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 "abstract" which is a solid colored dog with one or more small white markings, "parti-colored" (spotted), or "phantom-colored" which have markings like a doberman . At Aspen Hill Doodles we specialize in cream, gold, apricot, and red pups. Our pups are solid colored or abstract. Our abstract pups' white markings, are usually on the center of the chest, sometimes on the paws and sometimes on the chin or center of the forehead. If the white area is very small, it often almost disappears as the pup grows up. To the left is a Magnum, he's a good example of one of our apricot abstract pups. He has a small white spot in the middle of his chest. He's an F1 Medium Apricot Abstract. He is one of Luna and Tino's pups.

Size

For simplicities sake, we have modified the way we describe the size of our goldendoodles. Regardless of generation, we’re calling those that are below 18 inches at the shoulder and under 30 pounds “minis” or Miniature Goldendoodles. Those that are about 18 to 21 inches at the shoulder and about 30 to 50 pounds in size we’re calling “mediums” or Medium Goldendoodles. Those that are above 21 inches at the shoulder and above 50 pounds we’re calling “standards” or Standard Goldendoodles.

F1
At Aspen Hill Doodles there are two basic sizes of F1 Goldendoodles: Medium and Standard. The F1 Medium Goldendoodle is from the cross between a Golden Retriever and a Miniature Poodle. The height is usually between 18 and 21 inches and weight between 30 and 50 pounds. Aspen Hill F1 mediums usually weigh about 35 pounds. The F1 Standard Goldendoodle is the cross between a Golden Retriever and a Standard Poodle, the 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
F1B pups will vary in size depending on the parents. Following are some of our possible combinations:

When we cross a F1 Medium Goldendoodle with a Miniature Poodle we call it a F1B Miniature Goldendoodle, ours usually weigh about 25 pounds.

We also cross a F1 Medium Goldendoodle with a Standard Poodle and we call the pups F1B Medium Goldendoodles. Ours usually weigh about 35 pounds.

When we cross an F1 Standard Goldendoodle with a Miniature Poodle we also call them F1B Medium Goldendoodles, and they will usually weigh about 35 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 an 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 a Poodle, the breeding is called a Backcross, or an F1B cross. The B is for Backcross.

F1B Goldendoodles will have a generally curlier coat and are usually non-shedding. They are recommended for families with mild allergies to dogs. People who have moderate to severe allergies to dogs, would probably be safest getting a pure poodle.

Some breeders breed two F1 Goldendoodles together. This combination is called an 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 an F2 Goldendoodle is crossed back with a Poodle, it is called an F2B. The characteristics of the puppies from this cross would depend on the characteristics of the F2 parent.

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."

Izze (above), F1B fleece coated small mini