The Golden Retriever like any other dog, can fall victim to a wide range of problems and unfortunately the problems multiply as the breed continues to increase in popularity. Their most common health problems include, but are not limited to:

• Hip Dysplasia
• Eye Disease
• Heart Disease

The term hip dysplasia means poor formation of the hip joint, and describes a developmental disease in young dogs of many different breeds. Unsound hip joints are a common problem in the larger breeds, hip dysplasia problem in any dog is an inherited defect which is believed to have a polygenic mode of inheritance.

The expression of this genetic defect can be modified by environmental factors, such as changes in nutrition, exercise and trauma. The degree of heritability is moderate in nature, meaning that the formation of the hip joints can also be modified by environmental factors such as over nutrition, excessively rapid growth, and certain traumas during the growth period of the skeleton. As with any quantitative trait, hip joint conformation can range from good to bad with all degrees in between. Signs of hip dysplasia cannot be detected in the new born puppy, but usually appear in the rapid growth period between four and nine months of age. Signs of the disease can vary widely from slight irregularities of gait to crippling lameness.

Improvement or even apparent disappearance of lameness can occur as the dog matures, as a result of the joint stabilizing, inflammation subsiding, and musculature strengthening. However, the dysplastic dog will usually develop some degree of arthritis later in life. X-rays can be sent to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) to determine the conformation health of the hips for any potential breeding animal. For pets this is not necessary.

The dysplastic dog should not be used for breeding, but may well lead a long, happy, useful life. During the acute phase of the disease, your veterinarian may suggest rest and supportive care. Moderate and regular exercise, control of weight, and perhaps anti inflammatory drugs, are helpful in the management of arthritis associated with hip dysplasia in the older dog.

Many Golden Retrievers with hip dysplasia will show no outward signs at all, until perhaps 8 or 9 years of age when muscle tone decreases and arthritis and wear and tear on the joint become more noticeable. Surgical procedures as a last resort are available to alleviate the pain of hip dysplasia. Golden Retrievers and other breeds of retrievers often seem to have high pain thresholds, and do not show signs of pain when other breeds might be very uncomfortable. An x-ray does not always show you how your dog feels, as many dysplastic Golden Retrievers are completely unaware that they have a problem!

Hereditary cataracts are a common eye problem in Golden Retrievers. ("Cataract" is defined as any opacity within the lens of the eye.) At least one type of hereditary cataract appears at an early age in affected Golden Retrievers, and while these may or may not interfere with the dogs vision, some do progress into severe or total loss of vision. There are also non-hereditary cataracts which sometimes occur, and examination by a board certified veterinary ophthalmologist is necessary to determine if the cataract is or is not of concern from a genetic standpoint.

If there is any question, the dog is certainly not to be recommended for breeding. A few families of Golden Retrievers carry genes for Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) which is progressive deterioration of the light receptive area (retina) of the eye, and may result in complete blindness at a fairly young age. There are also other eye defects, such as retinal dysplasia, that prevent consideration of a dog as a breeding animal. Eyelid and eyelash problems also may occur in the breed; some have an hereditary basis, and some are due to other factors. Entropion and ectropion are the turning in or turning out of the eyelids. Trichiasis and distichiasis involve eyelashes or hairs rubbing on and irritating the eye.

Surgery may be needed to correct these problems, and while it is a fairly simple procedure, such dogs should not be bred and are ineligible to be shown under AKC rules. Examination of breeding stock can be done annually, until at least eight years of age and preferably longer, as hereditary eye problems can develop at varying ages. The examination should be made by a board certified veterinary ophthalmologist, who has the special equipment and training needed to properly examine the dogs eyes. Dogs that have been examined by a board certified veterinary ophthalmologist and found to be free of hereditary eye disease can be registered with the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF).

Hereditary heart disease, most commonly Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis (SAS), is known to occur in the Golden Retriever breed. All prospective breeding animals can be examined by a board certified veterinary. If a murmur is detected through auscultation (listening with a stethoscope), additional diagnostic tests are available and may be recommended. However, even if the results are negative, this does not rule out heart disease, as some mild but hereditary forms may be undetectable except on necropsy. Animals with hereditary heart disease should not be used for breeding.

There are ADDITIONAL TOPICS: such as allergies, skin disorders, cancer, hypothyroidism, seizure disorders and other orthopedic disorders.

The Pure Breed Controversy

Is the Goldendoodle a "Designer Dog" or just a mutt?

