Goldendoodle World

Many people are confused about what type of dog to add to their family.  It's of no wonder.  There are so many breeds to select from.  Should you get a small dog?  Should you get a large dog? Do you have allergies?  Do you want a laid back dog?  An active dog?  A hyper dog?  So many personalities..........so little time.

When trying to select the right pet,  you will have to take into consideration many things,  but the most important thing is to ask yourself what sort of person you are.  If you have other members of the family wanting a pet,  you will have to take everyone's personality into consideration.....what it is they desire...who will be responsible for the new pet...where the pet will sleep.....who your vet will be and so on.

Do you or someone have allergies in your family?  Do you travel alot?  Will the pet live indoors or outdoors?  Do you have time to devote to a new pet?  Can you financially afford to own or take care of a new pet?

The Goldendoodle dog has probably been in existance for longer than we really know.  After all,  the Poodle dog is one of the longest lived breeds and the Golden Retriever has been a part of many families for centuries.   Because there is a possibility that both purebred dogs have at one time or another crossed "accidentally" with one another

how can we say that the Australians were first to create the Goldendoodle?  How do we know if the Canadians came up with this lovely hybrid concept first?  Who first came up with the Goldendoodle idea will be a hot debate for years to come.  I know that when we first came up with the idea in 1999,  the term "goldendoodle" wasn't even a part of my vocabulary.   I was a Golden Retriever breeder in 1996.   A dog breeder/groomer friend of mine bred purebred Poodles.  We actually joked about breeding the two type of dogs together and of what we would call them.

Curly Goldens?  Golden-Poo?  Go-Poo?  Who knew!   I fell in love with one of her beautiful Standard Poodles whom I named Scisco's Kid.   He's an old man now,  but when I first got him from my friend,  he was every bit the regal Standard Poodle with a personality to boot!  I named my first litter,  curly Goldens.   When a customer bought one of my pups in 1999,  he brought with him a print out about some Australian breeders who actually bred the Golden Retriever and Standard Poodle together for a purpose and called them "Goldendoodles".They created this beautiful hybrid so that people who needed assistance dogs could have a low shedding dog,  if they had allergies towards high shedding dogs like the Labrador or Golden Retriever.    I got on the internet and read about these Australian breeders and found that there wasn't very much information about the "Goldendoodle" dog.   It was then that I decided to dedicate my Golden Retriever website to the Goldendoodle dog.   I fell in love with my first litter and I have been hooked ever since.   From 1999 to the present date,  I've written about my personal experiences as a breeder with Goldendoodle puppies and dogs.   I could not find any information at all,  back in 1999, regarding shedding or colors or sizes or personalities....nada..for the Goldendoodle.   It was in 1999 that I decided to write everything I came to learn about the Goldendoodle dog and that included taking thousands of photos from birth to adulthood.

I will admit that what I thought I knew of the Goldendoodle back in 1999, including my assumptions of what sizes to expect; what the shedding would be like and so on...has changed over the years and I have had to make footnotes/changes to my own written  information as time passed because I came to know that the Goldendoodle dog is a complete contradiction unto itself.   Just when I thought what I knew about them in 1999 was a fact,  a couple of years later,  I would have to re-write my information and update it as time passed.  I basically grew as time past by as a Goldendoodle breeder and the Goldendoodle dog has taught me quite a bit not just as a dog owner but as a breeder.   Many breeders will not admit that they have had to change their information or that they have grown as a breeder,  but I freely admit that you can't take anything for granted where the Goldendoodle dog is concerned.

To my amazement,  I've seen a dark chocolate phantom Goldendoodle completely lose its markings and turn into a solid cream colored Goldendoodle and I will say that I'd never seen this happen with any type of dog I've ever owned!   Even my customers' vet said he himself had never seen this happen and that this was a rare occurance.  I completely agreed to that assessment!  Indeed,  I'd never seen this even in a purebred Poodle.  Had the dog not been micro-chipped,  I would have said the customer was punking me!  But thankfully,  I had micro-chipped the dog as a young puppy and the chip matched my records to support that it was indeed the same dog.

I have learned that as a breeder,  you can not judge what size the offspring will be as an adult based on the sizes of their parents.   I learned that with a Goldendoodle dog,  their entire lineage plays a 100% role in how large or small they will be as an adult dog.   I came to learn that the Goldendoodle dog is fully grown by one year of age.  There are many breeders out there who make wild claims that the Goldendoodle dog is a "mini" or a "standard" or a "toy" but the fact is,  a Goldendoodle dog can not be placed in size categories simply for the reason that a breeder will see various sizes within a single litter of puppies and each puppy can turn out to be various sizes.  Purebred dogs can be lumped into size categories because their breed has been refined over many, many years.  Hybrid dogs are not predictable when it comes to sizes.  The reason they are not predictable is not because they are "mutts".  The fact of the matter is,  a Goldendoodle dog isn't a mutt at all.   They are a hybrid.  A dog that comes from two different purebred dogs.   A mutt is a dog that may have parents  who are mixed breed dogs themselves.  A hybrid only has parents who are purebred dogs....just of two different breeds.

