Golden Doodle Rated as Top Breed for Task Performance

"The Golden Doodle"

Copyright 2007; 2008 by Wheel Me On...

Golden Doodle Rated as Top Breed for Task Performance

by Ann McLean-Brown Jones
Copyright 2008

The Doodle, a cross breeding of an AKC Golden Retriever with an AKC Poodle; or the cross breeding of an AKC Labrador Retriever with an AKC Poodle, has become one of the highest canines in demand for service and task performance work. The pairing of these particular breeds is the result of years of study. Many things must be taken into consideration, when a Service Canine is called upon to perform numerous tasks to assist a human partner, who has disabilities or limitations requiring assistance with tasks.

The retriever breeds known for their excellent ability to retrieve almost anything, is always a good choice. However, the retriever brings several problematic situations to light. First, the retriever is a dual coated dog, desired by a hunter companion, but not an advantage to a person with disabilities. The retrievers tend to go through two prominent "shedding" periods each year. Even when they are not shedding their undercoat, routine brushing is required to keep their coat in good condition. Golden Retrievers come in colors ranging from light cream to dark amber. Labrador Retrievers come in three standard colors yellow, black and chocolate. Second, retrievers come in one size, large.

Poodles come in a variety of colors blues, grays, silvers, browns, apricots and creams. Poodles do not shed, but this is not to say that they are maintenance free; they also require brushing and a trip to the Groomer for the occasional "trim". One of the best features of the Poodle is that it comes in three sizes. Generally only two sizes are used, those over 15" at the withers (shoulders) and those under 15", however Poodles additionally come in a variety of sizes including the miniature, small, standard and large canines.

All three breeds are welcomed into the family setting, but the Service Canine forms its strongest bond with its partner. Again, all three breeds are intelligent, train easily and adapt well to changing surroundings. However, if an experienced and certified breeder takes either species of Retriever and breeds it with a Poodle, the end-user will have excellent qualities of both species now known as the "Doodle". An example of this "cross breeding" is the shedding of the Retriever kept at a minimum and the grooming of the Poodle almost non-existent in the Doodle.

The Doodle bred from a female Retriever and male Poodle, will share excellent qualities of both species. An example of this are the finer eating habits of the Poodle and far less grooming then normally required for the Retriever. The pairing of these breeds has brought the greatest advantage to the ever-growing need for Service Canines and in the opinion of many individuals within our organization are indeed that the Golden Doodle (F1) ranks highest as a Task Performer.

Wheel Me On... Service Animal Researchers recommends Loveable Doodles, if you are interested in pursuing information about Doodle canines as Task Performing Service Canines.

F1 - F1B - F2B
Golden Doodles

What IS the F They Are Talking About?

Pardon me, but that is just what I thought when I first started looking into this amazing "cross" breeding. So, let me see if I can help you understand what these Breeders are trying to tell us. (This IS truly a word {combination} found only among Breeders.) Before we get started on the "F" issue, I would like to say a few words about the Breeders. These people have spent time, money, energy and commitment to see that they produce the finest quality dog. Do not be afraid to ask for references, your better Breeders will have a list available before you even have to ask. Take the time to CHECK OUT THE REFERENCES! You are talking about an investment for you family, or in some cases, a potential Task Performer more commonly known as a Service Canine. People are always happy to tell you about their experiences: Good or Bad. There are a number of "Doodle" Breeders out there, so you do not have to be in a rush. Remember, "Good things come to he/she who waits". Your better Breeders are in no hurry to sell to the first with the money. Remember their reputation is on the line and as hard as you are looking at them, they are looking at you. Enough said, let us move on to the F's.

Starting at the beginning: As the name implies Golden = Golden Retriever and Doodle is an odd way of spelling a Poodle. (Just having some fun with you.) In this case, we are representing the "Standard Size"; Doodles also come in "Mediums" and "Miniatures". The breeding of a Golden Retriever and a Standard Poodle produce offspring referred to as F1. These offspring are called Golden Doodles. (F1 = Golden Doodle) Now we are going to take our F1 Golden Doodle and breed it to the Poodle, thus we have created the F1B = 75% Poodle and 25% Golden Retriever. Now let's take our F1 Golden Doodle and breed it to F1B Golden Doodle and we will have an F2B = 62.5% Poodle and 37.5% Golden Retriever.. (Not to worry, there will be no test.)

I am sure you are asking yourself, "why"? (I know I did.) What I did was go back to the two breeds and look up their qualities and traits. The Golden Retriever has been known for years as a great family dog and excellent Service Canine. Gentle, loving, loyal and sheds like crazy! You really need to keep up with the brushing to keep the coat in shape. They are very intelligent, train easily and enjoy being in with "their people". The Poodle is the dog for anyone with allergies as THEY DO NOT SHED. However, not to be mistaken as maintenance free because Poodles should be "groomed" (another word for fancy haircut) every 6 - 8 weeks. A small price to pay since they do not shed, but they have been known to "mat". Poodles are intelligent, easy to train and they also like to be with "their people". Therefore, you are getting the best of both breeds in the Golden Doodles. You only need to decide which "F" you want.

F1 = Golden Retriever bred to a White Standard Poodle = Golden Doodle
F1 B = Golden Doodle bred to a White Standard Poodle = more Poodle than Retriever
F2 B = Golden Doodle bred to Golden Doodle = strong Poodle with a pinch less Retriever.

Of course, depending on the color of the Poodle, the Doodle may not be "Golden" with "cream" as the color. Doodles are available in several colors.

This is the most basic "lesson" on the cross breeding of these wonderful canines. If you are interested in obtaining one of these "new species", I invite you to visit the Google Search on this web page and search for "Doodle" to learn more about this truly special species of canine or find out more about the canine that will meet your needs, wants or desires. Based on our experience, we recommend Loveable Doodles and one very important reason is all sires and dams are registered with CKC, OFA, & CERF. Their Poodles and Golden Retrievers are all excellent quality and registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC).

In the best scenario, the parents of the F1 are both registered with AKC and we hope the AKC will eventually accept the F1 Doodle as a breed worthy of their strict rules, however unlikely this occurrence may be due to cross breeding.

Ann McLean-Brown Jones
Executive Secretary, WMO

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