The Goldendoodle is a designer dog created by crossbreeding a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. 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 the coat of a Poodle.
History
In the 1990s, designer dog breeders in Australia and the United States started to widely cross Golden Retrievers and Poodles, adopting the term goldendoodle to describe the cross. The name doodle is also used to describe this crossbreed. The name goldendoodle is derived from "golden" (from Golden Retriever) and "Labradoodle"<!--Don't change this to "poodle". The ref clearly states that while the breed is golden X poodle, the name is "a blend of golden and labradoodle."---> (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, the great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens, who crossed the two breeds in 1969. The cross can result in a healthier animal than either of the parent breeds.
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 crossbreed, they are not recognized by the AKC, FCI or British Kennel Clubs. Goldendoodles have been developed beyond the F1 hybrid (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, size, and coat of goldendoodles can vary considerably according to their breeding generations and what type of Poodle parents they have.
thumb|303x303px|Illustration detailing goldendoodles' physical appearance
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. 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.
Health
Goldendoodles may avoid inheriting disease or health issues from parents, but may alternatively be susceptible to more health issues if the parents are unhealthy to begin with.
Popularity and uses
Primarily bred as companion dogs, goldendoodles have been successfully trained as therapy dogs, guide dogs, nut-detection dogs detecting nuts in food for people with nut allergies, and other forms of assistance dogs.
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, prices for a puppy have risen from around $3,500 AUD before the pandemic, to as much as $15,000 AUD by September 2020.
In a 2012 charity auction, American musician Usher paid US$12,000 for a goldendoodle puppy.
Despite their growing popularity, goldendoodles remain unrecognized by prominent canine organizations such as the American Kennel Club (AKC) or British Kennel Clubs due to their hybrid status.
See also
- List of dog crossbreeds
- Doodle (disambiguation)