Goldendoodle Lab Mix

Goldendoodle and Lab mix at a glance

• Popularity: Rising
• Purpose: Companionship
• Weight: 50-75lbs
• Temperament: Intelligent, energetic, water-loving, devoted

What to expect from a Goldendoodle Lab mix

Crossing a Labrador Retriever with a Goldendoodle (itself a Golden Retriever Poodle mix) is part of an ongoing trend for ‘designer dogs’. Designer dogs have traceable purebred ancestry, but from two or more different breeds.

Labs, Goldens and Poodles were all originally bred as working gundogs with the same role: to find ducks and other waterfowl shot by their owner, and bring them back without damaging them. More recently, all three breeds have become successful and popular companion dogs. Goldendoodle Lab mix puppies are pets first and foremost, but some people also enjoy training them as gundogs, taking them into the community as therapy dogs, or competing in dog sports with them.

Since Labs, Goldens and Poodles have a lot in common, it’s safe to say that a Goldendoodle and Lab mix is going to be roughly the same again. But in some important ways this mix can also be highly variable, and there’s no predicting at 8 weeks old exactly how they’ll turn out as an adult.

What is a Goldendoodle and Lab mix called?

Unlike more straightforward mixes, there’s not much consensus about what to call a litter of Goldendoodle Lab mix puppies. ‘Double Doodle’ and ‘Golden Labradoodle’ are both sometimes suggested and used, but neither make it fully clear what pattern of breeding happened, and neither have really taken off.

Appearance

One of the first ways a Labrador Golden Retriever Poodle mix puppy might surprise you is their size. Let’s take a look at the sizes of the dog involved:

• female Labradors weigh 55-70lbs, male Labradors weigh 65-80lbs
• female Goldens weigh 55-65lbs, male Goldens weigh 65-75lbs
• and female Poodles weigh 40-50lbs, male Poodles 60-70lbs.

Labs are the biggest of the three breeds, and since they make up half of Goldendoodle and Lab mix, that means these puppies are likely to weigh a minimum of 55lbs if they’re female and 65lbs if they’re male. But outliers from ancestors who are small for their breed could weigh as little as 40lbs if they’re female. Since the largest girls will grow to 70lbs or so, that’s a difference of nearly double the size! And this will affect how much they cost to feed, groom, treat with flea and worming preventions, etc.

Another way Goldendoodle Lab mix puppies can turn out very differently relates to their coat. Labs have short, straight coats. First generation Goldendoodles (from one pedigree Poodle parent and one pedigree Golden parent) are likely to have some degree of curling in their coat, but they will also carry the gene for a straight coat. So a Goldendoodle Lab mix might have a straight, shedding coat, or a longer, curly, non-shedding coat. You won’t know for sure until their adult coat grows in, between 4 and 6 months old.

Temperament

Next let’s turn to temperament. In this respect, a Goldendoodle and Labrador mix is a little more predictable. Labradors, Goldens and even Poodles all have a similar background. They were bred to collect duck and other waterfowl which had been shot on a hunt, and bring it back to their handler. To this end, breeders favored dogs who were easy to train, readily motivated to cooperate with people, and also pleasant company to take home at the end of the day. Modern Labs, Goldens and Poodles are all described in terms such as friendly, intelligent, active, and devoted. So a mix of all three breeds will be the same.

The Poodle does stand out as being a little different from the other two in some respects though. They are less likely to be indiscriminately friendly with other dogs, and more likely to display watchdog behaviors, such as barking at visitors and passers by. A Goldendoodle which inherited these traits might also pass them onto a Labrador mix. And since the genetic component of these traits isn’t fully understood, it’s possible they could skip a generation. So a dog-friendly Goldendoodle could produce puppies who prefer human company or solitude. Socializing any puppy carefully is an important part of making sure that whichever breed they most take after, they have the confidence to encounter unfamiliar dogs and environments calmly.

Training and exercise

Training a Goldendoodle Labrador mix will be straightforward, in the sense that this mix is likely to focus on your readily, be easily motivated by food rewards, and learn reliable responses to new cues quickly. How quickly they master basic obedience training will depend upon things like how much time you dedicate to it, whether your puppy’s Labrador parent came from working or show lines, and their own individual temperament.

For Golden doodle Lab mix pups from working stock, the need for training might not stop when you’ve mastered the basics though. If they have a strong work ethic and hearty appetite for mental stimulation, you’ll need to keep taking your training to the next level in order to prevent them getting bored and frustrated. Without lots of engagement through training, they are likely to look for alternative tasks and sources of stimulation – such as digging, chewing, and barking.

Fun ways to meet your dog’s need for physical and mental stimulation are:

• advanced obedience training
• gundog training
• agility
• flyball
• scentwork
• musical freestyle (like dressage to music, for dogs!)
• and therapy dog training.

Health and care

Next let’s look at how health this mix is, how long they usually live, and what routine grooming they need.

