Are you thinking of getting a Golden retriever and Poodle mix dog? In this post, I have mentioned everything you need to know about this crossbreed.
Wondering what would be the resultant outcome if we combine a gentle-natured golden retriever and a smart poodle?
Golden Retriever and Poodle both are dog breeds with wonderful temperaments. In this post, I will talk about the history, physical appearance, grooming needs, temperaments, exercise needs, health problems, and generations of the golden retriever poodle mix.
This crossbreed is popularly referred to by different names like Goldendoodle, Goldenpoo, Groodle, and Doodle.
About Golden Retrievers
Golden Retrievers are energetic, smart, affectionate, and good-natured. The breed has all the temperaments a loving family expects from a pup.
It is one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States. According to AKC’s (American Kennel Club) ranking for most popular dog breeds, the breed positioned in the top five rankings over the years.
The playful and fun-loving nature of this breed makes it perfect for families with children. The breed is so energetic that it can spend hours playing with your kids.
The golden retriever breed was developed to be good-natured. As this dog breed gets along with almost anyone, it may not be an amazing guard dog.
About Poodles
Poodle or Pudel (in German) is an extremely intelligent and easy-to-train dog breed. The curly hair of Poodles makes them different from other dog breeds. Their curly coat gives them an appealing look.
The Poodle was recognized by AKC in 1887. The breed’s beautiful coat and amazing temperaments made it one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States. As per AKC’s ranking for Most Popular Dog Breeds in 2020, it ranks number 6th.
Their higher intelligence level would make training easy. A Poodle can learn various training commands quickly.
Based on the size, you will find Poodles in four varieties – Toy Poodle, Miniature Poodle, Medium Poodle, and Standard Poodle. Toy Poodle is the smallest and Standard Poodle is the largest among the four.
Golden Retriever and Poodle Mix
The cross between Golden Retriever and Poodle, a Goldendoodle was widely bred in the 1990s. This mixed breed is also considered a “designer breed.”
We have seen that both breeds have wonderful temperaments. This mixed breed has the cheerful nature of a Golden Retriever and the smartness of a Poodle.
Now I’ll walk you through the history, physical appearance, grooming needs, temperaments, physical needs, and health of this crossbreed.
History
In the 1990s, designer breeders started paying attention to the Golden Retriever Poodle crossbreed.
The purpose of Poodle Golden Retriever mix was to develop an alternative to Labradoodle (a cross between Labrador Retriever and Poodle). Labradoodle first appeared in 1955.
A Goldendoodle became a family-friendly and affectionate crossbreed.
Previously, Goldendoodles were bred just from Standard Poodles. Later on, breeders started using other Poodle variations to develop this crossbreed.
Physical appearance
As Poodles are of different variations, the size, weight, and height of a Goldendoodle vary depending on the Poodle parent. Just like a Poodle, a Goldendoodle has a wavy or curly coat. A Goldendoodle’s looks are like having Poodle’s wavy/curly coat on a Golden Retriever.
The mixed breed has hairs across the body, tail, ears, and legs. Golden is the common coat color. However, you may also find white, black, copper, cream, gray, apricot, or red coat color.
Goldendoodles can be categorized into three sizes: Miniature, Small Standard, and Large Standard. It comes down to the Poodle variation used when breeding Goldendoodle.
Miniature Goldendoodles weigh between 15 to 35 pounds and range 13 to 20 inches in height. Small Standard Goldendoodles weigh between 40 to 50 pounds and range 17 to 20 inches in height. Large Standard Goldendoodles weigh between 50 to 90 pounds and range 20 to 24 inches in height.
Temperaments
Each dog breed has different temperaments. You should not adopt a particular breed dog just because it’s beautiful and cute. To ensure the dog would be ideal for your lifestyle, it’s crucial to consider personality traits.
Goldendoodles have wonderful temperaments which make them great companions. The breed is affectionate, loyal, playful, and easy to train. However, the temperaments of the individual dog can vary depending on how it is raised.
It gets along well with families, kids, strangers, and other dogs. If you are a family with kids, you can consider getting a Goldendoodle. It is an energetic hybrid dog and would enjoy playing with your kids for long hours.
The mixed breed’s loving and affectionate nature came from both – Golden retriever as well as Poodle. Besides this, I would also like to highlight the higher intelligence level. Due to that, teaching new commands and techniques to a Goldendoodle won’t be difficult.
Make sure to provide early socialization to your Goldendoodle. By introducing your pup to more and more people, places, and situations, it would become a versatile dog.
Also Read: Top 15 Golden Retriever Mixes
Grooming Needs
Goldendoodles don’t shed much. Thus, grooming needs are quite less. To fulfill grooming needs, regular brushing is something you need to focus on. Depending on whether your canine has a straight or curly coat, brushing needs would vary.
