Goldendoodles are a designer breed, a combination of two popular breeds: the poodle and the golden retriever. As a result, these mixed breeds are smart and friendly, but they inherit health problems commonly inherent to their parents.
Not all that shimmers is gold. Sometimes they’re bushy, curly, and cuddly.
As you may have guessed, I’m referring to (drumroll)… goldendoodles!
A hybrid mix of poodles and golden retrievers, they’ve inherited their parents’ good looks, intelligence, and sweet, loving nature.
Like all dog breeds, this cutie comes with its own set of quirks, characteristics, health conditions, and challenges.
Many families swear that this designer breed makes a wonderful pet. But is it the right fit for you?
Let’s get into the pros and cons of owning a goldendoodle to figure that out!
Adding a goldendoodle to your household means having a kid-friendly, adorable, and intelligent companion dog.
Below are really good reasons to own and care for one (or two).
What the fact! Monica Dickens, great-granddaughter of the legendary author, Charles Dickens, is credited with breeding the first goldendoodles back in 1969.
Cute as a button, your goldendoodle will love curling up with you, snuggling together on cold days, and constantly asking for head scratches. They are a companion dog through and through, and are great with all members of the family.
Goldendoodles are known for their patience and gentleness, especially around children. They get their sweet and loyal nature from the golden retriever. Much like this parent, they’ve got a gentle mouth, too!
These precious pups do not shed as much as other breeds, thanks to the poodles’ famously almost-non-shedding coat. And when it comes to f1b goldendoodle pros and cons, the low shedding is a definite pro!
F1b goldendoodles are 75% poodle, 25% golden retriever.
Goldendoodles also sport a variety of coat types: waxy, curly, and straight. Even though they require maintenance from time to time, they’re generally on the lower spectrum of shedding fur.
Take it from dog mom Erika Batten of Northern California, who attests, “They do not shed, other than the short period of time when they drop their puppy coat.”
Because of their naturally hypoallergenic coats, goldendoodles are a great choice of pet for someone vulnerable to allergic reactions.
Also, since they don’t shed as much as other breeds, they produce less dander.
Dog dander is one of the main allergens that dogs produce, and which are known to irritate humans.
And if you’re looking at mini goldendoodle pros and cons, you’d be happy to learn they fare even better than the standard size ones in terms of shedding.
Well, no surprise here. Since their parent breeds are two dogs that are far from being considered dull, goldendoodles are also very intelligent.
They are energetic and fun, too! Plus, if you’re the impatient type of pet parent, you can be assured your goldendoodle is quick to learn tricks.
Another endearing trait of this breed is its knack for understanding human emotions. It instinctively knows how, and more importantly, when to be gentle.
Even if you’re a first time dog owner, you’ll find it effortless to train a goldendoodle “because of their intelligence, loyalty, desire to please, and affectionate nature. As with any dog, it’s easiest to train the goldendoodle when he’s young”, guarantees Tracy Brooks of Brain Training For Dogs.
They’re also constantly looking for stimulation, so you would expect a good training session to yield fast results.
Many goldendoodle owners find that they even make for great emotional support dogs as well, owing to their good memory.
Don’t be surprised if you notice your Goldendoodle quickly going from being quiet and polite to zooming and bounding around the house and backyard. These dogs are small but extremely energetic and playful. They simply love to be engaged.
Goldendoodles are total water babies. They LOVE swimming and their paddling speed will amaze you! Be prepared to have them take a dip from time to time.
Those sweet pups possess a loving and calm disposition. Young families often choose them as they’re wonderful with kids and elders alike.
Known to shower everyone in the home with love and attention, this breed is a sucker for physical affection and touch.
Goldendoodles are also big time extroverts—they look forward to meeting new people and trying new things.
What are the negatives of a Goldendoodle? Although we can’t give you 12 reasons not to own a goldendoodle, here are 7 top cons of owning a Goldendoodle.
Owning a #goldendoodle is like having a pet sheep. pic.twitter.com/e01d3p10EQ
— aaron swanson (@aaron_swanson) May 26, 2016
Even though their coats are hypoallergenic, regular maintenance and grooming is necessary. Like all breeds, goldendoodles can also become prone to matting and slight shedding when they blow their winter coats.
Regularly brushing and grooming will keep your pet healthy and happy. Try trimming their coats and you’ll never get enough of the cute, short look.
Like their parent breed, the golden retriever, goldendoodles are sadly prone to hip issues and displacement.
Symptoms of hip dysplasia include a wobbly gait, weak hind legs, frequent pain in the hips, and decreased range of motion.
