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Goldendoodle:
Do you know what is the lifespan of a Goldendoodle? Goldendoodles are one of the most popular dog breeds in the world. They are a mix between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle, and they are known for being friendly, intelligent, and easy to train. But what is the life span of a Goldendoodle? How long can you expect your Goldendoodle to live? In this blog post, we will discuss the average life expectancy of Goldendoodles and some things you can do to help extend their lifespan.
So How Long do Goldendoodles Live? Goldendoodle’s Life Expectancy
Goldendoodles have a life expectancy of 12-15 years. This is comparable to other popular breeds of dogs such as Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers. There is a correlation between adult size and length of life. Generally speaking, the larger the dog the shorter they live (sad I know) with smaller dogs living longer. Let’s break it down:
What is the Average Lifespan of a Goldendoodle?
The average Goldendoodle lifespan is 14 years. This is a pretty long life span for a dog, especially when you compare it to other breeds of dogs. However, there are some reasons your Goldendoodle may live a shorter life:
What is the Life Expectancy of a Toy Goldendoodle?
The life expectancy of a Toy Goldendoodle is typically slightly longer than the average lifespan, of around 13-16 years.
What is the Life Expectancy of a Miniature Goldendoodle?
The life expectancy of a Miniature Goldendoodle is typically around 12-16 years.
What is the Life Expectancy of a Standard Goldendoodle?
The life expectancy of a Standard Goldendoodle is around 11-15 years. Larger dogs tends to live slightly fewer years than their smaller counterparts.
7 Reasons your Goldendoodle may live a shorter life:
Poor Genetics:
This is probably the number one reason for a shortened lifespan in any animal, including humans. Some dogs are just bred poorly and don’t have the best genetics. If you got your dog from a breeder, make sure to do your research and find a reputable breeder who health tests their dogs.
Obesity:
Just like in humans, obesity is a big problem in dogs and can lead to a number of health issues such as diabetes, joint problems, and heart disease. A study published in 2002 found that Labrador Retrievers kept at ideal body weight lived TWO TIMES LONGER than those that were overweight or obese. The healthy weight group also had a lower incidence of arthritis and cancer. Now THAT is a pretty convincing reason to keep your Goldendoodle at an ideal body weight!
Irregular trips to the vet
There are many cases I have seen where dog owners have waited too long to bring their pets in for an issue. Sometimes it is too late to do much about the problem other than make the pet comfortable. Taking your pooch to the vet regularly can often pick up problems before they become too serious.
Poor training/behavioral Issues
This one may surprise you but the leading cause of euthanasia in dogs under two years of age is behavioral issues such as aggression and anxiety. Goldendoodles are social smart dogs and mental stimulation is essential for their mental health.
Forgetting Necessary preventative Health Care
Preventative health care is crucial if you want to minimize your Goldendoodle’s likelihood of getting preventable diseases. Diseases such as Canine Parvovirus are often fatal if untreated and also preventable if your dog is vaccinated. In certain regions such as Florida if your dog is not on a heartworm preventative they are highly likely to become infected with this nasty parasite.
Not Spaying or neutering your Goldendoodle
There are health benefits to spaying or neutering your pet. For example, female dogs that are spayed have a significantly lower chance of developing mammary cancer. The same goes for entire male dogs developing prostate cancer.
Neglecting Dental Care
Dental disease is the silent killer in the animal world. If your dog develops a lot of tartar and has gingivitis, this can lead to serious infections below the gumline. This enables bacteria to enter the bloodstream – getting a free ride to vital organs in the body. This can result in damage to the kidneys and liver and eventually death!
Goldendoodle Health Issues
Since Goldendoodles are a crossbreed between and Golden Retriever and a Poodle it makes sense that the health issues they can suffer from are inherited from the parent breeds.
The great thing about doodles is the hybrid vigor. Hybrid Vigor is when you cross two different breeds of animals and the result is an animal that is healthier than both parents.
This happens because the crossing of different genes creates an animal with a greater variety of immunity-related genes. So, in short, Goldendoodles are less likely to suffer from genetic health problems because they are not purebreds.
