How to Groom Your Goldendoodle
Many people assume that grooming a Goldendoodle would be difficult or time consuming work. No so, my friend. This article will provide detailed information on how to groom your doodle, if you already own one or are thinking about purchasing one. Goldendoodles have alot of fine hair and in reality, the coat is not as thick as one might think. The Goldendoodle dog also sheds entirely different than any other dog. Yes! I said they DO shed. However, they are low allergen dogs who shed very little and when they do shed, they shed in phases. Much more about the Goldendoodle dog can be located on our “Goldendoodle World” website.
There are many different ways you can groom your Goldendoodle. As a puppy, most do not need but a slicker brush ran through the coat once a day. Maybe a bath, once a month, unless your puppy has gotten him or herself into a messy situation. Young puppies only need to be trimmed around the anal area, the front and back paws and in front of the eyes. Clipping the coat in front of the eyes prevents the growing hairs from turning inward and causing a corneal abrasion on the eye itself. Unlike the Poodle, a Goldendoodle should never be shaved down completely to the skin. The reason for this is because the Goldendoodle has very fine hairs that appear to be thick and its coat actually protects him or her in the heat as well as in the cold. If you are going to have your Goldendoodle shaved down, we recommend leaving at least 1 1/2″ – 2″ of the coat out from the skin.
Unless your Goldendoodle has extensive Poodle within its DNA genetic make-up, the doodle coat is never as thick as a purebred Poodle. As your Goldendoodle becomes a teenager, you will have noticed he or she has gone through many coat changes and phases. This is why only scissoring to even up the hair and remove any straggly hairs may be the only necessary “grooming” at this age. The Goldendoodle’s coat will thicken and become shaggier as your doodle nears its first birthday. We recommend using a slicker brush during the Goldendoodle’s coat phases and changes because the slicker brush has different lengths of bristles inside of the brush and the bristles will remove any dead hairs or lingering “baby” hairs. It will also help your Goldendoodle’s coat from matting. Leaving an upside down “V” shape about the face is the most popular trim for a Goldendoodle.
While there are many fine canine shampoos on the market, I never recommend using them because many canine shampoo products have harsh chemicals that can cause dry skin with the Goldendoodle. I always use either baby shampoo or Pantene that has a conditioner inside of the shampoo. Non-tearing shampoos work out fine for your Goldendoodle dog as well. Lets discuss the matter of bathing and then we will discuss trimming. When bathing your Goldendoodle, using either a large utility type tub or your own tub is recommended. This is dependent upon the size of your Goldendoodle. If he or she is too large to lift, you can even use your shower. With my own dogs, I will sometimes put them in the tub with myself or the shower and I never have to worry about getting wet! Any time you bath your Goldendoodle, you want to make sure that you do not use any soap or shampoo on the face or near the eyes. I am sure that you know what it is like to have soap or shampoo in your eyes and its the same feeling for your lovely dog!
I always use a wet washcloth to clean the face, that is just wet with water. To clean the ears, I recommend a “spritzer” bottle that is one part white vinegar and one part hydrogen peroxide. This helps clean your Goldendoodle’s ears and also helps them smell better. Never use Q-tips! A Q-tip can cause damage to the ear canal. You can use cotton balls or a thin washcloth and use your finger or pinky to clean inside the ear as far as you can reach. Depending upon whether or not your Goldendoodle has hairs growing inside of the ear, you may feel more comfortable having your vet clean its ears.
Grooming is one of the biggest expenses in owning a Poodle hybrid. If you can afford it and don’t have the time or knowledge on grooming your Goldendoodle or don’t want dog hair in your bathtub or shower, have them groomed by a professional groomer. It’s very important to Pick your groomer as carefully as you would pick your own hairdresser. There are many lazy groomers who use anesthesia or other sedatives on dogs when they groom and this is highly inappropriate as well as dangerous! If a groomer has a problem with you watching them work on your dog or waiting while they work on your dog, I’d find another groomer. Unfortunately, many canine deaths have been linked to lazy groomers or those who are not experienced. Grooming your Goldendoodle is not as hard as one might think. It usually takes the coat approx. 2 hours to completely dry, depending upon the thickness of the actual coat. Even using a blow-dryer, your Goldendoodle’s coat will take two full hours of drying time.