Pet parent Patricia Shoup’s pitbull is a case in point. She explains, “My pit with bad hind legs will sleep more as he knows it is somewhat painful to get up.”
This is one of the major reasons why dogs sleep so much when they get older.
Did you know? Even if senior dogs sleep throughout the day, they do get up often to urinate.
Unlike humans, dogs follow their body clock: they sleep when they feel tired. And that comprises 50% of their day.
As facultative carnivores, dogs sleep anywhere between 12 and 20 hours a day. But a lot of factors determine these hours, as Cheryl Williams, Head Trainer at The Enlightened Dog points out:
“It depends on their age, activity level when they’re awake, amount of food they recieve (a starved dog sleeps more to conserve energy) and health (a dog recovering from injury or illness obviously sleeps more)”, she says.
But that’s not all.
New Jersey vet Doctor Adam Christman says, “We know that Goldendoodles are sensitive to atopic dermatitis, ruptured cranial cruciate ligaments in the knees, seizures, hip dysplasia, patella luxation, a blood clotting disorder known as von Willebrand Disease, and an eye condition known as progressive retinal atrophy.”
We know by now that these are loving dogs that will stay in your lap all day if they could.
And when there’s a lack of contact with their owners to whom they are overly attached? They become confused, tend to lash out, and exhibit behavioral issues. The same things happen when they’re left by themselves.
To reduce feelings of abandonment and confusion, use positive reinforcement to train your doodle to handle being alone.
This dog treat toy not only dispenses treats, but gives your pet a challenge too. This customizable puzzle holds the treats safe until your dog figures out how to nudge them out. It is made from non-toxic materials and is dishwasher safe.
This dog treat toy not only dispenses treats, but gives your pet a challenge too. This customizable puzzle holds the treats safe until your dog figures out how to nudge them out. It is made from non-toxic materials and is dishwasher safe..
As seen on Google
I bought this to help my dog’s separation anxiety when she is in her kennel, and she LOVES it. I freeze her food in the Toppl and it keeps her engaged for a long time. And I love that it keeps her mind from freaking out when I’m not there. It fits her entire meal.
As seen on Google
I love this Toppl…this washes up easily and lasts forever…She exhausts herself… sleeps with the Toppl between her paws…I prepare and hide it…before leaving for a few hours. When I return…I have an empty Toppl and one exhausted Golden Retriever!!!
As seen on Google
Jack loves his West Paw Topple puzzle…Jack has Inflammatory Bowl Disease and… fearful of eating from his bowl. The Toppl hides his kibble on the inside and allows Jack to choose where he wants to eat. It stimulates his interest and his mind.
The goldendoodle’s high intelligence has one downside: they want to be engaged all the time.
Provide your pup with enough stimuli to ensure they don’t start chewing your shoes or furniture out of boredom!
Ever so curious, goldendoodles are known to indulge in playful mouthing. Their over excitement also leads them to being very nippy.
This curiosity leads them to sniffing and putting different things in their mouth. They do this to understand more about objects in their environment.
So, you would be wise to keep fragile and dangerous objects out of reach of their noses and mouths.
As mentioned earlier, your goldendoodle is more likely to escalate from cute to destructive when bored.
If they don’t get to let out their bursts of high energy, goldendoodles may race around the house in an explosive manner.
A doodle feeling abandoned and alone can cause chaos in the house. Don’t be surprised if you see a broken vase or dishes lying around when you get home from work.
As is the case with designer breeds, getting a goldendoodle can be pretty heavy on your wallet. Due to their high demand, breeders invest heavily in such breeds and price them exorbitantly.
Goldendoodle puppies range from $500 to $8,000, with the average being a whopping $2,500!
The Goldendoodle Association of North America (GANA) says, “Goldendoodles are extremely social, outgoing, non-aggressive dogs that thrive on human companionship. They have a great desire to please and to learn.” So yes, they’re the perfect first dog for a novice owner.
Absolutely! They’re perfect for families because of their gentle, sweet, and loving nature. These dogs are also very emotionally intelligent.
This breed is generally quiet and calm. However, if they don’t get to go on their daily walks or run around enough, they can bark up a storm. You need to provide them with venues to let their pent-up energy out somehow!
Male Goldendoodles are calm and easygoing once they’ve been neutered. The females, however, tend to be slightly more nervous. Before buying one, you should learn the history of the dog from the breeder.
A digital marketing expert by profession, Andrews is a gifted writer and animal lover at heart. A self-confessed "pawrent", Andrews is well-versed in all things dogs. He uses his years of experience of raising puppies into show-quality dogs to help guide first-time pet parents. He believes in spreading the joy that comes with being a dog dad and advocates more families to adopt pets.
