# My brother got a golden doodle



## thorbreafortuna

As the title says, my brother got a Golden Doodle last week. He chose this mix because of his children's allergies. I believe they did test her for allergies but I'm not 100% sure, I had suggested that if they had their heart set on a Golden Doodle they should go with a breeder that could test puppies, since them being hypoallergenic is not really guaranteed. I really hope it works out for them in this respect. 
Anyhow, she is a real cutie, her name is Ollie. I was just wondering, since she is bound to spend some time with my Golden, Thor, if anyone has experiences with this mix in terms of play style. I know, for example, that anytime Thor has encountered another golden or even a golden mix, he is very drawn to them and they tend to play well together in their own rambunctious, jump around kind of way, or at the very least, they tend to be tolerant of his flamboyance. I know he does really well with young puppies, gets himself all the way down to their level and licks, it's really cute. Of course, I know while she grows we will have to be vigilant when they're together (and always, for that matter), but I was just curious to know what our chances are that they will be best buds. We did not introduce them yet as Ollie had just been home for half a day when we went to meet her, still adapting to her new life. When we do, we know to do it in a neutral space and cautiously. I have attached a picture of the little one.


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## NewfieMom

What a glorious puppy!!! I want one! Maybe two!!!


NewfieMom


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## Vhuynh2

I don't know about golden doodles, but Molly loves goldens and is also drawn to poodles. A golden doodle would probably make a great play mate as well.


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## Buddy's mom forever

Charlie's best friend is golden doodle, her name is Willow and they love to play together. She is a month older than Charlie. When we met her first time as a puppy I thought she is a golden. Ollie is so sweet.


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## Deber

We have a goldendoodle in our neighborhood and she is a doll. Loves to play and outgoing, but she is built a bit more like a standard poodle, not as structurally sound as our Goldens, so she runs faster, but my two can plow her down when playing and they run too close to each other. She is a really happy dog and still acts like a pup at 3 yrs old. Good playmate for my Goldens when we can.


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## abradshaw71

I've seen golden doodles of all shapes and sizes. Josie had a brother and sister in her obedience class. They were a month younger than Josie and about twice her size. They were beautiful. The male was very laid back and had gone through lots of training. The female, owned by someone different than the male, was all over the place...like Josie.  They both loved all of the dogs there and got along just fine with everyone.


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## ShadowGolden

Shadow has two golden doodle "girlfriends" and he had another one back in VA that was like his litter mate. He's drawn to the doodle ladies. All great dogs and very playful with him.


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## tippykayak

Because a this is such a huge outcross, there's a ton of variability between individuals. The dog will grow up with a random grab-bag of Golden and Poodle temperament and structure, plus the possibility of some things that aren't typically found in either breed. So it would be very hard to predict what kind of play style he might have in the future. It might be look a Poodle's; it might be like a Golden's; it might unlike either. The build might be more narrow and Poodle-like, or more bulky like a Golden.

Given that so many Golden/Poodle crosses aren't coming from tiptop Goldens and Poodles, there's a relatively high risk that the pup will develop neurotic or anxious behaviors, like some Poodles are prone to. A great Poodle is a stable dog with a lot of intelligence and trainability, but you aren't necessarily going to get that in a Golden/Poodle cross. There's also a much higher risk of structural problems, like hip dysplasia (OFA has some stats that show a much higher risk of HD among Golden/Poodle and Lab/Poodle crosses). Heart murmurs are also a big concern with any Golden/Poodle cross, since both breeds carry heritable heart issues, and it's unlikely that the parents come from strong heart clearance ancestry.

Hopefully, your brother lucked out and got a dog with a solid temperament and healthy structure. The risks of problems are higher with an outcross, but they're not crushingly high. Since the purchase is already made, I would focus on the future and really encourage that this puppy get into puppy classes and also that it be kept lean throughout the growth period and into adulthood. I would recommend that for any dog, but it's even more crucial when you buy a puppy with the higher risk factors that come with breed outcrossing.

If it were my pup, I'd also schedule a cardiologist visit for peace of mind, but that's just me. I've known a couple of Poodle crosses with heart murmurs, so I'd want to know ASAP.


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## Ruby13

My son has a 4 year old female Golden doodle, she is one of the most amazingly sweet and adorable dogs I've ever met.

She is very smart, and very, very loyal. The main poodle trait I see in her is that she isn't a 'pushover' like some of our Goldens can be. She stands her ground with an overly boisterous lab that my son has, and although she is not in the least bit aggressive, she makes it understood that he isn't going to run all over her, either. She is a perfect blend of both the breeds, and I hope your brother finds that his is the same as my sons!