When bathing your Goldendoodle, it’s important to work up a good lather from the back of the head on down. I always use a fine comb to go through the coat while I have the Goldendoodle all lathered up. This helps remove anything small debris that might be in the coat or little tangles that can occur while lathering. You have to remember that shampooing your Goldendoodle is a great time to bond with him or her. I always gently massage their legs, back, belly and neck as I lather the coat. This not only feels good to your Goldendoodle, but it helps him or her know that this is a pleasant experience and not one to be afraid of. Some Goldendoodles may not like being groomed at first, but over time, they do learn to accept it and like it. After working up a good lather, using a shower nozzle or sprayer will make it easier to rinse the coat. You’ll want to rinse your Goldendoodle’s coat several times to make sure you have removed all of the shampoo. Never rinse the shampoo towards your Goldendoodle’s face. Always towards the back.
When drying your Goldendoodle, you have to remember that the loud noise from the dryer may scare him or her. While holding your Goldendoodle, you may want to start with the slow speed and then increase the speed once your doodle gets use to the sound. I personally use a commercial dryer for my dogs but they can be very costly ($400 and up). For family pets a good hand dryer will work just as well. If the weather is warm you can partly air dry them and just use the hand dryer to fluff and brush the coat out but NEVER, partly dry your Goldendoodle in the winter and then allow him or her to go ouside until your Goldendoodle’s coat is COMPLETELY dry! If you do use a commercial cage dryer make sure that your Goldendoodle does not get to hot especially if they are a senior dog. Some can can get heat prostration even from a dryer. When using dips, I always recommend partly drying the doodle’s coat and then allowing the coat to “air” dry. This prevents the dip from being blown off of the coat.
If you decide to groom your Goldendoodle in the winter, make sure that you pre-heat the room that your Goldendoodle is going to be bathed in as well as dry in. We all know how cold we feel AFTER getting out of the tub or shower. You don’t want your Goldendoodle to catch cold or shiver after his or her bath is complete. Assuming that you are using a blow dryer after your Goldendoodle’s bath, if you use the slicker brush while blow-drying, you will help remove any dead hairs inside of your Goldendoodle’s coat. The slicker brush will also help prevent your doodle’s coat from tangling. Never allow your Goldendoodle to go outside until he or she is completely dry, especially in the winter.
Bathing your Goldendoodle can either be a nightmare or a pleasant experience. I have a raised bathtub (it’s easier on my back) with a non-slip mat inside of the tub. This prevents my puppies from slipping and becoming injured during the process. It is necessary to have a long shower hose with good water pressure if at all possible. The biggest mistake most home groomers make is not getting out all the shampoo in the coat. This is why I recommend rinsing your Goldendoodle several times after a good lathering. Leaving soap in the hair will dry out and irritate your Goldendoodle’s skin; perhaps you have seen your Goldendoodle scratching even after you checked his or her coat for fleas. Speaking of fleas, regular shampoo will not kill fleas or their eggs. You must use a shampoo specifically for ticks and fleas or you can use “Equate”. This is a human “lice” shampoo that has pyrithins that will help kill fleas, ticks and lice that may get into your Goldendoodle’s coat. Make sure to Read the label on any flea and tick shampoo or preventative. Some canine flea and tick preventatives will kill only the fleas on the dog and some will kill the eggs and adult fleas as well as the ones that may jump on later. While you can certainly use a light cream rinse on your Goldendoodle’s coat, make sure to use it sparingly. Creme rinses can cause your Goldendoodle’s coat to lay “flat”. If you decide to towel dry your Goldendoodle, don’t rub the coat against the grain or this will encourage knots and tangles. Also do NOT towel dry your Goldendoodle if you use flea and tick dips. This will remove the dip and be a huge waste of money. Just squeeze the coat out with your hands if you have dipped him or her or if you have not used any dips, squeezing the coat with good absorbent towels will help, should you want to “airdry” your Goldendoodle. I do recommend NOT bathing your Goldendoodle but once a month unless he or she really requires a bath. Bathing more than this can cause your Goldendoodle to have dry skin.