Some pure bred dog breeders are attacking the Goldendoodle and the breeders who breed Goldendoodles, saying that the breeders who breed Goldendoodles are just money hungry, and why should anyone pay money for a mutt when you can go to the shelter for one. They are also trying to discredit the Goldendoodle "hybrid vigor" theory, the quality of the breeding stock in the Goldendoodle breeding programs, and stating that Goldendoodles are ending up in rescues and shelters everywhere.

 So I am going to ask you to do your own homework on the Goldendoodle, read what the real experts have to say about Goldendoodles, the veterinarians and the geneticist. Talk to the people who own Goldendoodles, the breeders who actually breed Goldendoodles, and the trainers that train them. I think that most of these pure bred dog breeders have an agenda of their own. The Goldendoodle has become so popular that families are buying Goldendoodles over Poodles and Golden Retrievers. I know this for fact, because I'm also a Golden Retriever breeder!

Here are some web sites written by actual experts on the subject:

Click on a Link

http://www.family-pets.com/genetics.html
http://vein.library.usyd.edu.au/links/Mcgreevy.pdf
http://www.canine-genetics.com/
http://siriusdog.com/articles/genetic-health-dogs-bragg.htm
http://siriusdog.com/articles/dog-genetic-mutations-genome.htm

The Goldendoodle is a Golden Retriever and a Poodle cross. There are Standard Goldendoodles, which is the result of a Golden Retriever bred to a Standard Poodle (over 15 inches at the shoulder - most are in the 22-27" range). There are also Mini Goldendoodles, which are also sometimes referred to as Medium Goldendoodles, which is the result of a Golden Retriever bred to either a Toy Poodle (10 inches and under), or a Mini Poodle (over 10 inches and not over 15 inches). The Goldendoodle gets it's name from it's mixed heritage. The Goldendoodle is a hybrid cross, a first generation cross, and as such they exhibit "hybrid vigor", this is a phenomenon in animal breeding referring to the fact that the first cross between two unrelated pure bred lines is healthier and grows better than either parent line. The Goldendoodle puppies take on the best traits of both parent breeds. The need for dogs that are good with children and other pets, but that are also healthy and shed less, has inspired breeders to cross breed two of the most intelligent and popular breeds of our time. The Goldendoodle's ancestry along "both" parents lines are water dogs and hunters, so the Goldendoodle naturally love the water and retrieving. Everyone knows that Golden Retrievers were bred for hunting and retrieving and love the water, but what most people don't know is that Standard Poodles were also water dogs used for retrieving. Their conformation and the texture and pattern of their coats to this day reflect the purposes for which they were bred. Miniatures and Toys have been bred down from the larger Poodles and they exhibit the same general characteristics.

The appearance of the Goldendoodle looks anywhere from a shaggy looking Golden Retriever to a curl relaxed Poodle, but usually falls somewhere in between. The color of the Goldendoodle coat can be white to cream, golden, apricot to red, and brown or black. Like many Poodle crosses most Goldendoodles don't shed, or shed only slightly, and could be hypoallergenic.

A Goldendoodle is an intelligent and obedient family companion. Like the Golden Retriever the Goldendoodle is everybody's friend. The Goldendoodle is good with children, other dogs and pets, and are easy going with strangers. The Goldendoodle's intelligence and eagerness to please also makes them very easy to train. The Goldendoodle is a very social dog and could become mischievous and destructive if they are left to spend most of their lives alone. Like the Golden Retriever the Goldendoodle is happiest when with people or other dogs.

There are two different sizes of Goldendoodles, the Standard Goldendoodle and the Mini Goldendoodle. Some breeders refer to Medium Goldendoodles, but a Medium Goldendoodle is just a large mini or a small standard.

The Standard Goldendoodle:

A standard size Goldendoodle comes from a Golden Retriever bred with a Standard Poodle, this produces a medium to large size Goldendoodle depending on the size of the parents. There are larger and smaller Golden Retrievers, there are also larger and smaller Standard Poodles, so the size of the Standard Goldendoodle will depend on the size of it's parents. There are also what are referred to as Royal Standard Poodles, which are very large Standard Poodles, usually 100 pounds. So using a Royal Standard Poodle as one of the parents would obviously produce a much larger size Standard Goldendoodle. I would say however that the average size Standard Goldendoodle would be as follows: Males : Height 21-24 inches. Weight: 55-75 pounds. Females: Height 20-22 inches. Weight 45-65 pounds. To give you an idea of the correct size of a Golden Retriever and Poodle, I have included their sizes taken from the American Kennel Club web site. This is what the breed standard is supposed to be for show quality Golden Retrievers and Poodles.

