Also known as Goldendoodle and Goldenpoo, the Groodle has a short history dating back to the late 1600s. It was first deliberately bred by Monica Dickens, the great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens, in 1969. The aim was to develop a healthy dog breed that combines the best traits of both the Golden Retriever and Poodle.
It wasn’t until the 1990s that dog breeders in Australia and the United States began mixing Golden Retrievers with Standard Poodles to create an alternative to the popular Labradoodle. Later on, designer dog breeders started blending the Golden Retriever with smaller-sized Poodles.
Today, the Groodle is one of the most adored dog breeds in Australia, with an average monthly search of 49,500 from January to December 2021, according to Google Australia KW Planner. But what is it about this designer breed that makes it sought-after?
It makes a great pet
The Groodle is known for being even-tempered and friendly, making it a wonderful pet for singles, couples, first-time dog owners, families with children, and seniors. Like its Golden Retriever parent, it is sociable and intelligent. And just like its Poodle parent, it is playful and active.
Affectionate and loyal, this designer breed enjoys being around its humans. It is the type to cuddle and follow its master around. A social butterfly, it gets along well with people of all ages. It is gentle with children and loves to play with other house pets. It also adapts easily to any environment as long as it receives adequate daily exercise.
It is gorgeous
Another reason why many Aussies adore the Groodle is because of its physical appearance. Resembling a fluffy teddy bear, this designer dog has a long nose, droopy ears, an athletic build, and round eyes that come in a variety of colours.
Being a mixed breed, the size of the Groodle varies from one dog to another. Often, its size depends on that of its Poodle parent. There are three size variations: toy, which is shorter than 40 centimetres; miniature, which is between 40 and 50 centimetres; and standard, which is 50 centimetres or larger.
A Groodle’s coat comes in multiple colours including black, grey, silver, chocolate, cream, gold, and red. Coat types may be fleece, wool, or straight. Some Groodles have a single coat, while others have double.
It has a long lifespan
Just like other crossbreeds, the Groodle has a lower likelihood of acquiring genetic diseases when bred by a responsible breeder. When properly cared for, it can live from 10 to 15 years.
While generally healthy, the Groodle can still develop some genetic conditions over time. These include progressive retinal atrophy, or degeneration of the eyes; Von Willebrand’s disease, or bleeding disorder; and degenerative myelopathy, or the progressive degeneration of the spinal cord.
It is easy to train
House training any dog requires time and lots of patience. Luckily, the Groodle is an intelligent and obedient breed, making it relatively easy to train. Because of its eagerness to please its human, it learns basic commands and tricks fairly quickly. This trait makes this designer dog ideal for first-time dog owners and those who have little time to spend each day for training.
The Groodle is agile, making it suitable as a service or therapy pet for those suffering from a range of mental disabilities such as post-traumatic stress and autism. It also makes an excellent watchdog when trained at an early age.
It is a light-shedder
As mentioned earlier, the Groodle has three coat types: fleece, wool, and straight. Those with both fleece and wool coats are low-shedding and low-allergenic. While they are not 100 per cent non-shedding, they are still suitable for people who suffer from allergies.
Many are often surprised to come across a Groodle that has straight fur. Dogs with this type of coat tend to shed much more than their fleece and wool counterparts. However, they still shed less than purebred Golden Retrievers because of their genetic makeup.