Cleaning the ears of your Goldendoodle is very important, each and every time he or she is groomed. Some Goldendoodles tend to have ear problems for a number of reasons. Many tend to have very long, heave ears and the long hair that drapes over the ear prevents air flow to help prevent moisture build up. This causes the ears to become a perfect environment for breeding bacteria. It seems that once you have ear problems with your Goldendoodle, they are very hard to clear up and they seem to re-occur. While Goldendoodles generally do not have the issue of the hair growing inside of the ear, some will if they have more Poodle DNA. Goldendoodles who have more Poodle DNA and have hair growing in their ears prevents their ears from “breathing”. Cleaning the ears and keeping the hairs plucked or pulled out of the ear canal is a must each and every time you groom or have your Goldendoodle groomed. Checking the ears frequently, if you only groom your Goldendoodle once a month, is important. I remove unwanted ear hairs by “plucking” any hair I can reach in the ear canal with my fingers. Hairs that can not be reached with my fingers, I personally use small canine forceps that clamp so that I can clamp onto the hairs and in a twisting motion, gently pull them out of the ear. While this is not a pleasant experience for your Goldendoodle, it will help him or her from getting an ear infection later down the road. I then wipe the ears out with one part white distilled vinegar and one part hydrogen peroxide. It’s important to make sure the ears are dry when you are done. If you think they are damp inside (after bathing this could happen) use a hand dryer to dry them out. (Wet ears grow bacteria easier then dry ears). As I mentioned before, never use Q-tips to clean the ears. Q-tips can rupture the ear canine as well as drive ear wax, if any, further into the ear canal. If your Goldendoodle dog does have an ear infection or issue, talk to your vet about the best way to treat it. Excessive shaking of the head can cause the ear canal to rupture and ear infections, as we may well know, are very painful.
Now that your Goldendoodle is dry, lets discuss how to trim him or her. If you can’t afford expensive sheers, you can check the sewing section of any department store and purchase a good pair of scissors. You can generally find a very good pair for under $20. Canine grooming scissors are very expensive and can run into the hundreds of dollars. Be very careful with a new pair of scissors as the blades are sharp and you can severely cut your Goldendoodle’s skin if you are not careful! Trust me! I’ve had a few pups get nicked because they would not sit still and one quick turn will cause YOU or your doodle to get cut. Your Goldendoodle should have a fuzzy face or an upside down “V” shape to the front of its face, from the forehead down to the nose. Above its eyes you can create bangs or just trim the hair so that the hairs are not sticking towards the eyes. I usually trim the hairs close underneath the eyes and in an upward motion so that I can keep the “V” shape between the eyes down to the nose. Some Goldendoodles tend to have dirty mouths because of all the hair around the face, so you can even trim the hair around the mouth if you like. Trimming is really not only to keep your Goldendoodle comfortable, but to help him or her keep as clean as possible. It’s also a personal preference of whether you trim or leave your doodle shaggy. Every Goldendoodle should sport a full facial beard by the time he or she is a year old. This facial beard is generally in the shape of an upside down “V”. Looking at the eyes in a frontal position, and then glancing at the nose, you can visualize the upside down “V” and this helps you maintain the appearance of your Goldendoodle, if you decide to trim him or her on your own. Sometimes the coat will mat underneath the armpits, so you may want to check there as well as behind the ears. Little tangles that can’t be brushed or combed out can be trimmed off. Your Goldendoodle should also have paws shaped like the Golden Retriever. I personally trim the coat around the paws closely and I also trim the hairs in-between the pads but care is the be taken so that you don’t accidentally cut the pawpads of your Goldendoodle. While trimming the coat, you can also clip your Goldendoodle’s nails. I use the guillotine type of nail clipper but they all seem to work well and if you want, you can even use a sharp pair of scissors if you are trimming a Goldendoodle under the age of one. Young puppies can have their nails trimmed with simple nail clippers. The most important thing to remember when trimming the nails is to not get them to short. Remember, cutting your own nails too short is painful! Take off a little once a week because this will help the quick stay short. If you do plan on grooming your own doodle regularly have some “quick stop” on hand in case you nick your Goldendoodles “quick”. You can purchase this at most pet stores or feed stores. The “quick” is a small blood vessel running through the nail, similar to our own nails. The pink portion on our nails is where we feel the pain if we cut our own nails too short. Clipping the nail too short and hitting the quick is not life threatening to your Goldendoodle, but it will make it harder to do his or her nails the next time. Trust is an issue here! It is painful for your Goldendoodle if you cut into the quick and should definitely be avoided.
