History

First there were the Labradoodles (the cross between the Labrador Retriever and the Poodle).The Labradoodle was developed in Australia in the late 1980's as a service dog especially for people with allergies who couldn't have a Labrador due to their shedding. Golden Retriever lovers began developing the Goldendoodle in the mid-1990's, producing a soft and shaggy coated dog that has won people's hearts the world over. These dogs have joined the Labradoodle as being intelligent, competent, low to non-shedding working service dogs, and field dogs as well as family companions.

What do they look like?

Goldendoodles typically have a shaggy-dog look and can vary in color, size and coat quality.

Color

The color will depend largely on the poodle genes, and can be almost any color including white and black and in between. Some may have other markings such as being "parti-colored" (spotted), or "phantom-colored" which have markings like a doberman, or "mismarked" which is a solid colored dog with a white spot often on the chest and sometimes on the chin, top of head or paws. At Aspen Hill Doodles we specialize in cream, gold, apricot, and red pups. Our pups are solid colored or mismarked.

Size

There are two basic sizes of F1 Goldendoodles: Miniature and Standard. The F1 Miniature Goldendoodle height is usually between 18 and 21 inches and weight between 25 and 50 pounds. Aspen Hill F1 minis weigh about 30 pounds. The Standard F1 Goldendoodle height is usually between 22 and 26 inches and weight between 50 and 75 pounds. Aspen Hill standards weigh about 60 pounds. The females tend to be smaller than the males. F1B pups will vary in size depending on the parents. At Aspen Hill Doodles, when we cross a Miniature F1 Goldendoodle with a Miniature Poodle (a F1B cross) we call it a Small Miniature Goldendoodle, they will weigh about 25 pounds. We also cross a Miniature F1 Goldendoodle with a Standard Poodle (an F1B cross) and we call the pups Medium Miniature Goldendoodles. They will weigh about 45 pounds.

 

Coat

The coat of a Goldendoodle is usually soft and curly and if left unclipped, it will usually grow from 4 to 7inches long (shorter on the face). How curly the coat is often depends on the type of cross of each particular Goldendoodle.

Types of Goldendoodles

When a Golden Retriever is crossed with a poodle, it is called a F1 cross (first generation hybrid). These dogs are 50% Golden Retriever and 50% Poodle. The coat will vary between looking like a wavy coated retriever to a relaxed-curl poodle. This cross has a typical "shaggy-dog" look. Most first generation Goldendoodles either don't shed or shed lightly. Some people with mild allergies are ok with F1 Goldendoodles.

When a Goldendoodle is crossed back with either parent breed (usually a Poodle), the breeding is called a Backcross, or a F1B cross. The B is for Backcross

Some breeders breed two F1 Goldendoodles together. This combination is called a F2 cross and produces the most variation in coat, from a coat that looks almost completely like a Golden Retriever's, to a coat that looks almost completely like a Poodle's. F2 Goldendoodles may be 90% Poodle (or more!) or 90% Golden Retriever (or more!), but are more likely to be somewhere in between.

When a F1 Goldendoodle is crossed back with a Poodle, it's a F1B cross. These dogs are roughly 25% Golden Retriever and 75% Poodle. They will have a generally curlier coat and are often non-shedding. They are recommended for families with mild allergies to dogs. If they were bred back to a Golden Retriever they would be roughly 75% Golden Retriever and 25% Poodle, they would have a generally smoother coat and more of a tendency to shed and to irritate allergies. People who have moderate to severe allergies to dogs, would probably be safest getting a pure bred poodle.

When a F2 Goldendoodle is crossed back with a Poodle (or Golden Retriever), it is called a F2B. Similar to a F1B, they would be more like a Poodle or Golden Retriever (at least 50%), depending on which breed they were backcrossed to.

Any of these crosses can be crossed with one another to create combinations such as a F3 or a F3B and after several generations may be considered "Multigenerational."

Personality

Goldendoodles are happy, intelligent dogs that are friendly and loyal to their family. They get along well with children and other pets. They are happiest when they are with people. They love to learn and are easy to train.

Maintenance

Goldendoodles require a moderate amount of exercise and grooming.