Looking for a goldendoodle who's coat is more retriever like - suggestions

[Tara]

Hello all,
We are so excited to be finally look for a dog to make part of our family. We have wanted a dog for a long time but have lived an apartment and are finally getting a house. My kids are truly obsessed with golden retrievers and I would prefer something that didn't shed quite that much but still was a loving laid back family dog. In looking at the goldendoodles we realized that we do prefer the look of the golden over the look of the poodle and came across this group while doing some research. I wondered if breeders are able to tell in the puppy phase if a goldendoodle is smooth coated or not? And second question is are there any breeders in New England that folks would recommend.

Thanks
Tara

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Hi Tara, welcome to DK. 

First, the most important thing when choosing a breeder is find one who does genetic health testing on the breeding dogs. There are other important guidelines to follow as well. All puppies are adorable, but you do not want to support irresponsible breeding practices. There are very few breeds with more genetic health issues than Golden Retrievers, and while there are no guarantees, choosing a breeder who does all she can to minimize genetic health problems is crucial. Most genetic health issues do not show up until a dog is two or three years old, so testing is really the only way to minimize them; you just can't tell what is in the genes by looking at a dog. Everyone loves their doodle no matter where they came from, but personal recommendations don;t mean very much. And they are not permitted publicly here on DK anyway. People can send you a private message. There is also a link to the Recommended Breeders group in the Breeder Guidelines below.

Here are the DK Guidelines for Choosing a Breeder: http://www.doodlekisses.com/notes/What_To_Look_for_In_a_Breeder

The other thing is that most people gravitate to Goldendoodles over Golden Retrievers (or Labradoodles over Labs) because like you, they want a dog that doesn't shed quite as much. The problem with the doodles whose coats are more retriever-ish is that they usually do shed, sometimes just as much as the purebred retrievers. My guy is one who does.

So most of the reputable doodle breeders try to breed away from the retriever coats, and as a result, it can be difficult to find flat-coated or smooth coated doodle puppies from responsible breeders. A lot of them are not even breeding the F1s (50/50 golden/poodle) that are most likely to produce flat or smooth coats, for that very reason. But most good experienced breeders will know that a particular puppy does have a more retrieverish coat, so that's another reason to be careful what breeder you choose.

Temperament and health should really be your most important considerations. You will love any GD you get, and so will your kids! Good luck in your search!

[Adina P]

Yes, what Karen said is correct!

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

I can tell you from experience with my very retriever-ish goldendoodle that her shedding is almost identical to that of a Golden.  The only reason she sheds a little less than one is she's small (an F1 mini, about 35 pounds).

If you like the look of a retriever, go for it!  They're wonderful dogs.  

We thought we wanted a dog that shed less, but the reality is that we love the fact that we don't have to brush/comb her.  It's a lot less work to vacuum a bit more frequently than to groom a dog daily!