THE GOLDENDOODLE

The original Goldendoodle was a hybrid cross between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. The exact date of conception is unknown as a handful of breeders in the US marketed this new breed in the late 1990s. The idea was no doubt inspired by the development of the Labradoodle and its success as a compatible dog for many people with mild allergies to dogs. The gorgeous coat with little to no shedding attracted those who loved the Golden Retriever's temperament but loathed the amount of hair left behind and/or the allergy issues that came with it. This is how the Goldendoodle became a universal hit!

As the breed continued to develop, requests for different sizes became common and breeders responded. The public's immediate admiration for the Standard Golddoodle (a Standard Poodle crossed with a Golden Retriever) prompted the breed's originators to look into size variation to accommodate different lifestyles.

There are now four size categories - Petite, Mini, Medium and Standard. They also come in a variety of colors and coat patterns. It should be noted here that, with the exception of the standard Goldendoodle, breeding of the animals is usually only possible through artificial insemination.

Goldendoodles are extremely social, outgoing, non-aggressive dogs that thrive on human company. They have a great desire to please and to learn. Every single breed (Poodle and Golden Retriever) scores in the top 4 of the 150 smartest dog breeds and personally I would put the Goldendoodle at #1 as they really are extremely intelligent.

They are incredibly intelligent and willing to please.

This temperament, coupled with the low to non-shedding coat, has been found to make the Goldendoodles perfect candidates for service work and family pets. I spoke to a guide dog trainer a while back and she confirmed my theory as she said she absolutely loves working with Goldendoodles as they learn everything much faster and easier than any other breed.

This breed is extremely child-friendly and will put up with anything from the youngest members of the family. And although a Goldendoodle is usually greedy (he inherits this peculiarity from the Golden Retriever), he does not tend to be jealous of food.

If you want to get a Goldendoodle and you already have other animals in the household, you don't need to worry either, as they really do meet each animal very happily and without any aggression.

But who is this breed suitable for anyway? Well, that's very easy to answer for anyone who doesn't spend all day on the sofa and just wants to take the dog outside for a moment! A Goldendoodle is up for any type of fun and sport. They like to let off steam outside in nature, love to swim and enjoy working with people. In the house they are rather quiet housemates, which makes them ideal for being taken to the owner's workplace (provided the boss agrees ;-) ).

Did we mention the "Hybrid Power"? Hybrid vigor, the increased health benefits of crossing two completely unrelated breeds, gives the Goldendoodle the health and vitality that makes them average enough to outlive either of their parent breeds. However, it should be emphasized that overall health and vitality can be improved even more drastically when the parents have been genetically tested for the inherited conditions common to both parent breeds (e.g. hip dysplasia). However, the hybrid power ONLY applies to the F1 (first) generation!

Given her wonderful motivation tion, intelligence, health and their hairless coat, it's no wonder Goldendoodles are becoming increasingly popular.

COLORS AND COAT TYPES

Goldendoodles come in a rainbow of colors. Golden Retriever ancestry only brings shades of cream, gold, and red to the breed. These colors are all controlled by the same gene, with the hue being determined by the intensity of the inherited gene. While Poodle heritage also includes creams, goldens, and reds; Poodles alone impart the black, chocolate (dark brown), silver, and gray coloring (and color patterns) to the Goldendoodle coat.

For even more variety, there are patterns of these colors found in the Goldendoodle including parti, merle, phantom and brindle (brindle).

A parti (bicolor) Goldendoodle is at least 50% white, with solid patches of every other color.

A solid color Goldendoodle with white markings covering less than 50% of the body is known by several names: abstract, mismarks, or simply "markings".

Merle is a varied coat pattern. Although the merle gene is beautiful in color, it can cause blindness and deafness when two parents carrying the merle gene are bred together, so merles should only be bred by very knowledgeable breeders who test for the merle gene and understand the genetics involved.

Phantoms have a specific pattern (usually in shades of brown from light, almost cream, to dark) of markings on a solid background (usually black or tan) above each eye, on the sides of the snout, on the chest, in the legs, and under the Tail.

Brindle patterns appear as stripes, color and width vary with each dog.

TEXTURE AND APPEARANCE OF COAT

The main concerns for any dog breeder must be health, temperament and conformation; but who can deny that a Goldendoodle's outward appearance tugs at our hearts? With careful breeding, breeders can now breed litters with predictable coat types and shedding tendencies.

One of the things that many people find attractive about the Goldendoodle is the low shedding and hypoallergenic properties of the coat and the Goldendoodle's adorable plush toy look. DNA research is now giving us clues as to how coat genes influence a Goldendoodle's "appearance". You no longer have to rely on the generation of a Goldendoodle to determine appearance or coat intensity!

Length (FGF5 gene)

The coat length gene determines whether a dog has a long (L) or short (S) coat. Although long coat is recessive because both Goldendoodle parent breeds (Golden Retriever and Poodle) are long coated, all Goldendoodles carry two long coat (L/L) genes. Since short coat is dominant, if a dog carries a gene for the short gene (S/L), the coat would be short. Because of this, some Labradoodles in the early generations have short coats, while Goldendoodles do not.

Curl (KRT71 gene)

Goldendoodles can be curly, wavy, or straight. In a litter of Golden Retriever x Poodle (F1 generation), all types of fur are usually found. In further generations, this can then be "controlled" more through specific selection and bred specifically for one variant.

