Goldendoodle puppies are all the rage!

Golden Doodle

Goldendoodle puppies are all the rage right now.

Oh, those cute teddy bear faces!

Breeders are selling them hand over fist.

Literally, they can’t keep enough puppies in stock.

They are cute, snuggly, sweet and outgoing and come in three convenient sizes.

They love everyone!

And those wavy fluffy butts!

The cuteness overload is real!

It seems like everyone wants a Goldendoodle!

And I agree. If you want an outgoing, happy-go-lucky, sweet-natured, snuggly, but playful dog… the Goldendoodle might fit well in your family.

But before you jump on the bandwagon and follow the crowd… let’s look beyond that sweet teddy bear face and see the reality.

Of the 82,537 puppies/dogs for sale on puppies.com, nearly 7% of them are Goldendoodles!

(NOTE: Currently, Labradoodles are 5x less popular than Goldendoodles.)

There are 1.6x more Goldendoodles for sale on this popular site than the second most popular dog breed for sale, the Golden Retriever.

Interestingly enough, though, Poodles for sale on this site are 4x less.

There is no doubt about it!

Americans love Goldedoodles!

With all the hype about them being hypoallergenic and that high price-tag, you would think they would be perfect for any family.

But there are some real downsides to owning a Goldendoodle.

It pays to do your research and think about your family’s needs before you get drawn in by that cute, squishy face.

In today’s email, I want to highlight the very real fact that Goldendoodles are basically the exact opposite of the American Dirus dog.

Let’s review some Goldendoodle features and compare them to the American Dirus dog bred by the Dire Wolf Project.

Goldendoodle Appearance Traits

Goldendoodles have feathering (long hair between their toes, back of the legs, and behind the ears) and furnishings (whiskers on the face) with a low shedding trait.

This combination is in stark contrast to the no feathering, no furnishings and high shedding ideal of the American Dirus dog.

(Some of our dogs have furnishings, but we specifically work to breed this undesired trait out of the breed as quickly as possible.)

Why would this matter?

Isn’t it merely an outward appearance preference?

Not necessarily.

It could also dictate the quality of life you dog has based upon where you live.

Feathering causes snow to ball up in the dog’s coat.

It also mats very easily, much like human hair.

Furnishings continue to grow throughout the life of the dog. This means shaggy hair in the eyes and lots of doggie drool after drinking or eating.

But isn’t low shedding an excellent trait for the person with allergies?

Nope.

I argue that in reality, it is the exact opposite. Allergies are more prone to appear in dogs with low shedding than in dogs with high shedding.

According to a 2012 study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, “Significantly higher Can f 1 [allergen] concentrations were found in hair and coat samples of hypoallergenic dogs.”

Wait! WHAT??

Did I just copy and paste that correctly?

I know you might be quite taken aback by that quote.

Here’s the link to check it out for yourself:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091674912007932

The conclusion from the above study… there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog breed.

Furthermore, did you know that humans who have allergies aren’t allergic to a dog’s fur. Instead, allergic humans respond to a dog’s dander.

So it’s not actually the fur you’re allergic to. It’s the dander carried on the fur.

Fun fact: ALL DOG BREEDS POSSESS DANDER.

Except, low or non-shedding dogs retain dander in their coat because they do NOT naturally shed these particles.

That means the dander is just less mobile. But your dog still has it … and it’s still released, even from a hairless breed.

Here is a great article by Dogs Naturally Magazine that explains this in much more detail:
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/hypoallergenic-dog/

Not only that, but because non-shedding dogs retain their coat, just like a carpet, they retain debris and odor.

For all the reasons above, if you decide a Goldendoodle is right for your family, you MUST be willing and able to groom your dog regularly.

And remember, constant grooming strips a dog’s coat of its natural oils. These need to be replenished or you will be dealing with skin issues. And… Goldendoodles are known to have skin issues.

In contrast, the American Dirus dog has a natural self-cleaning coat.

Yes, they shed… heavily.

But in my opinion, it is better for the dog and if you can commit to sweeping and vacuuming, better for the humans, too.

Here is a link to an article I wrote on why high shedding dogs are superior:
https://direwolfproject.com/direwolf-guardians/puppy-training/grooming/3-reasons-shedding-dogs-are-superior/

Goldendoodle Personality Traits

Goldendoodles are fun-loving, outgoing, energetic dogs. They can also be quite intelligent if they take after their Poodle ancestry.

This means they are busy.

They have to be doing, playing, using their mind, and experiencing life much of the day.

Think of that Poodle at the circus. It can catch a ball on its nose. Walk on its front legs. Dance in circles. Jump through fiery hoops. And oh, so much more!

Think of that Golden Retriever with its zest full of life. Chasing balls. Flushing birds. This high-energy dog is considered one of the more hyper dog breeds.

Topping out at requiring at least 2 hours of exercise each day, the Goldendoodle is quite a busy dog ready to take on the world.

Now, that might be perfect for a busy family with children and lots of family and friends.

There is a reason both the Poodle, Golden Retriever and the Labrador Retriever are the most used dog breeds for therapy and hearing/guide/service dogs.

But it does take work to calm this dog’s mind so that it will be receptive to pay attention.

In contrast, the American Dirus dog is bred to be a low energy family companion dog.  Generally content after 30 minutes of exercise a day, our dog breed naturally pays attention and relaxes in the home… even as puppies.

We often receive updates from families who exclaim how amazed they are at how calm and quiet their puppy is.

In fact, I wrote an article on how different the training techniques are between the American Dirus dog and the “Fab Four” (Poodle, Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, and the Collie).

Here’s the link:
https://direwolfproject.com/blog/training-insights/do-american-alsatian-dogs-make-good-service-dogs/

If you feel the American Dirus dog is the type of breed for you, view our puppies for sale here:

https://direwolfdogs.com/dogs-for-sale/puppies/

Jennifer Stoeckl is the co-founder of the Dire Wolf Project, founder of the DireWolf Guardians American Dirus Dog Training Program, and owner/operator of DireWolf Dogs of Vallecito. She lives in the beautiful inland northwest among the Ponderosa pine forests with her pack of American Dirus dogs. 

Golden Doodle

Finnegan and Hercules two adult direwolf dogs

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