Your Goldendoodle is more than likely a very shaggy dog. All dogs that have a thick coat or a shaggy coat will have an issue of fecal matter becoming inbedded into the coat, if this area is not kept trimmed. Special attention underneath the tail is a must with any Goldendoodle! He or she will also thank you because fecal matter that builds up around the anal area can cause your Goldendoodle to have constipation issues or rectum issues. This should definitely be avoided. While there is no wrong or right way to actually trim your Goldenododle dog, I do find that the Goldendoodle’s skin is sensitive to the sun if he or she is light in color. You must remember that your Goldendoodle can be harmed by the sun’s rays just like we can.
Keeping your Goldendoodle’s coat trimmed no less than 1 1/2″- 2″ out from the skin will also help protect his or her skin from insect bites as well. During the wintry months, you may want to allow your Goldendoodle’s coat to stay shaggy. Remember that unless he or she wears a sweater when going outdoors, that shaggy coat is all they have to weather the elements. Having grooming equipment will help with coat maintenence if you plan to groom your Goldendoodle yourself. Good clippers are costly and should be very well cared for. They will last longer this way and your clipper blades will stay sharper. A good set of Oster clippers costs about $175 and blades can be anywhere from $2 to $40 or more. Never use clippers on a very dirty dog or you will have to sharpen the blades quicker. Clippers must be oiled and greased inside regularly. They will break if you drop them and it always seems that they get kicked off the table by your doodle, so never leave them on the table. It is convenient to have a number of blades for your clippers. I generally have about 10 blades on hand with some still in the package in case I forget to send them out to be sharpened. They can be changed in the midst of clipping if they get too hot but I do recommend using a blade wash as this helps prevent the blades from getting too hot. Whatever size blade you choose to use is always ready if you have several sizes. I personally use a 10 medium on my Groom Master clippers by Oster. The blades should be changed rather often, since a dull blade pulls the hair and tends to leave the coat ragged. Not only this, but a dull blade will eventually stop cutting and only pull the hair. The small carbon brushes and springs wear out quickly in an old clipper, making the machine rattle when it runs; They are easily replaced by unscrewing the small knobs on the side of the machine and its important to always have these extra parts around in case you suddenly find yourself in need. As I said, grooming equipment isn’t cheap, but paying a Groomer over time can become more expensive.
Dee Gerrish has been a private, professional breeder since 1996. She founded Goldendoodle World in 1999 and has written about Goldendoodles extensively. Her Goldendoodle World website is very educational, extensive and shows a comprehensive look at the Goldendoodle hybrid. Dee Gerrish is the first breeder to register the Goldendoodle hybrid with a kennel club in the United States. Dee is also one of the original founders for the Goldendoodle dog in the southern region of the United States.
What is a Goldendoodle?
Goldendoodle and other hybrids are very hardy dogs providing they are not inbred, linebred or backbred. Those who breed multi-generation hybrids of any sort cause their hybrids to have the same kinds of problems purebred dogs share. Hybrids tend to be a much hardier dog when they do NOT share common lineage or ancestry. Where allergies and shedding is concerned, the fact is hybrids and all live animals DO shed. Humans shed, every living thing sheds.
However, Poodle hybrids DO shed entirely less than any other hybrid or purebred dog. It is easy to find websites over the internet claiming “hypo-allergenic”, “non-shedding” doodles…but it is not true. It doesn’t matter if the breeder has a smidget of Golden Retriever with mostly Poodle in the doodle……..the puppy will shed and will continue to shed as an adult; All hybrids shed very little, but they shed all the same. We have had customers write to us claiming their doodles do not shed…but I believe they just don’t see the shedding because it is so light. This works out great for those with allergies or who do not want a dog’s hair all over their home, clothing or vehicle. There isn’t a breeder on this planet who can provide a 100% allergy FREE dog! Not happening people!
