Goldendoodle

The Goldendoodle is the newly-invented hybrid of the Golden Retriever and Poodle that obtained the widest recognition among Australian dog lovers. The cross took only the best qualities from these two breeds and makes an ultimate family pet. Today it’s rapidly gaining popularity in various countries although it hasn’t yet acquired the official status as a distinctive canine variety.

The Goldendoodle was bred in North America and Australia in the 90s of the XX in an attempt to duplicate the success of the Cockapoo and the Labradoodle. This budding young canine variety is attributed to so-called Doodle, or Poodle mix, breeds and has all chances of becoming a popular companion animal in the nearest future. Its breeders aimed to develop a dog that would be larger than other Doodles and would have a hyper allergic low-shedding coat. As a bonus, it also inherited the Golden Retriever’s amiable disposition and quick-wittedness.

The name «Goldendoodle» was contrived soon after the invention of the Labradoodle by Wally Conron. It’s believed that the term was initially utilised by the American family Neddles in 1992. Answering to the question about the breed of its pet, the Needles often referred to it as a «Goldendoodle» and the name eventually stuck to this cross.

In the vast majority of cases Goldendoodles appear as the product of first-generation breeding. As the result of this breeding strategy, such dogs are notable for exceptional robustness and lovable temperament. They come in three different sizes to meet the wishes of any family: standard (about 20 kilograms or more), medium (between 14 and 20 kilograms) and miniature (between 7 and 14 kilograms). In order to predict the average size of an adult dog it’s recommended to sum up the weights of its parents and divide it by two.

The Goldendoodle already has sizeable number of fanciers throughout the world but they haven’t yet organised any specialised club or registry for this wonderful new breed.

The easy-going, inquisitive, mellow and frisky nature of the Goldendoodle makes it a fabulous companion dog. It craves for the company and attention of its favourite people and may play pranks in the house if left alone for too long. Children are usually absolutely delighted at vigour of this breed and spend numerous hours in playing with it. Of course, standard socialisation is still important for this dog otherwise it may exhibit fearfulness and nervousness even in everyday situations.

The friendliness of the Goldendoodle knows no bounds so it always gives a hearty welcome to each and every newcomer. It may bark at the sight of a stranger but this behaviour would rather express excitement of the dog than mean some aggressive intentions. In general, this breed has average abilities of a watcher and in most cases warns its masters about any suspicious activities near the house. Such a sociable and kind breed won’t make a good guardian and must never be charged with this type of tasks.

The Goldendoodle tolerates both canine and non-canine pets although it certainly prefers to live with its counterparts. As a matter of fact strange dogs pose serious danger for this breed because of its curious and out-going character. The owner should carefully supervise the first meeting of two dogs. It’s also essential to introduce the puppy of this breed to the family cat and other pets as early as possible in order to guarantee their peaceful co-existence.

The most common problems for the breed include:

· patellar luxation;

· ear infections;

· hip dysplasia;

· elbow dysplasia;

· progressive retinal atrophy (PRA);

· von Willebrand’s disease;

· allergies;

· gastric dilatation-volvulus;

· hypothyroidism.

The Goldendoodle has relatively low grooming requirements. Its wavy coat commonly grows to 5-7 cm and sheds almost unnoticeably. It will definitely benefit from brushing once or two times per week although the breed member with a short haircut should be thoroughly brushed only once every couple of weeks. Bathe your pet only when if it gets really dirty because water and dog shampoos can wash off protective natural oils from its skin and fur.

The rest is a routine care that consists of regular nail trimming, weekly teeth brushing and obligatory ear cleaning (remember that this breed is highly predisposed to ear infections!).

The Goldendoodle usually becomes a very quick learner since this dog is marked by both sharp intellect and willingness to please the trainer. It’s capable of coping even with the sequences of commands and flourishes in such canine competitions as obedience and agility trials.

Avoid punishing this kind and docile dog for its rare mistakes and use only positive stimulus to evoke its interest to training. This breed also needs very elementary socialisation to be polite and friendly with other types of pets.

The Goldendoodle shares vigorous nature of its forefathers and needs fairly sizeable amount of physical stimulation. The breed remains very active indoors and poorly accommodates to apartment living. It’s advisable to keep it in a house with a large and safely fenced yard.

This dog likes all kinds of games and has enough stamina to frisk for hours on end. The Goldendoodle that is too frequently left on its own usually forms habits to destructive and mischievous behaviour at home.