Breeds / Large
Goldendoodle puppies
The Goldendoodle is friendly, biddable and family oriented, and does well in obedience and agility work. They need 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day and are prone to separation anxiety if left alone for long stretches.
The facts
- Size class Large
- A cross of Golden Retriever and Poodle
- Country of origin United States
- 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
- Coat type Medium wavy to curly
- Typical lifespan 10 to 15 years
- Good with children Reliably good
- Good with other dogs Reliably good
About the Goldendoodle
The Goldendoodle crosses the Golden Retriever with the Poodle, and they became a common household dog in the United States through the 1990s. Adults run 51 to 61 cm and 22.7 to 40.8 kg, so this is a substantial animal with a wavy or curly coat that sheds lightly. Temperament comes largely from the retriever side: biddable, cheerful and genuinely interested in people, which is why so many of them do well in obedience and agility classes.
Thirty to sixty minutes of exercise a day keeps one steady, and it should be exercise with some thinking in it. Brushing a few times a week plus a groomer every four to eight weeks is the baseline, and a puppy has to be taught to stand for that handling early. Long working days alone are hard on a Goldendoodle. Separation anxiety is common in the cross, and it is far easier to prevent than to treat.
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 their 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 they will need a job to do long before they need 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 they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their 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
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.
Kit sizes: crate 42 inch (42 x 28 x 30 in, 107 x 71 x 76 cm) for an adult of up to 40.8 kg; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.
Buying guides for this
Other large breeds
More on the Goldendoodle
Previous: Golden Shepherd · Next: Gordon Setter
Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.
Sources
- petmd.com for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming and the temperament ratings, coat type, country of origin and health notes
- Health notes from Goldendoodle breed information at https://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/goldendoodle. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Photo: Gullpavon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.