SUMMARIZED

The Goldendoodle comes in 3 coat types:

CURLY: This is a curly coat that is very similar to the poodle and tends to increase in density with age.

Whether a puppy will later also have curly hair can already be seen in puppyhood, since the curls begin to change after the

show birth by a wavy pattern all over the body.

WAVY: That's what wavy hair is called. So it's a mixture of straight and curly hair that the hair waves

forms.

It should also be noted here that if you choose a puppy with wavy hair, there is no guarantee that it will be wavy

stays because it can still develop into curly hair over time up to 2 years of age.

STRAIGHT: This describes the straight hair, which is also recognizable in puppyhood.

REGARD !!!

Even having a Goldendoodle does not guarantee that you are not allergic to a particular dog. Allergies are very complex and elimination is just one of the components that go into the equation. Remember that dander, saliva, proteins and allergens carried on the dog's coat etc. all contribute to an individual's allergic reaction.

THE COAT CARE

The care of curly hair (curly)

A Goldendoodle with this hair type can be recognized at first sight, its coat has a woolly shape, is very dense and curly. Hair density increases with age. Since these "curly miracles" do not change their hair, as you probably know from most other dogs, they do not shed any dead hair. However, their curly hair continues to grow incessantly, which of course means that the Curly Coated Goldendoodle should be clipped regularly. Because it is almost impossible to hold this dog without regular clipping of the hair, its wool would become matted over time, which would mean that the dog would then have to be completely sheared off. I recommend clipping the dogs about every eight weeks. However, the grooming condition should be checked weekly and the dog should be vigorously brushed out with a comb and brush. Unlike other hair types, this wool is not water-repellent. It is therefore advisable to shear the Curly Goldendoodle in winter as well. Because the dog's wool does not repel moisture and it takes a long time to dry due to the density of the fur, the dog carries this moisture on its body. This is comparable to sitting down in the warm living room in winter with a sweater that is always damp. If the coat is not in the optimal condition during this time and there is even damp felt on the dog's skin, this could lead to health problems in the dog.

You don't need much for the right care, a (two-sided) soft plucked brush is sufficient as a tool.

Care of the other hair types

Caring for wavy and straight hair is a little easier.

These Goldendoodles should also be combed vigorously with a soft slicker brush at least twice a week. In particular, you should comb the areas behind/under the ears, inner thighs and under the armpits, as this is where tangles form most quickly.

In contrast to Curly, the other two fur variants do not necessarily have to be shorn regularly, but a Goldendoodle that is "in shape", i.e. has at least been given a contour cut, looks much more well-groomed and, in my opinion, much cuter.

Hair's enemy: moisture

To prevent hair from matting, it's good to know a few basic things. Moisture in particular can lead to problems with the coat. The longer the Doodle's hair, the more important it is to take care of it properly.

If your dog's hair is damp after a walk, do not rub the fur dry with a cloth, as rubbing the individual hairs together can cause the fur to become matted particularly quickly. It is better if you dab the fur firmly. If the dog is very wet, it is advisable to blow dry it to prevent matting. There are special dog hair dryers that make this work easier for you and your Doodle.

The ears

Very important and not to be forgotten is the care of the ears. These must be cleaned regularly.

Some Goldendoodles inherit hair growth in their ears from the poodle, and this hair has to be plucked out again and again, otherwise ear infections can occur due to a greater tendency to get dirty.

From when and where do I take care of my Goldendoodle?

Even with puppies, it is very important to take care of them consistently right from the start. Even if it is not absolutely necessary because of the fur, you should familiarize your puppy with grooming every two to three days so that it can get used to the procedure at an early stage. It will save you and your dog a lot of stress in the future. The puppy still has a rather fluffy, soft puppy fur, which it gradually loses and this should be brushed out vigorously, otherwise it will quickly become matted and have a lot of knots.

I find grooming dogs on the floor unproductive as it is quite uncomfortable not only for the dog but also for you. I would therefore recommend everyone to get a so-called "grooming table" or alternatively simply to provide a table with a non-slip rubber mat in order to comb and brush the dog there or even to blow-dry it. In this way, the young dog learns at the same time that the floor is being played on and that the necessary grooming is regularly carried out on the table. And you also make the work of your future dog hairdresser immensely easier - as well as your dog, who already knows it and can stand on the table without stress.

Bathing

I always get the question: How often do I have to bathe my dog? And my answer is always: As little as possible, as often as necessary! This means that you should really only bathe your darling if it is absolutely necessary, for example if he has taken a "mud bath" or - like all dogs love it so much - has wallowed in horse or cow manure and then it stinks so badly that you can hardly stand it at home.

Please bear in mind that by bathing the dog you attack the natural protective layer, so bathing should be done very rarely and only with suitable dog shampoos.

GENERATIONS

F1 = Golden Retriever x Poodle

F1b = F1 Goldendoodle x Poodle or F1 Goldendoodle x Golden Retriever

F2 = F1 Goldendoodle x F1 Goldendoodle

Height and weight

Petite: under 35cm, up to 11kg

Mini: 35-42cm, 11-16kg

Medium: 43-52cm, 16-22kg

Standard: 53-63cm, from 23kg