Breeds / Large
Goldendoodle puppies
The Goldendoodle is friendly, biddable and family oriented, and does well in obedience and agility work. It needs 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day and is prone to separation anxiety if left alone for long stretches.
The facts
- Size class Large
- A cross of Golden Retriever and Poodle
- Adult weight 22.7 to 40.8 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 50 to 90 lb
- Adult height 51 to 61 cm
- Energy level High
- Grooming High
- Typical lifespan 10 to 15 years
A cross, not a breed. The Goldendoodle is a cross rather than a standardised breed, so adult size, coat type and temperament vary widely and can favour either parent, and whether a puppy is a first cross of two purebred parents or a later generation backcrossed to a Poodle changes how predictable its coat and size are. Miniature Goldendoodles bred from a Miniature Poodle sit well below the weight range given here.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Goldendoodle puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming needs are high. Start daily brushing and short, positive handling sessions at eight weeks, well before the adult coat arrives, or the first professional groom will be traumatic. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Hip and elbow dysplasia, screened by OFA or PennHIP radiographs
- Subaortic stenosis and other heart disease, picked up as a murmur on auscultation and confirmed by echocardiogram
- Progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts and glaucoma, found on a veterinary eye examination and by DNA test where the variant is known
- Gastric dilatation volvulus, an emergency recognised by retching, pacing and a distended abdomen
- Cancers including lymphoma and haemangiosarcoma from the Golden Retriever side, diagnosed by imaging and biopsy
- Hypothyroidism, diagnosed on a thyroid blood panel
From Goldendoodle breed information at https://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/goldendoodle. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Your Goldendoodle puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Goldendoodle.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 22.7 to 40.8 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Other large breeds
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.