Many families around the world are trying to identify the best canine companion.
When you’re getting a puppy, it’s always good to know your breed beforehand, and getting a purebred puppy might be easier to predict in terms of temperament and trainability.
However, that cute little Golden Retriever Poodle mix in your nearest shelter sure sounds like the perfect fit for your family, doesn’t it?
Pairing a well-rounded, even-tempered, and exuberant dog with one of the arguably smartest dogs in the world sure sounds desirable to potential dog owners around the world.
As the Goldendoodle gains in popularity, potential dog owners are left with plenty of questions.
We’ll dive into the following aspects of this mixed breed below:
- Goldendoodle Intelligence & Trainability
- Goldendoodle Lifespan & Health
- Goldendoodle Temperament
- Goldendoodle Shedding
- How Big Are Goldendoodles?
- What Do Goldendoodles Cost?
Be aware that getting a mixed breed always means that you’re getting a surprise bag in terms of temperament and opting for either one breed as a purebred is actually the best solution for most people.
However, the Golden Retriever Poodle mix still fascinates and intrigues people around the world, so even though the breed may not be suitable for your needs and lifestyle, it’s interesting to learn about them (maybe a quick glance at the cute pictures too).
The Golden Retriever Club and the Poodle Club have similar views on this matter.
Even though a Goldendoodle club has been founded by opponents of these established clubs and even though they claim to only better this newly created designer breed, there’s a big discrepancy in terms of experience and effort the established clubs put into the breeds compared to these newly formed ones.
| Lifespan | 10-15 years |
| Weight | 45-75 lbs (20-34 kg) |
| Height | 19-24 inches (48-61 cm) |
| Activity Level | High |
Are Goldendoodles Smart?
Even though predicting the intelligence and trainability of a mixed breed is hard, a Goldendoodle is probably among the smarter breeds.
Carefully selected Golden Retrieves and Poodles are certainly suitable for a wide range of activities.
The Golden Retriever is often used as a service animal or guide dog while you’ll often see Poodles in activities like Dog Dancing or Agility.
A Golden Retriever Poodle mix could excel in both these activities or neither one.
What’s clear is that these fellows need extensive training (like every dog) which includes mental stimulation.
Do not make the mistake of getting a smart dog breed and leaving them to themselves.
They need human contact as well as proper socialization and training which will keep them sharp and healthy.
The Goldendoodle has his roots in a working Retriever and should be trained regularly while keeping training fun and engaging.
How Long Do Goldendoodles Live?
Goldendoodles can live 10-15 years.
The Poodle has a longer lifespan with 12-15 years while many sources cite 10-12 years for the Goldie.
However, the lifespan depends on many factors such as breeding, health, diet, environment, and exercise.
Health issues in the Goldendoodle include the following from both parental sides:
- Hip Dysplasia
- Elbow Dysplasia
- Patellar Luxation
- Heart Disease (SAS for Goldies and DCM for Poodles)
- Eye Disease (Pigmentary Uveitis for Goldies and Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Optic Nerve Hypoplasia for Poodles)
- Von Willebrand’s Disease
- Hypothyroidism
- Bloat
Lesser known issues that mainly affect the Goldie include:
- Ichthyosis
- Masticatory Muscle Myositis (MMM)
- Hemangiosarcoma
- NCL (Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis)
These are health issues that affect the Poodle more often:
- Addison’s Disease
- Atrial Septal Defects in Standard Poodles
- Chronic Active Hepatitis
- Cushing’s Disease
- Epilepsy
- Legg-Calve-Perthes
- Neonatal Encephalopathy (NEwS)
- Sebaceous Adenitis
Of course, this is just a list to give you a general direction.
You can read more about the several health concerns on the club sites and further resources on the Golden Retriever and the Poodle Club.
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice and you should ask your vet if you have any questions pertaining to a specific case.
If you can optimize all the various categories that ensure a high quality of life and you’ve made a wise choice in regards to your breeder (again, purebreds are generally healthier), your dog can very well end up on the older side of the spectrum.
Goldendoodle Temperament
The Goldendoodle’s temperament will depend highly on the parent dogs and how carefully they were selected to complement each other.
Since many dog breeds are the product of poor breeding, it can be debated whether or not your average Goldendoodle really has the best of both worlds.
Even if the Poodle Golden Retriever mix was carefully selected (not to mention if that’s truly possible), chances are high that the temperament won’t turn out as intended.
While these two breeds are not a contrast in terms of temperament, they are different in various aspects.
While the Golden Retriever is known to be a kind and friendly dog, the Poodle is often labeled as “instinctual” or even alert.