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## cubbysan

When Brady was at Camp Bow Wow, they had a golden doodle that was having a time out. They had him in the with the employees working up there in his own corral. They told me every golden doodle that they had come in, was just too crazy staying with the rest of the dogs at play for the whole day.


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## Claudia M

I have friends with both golden/poodle and lab/poodle mixes. The golden/doodle is older but healthy and happy and absolutely wonderful. Just the other day the owner of the goldendoodle made the comment that the dog will outlive him. I kindly asked him to see his attorney and make sure he changes his will so I can have his dog. 
The goldens of today are also cross breeds, therefore I do not see much wrong with either the lab or golden poodle mixes. 
And now Thor has a cousin to play with!


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## thorbreafortuna

Thanks everyone! Well, the two are meeting tomorrow for the first time. I will update you on how it goes.


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## thorbreafortuna

Well, first meet up didn't go perfectly but there is hope. Thor was going out of his mind wanting to play with Ollie but he was way too intense and she got scared. She spent the evening mostly on someone's lap to keep away. We made sure he gave her plenty of space and eventually he calmed down and she let him sniff her a couple of times, but she's clearly not ready to try to play. Hopefully she'll feel more at ease next time and he won't be quite as excited. 


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## Buddy's mom forever

They will be BFF before you know, they just need time!


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## thorbreafortuna

Update here. After all these months Ollie and Thor had definitely made huge progress, and now she's been staying with us for about a week. While they have both told each other off at times they have become really close. She plays confidently with him, snuggled up to him when they nap. It's the sweetest thing. And I'll say about her she is the sweetest dog. A bit barky but very sweet indeed. Here a few shots I snapped this week.




























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## goldlover68

Golden Doodle.....Why?


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## MikaTallulah

goldlover68 said:


> Golden Doodle.....Why?


Did you read the original post? His brother's child has allergies- So his bro bought a potentially hypo-allergic pup. Obviously it worked out for the brother and his family


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## ArchersMom

How can that poor dog see?! Jk  but I'm glad to see they're getting along. I especially like the photo where their arms are locked together. They remind me of Greco roman wrestlers lol


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## goldlover68

MikaTallulah said:


> Did you read the original post? His brother's child has allergies- So his bro bought a potentially hypo-allergic pup. Obviously it worked out for the brother and his family


I read it but I do not buy it!


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## thorbreafortuna

Why a Golden Doodle isn't really the point. I had no say in my brother's decision but at the end of the day she is in the family and we love her. AND his kids are not having reactions to her. I understand why people object to this types of breedings, but that is not what this thread is about. Btw they do trim the hair around her eyes regularly. My daughter just did since we thought it was starting to grow.


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## fostermom

I personally don't support mixing breeds and giving them cutsie names to make them even more marketable, but I have yet to meet a goldendoodle that wasn't the cutest darn dog ever! I have not come across one ugly one yet and the OP's brother's dog is no exception. What a doll!


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## NewfieMom

Thor and Ollie are adorable together. I love all dogs, but some of them just have endearing looks and mannerisms that suck me in!!! Thanks for sharing!

NewfieMom


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## Goldens&Friesians

My sister in law has a goldendoodle and she does not play very nice with my golden. For some reason, even though she's spayed, male dogs seem to like humping my golden. At first this really scared her and she would just lay down. She's not aggressive at all and would never be the one to start a fight. Then she figured out that if she just growled a little my neighbor's Aussie would leave her alone. She then did that with my father in law's husky and it worked for him too. Both of those dogs now get along great with her! So when the doodle tied humping her, she did what had worked in the past. But the doodle went attack dog on her and started growling viciously and attacking. My sister in law either couldn't call her dog off, or was afraid to pull it off, not sure which; so I had to yell and get her doodle off my dog. 

In my experiences working at a vet clinic and as a groomer, doodles are generally nice, but do seem to bite more readily when provoked or when having something done to them that they don't like (like clipping nails or brushing). Since this is a puppy you as an owner can prevent this behavior before it becomes an issue. Socialize it with other dogs as often as you can. Clip toenails weekly. And may I stress BRUSH, BRUSH, BRUSH that coat! Doodles have MUCH higher maintenance coats than Goldens and I find that the typical doodle owner waits til the dog is a matted mess, then brings it to us groomers and expects us to be able to give it only a light trim. Most doodle owners like them fluffy, but this requires brushing-daily! If you don't want to brush, there is nothing wrong with keeping a doodle in a short cut. 

Anyway, this doodle puppy should get along great with your golden, especially if she gets to be with your golden often!


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