything. There are many scary stories that can be found online of puppies accidentally dying from mishandling by a child. It's a sad issue that many do not like to talk about. But, it is a reality. Before deciding to get a puppy, really think about if your family is compatible for a puppy. When visiting us, younger kids will try to pick up puppies and we do not allow this - we do not want them dropped and accidentally hurt. Young children should always be supervised with young dogs. The pup could also think the child is a toy or fellow litter mate and their teeth are their hands, so biting and chewing will happen!
Puppies will take some time to grow and mature – be patient with them! They will be excellent companions and will learn to behave in an acceptable manner.
Do not leave your dog outside to live.
If you are going to be the type of person that ties their dog up outside to a dog house to live, please don’t get a dog. Let someone else have the opportunity to have fun with the dog and let the dog be able to have a family that will allow it to be included into their life. It’s not fair to the dog or to anyone else that has to see it. We realize some dogs just want to always be outside (we had huskies), but we always let ours inside to spend time with the family and to have fun. Imagine your life tied up to a box with nothing to do and no one to talk to – and you didn’t even commit a crime – and you have that punishment to serve – it’s cruel and not necessary. Dogs outside get forgotten – people forget to feed and water them, and they have to deal with awful weather and storms. Don’t be that cruel person. Get a dog walker or a neighborhood kid to the let the dog out and to play with it, if you can’t get home at certain times. Dogs are a big responsibility – they cost money, and they also ‘cost’ time….but there is no doubt, you will get much more in return than you’ll ever pay out.
Follow our Blog to receive additional information about training, fun dog things, and goldendoodle tidbits.
Visit Puppy Owner Updates and Past Litters to see how various RVD Goldendoodles look like. Our Pinterest Page has a lot of pins with our puppies.