Goldendoodles are susceptible to the following diseases:
Hip Dysplasia
One of the most common health problems for dogs in general, and Goldendoodles in particular, is hip dysplasia. This is a condition where the ball and socket joint in the hip doesn’t fit together properly, leading to pain and lameness.
It can be mild to severe and is usually genetic. There are steps you can take to help prevent it, including getting your dog from a reputable breeder who does OFA or PennHIP testing and feeding them a high-quality diet.
Elbow Dysplasia
Like hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia is another condition that affects the joints. It’s caused by a malformation of the bones in the elbow and can lead to pain, lameness, and arthritis. It’s also usually genetic, so again, getting your dog from a reputable breeder is important. Elbow dysplasia is less common than hip dysplasia, but it can still be a problem for Goldendoodles especially F1 doodles with more Golden Retriever.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes seizures. It’s fairly common in dogs and can be controlled with medication, but there is no cure. Goldendoodles can be affected by epilepsy, so if you’re getting one from a breeder, make sure the parents and grandparents don’t have a history.
Von willebrand’s disease
This is a blood clotting disorder that can be mild to severe. It’s caused by a deficiency of von Willebrand factor, which is important for clotting. Dogs with von Willebrand’s disease may have prolonged bleeding from minor injuries, and in severe cases, spontaneous bleeding. It’s most common in Dobermans, but any breed can be affected, including Goldendoodles.
Degenerative Joint Disease (arthritis)
This is a common condition in older dogs and is a common condition in Golden Retrievers. It’s caused by the breakdown of cartilage in the joints which can lead to pain and stiffness.
Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to prevent it other than feeding a joint-specific diet and joint supplements to slow down the progression. Other things you can do are to keep your dog at a healthy weight and give them plenty of moderate exercise.
Cancer
Unfortunately, cancer is fairly common in dogs, and Goldendoodles are no exception. The good news is that there are many different types of treatment available now, and many dogs can go on to lead long and happy life, even after a cancer diagnosis. If you’re concerned about cancer in your Goldendoodle, talk to your vet about screening tests that can be done.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
PRA is a degenerative disease that leads to blindness. It’s caused by the gradual loss of cells in the retina, and unfortunately, there is no cure. However, there are steps you can take to prevent it. PRA is genetic, so make sure your breeder has screened the parents for PRA
Allergies and Ear Infections
Allergies are fairly common in dogs, and Goldendoodles can be allergic to anything from pollen to food. The good news is that there are many different ways to manage allergies, including medication, special shampoos, and changes in diet. If you think your dog has allergies, talk to your vet about the best way to treat them.
Tips on How to increase the life expectancy of your Goldendoodle
Below are some of my best tips on getting your dog
1. Choose the right Goldendoodle
I hope if you have read the above you can understand how vital it is to thoroughly vet the breeder. There are great ethical breeders out there as well as unscrupulous puppy mills and negligent backyard breeders.
Make sure to ask about what genetic tests have been done on the parents and what their personalities are like. At a minimum, the breeder should be doing elbow and hip testing, screening for PRA and Von Willebrand’s and having OFA clearances. The breeder should also be able to answer any questions you have about the diet and exercise regime they have in place for the puppies and their parents.
Ideally, you will also be able to visit the facilities and meet the parents. Some breeders are reluctant to let people on site due to the risk of bringing in diseases. If they are reluctant it is not necessarily a red flag – ask them to do a video walk-through instead and meet the parents off site.
2. Choose mini Goldendoodles over Standard Goldendoodles for a longer life
As discussed above larger sized dogs sadly live naturally short lives than their shorter stature cousins. While there is no guarantee your Goldendoodle will live longer if you want to hedge your bets choose a Mini Goldendoodle or Toy.
3. Feed a Quality Diet
Your dog is what he eats! Feeding a quality healthy diet will not only help your pup maintain a healthy weight but will also reduce the risk of developing some of the health conditions discussed above such as arthritis.
Choose a balanced diet that is appropriate for the life stage of your dog. A Goldendoodle puppy needs to be fed a diet specifically for growth and their end adult size. If they are going to be above 50 pounds select a large breed puppy formulation.