Most allergy sufferers do well with a Poodle hybrid….but we can not guarantee all will be compatible. Allergy sufferers “suffer” differently and there may be some people who just can not own a dog of any type. We do, however, find that most people who have mild allergies do quite well with a Poodle hybrid.
In Goldendoodles, many websites claim that sizes will vary according to the sizes of the parents. This is a complete fallacy. Since 1999, we have witnessed a variety of sizes in any given litter regardless of the sizes of the parents.
Our experience over the years has taught us this: The less a puppy weighs at 8 weeks of age, the smaller the puppy will be as an adult and vice versa. Those who consider their Goldendoodles to be a Miniature size dog when their doodle weighs over 25 pounds need to do more research and studying. I personally do not consider a 30-50 pound dog to be a “Miniature” sized anything. I do consider this size dog to be a “mid-size” dog…but not a Miniature. When you consider a Miniature sized dog, you should consider the size of a Miniature Schnauzer………a Miniature Poodle, etc; Since 1999, we have witnessed both parents weighing 48-65 pounds produce 26 pound puppies…but not all puppies in the litter will be small. One or two will be small. One or two will be medium and one or two will be large. In 2004, We produced a doodle who weighed 32 pounds at the age of 9 months. It is possible we had produced small doodles before this, but without customer feed-back, it is impossible to know for sure. This 32 pound doodle at the age of 9 months, most likely turned out to be 40-45 pounds (genetically) at the age of 1 year. In early 2005, we produced 2 litters of small doodles; By June 2005, some weighed 16 lbs. by age 5 months and by November of 2005, some were weighing 25 and 26 pounds. In 2005 we bred one of our Golden Retriever dams with one of our Toy Poodle sires who produced 9-18 lbs. goldendoodles …but again….we saw the usual occur even in this kind of pairing.
The largest male who was born last, was stillborn so we’ll never know what his size could have been. The order in which a puppy is born has nothing to do with the determination of its size. We know this to be a fact. The Goldendoodle is a first hybrid crossing between a Golden Retriever and a Standard Poodle. This hybrid was first created in Australia. The Goldendoodle hybrid has only been in the United States since 1997. The entire reason for this creation was to provide those who were physically challenged, a service dog that had extremely low shedding. Such a canine was needed for those who needed an assistant dog but had allergies that prevented them from being able to own one. Although there is some debate as to whether the Labradoodle or the Goldendoodle was created first, it really doesn’t matter.
With some extensive searching over the internet, there are some nice websites based in Australia regarding both hybrids. Naysayers can be enraged and fuss all they want about hybrids…… the fact is…THE GOLDENDOODLE AND THE LABRADOODLE and any other Poodle hybrid, IS HERE TO STAY!!! As of Aug. 2006…there are some who are writing books with regards to the Goldendoodle. Remember you read the facts here first! We are actually one of the original Goldendoodle creators in the United States. There will be many who argue that hybrids are “NOTHING BUT MUTTS” who fill up animal shelters annually. The facts are, EVERY PUREBRED DOG OF TODAY started out as a MIXED BREED DOG and there are just as many purebred dogs in shelters as there are mixed or hybrid dogs. Other than the Maltese, every dog in existence began as a mixed breed dog with plenty of inbreeding, back-breeding and line-breeding. After many, many years of refinement by breeders, over time…. kennel clubs were formed by groups of people who favored a selected breed of dog….advertised and sold the particular breed to the point that eventually caught the attention of the American Kennel Club. The American Kennel Club is all about money and is NOT the first Kennel Club to have ever began. They are more highly recognized because they have millions of dollars to advertise themselves. Every show that is placed on television and every show breeder who wins, has been paid for by YOU…..the dog owner who just had to have an AKC registered dog because you bought into the notion that AKC produces quality dogs. NOT SO! They don’t produce anything. The breeders produce the dogs.
Dee Gerrish has been a private, professional breeder since 1996. She founded Goldendoodle World in 1999 and has written about Goldendoodles extensively. Her Goldendoodle World website is very educational, extensive and shows a comprehensive look at the Goldendoodle hybrid. Dee Gerrish is the first breeder to register the Goldendoodle hybrid with a kennel club in the United States. Dee is also one of the original founders for the Goldendoodle dog in the southern region of the United States.