Of course, Poodles are no guard dogs but they can be more suspicious of strangers or at the very least, be quite reserved with them.
With the family, both dogs should ideally be calm according to their respective breed standards.
However, the Retriever side needs to be physically exercised and mentally stimulated.
Make no mistake about assuming the Poodle is a couch potato, they can be quite active too.
Is it better to get a male or female Goldendoodle?
As with any dog breed, whether you should get a male or female dog depends on a lot of factors.
If there’s already a male dog in your house, getting a female dog might be the better solution and vice versa.
You also have to make sure your potential new dog gets along with the existing dog which is often a real challenge, especially with rescues.
You have an existing dog and (s)he isn’t spayed or neutered (which I generally do not recommend if it’s avoidable)?
Then you need to make sure that your new addition is or think about getting the medical procedure done on either one since you definitely don’t want them to reproduce randomly.
Wishful thinking can include us thinking that females are so much easier to handle than males and in most cases, that’s true.
Part of that is owed to the fact that females are generally smaller than males.
However, there are very calm males out there while females can have lots of behavioral issues, depending on their previous environment and training (or lack thereof).
Which is better: Goldendoodle or Labradoodle?
Both breeds are created with the Poodle as foundation the Golden Retriever on one side and the Labrador on the other side.
The glorified breeding of these designer dogs creates the thought in potential dog owners that either one of these is actually a breed in and of itself (they’re not).
The Goldie and the Lab are two of the most popular dogs in the United States and various other countries around the world.
However, one isn’t necessarily better than the other since both are mixed breeds that come with the associated risks.
There’s also a misconception that these two breeds share.
Do Goldendoodles Shed?
Yes, Goldendoodles shed.
Shocking to many who have been reading that the Poodle is so hypoallergenic and that they should get a Goldendoodle if they’re seeking the Goldie character with the Poodle’s tendency to be allergy-friendly.
Goldendoodles are not hypoallergenic dog breeds.
If you have canine allergies, you can react allergic to this crossbreed and you should not believe any breeder or rescue that tells you otherwise.
It may very well be that you react to other dogs while not reacting to the Golden Retriever Poodle mix but that is sheer coincidence.
How Big Does a Poodle Golden Retriever Mix Get?
Since the Goldendoodle consists of two very comparable breeds in terms of height and weight, there are not that many outliers as is often the case with other breeds.
Male Goldendoodle Height: 22–24 inches (56–61 cm)
Male Goldendoodle Weight: 60–75 lbs (27–34 kg)
Female Goldendoodle Height: 19–22 inches (48–56 cm)
Female Goldendoodle Weight: 45–65 lbs (20–30 kg)
However, they’re only comparable when referring to the Standard Poodle as a mixed breed partner.
The Poodle comes in three varieties:
- Toys 10 inches and under
- Miniatures are 10-15 inches
- Standards are 15 or more (mostly around 22 inches)
Your result can be completely different if you’re mixing a very small Poodle or one that has a history of smaller ancestors.
How Much Do Goldendoodles Cost?
No matter how much breeders advertise the Goldendoodle as extremely rare, it’s essentially a cross-breed.
Pricing a cross-breed above $3,000 as you’ll often see on the websites of various breeders is essentially ridiculous.
Offspring from properly planned breeding programs are definitely worth that amount and depending on the breed, they’re worth even more.
In theory, there’s no price tag we can put on our precious canine companions.
That does not scare breeders away from charging absurd amounts for their mixes.
Yes, breeding can be expensive.
Selecting the perfect stud, going to the vet for check-ups, health testing, puppy food, socialization and club certificates (or the lack thereof) are all costs associated with breeding.
Do not shy away from going the extra mile and paying more for your dog of choice.
After all, you’ll have your dog for more than a decade in which they’ll cost you tens of thousands of dollars.
However, if you’re thinking about getting a Goldendoodle, try to visit shelters.
Not only will you avoid encouraging cross-breeding, but you’ll also pay far less because the adoption fees are in the low hundreds instead of thousands of dollars.
Do you have a Goldendoodle? Share with us your experiences in the comments below!
Disclaimer: I’m opposed to deliberate cross-breeding of any glorified designer dog breed. The resulting dog is a genetic gamble in terms of health and temperament and offers no advantage to a health-tested, properly selected purebred puppy.
Check out my article discussing the most relevant scientific study on this topic.
irv weinberg
Friday 22nd of January 2021
Standard Poodles without the strange grooming are fabulous dogs as are Labs and Goldens. But the rush to own them makes for too much breeding. Be careful you select a good breeder.