The Goldendoodle, or more simply, the Doodle, is a

designer dog Dog crossbreeds, sometimes called designer dogs, are dogs which have been intentionally bred from two or more recognized dog breeds. They are not dogs with no purebred ancestors, but are not otherwise recognised as breeds in their own right, ...

created by

crossbreeding A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. ''Crossbreeding'', sometimes called "designer crossbreeding", is the process of breeding such an organism, While crossbreeding is used to main ...

Golden Retriever The Golden Retriever is a Scottish breed of retriever dog of medium size. It is characterised by a gentle and affectionate nature and a striking golden coat. It is commonly kept as a pet and is among the most frequently registered breeds ...

and a

Poodle , nickname = , stock = , country = Germany or France (see history) , height = , maleheight = , femaleheight = , weight = , maleweight = , femaleweight = , coat ...

. First widely bred in the 1990s, they are bred in three different sizes—each corresponding to the size of Poodle used as a parent. Goldendoodles often demonstrate Golden Retrievers' intuitive and human-oriented nature in addition to the intelligent personality and "allergy-friendly" coat of a Poodle.

History

In the 1990s

breeders in Australia and the United States (Ryan Harvey) started to widely cross

s and

Poodle , nickname = , stock = , country = Germany or France (see history) , height = , maleheight = , femaleheight = , weight = , maleweight = , femaleweight = , coat ...

s, adopting the term Goldendoodle to describe the cross. The name Doodle is also used to describe this breed. The name Goldendoodle is derived from "Golden" (from

) and "

Labradoodle A Labradoodle () is a crossbreed dog created by crossing a Labrador Retriever and a Standard, Miniature, or Toy Poodle. The term dates back to at least 1955 but was unpopular at the time. Labradoodles are considered a good choice for people with ...

" (itself a portmanteau of Labrador Retriever and a Poodle). Deliberately breeding Poodles with Golden Retrievers actually preceded the 1990s. An example of this was done by

Monica Dickens Monica Enid Dickens, MBE (10 May 1915 – 25 December 1992) was an English writer, the great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens. Biography Known as "Monty" to her family and friends, she was born into an upper-middle-class London family to Henry ...

, the great-granddaughter of

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

, who crossed the two breeds in 1969. The cross can result in a healthier animal than both parent breeds. The first litter of Mini Goldendoodles was created by Amy Lane of Fox Creek Farm in Berkeley Springs, WV. The litter arrived on 1/11/02 and consisted of 10 puppies. Two of these puppies were retained for future breeding and one of them produced the first litter of F1B Mini Goldendoodles. The term "Goldendoodle" was coined by Amy Lane. Amy Lane also created the first, and to this date, the only kennel club for Goldendoodles called the Goldendoodle Association of North America, Inc. This is a non-profit organization that guides the development of the Goldendoodle and also provides a registration service to document the lineage of Goldendoodles. The original aim of the Goldendoodle's breeders was to produce an alternative to the popular Labradoodle. Initially Goldendoodles were only bred from standard-sized Poodles, but designer breeders also started using small varieties of Poodles to create a smaller crossbreed. As they are a hybrid cross, they are not recognized by the AKC or British Kennel Clubs. Goldendoodles have been developed beyond the F1 (Golden Retriever crossed with a Poodle) and are now available in deeper generations created by crossing two Goldendoodles. These are called multigenerational or multigen Goldendoodles.