If it has a straight coat, brushing once or twice a week would be enough. And if it has a curly coat, you can brush once a day. Regular brushing won’t just improve the pup’s coat health, but also prevent matting.
Besides coat care, dog grooming includes baths, oral health, haircutting, nail trimming, and cleaning ears.
Bathing should be provided only when it’s necessary. Make sure to use a good shampoo. Providing excess bathing even when it’s not necessary can lose essential oils from your pup’s coat.
Haircuts should be provided every 10 weeks. Never shave your dog completely. It may cause irreversible, permanent damage to your canine’s coat.
Talking about oral health, consider brushing your pup’s teeth once or twice a week. Nail trimming and ear cleaning should be done when it’s necessary.
It is advisable to take your Goldendoodle to a professional groomer every 8 to 10 weeks.
Exercise Needs
Golden Retriever and Poodle both are active dog breeds. So, this mixed breed is energetic. It is not a couch potato breed that can spend all day long doing nothing.
For an active dog breed like Goldendoodle, it is advisable to provide about 60 minutes of exercise on a daily basis.
To help Goldendoodles burn off excess energy, it’s imperative to provide daily exercise. Not involving your pup in physical activities can lead to problems like boredom, excess barking, and destructive behavior.
Enough exercise on a regular basis won’t just burn off excess energy, but it will also provide mental stimulation to your canine.
Health
Before owning any dog, it’s essential to know about the health issues of the dog breed. It is found that mixed dog breeds are often healthier than purebred dogs. The reason being is a stronger genetic diversity.
This doesn’t mean Goldendoodles are always healthy and don’t face any health issues throughout their lives. This hybrid dog is prone to several health conditions.
In short, Golden Retriever Poodle mix dogs are healthier as compared to purebred Golden Retriever and purebred Poodle.
Some health problems in Goldendoodles from golden retrievers are Hip Dysplasia, Patellar Luxation, Skin Conditions, Chest Conditions, Cancer, Cataracts, Von Willebrand Disease, and Ear Infections.
Some health problems in Goldendoodles from poodles are Patellar Luxation, Hypoadrenocorticism, Hyperadrenocorticism, Hip Dysplasia, Epilepsy, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Thyroid Issues, Bloat, and Hypoglycemia (in puppies).
Goldendoodle Generations
Understanding your Goldendoodle’s generation is imperative because it tells a lot about your pup’s ancestry. Depending on the generation, factors like physical appearance, temperaments, and potential health problems vary.
You might have noticed people labeling Goldendoodles with F1, F2, F1B, etc. What do these all mean? What do F, B, and numbers indicate when referring to a Goldendoodle of any generation? Here’s everything you need to understand:
The letter “F” stands for “Filial Hybrid.” What does this mean? It means the hybrid dog came by mixing two purebred dogs.
The letter “B” stands for “Backcross.” The term indicates the mix of current pup generation back to a purebred Poodle.
Numbers refer to the generation of pup. For example, 1 means first generation, 2 means second generation, and so on.
What are the different generations of Goldendoodles?
F1 Goldendoodle = Golden Retriever x Poodle
F1B Goldendoodle = F1 Goldendoodle x Poodle
F1BB Goldendoodle = F1B Goldendoodle x Poodle
F2 Goldendoodle = F1 Goldendoodle x F1 Goldendoodle
F2B Goldendoodle = F2 Goldendoodle x Poodle
F2BB Goldendoodle = F2B Goldendoodle x Poodle
F3 Goldendoodle = F2 Goldendoodle x F2 Goldendoodle
DNA percentages of different Goldendoodle generations
F1 Goldendoodle = 50% GR and 50% Poodle
F1B Goldendoodle = 25% GR and 75% Poodle
F1BB Goldendoodle = 12.5% GR and 87.5% Poodle
F2 Goldendoodle = 50% GR and 50% Poodle
F2B Goldendoodle = 37.5% GR and 62.5% Poodle
F2BB Goldendoodle = 18.75% GR and 81.25% Poodle
F3 Goldendoodle = 50% GR and 50% Poodle
Final Thoughts
Golden Retriever cross Poodle dogs are energetic, playful, affectionate, and easily trainable. These amazing personality traits in Goldendoodles come from their parents – GR and Poodle. The good thing about owning a hybrid dog (like a Goldendoodle) is it would be less prone to health conditions. Due to genetic diversity, they are often healthier as compared to purebred dogs.
To help you figure out whether this is the right breed for you, here I have talked about physical appearance, personality traits, exercise needs, grooming needs, health issues, and generations of Goldendoodles.
TRAIN YOUR CANINE! ⬇️
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