The Variety of Goldendoodle Colors
Goldendoodles come in a variety of colors. What many people assume is that they are all GOLD! Nope! A goldendoodle can actually be many colors! Why? Because the Poodle has such a wide variety of color genes in its genetic scope. Goldendoodles can be of any color and have any marking. There is no such thing as a “rare” colored Goldendoodle dog. The most popular color in a goldendoodle is apricot…with cream being second…..red being third and we have found that Black is the least popular color of all colors in a goldendoodle and We can not figure out why! A black goldendoodle (nicknamed “Nictendoodle” by our doodle world) is very gorgeous! They are the very same dog as the lighter colored doodles. It is very sad to see so many people disregard a dog just because of its color or marking.
We see many dogs of various breeds who are black, being picked over for the lighter colors. Those who do this miss out on the beauty of owning a very gentle, loving, family-oriented, shaggy low shedding dog who would do just about anything you ever asked of it…just to please its owner! Many fantastic dogs are over-looked based on color or gender and I think this is a down-right shame.
Since creating the Goldendoodle in 1999, we have seen a huge variety of colors! The following are the colors we have personally observed, to date:
*Apricot (light and dark)
*Cream
*Red
*Black
*White
*Chocolate
*Silver
*Silver Frost
*Silver phantom
*Parti colors
*Tri-colors
*Apricot with black tips
*Black and tan
*Black with white markings
*Red phantom
*Silver phantom with gold hues
Goldendoodles can also have varied colored eyes! We have personally observed Goldendoodles with blue eyes, brown eyes, green eyes, amber eyes and multi-colored eyes such as having one blue eye/one green eye or one blue eye/one brown eye. Goldendoodles can have markings anywhere on their coat. This is very common. Be wary of any breeder who claims they have “rare” colored or “rare” marked Goldendoodles. This means they are very inexperienced and are not familiar with their Poodles pedigree and lineage.
So what is a Goldendoodle, you ask?
A Goldendoodle is a hybrid who has one parent a Poodle and one parent a Golden Retriever. The size of the Poodle sire can be a Toy, Miniature or Standard and of course, the Golden Retriever can be of any size.
This Poodle hybrid has been steadily growing in popularity because of the less shedding coat and while many fanatic purebred breeders are appalled at the idea of a Goldendoodle, families seeking a family pet who has very little shedding but has the Golden Retriever temperament are jumping for joy!
So much erroneous information about the Goldendoodle can be located everywhere over the internet because many people jumped on the “Doodle bangwagon” when they saw the popularity of the Goldendoodle rise and thought there were bucks to be made. As predicted by us back when we first started in 1999, there is a Goldendoodle breeder on nearly every street corner now and unfortunately, we are watching the Goldendoodle fall into the same pattern as that of the purebred dog. New and inexperienced breeders creating them improperly….backbreeding, inbreeding and also advertising false information such as “rare colors” or “never shedding” or even the worst….saying the inbred or backbred Goldendoodle is much better than the first generation doodle.
We have been a Goldendoodle breeder since 1999 and before we even were aware there was an actual name to the hybrid (which came about from the Australians), we called our pups “Curly Goldens”. Only after creating our first litter were we aware that Australian breeders called them “Goldendoodles” and had begun creating this Poodle hybrid as an assistance dog for those who had allergies to dogs with shedding hairs. The Goldendoodle is highly intelligent and very easy to train. Their trainability is extremely high and they work out very well for those who have allergy issues. Many people assume that Goldendoodles are just one color but they aren’t.
They come in all colors; all sizes; with various markings to include eyes that can be blue, brown, amber, green or multi colored.
Dee Gerrish has been a private, professional breeder since 1996. She founded Goldendoodle World in 1999 and has written about Goldendoodles extensively. Her Goldendoodle World website is very educational, extensive and shows a comprehensive look at the Goldendoodle hybrid. Dee Gerrish is the first breeder to register the Goldendoodle hybrid with a kennel club in the United States. Dee is also one of the original founders for the Goldendoodle dog in the southern region of the United States.
Is the Goldendoodle Right for Me and My Family?
