Goldendoodle health: what owners should know

Goldendoodles can inherit conditions from both parent breeds, including hip and elbow dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, heart problems such as subvalvular aortic stenosis from the Golden Retriever side, and skin conditions like sebaceous adenitis from Standard Poodles. Responsible breeders screen both parents for hips, elbows, eyes and heart, and use relevant DNA tests.

Ask any breeder for written results for both parents rather than a general assurance that they are healthy, since a cross does not automatically cancel out inherited problems. At home, keeping your dog lean and its ears dry prevents a lot of trouble. See a vet if your dog limps, shakes its head repeatedly or has smelly ears, bumps into things in dim light, faints or tires unusually quickly, or develops patchy hair loss or scaly skin.