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1. What is a Goldendoodle?
A Goldendoodle is the cross between a Poodle and a Golden
Retriever. The Goldendoodle comes in many sizes and
colors. Goldendoodle owners have reported a significant decrease
in shedding and allergic reactions. Everyone agrees that the
Goldendoodle is highly intelligent, loving, and absolutely
adorable!! It's also reported that they are much healthier than
either of the contributing breeds. However, crossing breeds does
not negate the need for genetic health testing on every parent dog.
2. What is a Double Doodle?
A Double Doodle is simply a breeding done with two different
types of Doodles. At Winding Creek Ranch, when you see a
Double Doodle, it means the parents consist only of
Goldendoodle and Labradoodle genetics. Therefore, the breeds
involved are Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, and Poodle.
Double Doodles are absolutely wonderful! The gene pool is even
more diverse, with three breeds, increasing health potential in the
offspring. We still do full genetic health testing on all parents.
Our Labradoodle lines come from a breeder whose focus is
in producing therapy dogs. Many people ask us about
differences between Double Doodles and Goldendoodles. We
have not noticed any difference in intelligence, trainability, or
temperament. Both are wonderful options. We have worked
hard, over the past few years, to get to the point of being able to
offer exeptional Double Doodles, to our client families, in
addition to our well established Goldendoodle lines.
3. I saw a breeder who promised me a non-shedding
Goldendoodle puppy. Can I get a non-shedding
puppy from you?
It is impossible to promise a non-shedding puppy of any breed.
Goldendoodles are known to be low to non-shedding.
However, any breeder who guarantees a non-shedding
puppy is either misinformed or isn't trustworthy. We are very
careful, in the way we breed our Doodles. The first generation is
going to have greatly reduced shedding. After that, each
consecutive generation is bred carefully, using DNA coat trait
testing, in order to create the least amount of shedding possible
and make sure every Doodle has furnishings (full coat on entire
body). After the first generation, most of our Goldendoodles are
non-shedding. Please read THIS PAGE to learn more.
4. Is there is specific generation that would be best for my family? I
heard that the F1b is best for allergy sufferers.
The short answer is "No." It makes absolutely no difference what
label you put on it. The question you need to ask is: Which litter
will produce what I'm looking for? Then, you need to be sure
that you are working with a breeder who is knowledgeable in
canine genetics and does genetic coat trait testing so they can
advise you. We have the technology, at our fingertips, to be able
to predict coat types, amount of shedding, and how
hypoallergenic a Doodle may be. The one exception is for those
families who have someone in the home that has some mild, dog
dander allergies. The F1 generation can shed some so, while an
F1 might be fine, it is usually advised to go with any other
generation in which DNA coat trait testing and appropriate
pairing will create a more hypoallergenic Doodle. Literally all
other generations are good options, provided there has been
testing done for furnishings. For a full explanation, please read
5. What is a Multigen Goldendoodle?
Well, a breeding program and development of a breed must go
somewhere, plain and simple. If a breeder only breeds F1 and F1b
Goldendoodles, there would quickly be a dead end to the
program. The natural next step is a Multigen. Anything after the
F2 is called Multigen. As a side note, it is not recommended to
breed an F1 to an F1 which produces an F2. The result of such a
breeding is not as consistent as with the F1 and can produce
offspring that have flat, shedding coats and faces with no long fur,
more like a small Golden Retriever with a narrow bone frame and
skinny muzzle. With that said, there are many lovely F2 breedings
which can be F1xF1b, F1bxF1b, F1xF2b, and the list goes on and
on. The key is: At least one parent must be +/+ for furninshings.
All F1 generation doodles, at best, are +/- for furninshings so you
shouldn't breed them together.
The Multigen, as stated by the Goldendoodle Association, is two
Goldendoodles bred together or a Multigen bred to a Poodle. If
you are a family with dog allergies, a Multigen can be a great
option for you, assuming coat trait testing has been done and the
dogs properly paired.
If you understand that all dog breeds were created by selective
breeding, then you understand that all purebreds are, in essence,
Multigens. The term is really unneccessary since a Multigen
Goldendoodle is simply, a Goldendoodle. Just like a Golden
Retreiver is no longer called a Multigen Golden Retriever. No
matter what generation you are referring to, the generation label
will not give you any answers as to what physical traits to expect.
Only genetic testing can provide that. Once uniform physical
traits can be expected in every litter and the breed is widely
accepted in breed registries, the term Multigen will no longer be
used. However, we think diversity is part of the fun of Doodles and
all are beautiful!
6. Isn't the Goldendoodle just a mutt?
Our Goldendoodles are different than the average mixed
breed dog. Both parent breeds are registered, purebred dogs
that have traceable lineage. Parent dogs at Winding Creek Ranch
are all health tested for various genetic disorders common to their
breed. All breedings are carefully planned. I don't see how this
can be compared to a couple of random dogs having puppies.
Calling our puppies mutts is highly offensive. We consider them
superior because of what goes into producing them. With that
said, not all breeders of Goldendoodles follow this strict protocol
so keep that in mind as you travel across the many websites you
are visiting in your search for one of your very own. There are
many good breeders that do what we do but there are a thousand
times more that don't. If we don't have what you are looking for,
click on the banner, on the bottom of our home page, for the
Goldedoodle Association. As far as cleanliness, honesty,
quality of parent dogs (temperament, conformation, etc.) , it
is up to you to ask questions and decide which breeder is best
for your family.
7. Should I get a male or a female?
Many people have a preference for one reason or another.
Sometimes those reasons are a result of misinformation.
Both genders offer the same exact possible nuances, training
challenges, differing energy levels, submissiveness vs. dominance,
dependent vs. independent natures, etc. Gender based behaviors
are avoided by having your male or female puppy spayed
or neutered prior to puberty. Our contract required proof of this
procedure be received by the time the puppy is 8 months old.