Characteristics

Appearance

The appearance, sizes and coat of Goldendoodles can vary considerably according to their breeding generations and what type of Poodle parents they have. Whilst most Goldendoodles share common traits, each Goldendoodle might have its own unique appearance and temperament. Goldendoodle Appearance Sescription

In general, Goldendoodles have round skulls, broad muzzles, heavily feathered tail, drop ears, and oval-shaped eyes. Goldendoodles’ retriever parentage makes their body long and muscular, and likely to have a deep chest and wide stance. Goldendoodle can be bred from any one of the Standard, Miniature or Toy-sized Poodles, the resultant offspring coming in several sizes: the Standard, Medium and Miniature Goldendoodles. The Standard Goldendoodle typically stands and weighs , the Medium Goldendoodle typically stands and weighs , and the Miniature Goldendoodle typically stands up to and weighs Goldendoodle is a long-haired dog breed and their coat can vary considerably, there are three main coat types: straight, wavy and curly. Wavy coated Goldendoodles are a combination of the Poodle's curly coat and the Golden Retriever's straight coat. Their coat is wavy, with loose, shaggy curls. This type of coat is the most common amongst Goldendoodles. Curly coated Goldendoodles resemble the coat of a Poodle. Their coat is thick and curly. Goldendoodles' coats come in varying colors, with the most common colors being cream, red, black, gold, apricot, brown, or a combination (parti-colored). Goldendoodles are often claimed to be 'hypoallergenic' or 'non-shedding', but this depends on how many furnishing genes they carry. If they inherit just one furnishing gene, their shedding is often in lesser quantities than many other dogs. If they carry two furnishing genes, they likely will not shed allowing them to be considered hypoallergenic for many allergy sufferers, however some people are allergic to even non-shedding dogs. Research has shown that hypoallergenicity can not be an official dog breed characteristic. AKC also asserts that "there is no such thing as a completely hypoallergenic dog". It used to be thought that the higher the percentage of Poodle is in a Goldendoodle's heritage, the less likely it is to shed. It was also thought that curlier coated Goldendoodles tend to shed lighter and produce less dander. However, it has now been determined that the number of furnishing genes a particular dog carries determines the shedding factor. File:MiltonHighRes-5.jpg, Cream Goldendoodle File:Snowy goldendoodle.JPG, Apricot Goldendoodle File:Goldendoodle.jpg, Brown Goldendoodle File:Rocko (9088189287).jpg, Black Goldendoodle

Behavioural

Similar to most crossbreed dogs, Goldendoodles tend not to have the same predictable temperament or patterning aspects that the constituent breeds have. Based on genetic theory, well-bred Goldendoodle should express behaviours intermediate to their parent breeds. In general, Goldendoodles tend to take over Golden Retrievers’ friendly, affectionate, trustworthy and enthusiastic nature; whilst also demonstrating Poodles’ reputable intelligence, sociability and trainability. Goldendoodles predominantly exhibit high energy level, loyalty and playfulness; they are friendly with children and considered a good family pet. Because they are so friendly and loyal, however, they are prone to separation anxiety, especially as puppies. The crossbreed often exhibits strong

retriever A retriever is a type of gun dog that retrieves game for a hunter. Generally gun dogs are divided into three major classifications: retrievers, flushing spaniels, and pointing breeds. Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other p ...

instincts inherited from its

gundog Gun dogs, or bird dogs, are types of hunting dogs developed to assist hunters in finding and retrieving game, usually quail, dove, or duck. Gun dogs are divided into three primary types: retrievers, flushing dogs, and pointing breeds. Types ...

parent breeds, which make them have an active mouth and high tendency to retrieve objects. A 2019 behavioural study compared Goldendoodles to their parent breeds, on average Goldendoodles displayed greater dog-rivalry, dog-directed aggression, dog-directed fear, and stranger directed fear than purebred Golden Retrievers or Poodles.

Health

Goldendoodles often present phenotypic advantage over their parent breeds. The pairing of two different breeds can create higher

genetic diversity Genetic diversity is the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species, it ranges widely from the number of species to differences within species and can be attributed to the span of survival for a species. It is dis ...

, as well as a lower level of

homozygosity Zygosity (the noun, zygote, is from the Greek "yoked," from "yoke") () is the degree to which both copies of a chromosome or gene have the same genetic sequence. In other words, it is the degree of similarity of the alleles in an organism. Mo ...

