Labradoodles vs. Goldendoodles

What is the Difference between the Labradoodle and the Goldendoodle some people ask…

As far as genetics go…A Labradoodle is the result of a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle. A Goldendoodle is a cross of a Golden Retriever and a Poodle.

The primary difference in temperament…

One Labradoodle breeder who lives close to a Seeing Eye Dog training school was curious as to why 90% of the dogs being trained were Yellow Labs.   When she called, they explained that all the puppies in their program must pass a series of tests to qualify. One of the tests is a stress test, which includes a variety of loud noises, such as honking car horns, back-firing cars, gun shots, screeching brakes etc. They said most breeds will panic and run at some or all of these kinds of sounds. The Yellow Labs consistently did the best in these stress tests for staying calm and in control and remained the most stable and dependable. This obviously is extremely important to the ultimate owner, who must depend entirely on his dog for his life when he is making his way thru busy traffic. It was the mix of poodle to labrador that was originally developed for Seeing Eye Dogs in Australia that started the whole story of Labradoodles.

Goldendoodle and Labradoodle breeder Michael Waggenbach, of Sunshine Acres feels, “For a therapy dog, the Goldendoodle is the better choice. I’m not sure what it is, but they don’t tend to dust all the tabletops when walking into a hospital or an elderly home, where the Labradoodles’ tails are going back forth so fast they dust every thing off.”

During an interview with Indiana Doodle Owners Group founder Beth Line, she said, “There’s a very distinct difference between Labradoodles and Goldendoodles,” Beth said. “As an owner and observer of behavioral traits I see a big difference.

It takes more to convince the Labradoodles to come into your environment – into your space. Labradoodles evaluate you before they walk into your area.

Labradoodle

Labradoodles are very loyal, friendly, all the things Labs are, but they need to be convinced that walking into your space is a good idea. They won’t come right in.”

“They’re also strong. They have very strong necks and they’re going to pull more. And their coats are going to be different. I tell the difference between F1 Labradoodles and Goldendoodles by their coat.

It stands to reason a labs coat is short. Add some poodle to it and it’s going to have some length and weight. However, you aren’t going to find a six inch long wavy, curly coat on F1 Labradoodles because there’s nowhere for that 6-inches to come from genetically. A lab has a short coat and the poodle has curl.

Labradoodles (F1) are also going to tend to be more wiry, like a terrier. They also are weightier and their body shape is a little boxier.”

Goldendoodle

The Goldendoodle on the other hand, when they reach their adult coats, their hair is going to grow 4 to 6 inches long and has a wavy look or a curl to it because of the poodle. It’s the same formula, more curl equals less shedding and more wave equals higher shedding.

Conceptually, Golden Retrievers influence the Goldendoodle making them more energetic. They’ll come into your space immediately. They don’t sit back; they’re happy to visit with you. They are happy, affectionate, and love to roll on you. They don’t have the delay of making a decision. They make their decision well before they decide to come to you.” Goldendoodles are mouthier.

Their mouth is more active when they are puppies and you have to train them not to be mouthy, because they’ll use it on you somewhere! That’s where they get their information. I have trained my Goldendoodles not to put their mouths on people by simply taking one of their other natural tendencies (retrieving) and replacing the mouthing with retrieving a toy. Their natural desire to retrieve keeps their mouths occupied with a toy.”

“So, they are mouthier than Labradoodles. I referred to the Goldendoodle as a very zestful and happy with life kind of dog. Labradoodles have a sense of loyalty and appreciation, whereas Goldendoodles have a wonderful, life of the party, personality.”

Which is Better – Labradoodle or Goldendoodle?

Which one is better depends on whether you and your family want a dog with a more life of the party personality (Goldendoodle) or a quiet, loyal personality (Labradoodle).

Both doodles share similar temperaments (smart, family-friendly,easily-trained). Both doodles come in various sizes (mini, medium and standard) and colors (white, cream, red, silver, black and chocolate). Both are loyal, loving family members.

As for which doodle would work best for you… we find is that people who are loyal to labrador retrievers generally want a labradoodle and folks who have grown up with golden retrievers typically want a goldendoodle.

The great thing this is, you get to choose and enjoy seeing as many puppies of each type of dog as you want. Enjoy!

In intelligence and allergy friendliness, both Doods are about par. Both are half retriever and half poodle and are intelligent and moderately active dogs. Read the breed desciptions for each of these breeds, and believe the breed descriptions. Doods are not usually low energy lapdogs.

For an inciteful article on the differences between a Goldendoodle and a Labradoodle in training and temperament, please read the article by Gwendy Joysen, author of  The Balanced Canine – Link to Article

Their biggest difference is in their appearance. Goldendoodles tend to have longer fur, are more reliably non-shed and, accordingly, require more grooming. Labradoodles have shorter fur and are generally lower maintenance. The cost of grooming is something that should also be a consideration.

Doodle Generations:

Generations is also something that makes a HUGE difference in picking a Doodle. It’s a little confusing at first but to make it simple… the First Generation Labradoodle or what’s call an “F1″ Labradoodle is half Labrador and half Poodle but and then the F1b generations would be half Standard Poodle and half Labradoodle. So 75% Poodle…. the F1b generation basically means when you breed the labradoodle or the goldendoodle back to the poodle.

The F1b Generation in the Labradoodle is much curlier and less likely to shed. There are however straighter F1b Labradoodles as well. So it all depends on what you like in regards to curl and how much grooming your willing to pay for.

Are allergies a concern?

First generation Goldendoodles and Labradoodles have proven to live successfully with most families with mild dog allergies. For families with moderate to severe allergies or asthma, a F1b Goldendoodle or F1b Labradoodle is recommended.