Labrador and Goldendoodle health

The most commonly diagnosed health problems of Labradors are:

• Hip dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Heart disease
• Exercise induced collapse
• Obesity
• Allergies
• Ear infections

Goldendoodles are susceptible to any of the health problems that affect their parent breeds, most notably:

• Hip dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Degenerative conditions of the knee and shoulder joints
• Ear infections
• Autoimmune skin diseases
• Thyroid disease
• Cancer

Some of these concerns are partly genetic, meaning they can be passed on from parent to puppy. To minimize the risk of hereditary diseases affecting Lab and Goldendoodle mix puppies, their Labrador parent should have been tested clear of:

• Hip dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Eye disease
• Exercise induced collapse
• Heart disease

And their Goldendoodle parent should have clear test results for:

• Hip dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Eye disease
• Heart disease
• Thyroid disease

Conditions like obesity and ear infections can be controlled through lifestyle decisions: like choosing a healthy diet and exercising your dog regularly, and drying their ears thoroughly after swimming.

Goldendoodle Lab mix life expectancy

The average lifespans of the breeds which make up a Labrador Goldendoodle mix are:

• Labrador: 10½ – 14 years
• Golden Retriever: 11 – 14 years
• Standard Poodle: 12 – 15 years

As you can see, they all cover a broadly similar range, and the life expectancy of a Goldendoodle Lab mix will be similar again – around 10½ – 15 years. On average, mixed breed dogs do tend to live longer than pedigree dogs, but this is impossible to guarantee at an individual level.

Goldendoodle Lab mix shedding

Very roughly, there is about a 50% probability that a Goldendoodle Lab mix puppy will have a shedding coat. But the exact likelihood depends upon whether their Goldendoodle parent is a first or second generation cross, and exactly what genes each parent is carrying. A shedding Goldendoodle Lab mix might still shed less profusely and more seasonally than a purebred Lab (which usually sheds prolifically all year round). Regular brushing and bathing can help manage shedding, but if a non-shedding coat is important to you, then this mix may not be a suitable choice.

Bear in mind that a non-shedding Goldendoodle Lab mix is not hypoallergenic. All dogs produce allergens in their saliva, and contrary to popular myths, allergen production is completely independent from coat type.

Goldendoodle Lab mix grooming

Purebred Labradors need very little grooming. Their hybrid offspring with a Goldendoodle might be the same. Or, if their coat doesn’t shed, they might need daily brushing and frequent trips to the groomers to be clipped. Even if they only have a slightly longer, wavier coat than a purebred Lab you might still find they pick up much more dirt and mud on walks, and take longer to clean up when you get back home.

Do Goldendoodle Lab mixes make good family pets?

Goldens, Doodles and Labs are all popular and successful pets in all sorts of households. They are best suited to:

• Active households. This mix needs several hours of physical and mental stimulation everyday, so they suit people who enjoy running, hiking, cycling, and are enthusiastic about getting involved in dog sports.

• People who are home a lot. All three of their ancestral breeds were bred to enjoy a close working relationship with people. They are likely to suffer separation anxiety and boredom if left at home alone too much.

• Big homes. This mix is likely to take up a lot of space. They need a big bed. Their food comes in a big bag. They need a large yard to play and run off steam between walks.

An adult Goldendoodle Lab mix is likely to be tolerant and patient with small children, but a young dog may try to play with them too enthusiastically, so they should always be supervised. This mix will probably live peacefully with other pets it has been raised with from puppyhood.

Finding a Goldendoodle Lab mix puppy

Labrador mixes are steadily growing in popularity, which means you might not have much trouble finding a litter of Goldendoodle Labs for sale. Since mixed puppies aren’t recognized by any of the national breed registries, you’ll need to rely on word of mouth and online searches to find breeders advertising this mix.

Unfortunately, this makes it more likely that you’ll encounter puppy farms too. Puppy farmers frequently target designer dog mixes, because they are popular and easy to sell. For more complex mixes, such as the Goldendoodle Lab, they might also try to take advantage of the fact they are being bred in smaller numbers, and charge overinflated prices. Puppy farming is a serious animal welfare concern. Breeding females are often kept in poor conditions, and forced to carry more litters than they can safely bear. Since puppy farmers are only interested in profit, and on the health or wellbeing of their puppies, dogs bought from puppy farms are also more likely to have chronic health issues, and also behavioral problems.

Whenever you find a litter of Goldendoodle Lab mix puppies for sale, our guide to recognizing bad breeders will help you decide whether to buy from them with confidence.

Is A Goldendoodle Lab mix Right For Me?

To summarise, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of getting a Goldendoodle Lab mix.

Cons

• Size is unpredictable – you might end up with more dog than you expected.
• Coat is unpredictable – relatively high probability they will shed.
• Vulnerable to puppy farming.

Pros

• Readily affectionate.
• Easy to train.
• Adaptable.

Your Goldendoodle Lab mix

Do you have a Goldendoodle Lab mix? We’d love to hear all about them in the comments below.

More Lab mixes to consider

• Pug Lab Mix – Meet The Pugador
• Labrador Malinois Mix
• Brittany Lab Mix
• F1 Labradoodle – Everything You Need To Know
• F1b Labradoodle
• F2 Labradoodle

References

Cadieu et al. Coat Variation in the Domestic Dog Is Governed by Variants in Three Genes. Science. 2009.

O’Neill et al. Longevity and mortality of owned dogs in England. The Veterinary Journal. 2013.

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.

Vredegoor et al. Can f 1 levels in hair and homes of different dog breeds: Lack of evidence to describe any dog breed as hypoallergenic. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2012.

Wauthier et al. Using the mini C-BARQ to investigate the effects of puppy farming on dog behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2018.