Goldendoodles
Goldendoodles are purpose-bred dogs developed from Golden Retrievers and Poodles. They are often loved for their social, people-focused nature, intelligence, trainability, and variety of sizes and coat types.
Every Goldendoodle is an individual. Adult size, temperament, coat, color, and shedding are influenced by genetics as well as development, training, health, and environment. Understanding the parents and the goals of a particular pairing is more useful than relying on the generation label alone.
Goldendoodle Temperament
Across the broader Goldendoodle population, temperament can vary considerably. Depending on the parent lines and generation, individual dogs may range from calm and confident to highly energetic, sensitive, cautious, or easily overstimulated. Many are friendly, intelligent, affectionate, and eager to engage, but the breed name alone cannot predict an individual dog's personality.
Goldendoodles can make wonderful family companions, and some have the temperament and trainability needed for therapy or service work. However, no puppy can be guaranteed to develop into a therapy or service dog. Suitability depends on the individual dog, its health and temperament, and the training it receives.
At Selah Mountain Dogs, our goal is to produce calm, confident, stable, human-focused Goldendoodles that are affectionate, trainable, and able to enjoy activity while also settling with their families. We prioritize the Golden Retriever personality we value while selecting from established multigenerational lines for greater consistency. Parent selection provides the foundation, and our puppies are then raised in a home environment with age-appropriate experiences designed to support confidence, resilience, emotional regulation, and healthy social skills.
Goldendoodle Sizes
Goldendoodles are produced in several size ranges. The following categories reflect the current Goldendoodle Association of North America breed standard:
- Petite: Under 14 inches at the withers, typically 25 pounds or less (called "Petite Mini" in the GANA breed standard)
- Mini: Over 14 inches but under 17 inches at the withers, typically 26–35 pounds
- Medium: Over 17 inches but under 21 inches at the withers, typically 36–50 pounds
- Standard: Over 21 inches at the withers, typically 51 pounds or more
Height determines the official size category because weight can vary. We use the parents, pedigree, and previous litters to estimate a puppy's likely adult size, but exact adult height and weight cannot be guaranteed.
Please visit our Upcoming Litters page to see the estimated sizes for our currently planned pairings.
Coat Types and Grooming
GANA recognizes three Goldendoodle coat types:
- Straight
- Wavy
- Curly
Goldendoodle coats can vary in density, texture, furnishings, and degree of shedding. Furnishings are the longer facial hair that creates the familiar bearded Goldendoodle appearance.
We intentionally pair our Goldendoodles with the goal of producing soft, loose-wavy coats and puppies with two copies of the furnishings gene, sometimes described as double furnished. By working with our multigenerational lines, we aim for greater coat consistency and lower shedding. These traits may make the coat more manageable for some allergy-sensitive families, but individual shedding and allergic responses still vary and cannot be guaranteed.
Coats also develop at different rates. Some furnished puppies show fuller facial furnishings early, while others may have delayed furnishings that become more apparent as the adult coat grows in.
Every Goldendoodle coat requires regular care. Brushing, combing, bathing, and professional grooming help prevent tangles and matting and keep the skin and coat healthy. Families should be prepared for lifelong grooming regardless of whether a dog's coat is straight, wavy, or curly.
Shedding and Allergies
Many Goldendoodles shed less than a typical Golden Retriever, but the amount of shedding varies from dog to dog. Coat appearance or generation alone cannot guarantee how much an adult dog will shed.
No dog can be guaranteed to be hypoallergenic or suitable for a person with allergies. People may react to proteins found in a dog's dander, saliva, hair, or urine, and reactions can differ between individual people and dogs.
If allergies are an important consideration for your household, please discuss them with us before reserving a litter position. We can explain the expected coat traits of a pairing, but we cannot guarantee that a puppy will not trigger an allergic reaction.
Understanding Goldendoodle Generations
Generation labels describe how a Goldendoodle was produced:
- F1: A Golden Retriever crossed with a Poodle
- F1B: A Goldendoodle backcrossed to either a Poodle or Golden Retriever
- F2: Two first-generation Goldendoodles bred together
- Multigenerational: Goldendoodles produced through later-generation Goldendoodle lines
Generation labels provide some background, but they do not tell the entire story. As generations progress, the parents' observable traits, genetics, health testing, pedigree, and the breeder's knowledge of the lines become increasingly important.
All of our current Goldendoodle pairings are multigenerational. Rather than beginning again with a first-generation Golden Retriever-to-Poodle cross, this allows us to draw on several generations of information within our established lines and pair dogs that already show the qualities we want to continue. We work toward greater consistency in temperament, adult size, coat, and shedding, while recognizing that nature still allows variation within every litter and that specific characteristics cannot be guaranteed.
Health Testing
Health testing is an essential part of responsible Goldendoodle breeding. Appropriate testing may include evaluations of hips, elbows, heart, eyes, and patellas, along with genetic screening for diseases relevant to Golden Retrievers, Poodles, and Goldendoodles.
Selah Mountain Dogs participates at the Gold Level with the Goldendoodle Association of North America. Our Goldendoodle breeding program follows GANA's Gold Level health-testing standards.
Health testing helps breeders make informed decisions and reduce known risks, but no breeder can guarantee that a dog will never develop a health condition. Our puppies are supported by a written Health Guarantee, and detailed information about our breeding dogs is available through their profiles on our Our Parents page.
Is a Goldendoodle Right for Your Family?
A Goldendoodle may be a wonderful fit for a family prepared to provide:
- Daily companionship and interaction
- Consistent training and socialization
- Age-appropriate exercise and enrichment
- Regular brushing and professional grooming
- Routine veterinary and preventive care
- A lifelong commitment through every stage of the dog's life
If you are unsure which pairing may best fit your family's preferences, please contact us. We are happy to discuss the expected temperament, size, coat, and other characteristics of our planned litters.
Find Your Selah Mountain Puppy
Explore our Available Puppies and Upcoming Litters to learn about current opportunities.
For additional breed information, visit GANA's Goldendoodle Breed Standard and Goldendoodle Generations resources.