Golden Retriever: Size, Proportion, Substance

Males 23-24 inches in height at withers; females 21-22 inches. Dogs up to one inch above or below standard size should be proportionately penalized. Deviation in height of more than one inch from the standard shall disqualify. Length from breastbone to point of buttocks slightly greater than height at withers in ratio of 12:11. Weight for dogs 65-75 pounds; bitches 55-65 pounds.

Poodle: Size, Proportion, Substance

The Standard Poodle: is over 15 inches at the highest point of the shoulders. Any Poodle which is 15 inches or less in height shall be disqualified from competition as a Standard Poodle. As you can see here, there is no height limit for the Poodle like there is for the Golden Retriever. This is why there are some very large Poodles that breeders refer to as "Royals".

The Miniature Poodle: is 15 inches or under at the highest point of the shoulders, with a minimum height in excess of 10 inches. Any Poodle which is over 15 inches or is 10 inches or less at the highest point of the shoulders shall be disqualified from competition as a Miniature Poodle.

The Toy Poodle: is 10 inches or under at the highest point of the shoulders. Any Poodle which is more than 10 inches at the highest point of the shoulders shall be disqualified from competition as a Toy Poodle.

The Mini Goldendoodle:

In order to produce a Mini Goldendoodle, breeders use Mini Poodles or Toy Poodles instead of Standard Poodles.

The purpose of using a Mini Poodle or Toy Poodle bred to a Golden Retriever is in hopes of getting a Mini Goldendoodle or Medium Goldendoodle in the 20-45 pound range. When breeding two different size dogs like this there can be no guarantee in size of the offspring and the Goldendoodle puppies may vary in size within the same litter. So far the Mini Goldendoodles that we have produced have been in the 20-35 pound range (the smaller 20 pound puppies have been out of Toy Poodles). So you will have to check with your breeder to find out what the average size is of the Mini Goldendoodles that they produce. The smaller the Golden Retriever and the smaller the Poodle, the smaller the Mini Goldendoodles will turn out.

We also breed another version of the Goldendoodle, the F1B.  An F1B Goldendoodle is a first generation Goldendoodle (referred to as an F1) bred with a Poodle. To produce F1B Mini Goldendoodles, we take a Mini Poodle and breed it with a small F1 Mini Goldendoodle. The results are a small dog 20-25 pounds (maybe a little less), that does not shed.

Our F1B Mini Goldendoodles exhibit the same great looks and temperaments of our first cross Mini Goldendoodles!

As a hybrid cross the Goldendoodle grows healthier and lives longer than either parent line. The only genetic diseases the Goldendoodle can be prone to would be those shared by both the Golden Retriever and the Poodle. There are no known "major" concerns at this time. Minor concerns for the Goldendoodle would be - cataract, SAS (heart disease), and CHD (Canine Hip Dysplasia) more commonly with the Standard Goldendoodles, not common for Goldendoodles that will be 35 pounds or less when full grown. We frequently get asked if there are more health problems with the Mini Goldendoodle, because of the father being a Mini or Toy Poodle. People often wonder if that can cause health problems in the offspring, we have heard all kinds of odd things people think can go wrong with mini's, but the truth of the matter is they're actually healthier! What most people don't know is that all small and toy breeds originally were bred down in size from larger dogs. The smaller Goldendoodles actually have less health problems and live longer. The smaller Goldendoodles have less health problems, because they share less of the same bad genetic traits, and they live longer because they are smaller, smaller dogs generally live longer than larger dogs. The breeders that tell buyer's that Mini Goldendoodles have health problems, those breeders obviously do not breed them! And no they do not come out  disproportioned, I've heard that one too!

Goldendoodles require a moderate amount of daily exercise. This can be in the form of walks or retrieving games. They also love swimming!

Standard Goldendoodle:
10-14 years, depending on size and condition.

Mini Goldendoodle:
12-17 years, depending on size and condition,
smaller dogs generally live longer than larger dogs.

Click on a Link:

ACHC American Canine Hybrid Club

CKC Continental Kennel Club

Goldendoodles are not recognized by the

AKC American Kennel Club