Adopt Goldendoodle Shelter Dogs

Choosing to adopt a Goldendoodle is a special decision that will enrich your life for 10 to 15 years. The Golden Retriever–Poodle cross was developed in the USA with the aim of creating an allergy-friendly companion with a friendly temperament. Goldendoodles are known for their intelligence, for getting along very well with children and other dogs, and for their exceptionally good mood. Even so, dogs of this popular cross regularly end up looking for a new home through rescues. If you give one of these dogs a second chance, you'll gain a loving, polite and very people-oriented companion.

When a Goldendoodle is given up to a shelter, it's rarely down to the dog's character – usually it's changes in the previous owners' lives or the wrong expectations before getting a dog. As a large dog, a male reaches a shoulder height of 55 to 63 cm and a weight of 25 to 35 kg. Combined with its active, playful nature, that means it needs plenty of space and time in everyday life.

Common breed-typical reasons for rehoming are:

• Underestimated coat care: The medium-length, curly to wavy coat has an undercoat and sheds little, but without regular brushing it quickly mats.
• A high need for activity: With their high intelligence and good trainability, Goldendoodles want to be challenged physically and mentally – long walks and dog sports are part of a fulfilled day for them.
• Surprise allergies: Despite the hypoallergenic reputation, some owners react allergically to their dog and, with a heavy heart, have to part with it.
• Sensitive temperament: Goldendoodles love their people's company and quickly suffer when they have to stay alone for too long.

A Goldendoodle from a shelter comes with its own history. Because these dogs are very sensitive, losing their familiar surroundings often unsettles them deeply. Expect your new companion to be clingy or cautious at first before its typical playful nature fully comes through again. Thanks to its eagerness to learn, gaps in training can be worked on well with loving consistency.

Good preparation also includes a look at health. Well-bred Goldendoodles are considered fairly robust dogs, but their original breeds pass on breed-typical risks for the joints and eyes. The known health issues include hip dysplasia (HD), elbow dysplasia (ED) and patellar luxation, as well as eye diseases such as cataracts. The bleeding disorder von Willebrand disease also occurs in the lines.

A health-focused breeder has the parents' hips and elbows X-rayed, their kneecaps and eyes examined clinically and by an ophthalmologist, and uses genetic tests for blood clotting to lower the risk in their line. With a shelter dog of unknown origin or from a puppy mill, you usually don't know whether the parents were tested. So in everyday life, consistently keep your dog at a healthy weight, look after its joints, and have its eyes, skin and musculoskeletal system checked regularly by a vet so problems are caught early.

If you buy a Goldendoodle puppy from a breeder, the price range is between 2,000 and 4,000 EUR. If you take in a Goldendoodle from a shelter instead, you only pay an adoption fee that's well below the breeder price. It usually already covers vaccinations, a microchip and a veterinary check on arrival; ask the shelter to show you the available paperwork. Put the money you save straight into good-quality basics (a well-fitting harness, grooming tools for the curly coat, a large dog bed) and into reserves for later vet bills.