I would never avoid choosing a puppy based solely on
gender with one exception....if I already have an older female dog,
I would get a male to avoid problems. The most risky combo is
2 females, not raised together. The best combo is a male and
female, both fixed. The next best combo is 2 neutered males. If
you already have a female, even if it grew up with an older female,
bringing in a female puppy puts the puppy at risk of being severely
bullied. The reason it would have done well with the older female
is because of her place in the heirachy. Now that she's the oldest,
the response to a new puppy is, "I'm the boss of you." Do not
underestimate your sweet female dog. Bringing in a female puppy
can cause your existing female dog to show a whole new side to
her and often times, it isn't pretty! The puppy suffers and the
family becomes stressed over trying to keep them separated. Yes,
there are exceptions to the rule. However, this placement is still
considered extremely high risk by every dog professional out there
so it's not a gamble worth taking, for the well-being of the puppy
and the family. At the end of the day, you want a compatible
puppy that will enhance the quality of life for your family,
existing pets, and the puppy itself. We are here to make sure
that is the exact experience for all involved. :)
8. Aren't Goldendoodles supposed to be gold in color?
An interesting thing about the Goldendoodle is the
fact that their coloring is limited only by what a
poodle's color can be. That leaves it wide open!! We
most commonly produce puppies in shades of cream,
gold/apricot & red. However, we have been known to
produce black, black/tan phantoms and tri-colored
Goldendoodles. Regardless of color, we think
all Doodles are beautiful!
9. There are so many breeders out there. What
difference does it make where I get my puppy from?
There are many breeders out there, this is true. You
have to learn to how to sort through them. If you really
don't care about what you and your family has to go
through in the future, it doesn't matter where you get
your dog. Consider that many dogs used for
breeding are inbred because they can keep many dogs
from a litter and breed it right back to the sire and
make tons of money. They don't health test and
sometimes ask premium prices for their puppies
anyway. What are you getting for your money? They
might offer a health warranty even though no testing
has been done. Well, let's just say you get a puppy
from them and it has a terrible, genetic heart
condition and has to be put down at 18 months of
age. Is that warranty going to save your family from
heartache? Warranties are a great thing to have
but the idea is NOT to have to use them. Nobody can
guarantee their puppies will never have anything wrong.
Wouldn't it be nice if humans and animals never had
to suffer? The point is, you can look for best case
scenario and that would be from a breeder who takes
the time and invests the money to help ensure your
family is getting the best chance at worry-free canine
companionship. Believe me, all puppies are cute. It is
best to do your homework and not rush into any
decisions regarding your choice of breeder. To learn about what
10. Why are your puppies so expensive?
Maybe you can find a dog at the shelter. Maybe it will turn out
fine. Maybe that dog will be healthy enough to not cost you
hundreds or thousands of dollars over the next several years.
Maybe it will have a stable personality that you can trust around
anyone. Maybe it won't develop some dreaded disease in a year or
two, only to leave you and your family, perhaps children, in tears
and full of grief. Maybe it isn't inbred and plagued with defects.
Maybe it wasn't bred by a local person who thought the neighbor
dog would make cute puppies with his/her dog. This may sound
drastic and I never want to sound heartless toward homeless
animals. It is terrible what we face today with all these homeless
animals. However, until we stop supporting this, it is going to
keep happening. Don't you want to know the history of your
dog? Where they came from? Did the dam walk with bad hips?
Did the sire have chronic ear infections? Did either parent have
hair loss and rough patches of skin suggesting a thyroid
condition? When a good breeder has a litter of puppies, they
have thousands of dollars and thousands of hours behind it.
Special care is taken at every angle. I don't have space on this
page to list every single detail of what goes into it, time wise
and financially, but if a person is doing it right, the bottom line
will be much less than you would expect and the hourly wage
would be laughable. Why would anyone want to raise puppies
then? Well, it would be a lie to say dog breeders don't make
money. It just is that it isn't without challenges and serious
demands. Many people begrudge breeders for "making money"
on selling puppies. You won't find a good breeder, of any dog
breed, that isn't "making money" on their dogs. Anyway, doesn't
every job done well deserve compensation? The truth is, the
reason we deal with the ongoing demands of being a dog breeder
is because we love it. Sure, there are other things we can do
with our time and money. We choose this because there is
nothing more fun than watching a new litter come into the world
or talking with people you've never met about something as
exciting as a new puppy for their family. Seeing children's faces
and adults becoming like children again, when they come to pick
that puppy up and take it home, after weeks of waiting, is
pricless.
Health testing is done by very few breeders. It costs a great
deal of money. If one doesn't pass, then you have to replace that
dog and you've lost all the time and money invested, not to
mention how difficult it is to see one go after you have become
attached to it. For each breeding dog, we have expenses in
food, shots, flea and heartworm prevention, grooming, vet visits,
health testing, puppy care which includes all the above plus
microchipping.
Then we add advertising (including website), building
of facilities, equipment, training, and renovations
of home and property, as needed. The list goes on
and doesn't count the hours spent, the sleepless
nights and the demanding, 24/7 schedule a dog
breeder keeps. Going on vacation rarely happens and
when it does, we aren't gone long and a lot of
preparation has to be made. A good breeder is always
easy to get help from and willing to do more than just
take your money. A dog is an investment into the
enrichment of yours and your families' lives. A
modest, week long tropical vacation will cost you
$3,000-$4,000. Even if it cost you that entire amount,
you would be investing into a friend that will love you
and give you joy for 10+ years. One week vs. 10+
years? It's more than worth it...it's priceless. :o) To learn
about what to expect, when you work with Winding Creek Ranch,
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