Goldendoodles work out for many people for a variety of reasons.  They come in all sizes and they have three different coat types:  Shaggy. Curly. Smooth.   Your lucky because you also can have a Goldendoodle that has brown, green, blue or multi colored eyes!  Many dogs only have brown eyes.......with the Goldendoodle, you can have a choice of eye color.   Most Goldendoodles are very friendly dogs and so they work out for families who have children.   As a breeder,   I have come to know from experience that if you enjoy the purebred Golden Retriever but can't handle the shedding hair,  you will want to obtain a Goldendoodle with a shaggy or smooth coat.  Why?  Because a Goldendoodle with a curly coat has picked up more Poodle genetics and may not your cup of tea where personality is concerned.   The curly coat Goldendoodle is perfect for someone who has owned Poodles before and enjoys the personality and quirks that can come with the purebred Poodle.   Many curly coat Goldendoodles pick up the traits and personality of the purebred Poodle.  Golden Retriever fans have a difficult time appreciating the curly coat Goldendoodle just as a Poodle fan may not be able to appreciate the fine traits of the shaggy coat or smooth coat Goldendoodle.

As a breeder of Goldendoodles since 1999,   I've come to know just about everything there is to know about the Goldendoodle dog.  But next year.....I may come back and tell you that I've learned something new!  The Goldendoodle dog is a low shedding dog...HOWEVER.....it is possible to see more shedding in a smooth coat Goldendoodle than you would see in the shaggy coat or the curly coat....but the smooth coat Goldendoodle definitely sheds less than the purebred Golden Retriever dog.   No, the curly coat Goldendoodle does not shed less than the shaggy coat Goldendoodle.  That is one misconception about the Goldendoodle dog and that is, the curly coat sheds less than the shaggy coat.  Not true.   A Goldendoodle will not shed any less just because it has more Poodle genetics.  It will just have more Poodle traits.   Any dog that is mixed with a purebred Poodle will have low shedding, period.  I've been asked many times,  "what is the difference between a Labradoodle and a Goldendoodle"?  Well, for starters...they are two completely different type of hybrids simply because the Labrador is nothing like a Golden Retriever.   Sshhh....don't tell anyone but I'm not a fan of the Labrador Retriever.  Never have been, never will be.

True that the Labrador and the Golden share a love for water sports and activities,  but the personality of the Golden Retriever....in my own personal opinion....far exceeds that of the Labrador Retriever.   Just take a look at any newspaper.  You will find hundreds of ads for Lab mix this and Lab mix that....Labs, Labs and more Labs.   You will see very few advertisements for purebred Golden Retrievers.   The reason for this is because breeders rarely advertise their Goldens in newspapers.  Even I do not advertise my Goldendoodles in newspapers.  Most Goldendoodles are very intelligent dogs with their souls shining through their bright eyes.  They seem to be smiling anytime you look at them.  

It has been my personal experience that the Goldendoodle dog is a dog you want to train with positive reinforcement.  They are very sensitive dogs who aim to please.   They love attention and they enjoy getting attention.

I could give you tons of reasons why you should consider a Goldendoodle over any other type of dog.  But don't take my word for it!  Go to my personal website at http://www.goldendoodleworld.com and read all of our customer comments of why THEY love their Goldendoodle and how much joy their Goldendoodle dog has brought to them and to their family members.   I'm not saying that the Goldendoodle dog is for everyone.   Some people can not appreciate this lovely hybrid and for them,  the doodle doesn't work out.

You will have to ask yourself many reasons why you want to add a dog to your life and what you expect out of the pet you bring into your home.  Some people expect too much and those people seem to be the ones who have issues after bringing a Goldendoodle into their home.  They've set the bar soo unrealistically high that the Goldendoodle can not possibly meet those expectations.    If you've lost a pet,  don't try  to buy a "clone" of the pet you lost.  No dog can ever fill the shoes of another dog you've sadly lost to some tragic event.   Just as we can never replace a child or spouse who has passed away,  we can not replace the dog we've lost.   A new pet can bring alot of enjoyment back into your life if you've lost a pet to some unfortunate incident.  They can't replace the pet you've lost,  but a new pet can make you smile again.   A new pet can get you outside where you'll interact with other dog people.  A new pet will give you an excuse to go for walks and get some exercise.    A new pet might allow you to even strike up a conversation with a complete stranger and make a new friend.   A Goldendoodle is unique in the way they look and they will bring attention where ever you go with him or her.   I like to say that the Goldendoodle dog is a celebrity in their own right because they just seem to draw so much public attention no matter where you take them!

A Goldendoodle dog can certainly draw a crowd........so if you thought you bought a dog to stay a "loner"...forget about it!   I guarantee that if you get a Goldendoodle and take it with you to any public place,  your doodle will draw a crowd.  Don't say I told ya so!