The Goldendoodle tends to be intelligent and friendly, easily accepting of new people and experiences. While a dog’s personality may vary with the genes inherited from its parents, a well-socialized and properly trained Goldendoodle is a fun-loving, outgoing, and gentle family dog. 

Their happy, playful nature coupled with the stamina to keep going for ages makes them great playmates for children and teens. As with any large dog breed, supervision is important when the dog is playing with small children. 

Goldendoodles also tend to excel at training due to their high intelligence, though they can be mischievous when the mood strikes them. Despite this, most are loyal to their humans and will gladly go on any sort of adventure. 

Goldendoodles are lively, adventurous dogs, and love to go hiking, running, and swimming. They have moderately high levels of energy – less than full-fledged working dogs, but still needing significant amounts of exercise per day. At the very least, Goldendoodles of all sizes need a half hour of exercise per day, with many dogs requiring even more. 

Because they’re such smart dogs, the kind of activity should also be somewhat challenging for their minds. Goldendoodles excel at agility courses, fetch with a frisbee, and other sorts of dog sports. Dog puzzles and toys are handy to have if you’ll need to leave your Goldendoodle unattended at some point throughout the day.

Like most dogs with a working breed in their lineage, a tired Goldendoodle is a happy Goldendoodle. Well-exercised dogs tend to be more receptive to training and more easygoing.

It’s difficult to pin down the grooming needs of a Goldendoodle puppy, because it will be a mix of the two parent breeds. However, most first-generation Goldendoodles will end up with a coat that is midway between the Golden Retriever and the Poodle. 

In general, Goldendoodles will benefit from brushing twice or thrice a week. This is especially important for Goldendoodles that have a more shaggy or wiry type of coat, as it will help prevent painful mats and tangles from forming.

Baths do not need to be very frequent if your Goldendoodle does not get dirty often. A bath every three to four months is usually sufficient. Regular tooth brushing is necessary to help prevent tooth and gum disease. The Goldendoodle’s nails will also have to be trimmed once or twice a month if your dog does not wear them down with outdoor play. 

Goldendoodles are generally easy to train. They love to please their owners, and their high intelligence allows them to pick up commands and tricks very quickly. It’s important to begin this training and socialization early, while the dog is receptive to new experiences. 

A Goldendoodle will generally love working with their owner, so long as they get lots of praise and treats. They’re somewhat sensitive to harsh treatment, so positive reinforcement is the preferred method of training. 

Some Goldendoodles have been trained as guide dogs, right alongside their Golden Retriever and Poodle cousins. Of course, this training is very advanced and different from normal obedience training, so taking a class and getting certified as a guide dog is necessary. 

Goldendoodles have a normal lifespan for their size, living up to 10 to 15 years old. Goldendoodles may be prone to:

• Patellar Luxation – a condition where the dog’s kneecap slides in and out of place, causing pain that may hinder normal movement
• Gastric dilatation-volvulus – also known as GDV or “bloat”, this serious medical condition occurs when a dog’s stomach twists and traps gas inside
• Hypothyroidism – a condition of the thyroid gland where it is incapable of normal function, resulting in muscle weakness, sluggishness, hair loss, and other skin conditions

Because Goldendoodles can be as large as either parent, they need ample space to move within the household. Adult Goldendoodles can stand anywhere between 13 to 24 inches in height, depending on the size of the Poodle parent. They can weigh between 30 and 90 pounds, which is a very wide range. It’s best to meet the Goldendoodle’s parents if possible so you can more accurately judge the maximum size potential of a puppy. 

Due to their Golden Retriever genes, they love to play fetch and will appreciate a fenced yard for their play area. They’re adaptable dogs, and may be able to live in apartments, but the ideal home for the Goldendoodle is a house with outdoor space. They’re closely bonded to their family and need close human contact throughout most of the day, so most Goldendoodles live indoors.