Is the Goldendoodle dog a good match for myself or my family? Many people seeking a family pet for the first time have many questions to ask themselves BEFORE considering a Goldendoodle. The first question is, can I afford to raise and own a Goldendoodle ? The second question would be, what is my lifestyle ? Many people do not take their lifestyle into consideration before adding a pet to their home.
Do you have time to spend with a Goldendoodle? Do you have time to devote to training your Goldendoodle? A Goldendoodle is a very family oriented, loving, affectionate and shaggy dog. They require YOUR time, patience, love, attention and your pocketbook. As a young puppy, the Goldendoodle does not require much coat maintenence, but as an adult, their coat will need to be groomed. One must take into consideration who is going to be the care taker of your new Goldendoodle, once it arrives at your home.
A young Goldendoodle puppy always seems to eating, sleeping, peeing and pooping. Will you have the time to dedicate to his or her well being ? Do you have the time to ensure he or she will have a routine so that he or she can become potty trained? Sure, the ideal dog is to purchase one that is already housebroken…already trained and knows commands…has an on and off switch….but that’s not reality, that’s a dream. A Goldendoodle can become lonely if left for long periods of time. One must take into consideration their demanding work schedule. Do you live close enough to home where you can drop by during lunch to check in on your Goldendoodle puppy ? Do you have time in the afternoons to take him or her for a walk?
Many people see a cute, cuddly dog and want one without taking into consideration many factors that will either make or break your ability to enjoy your new Goldendoodle. This lovely hybrid comes in a variety of sizes and their sizes are not dependent upon the sizes of their parents. This hybrid does not fall into size categories regardless of how many breeders will lie to you and tell you that they do. We’ve created the Goldendoodle since 1999 and are fully aware of the fact that regardless of the size of the Goldendoodle’s parents, every sibling inside of a given litter will be a different size. When a Poodle is bred to a Golden Retriever, regardless of their size, a breeder has to take their entire lineage into consideration. Unfortunately for the breeder, unless they own the entire lineage, their dogs’ pedigree is NOT going to tell you what size all of ancestors were as an adult. Thus, a breeder must rely on their own personal experience and feedback from their past customers.
Some parents want to purchase a Goldendoodle for their children but do not take into consideration that their child may not have been exposed to dogs, in general. The fact a young child has not been exposed to dogs will cause that very child to be timid around even a puppy, regardless of the breed. After all, everyone is fearful of something they may not have been exposed to. It’s human nature to be wary of things we are not sure of. Perhaps you may want to expose your child to dogs for awhile before considering commiting to one. Do you have a fenced in yard ? If not, who will supervise your Goldendoodle’s activities ? Perhaps your family is an active family who is always on the go. In this case, you will have to take into consideration of all the places you usally visit. Do they accept dogs ? Will this change or affect your routine ? A Goldendoodle should be a life long commitment. Not just a whim. If you have gone through all of the above considerations, perhaps the Goldendoodle dog is going to be right for you and your family. A Goldendoodle is a bright, intelligent, low shedding, happy canine who is demanding in attention, your affection and your love. A Goldendoodle is a dog who commands attention where ever they go, from those they meet along the way. They are their own celebrity in their own right. If you have considered a Goldendoodle for your next family pet, the next thing you’ll have to consider is your budget. While it may be true that you can locate a Goldendoodle for under $500, one must be wary of breeders who have their prices set very low. The average price for a Goldendoodle is approx. $500. The reason you should be wary of breeders who charge less than $500 is because many Goldendoodle breeders who charge under $500 for a Goldendoodle, are the breeders pet stores obtain their Goldendoodle puppies from. A pet store scouts the United States for Goldendoodle breeders who will sell the entire litter for a mere $500 so that they do not incur any expenses in caring for the puppies, yet the pet store will then turn around and sell each puppy for as much as $2000 or more. A pet store is completely the inappropriate place to purchase your Goldendoodle. It is more than likely Goldendoodle breeders who charge under $500 for a puppy has never researched their breeding dogs’ pedigree or spent much time or money on their created litters. Don’t blame the pet store, blame the breeders who allow their puppies to be placed into the hands of pet store owners. This type of breeder is a commercial breeder who provides the entire litter to a pet store as soon as they are weaned from their mother. Many pet stores do not even know the history of the Goldendoodles they have in their stores, nor will they have the ability to share such information with the buyer.
