A Red Goldendoodle is a playful, intelligent, highly trainable medium to large-sized dog. They are a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. There are different “purities” of the Red Goldendoodles:

• F1 – Purebred Poodle crossed with a purebred Golden Retriever – This is a 50/50 mix.
• F1b – F1 Red Goldendoodle crossed with a purebred Poodle – this is a 25/75 mix.
• F2 – F1 Red Goldendoodle crossed with another F1 Red Goldendoodle – this is still a 50/50 mix.
• F3 – F2 Red Goldendoodle crossed with another F2 Red Goldendoodle – again, a 50/50 mix.
• Multi-generation – F3+ Red Goldendoodle crossed with another F3+ Red Goldendoodle.

The closer you are to the purebred dogs, the healthier your Red Goldendoodle puppy will likely be, since the negative genetics do not seem to come up as often as an F2 and especially an F3+.

Basic Red Goldendoodle Facts*

General Red Goldendoodle Description

Red Goldendoodles are a medium to large-sized dogs. They come in three sizes: Standard, Medium, and Miniature. The Standard Red Goldendoodle comes from a Golden Retriever cross with a Standard Poodle, the Medium comes from a cross with a Miniature Poodle, and the Miniature comes after crossing with a Toy Poodle.

Red Goldendoodles look neither like a Poodle nor a Golden Retriever. They have a rectangular head which may or may not have the Golden Retriever bump on it, a strong muzzle which is fairly short compared to the rest of the head. They have a black nose and very sharp teeth which close in a scissor bite.

One common misconception which is commonly spread by irresponsible breeders is that these dogs are guaranteed to be hypoallergenic and that they do not shed. This is not the case. Even Poodles who are known for being hypoallergenic shed, as does every dog. Some groomers have found that Red Goldendoodles will shed more than either of their parents. If you have allergies to dogs and you are looking for one you can live with without allergy shots, I would suggest going and visiting a breeder and spend some time with their dogs and see how you react. Every person, every breed, and every dog is different.

The coat of the dark Red Goldendoodle is thick, curly or wavy, and a beautiful red color requiring moderate to high maintenance. Finding a groomer experienced with these dogs would definitely not be a waste.

Red Goldendoodle Puppy Temperament and Training

Both Golden Retrievers and Poodles are known for being highly trainable, incredibly intelligent, and friendly with everyone they meet. It therefore makes sense that the Red Goldendoodle is the perfect dog ambassador. These dogs are great family pets who will spend hours at your feet as you read a book and then play with Timmy on the floor for hours when he gets home from school.

All of this does not come without some form of work, however. All dogs require proper socialization and training from when they are young and the Red Goldendoodle puppy is no exception. The more things your dog gets familiar with as a puppy, the calmer they will be as an adult.

When choosing a Red Goldendoodle puppy you want to make sure you find one who is not scared in the corner, and you also want to avoid the aggressive ones. You also will want to meet the parents (at the very least, the mother) and siblings if possible. This is important to see where your dog came from, and any respectable breeder will not have issues with this.

Caring for Your Red Goldendoodle Puppy

Other than grooming which was briefly touched on earlier, caring for a Red Goldendoodle is fairly standard. You will want to make sure you do not overfeed them as they are prone to obesity and considering that obesity leads to other health issues, it is best to be avoided.

As a brief note on health issues, Red Goldendoodles are prone to allergies, bloat, ear infections, elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, progressive retinal atrophy, and Von Willebrand’s Disease.

Red Goldendoodles require 20-30 minutes of exercise a day and would prefer to be in a house with a yard. These are not outside dogs; they prefer staying dry and with their people in the house. Exercise is extremely important, as is making sure they have enough toys and distractions as they are prone to separation anxiety, which can lead to all sorts of heartache. For more information on separation anxiety and how to work against it, please click here.

Adoption or a Red Goldendoodle Breeder?

This is a very personal choice and both have their pros and cons. A shelter with a Red Goldendoodle rarely knows the past of the dog and so there are a lot of unknowns that must be addressed. These dogs have been abandoned, rescued from bad situations or left behind when their owner was unable to care for them any longer. Adoption is a noble route to take and the dog will show you their appreciation every day once you earn their trust. The downfall to adoption is that sometimes these dogs have been abused and therefore are harder to bond with and may have some major issues to work through.

Red Goldendoodle breeders, on the other hand, know exactly where their dogs came from and how they have been treated. Red Goldendoodle puppies are also rare to find in a shelter, whereas a breeder will have plenty of options for you.

Regardless of which route you choose when looking for Red Goldendoodle puppies for sale, there are a few things you must remember:

• Always get it in writing.
  Always make sure you find out what veterinary care your new Red Goldendoodle puppy has received and ensure that they are up to date on everything required.
• Ask plenty of questions.
  The only way you are going to know about your dog is by asking. What does the dog eat? Have they been trained yet?
• Find out what the contract restrictions are.
  Both breeders and shelters have adoption contracts with rules and regulations on them. Most stipulate what is to be done should you not be able to keep the dog (usually the breeder/shelter will want them back). Most clearly state whether or not this animal may be used for breeding and what the consequences are for breaking that rule.
• Are they up to date on their shots or deworming?
  All puppies are born with worms. Their parents catch them and they are not harmful to an adult, but for a puppy they can be horrible. Simple deworming and making sure they have their first (and if they are old enough, second) shots show that the breeder or shelter cares about their puppies.
• Were the parents registered? Were they tested for any genetic complications?
  The AKC requires testing to be done on registered purebred dogs for major genetic issues before they are allowed to breed. This does not mean that an unregistered dog will be any less healthy, but it will allow you to breathe a little easier knowing that certain issues are less likely to show up in the Red Goldendoodle you are looking at purchasing. A good breeder should be able to answer this question, but a shelter may not know enough about the puppy in question to answer.

In conclusion, there are plenty of Red Goldendoodles for sale and there are three size options to choose from. These spirited pups will keep you laughing for years to come with their antics and give you all the love you desire.

* All attributes of the Red Goldendoodle are approximations only as the Red Goldendoodle is a mixed-breed dog and can take on any combination of their ancestral breeds, in this case the Golden Retriever and the Poodle and any combination thereof. For more information please see Golden Retriever and Poodle.