. This will minimize the possibility of inheriting undesirable purebred health concerns, and reducing the risks of

inbreeding depression Inbreeding depression is the reduced biological fitness which has the potential to result from inbreeding (the breeding of related individuals). Biological fitness refers to an organism's ability to survive and perpetuate its genetic material. In ...

. Goldendoodles often benefit from "hybrid vigour", which has a proven positive effect on animal fitness traits that contribute to crossbreeds’ enhanced health and lower susceptibility to diseases. In general, healthy and well-bred Goldendoodles have a lifespan of 10–15 years. As with all breeds, Goldendoodles are still at risk of developing any possible health conditions associated with Golden Retrievers and Poodles. Some of the potential health-related genetic disorders of Goldendoodles include

Hip Dysplasia Hip dysplasia is an abnormality of the hip joint where the socket portion does not fully cover the ball portion, resulting in an increased risk for joint dislocation. Hip dysplasia may occur at birth or develop in early life. Regardless, it doe ...

Progressive retinal atrophy Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is a group of genetic diseases seen in certain breeds of dogs and, more rarely, cats. Similar to retinitis pigmentosa in humans, it is characterized by the bilateral degeneration of the retina, causing progressive ...

(PRA),

Von Willebrand disease Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common hereditary blood-clotting disorder in humans. An acquired form can sometimes result from other medical conditions. It arises from a deficiency in the quality or quantity of von Willebrand factor ( ...

(vWD),

Megaesophagus Megaesophagus, also known as esophageal dilatation, is a disorder of the esophagus in humans and other mammals, whereby the esophagus becomes abnormally enlarged. Megaesophagus may be caused by any disease which causes the muscles of the esophagus ...

, canine cancer, skin allergies, and ear infection, and have sensitive stomachs.

Popularity and uses

Primarily bred as

companion dog A companion dog is a dog that does not work, providing only companionship as a pet, rather than usefulness by doing specific tasks. Many of the toy dog breeds are used only for the pleasure of their company, not as workers. Any dog can be a compa ...

s, Goldendoodles have been successfully trained as

therapy dog A therapy dog is a dog that is trained to provide affection, comfort and support to people, often in settings such as hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, libraries, hospices, or disaster areas. In contrast to assistance dogs, w ...

guide dog Guide dogs (colloquially known in the US as seeing-eye dogs) are assistance dogs trained to lead blind or visually impaired people around obstacles. Although dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are red–green colour blin ...

s, nut-detection dogs detecting nuts in food for people with nut allergies, and other forms of

assistance dog In general, an assistance dog, known as a service dog in the United States, is a dog trained to aid or assist an individual with a disability. Many are trained by an assistance dog organization, or by their handler, often with the help of a profe ...

s. In some regions of the United States it has become one of the most popular dog varieties. In Australia, it was named one of the top twenty most popular dog varieties in 2020 where, due to the increased demand for pets during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, prices for a puppy have risen from around $3,500

AUD The Australian dollar ( sign: $; code: AUD) is the currency of Australia, including its external territories: Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island. It is officially used as currency by three independent Pacific Isla ...

pre-pandemic, to as much as $15,000 AUD by September 2020. In a 2012

charity auction Charity auctions are a way of raising funds for charities. According to the ''New York Times'', items that sell well in such auctions are experiential items that cannot typically be bought in the store, including meetings with celebrities, an ...

, American musician Usher paid US$12,000 for a Goldendoodle puppy.

References

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9Honey Nine Digital Pty Ltd (formerly Mi9) is an Australian digital media company and subsidiary of Nine Entertainment Co. History Ninemsn was originally formed in 1997 as a joint venture between Microsoft and PBL. The ninemsn website operated as ...

, location=Sydney, publisher=

Nine Digital Nine Digital Pty Ltd (formerly Mi9) is an Australian digital media company and subsidiary of Nine Entertainment Co. History Ninemsn was originally formed in 1997 as a joint venture between Microsoft and PBL. The ninemsn website operated as ...

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TFH Publications TFH Publications is an American book publisher based in New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, sout ...

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

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