In their old age, it is a good idea to feed a senior dog diet. These diets are specifically formulated for aging dogs that have a reduced ability to digest certain nutrients such as protein and fat. They also often have added antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids for joint support.
4. Keep an ideal body weight
So if you have read to this point you now know that feeding to an ideal body weight will help increase the likelihood of your Doodle living a long and healthy life. Overweight dogs also have an increased chance of developing arthritis, diabetes, and cancer.
I recommend you use this calculator to help you work out what ideal is for your dog. Your vet or vet nurse is also an excellent person to tell you what your dog should weigh.
Goldendoodle’s are more prone to weight issues so you may need to consider a lower calorie diet. Talk to your vet about what they may recommend. You also want to minimize table scraps and treats as these can really contribute to weight gain.
5. Get Regular Exercise
Seeing a pattern here? The same advice for humans pretty much translates to our furry friends and moderate regular exercise is no exception.
How much exercise does your Goldendoodle need?
Goldendoodles need plenty of exercise. They are active dogs and need to be exercised regularly. Aim for at least 30 minutes but ideally an hour each and every day. This can be a combination of walks, runs, and taking them to the dog park. throwing a ball and play.
6. Regular Trips to the Vet
It goes without saying from a vet-owned blog that I have seen firsthand what happens without regular visits to the vet. Just like their pet parents annual checkups at the veterinary clinic are incredibly important for your adult Goldendoodle. This may increase to every 6 months when your dog reaches its senior years around 7 years of age.
Your vet will be asking you a lot of questions and actively looking for any signs of disease such as arthritis and dental disease. They will also be recommending routine tests such as blood work and urinalysis – All very important to pick up the early signs of some diseases such as kidney disease and liver disease to name a few.
7. Maintain those Teeth
Would you like a mouth of rotten painful teeth? Well, neither does your Goldendoodle. There is a direct relationship between dental disease and life expectancy in humans, dogs, and cats. In the wild dental disease is one of the primary reasons that wolves only live to 3.7 years of age in the wild.
Prevention is far better than cure. Regular dental cleanings can help prevent nasty periodontal disease and tartar accumulation. Once it gets too bad the teeth need to be removed or, the bacteria are likely to spread to the organs and lead to a shorter life expectancy.
Your vet will help you develop a good dental plan but one of the best things you can do from the very get-go is brushing your dog’s teeth once per day. Make it a daily habit and use pet-specific toothpaste.
8. Train and Socialize Your Goldendoodle and Provide Mental Stimulation
Mental stimulation is just as important as physical exercise for your dog’s health and wellbeing. A tired dog is a good dog right?
Training provides excellent mental stimulation for your dog. It exercises their brain as well as their body. Dogs that are trained tend to be more balanced and have fewer behavior problems.
You can start training your dog from the day you bring them home. There are many different types of training you can do but I recommend starting with basic obedience commands such as sit, stay, come, down, and leave it.
You can also provide mental stimulation with food puzzles and interactive dog toys. These are great for when you have to leave your dog home alone.
Lastly, socialization is critical and also helps reduce behavioral issues. Taking your dog to puppy classes, the dog park, and on regular outings will help them become well-rounded and confident.
Summing Up
Goldendoodles have a life expectancy of around 12-15 years. While this is shorter than we would like there are things you can do to help increase the chances of your Doodle living a long and healthy life.
The best things you can do for your Doodle are:
- Choose miniature Goldendoodles over a Standard
- Screen the Parents
- Feed a quality diet
- Keep to an ideal body weight
- Get regular exercise
- Make them for regular trips to the vet
- Maintain their teeth
- Train, Socialize and Provide Mental Stimulation
By following these simple tips, you can help your Goldendoodle live a longer and healthier life.
Dr. Elly has always loved animals, and she knew from a young age that she wanted to be a veterinarian. After studying hard in veterinary school, she practiced in several different countries before moving to North Carolina with her husband and young family. She currently works part time as a veterinarian while caring for her 4 busy children and writing this blog. Dr. Elly genuinely cares about the welfare of her patients. She currently has three dogs, two cats, 5 chickens and 2 rabbits (yes a bit of a zoo!)
