Our Breeds
Selah Mountain Dogs raises Goldendoodles, Golden Mountain Doodles, and Golden Retrievers. Each offers something a little different, but all three can become affectionate, trainable, deeply loved family companions.
The breed name is only the beginning. The individual parents, their temperaments and health testing, the goals of the pairing, and the puppy's continued training and environment all help shape the dog it becomes. We encourage families to consider the whole pairing rather than choosing from appearance alone.
Our Breeds at a Glance
| Characteristic | Goldendoodle | Golden Mountain Doodle | Golden Retriever |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed background | Golden Retriever and Poodle ancestry | A Bernedoodle parent paired with a Goldendoodle parent, bringing together Bernese Mountain Dog, Golden Retriever, and Poodle ancestry | Purebred, AKC-registered Golden Retriever |
| Adult size | Varies considerably by pairing; estimated size is listed for each litter | Varies considerably by pairing; estimated size is listed for each litter | The breed standard is approximately 55–65 pounds for females and 65–75 pounds for males |
| The broader range | Goldendoodles can vary widely in energy, sensitivity, confidence, coat, and shedding depending on generation and parent lines | The ancestry can range from social and eager to please to more reserved, independent, or sensitive; energy and confidence vary by line and pairing | Typically social and trainable, but young Goldens can also be energetic, exuberant, mouthy, and slow to mature |
| What we are working toward | Calm, confident, stable, human-focused dogs that are trainable, affectionate, and able to enjoy activity while also settling with their families | Human-focused, social, trainable dogs with the close bond and mellower nature families value in the Bernese influence, while selecting for confidence and emotional steadiness | Healthy, mellow, human-focused companions with the friendly, willing nature that can suit family, therapy, emotional-support, or service-oriented homes |
| Coat and shedding | We select for soft, loose-wavy, double-furnished coats and greater consistency in lower shedding. No individual shedding level or allergy response can be guaranteed | We generally plan for soft, furnished, wavy or loose-wavy, lower-shedding coats; the expected coat is specific to each pairing and is not guaranteed for allergy suitability | A dense, water-resistant double coat that may be straight or wavy. Golden Retrievers shed and often have heavier seasonal coat changes |
| Coat care | Regular brushing and thorough combing, plus professional grooming on an ongoing schedule | Regular brushing and thorough combing, plus professional grooming on an ongoing schedule | Regular brushing and management of the double coat and shedding; routine trimming may be helpful, but full-body Doodle-style grooming is not normally required |
| What most clearly distinguishes them | Our established multigenerational lines let us pair from generations of information and work toward greater consistency in temperament, adult size, coat, and shedding | A purposeful balance of the Goldendoodle's social trainability with the Bernedoodle's close bonding and mellower nature, plus a broad range of colors and markings | An established purebred sporting dog with an AKC breed standard, traditional Golden temperament and appearance, and a naturally shedding coat |
This comparison describes general differences rather than guaranteeing the traits of an individual puppy. Please review the details for a specific pairing before reserving a litter position.
Goldendoodles
Goldendoodles combine Golden Retriever and Poodle ancestry. They are often loved for their friendly, people-focused nature, intelligence, trainability, and variety of sizes and coat types.
All of our current Goldendoodle pairings are multigenerational. Rather than beginning again with a first-generation Golden Retriever-to-Poodle cross, we can draw on several generations of information within our established lines and pair dogs that already show the traits we want to continue. Our priorities are calm, confident, stable, human-focused temperaments; trainability; the ability to be active and then settle at home; and soft, loose-wavy, double-furnished coats with more consistent lower-shedding qualities.
Those are breeding goals, not promises about every puppy. Even within a carefully planned litter, personality, energy, adult size, coat texture, and shedding can vary. Furnishing can also develop at different rates as a puppy matures. No coat can be guaranteed not to shed or not to trigger allergies.
Learn More About Goldendoodles
Golden Mountain Doodles
Our Golden Mountain Doodles are produced by pairing a Bernedoodle with a Goldendoodle, bringing together Bernese Mountain Dog, Golden Retriever, and Poodle ancestry.
We developed this pairing to preserve the qualities we value from both sides: the social, people-focused trainability associated with our Goldendoodle lines and the deep bonding and mellower nature we value in our Bernedoodle lines. Because Bernese-influenced lines can also vary in confidence, independence, and sensitivity, we intentionally select for human focus, social confidence, willingness to learn, emotional steadiness, and the ability to relax at home.
Golden Mountain Doodles can still show a wide range of individual traits, and these pairings can produce especially broad variation in colors, markings, sizes, and coat characteristics. We plan each litter around the individual parents and share pairing-specific expectations on our Upcoming Litters page. Temperament, adult size, coat, color, markings, and shedding cannot be guaranteed.
Learn More About Golden Mountain Doodles
Golden Retrievers
Golden Retrievers are friendly, intelligent sporting dogs known for their devotion to their families and their eagerness to engage and learn. Within that broad description, individual Goldens can range from mellow and naturally settled to highly energetic, exuberant, mouthy, or slower to mature. They generally thrive with companionship, consistent training, daily activity, and opportunities to use both their bodies and minds.
Within our Golden Retriever program, we select toward healthy, mellow, human-focused temperaments with the friendliness and willingness to learn that can suit companion homes as well as therapy, emotional-support, or service-oriented goals. These are qualities we breed and raise toward, but no puppy's eventual temperament or working ability can be promised.
Unlike our two Doodle breeds, Golden Retrievers have a dense double coat and should be expected to shed. Our companion puppies include limited AKC registration. Full registration or breeding rights may be available to approved homes under a separate agreement.
Learn More About Golden Retrievers
What All Selah Mountain Puppies Share
Although the breeds differ, our approach to raising and placing puppies remains consistent. Every Selah Mountain puppy benefits from:
- Parents selected with health, temperament, pedigree, and compatibility in mind
- Extensive health testing completed before breeding
- Early development and age-appropriate learning in a home environment
- Exposure to everyday family life, people, other animals, sounds, surfaces, and routines
- A veterinary health examination and age-appropriate health care before going home
- Our written Health Guarantee
- Our commitment to provide continued support throughout the dog's life
Across all three breeds, our goal is to produce healthy, affectionate, resilient, and trainable companions. No breed or pairing can guarantee an exact adult temperament, size, appearance, coat, shedding level, or working ability, so we use everything we know about the parents and puppies to help families make thoughtful decisions.
How Do I Choose?
Start with the parts of daily life that matter most to your household:
- Size: Review the estimate for the specific litter rather than relying only on the breed name.
- Coat care: All three breeds require grooming. Doodle coats generally require professional grooming, while Golden Retrievers require regular brushing and management of shedding.
- Allergies: No dog can be guaranteed to be hypoallergenic or suitable for a person with allergies.
- Activity and training: Every puppy needs companionship, training, exercise, and mental enrichment. The individual parents and puppies provide more useful information than a breed stereotype alone.
- Temperament over appearance: We encourage families to prioritize the personality fit revealed through our observations and temperament evaluations. Coat color can change as a puppy matures and should be one of the last considerations.
- Registration: Eligible Goldendoodles may receive GANA registration paperwork, while Golden Retriever companion puppies include limited AKC registration.
If you are unsure which breed or pairing may best fit your family, please contact us. We are happy to explain the parents, anticipated traits, timing, and availability of our current or upcoming litters.
Explore Current Opportunities
Visit our Available Puppies and Upcoming Litters pages to see current opportunities. Before applying, please review our Purchase Process, Price List, and Health Guarantee.