GOLDENDOODLE COLORS
Contrary to their name, Goldendoodles come in a variety of colors. With the advent of genetic testing for coat type, breeders are now also able to breed more consistently for color. The most common colors are cream and gold, but many Goldendoodles are also chocolate or black. Less common, but rather striking, are the red Goldendoodles. Parti Goldendoodles are generally white with large blocks of either black or brown. Goldendoodles occasionally have either black or chocolate phantom coloring. There is also the rare and beautiful silver color.
CHOOSING A BREEDER
It is important to purchase your puppy from a trustworthy and experienced breeder who thoroughly health tests all of his/her breeding dogs. This comes with a heftier cost. However, if you are looking for a top-quality Goldendoodle, price should be at the bottom of your priority list. You know you have found a good breeder if his/her mission is to produce healthy, sound, and well-tempered dogs. The research needed to find a good breeder can be a long, tedious process, but it’s worth every minute when you find the right breeder who can provide you with the right Goldendoodle. Finding the right breeder is especially critical with Goldendoodles. There are countless backyard breeders who breed solely for the money, giving no real attention to the critical issues of health and temperament.
A reputable breeder strives to advance the quality of the puppies with each new litter. This breeder matches parent dogs (who pass all health tests) for desirable physical and behavioral characteristics to produce a healthy litter.
Visiting the breeder gives you an opportunity to meet the puppy’s siblings and parents so you get an idea of the physical and behavioral characteristics. Pay close attention to the parents to see if they are healthy and well behaved. Also, ask about their temperament and if they’ve had any types of health issues. Take notice of how the puppies interact with the breeder. It is a good sign if they are playful and outgoing.
Should a Breeder Be a Member of a Regulatory Body?
If a breeder is a member of a regulatory organization, it means he/she agreed to a code of ethics. However, few organizations can actually follow through to investigate whether the breeder is adhering to the code of ethics, and are limited to feedback and complaints. The quality of the regulatory body is important. Too many breeder listings simply require the breeder to pay specified advertising fees.
There are many small, ethical, and responsible breeders who are not members of any regulatory organizations. However, this leaves you without proof that the necessary genetic testing has not only been done, but that the parents passed all the testing as well.
An example of a quality regulatory organization is the Goldendoodle Association of North America (GANA), www.GoldendoodleAssociation.com. GANA gives different levels of “ribbons” for member breeders who health test all their breeding dogs for specific diseases and genetic defects, with a blue ribbon indicating the breeder completed all recommended health testing. Breeders are required to register all administered tests and test results with GANA. If a GANA member has a parent dog that carries a genetic defect, GANA requires proof the dog chosen as the mate is tested and clear of the defective gene so no genetic linkup of the gene is passed onto the puppies. Additionally, all members are required to offer a minimum 2 year warranty for life-inhibiting genetic defects, and pledge to honor the GANA Breeder Code of Ethics.
If a breeder isn’t with an organization, he/she should still be testing for all Golden Retriever genetic diseases and defects (and that list is quite long) and all Poodle genetic diseases and defects. Just be cautious if test results are not registered with a neutral third party. Be aware there are unscrupulous breeders who use photo editing technology to change health scores and to create false “certificates” of health results. If you cannot look at the test results online, from either an independent testing organization such as OFA or a regulatory body such as GANA, walk away.
Health Guarantees and Testing
A health guarantee can be used to evaluate a breeder. Having all health tests done (see “Health and Wellness,” pages 44–46) can mitigate the need for a health guarantee—to a point. Mistakes happen. A health guarantee gives the puppy buyer some recourse if his/her puppy’s health is less than optimal. Read the breeder’s health guarantee and contract before you send a deposit. Many breeders and websites claim they guarantee their puppies but fail to follow through with any guarantee or provide you with a written/printable copy, which leaves you not knowing what is or isn’t covered. Reputable breeders who are confident in their puppies are more than happy to provide this information before you send them any money. Read the health guarantee and contract very carefully, and make sure you are comfortable with all of the terms. For example, if a legitimate genetic defect is found, are you required to return your puppy to the breeder? Will the breeder refund a portion of your purchase price to help defray veterinary costs? What are you required to do while raising your puppy to stay in compliance with the terms of the health guarantee?
A Word About Puppy Mills
Unfortunately, puppy mills (large, commercial dog breeding facilities) are big business. Dogs are poorly treated, live in filthy, confined conditions, and receive little or no veterinary care. They don’t get exercise, playtime, or companionship.
They often endure mistreatment and malnutrition. When these dogs reproduce with each other, it results in a litter with severe genetic defects; the puppies are seldom healthy.
Puppy mills typically sell their dogs in one of three ways; on websites, in pet stores, or through brokers—who in turn sell the puppies to pet stores. While not all puppies sold in pet stores come from puppy mills, a disturbing number of them do; so before you purchase a Goldendoodle puppy from a pet store, ask for the name and address of the breeder or the breeding facility (not the broker who may be the go-between), and then go home and do some research. A quick Internet search will let you know if there are any complaints against the store.
Warning: Don’t believe everything you see on breeder websites. Puppy mills are very savvy and know exactly how to present themselves online. They often steal photos from other websites or from social media accounts of Goldendoodle owners. They create a fictitious “home” in which the puppies supposedly live, claim the puppies are being raised with children, and say all the right things to lure you in.
For more information about puppy mills and how to avoid purchasing a puppy mill puppy (and thereby supporting this awful business), go to the Humane Society of the United States’ site www.stoppuppy-mills.org or the America Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (ASPCA) site www.aspca.org and search “puppy mills.” Both sites give excellent information about how puppy mills operate and their sophisticated efforts to defraud consumers.
Warning! All puppies are cute, even cleaned up sick puppies from a puppy mill.
Also, does the health guarantee dictate when the puppy is desexed? When to spay or neuter your Goldendoodle is something you want to give some serious thought. Spaying and neutering is discussed in more detail in “Health and Wellness,” page 49.
Understanding the breeder’s health guarantee is critical. There are breeders whose health guarantees are for fatal