You will want to purchase your Goldendoodle from a breeder who registers their litters with a kennel club, who is affiliated with a kennel club and who is an experienced Goldendoodle breeder. We began creating our Goldendoodles in 1999 and we began as a purebred Golden Retriever breeder in 1996. We have owned dogs all of our lives. My personal mentors, when I began as a breeder, was a show breeder with over 25 years of canine experience as well as my personal vet who had been a vet for 40 years or more and who unfortunately, passed away in April of 2006. I may as well have worked with him as a Vet Tech, because he taught me just as much as I would have learned had I gone to school to become one. We are now with another vet, but we definitely miss our original one, dearly. My knowledge and experience goes far beyond all the years of being taught by the very best, prior to becoming a professional, private breeder. So I bring to the table, as a Goldendoodle breeder, much more than the average breeder.
You will want to purchase your puppy from a very experienced Goldendoodle breeder so that they can tell you everything you need to know about the new hybrid you are taking home with you. Before becoming a breeder, I was not aware that so many people have never owned a dog before. An experienced breeder will not mind sharing with you, what they know, to help you become a successful Goldendoodle owner. Many Goldendoodle breeders are new to this hybrid and place erroneous information upon their websites or in their advertisements and unfortunately for those on a doodle quest, many doodle breeders who are inexperienced, piggy back on the other breeders who post inaccurate information about this terrific hybrid. This makes it very difficult for those who are new to the Goldendoodle, at trying to figure out what is accurate and what is not.
Many use canine testing as their reasons for commanding very high prices, yet won’t provide their buyers a lifetime guarantee even though they will tell you that they sell “healthy, genetically defective free” Goldendoodle puppies. Many Goldendoodle breeders have average prices…don’t test…yet, are very experienced, good breeders. Because there are quite a few Goldendoodle breeders who are backbreeding, inbreeding and linebreeding their Goldendoodles, it is very important that you purchase only a first generation Goldendoodle. A first generation Goldendoodle means that they do not have closely related parents or they have parents who are not related at all. Any breeder that tells you a multi-generation Goldendoodle is a non-shedding, hypoallergenic dog and is a much healthier, better doodle than a first generation Goldendoodle is telling you a lie. A Goldendoodle will shed very little and have a coat that will still require some coat maintenence, regardless of whether they are first generation or multi generation. Every Goldendoodle, regardless of generation, will have a very soft shaggy coat (unless it has been backbred to a Golden Retriever); every Goldendoodle will work out for those with mild allergies (unless it has been backbred to a Golden Retriever); every Goldendoodle will go through various coat phases and changes and every Goldendoodle will at some point in time, require coat maintenence…as all dogs do. Many Goldendoodle breeders will lie to you and tell you that a “Miniature Goldendoodle” is a dog that will range from 35-50 pounds. By kennel size standards, a Miniature sized dog does NOT exceed 25 pounds in genetic body weight. There is nothing “Miniature” about a dog of any breed, that exceeds 25 pounds in genetic body weight. Goldendoodles can weigh from 9 pounds to 150 pounds! Experienced Goldendoodle breeders can determine the sizes of their Goldendoodles much easier than an inexperienced Goldendoodle breeder, by using their past experience as well as past customer feedback. If you have to have a Goldendoodle that will be a particular size as an adult and are a stickler for size, the Goldendoodle may not be right for you. Unless you are willing to purchase a Goldendoodle puppy who is 6 months or older, you will have to rely on the Goldendoodle breeder’s experience if you must have a Goldendoodle who is one size or another. Even then, it is only a “guesstimate” and not something a breeder can guarantee. Goldendoodles are hybrid dogs and can sometimes even fool the most experienced breeder, when it comes to size. So, if you are on a doodle quest, you have your work cut out for you. As far as the Goldendoodle dog is concerned, if you don’t own one, you haven’t ever owned the ultimate family dog! They are over all, fantastic dogs who are eager to please and always ready to be your friend.
2007-all rights reserved. Author/breeder- Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World
2007-all rights reserved. Author/breeder- Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World