Differences Between Goldendoodles and Labradoodles

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Permalink Reply by BetteB on March 17, 2010 at 8:54am

Hi Julie! Welcome to DK! We have a goldendoodle, who is sweet as can be...
Here are some previous discussions about this topic that may be helpful...
http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/2065244:Topic:197318
http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/difference-in-doodles

Good luck in your search!

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Permalink Reply by Julie & Cooper on March 17, 2010 at 9:09am

Wow! I have only read the first of the two previous discussions and already feel like many of my questions have been answered. Thank you so much for this history.

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Permalink Reply by Allyson, Peri & Taquito on March 17, 2010 at 9:15am

You will get all the answers you need on those discussions above.
We chose a goldendoodle for 3 reasons only: 1) found a local breeder we love and trust 2) grew up with a golden retriever, and 3) slightly preferred the goldendoodle look; although sometimes you can hardly tell the difference quite honestly.
I don't think you can go wrong with either breed as far as temperaments go....select a breeder that does health testing and provides guarantees and is not a puppy mill...

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Permalink Reply by Adina Pearson on March 17, 2010 at 10:06am

They ALL come in all colors, depending on the generation. Just depends on if you have a preference for labs or goldens, personality-wise. I can't tell the difference, but people really into one breed or the other can. I would almost say that labs are like football players and goldens are like cheerleaders =) BUT...some of each can be more or less high energy depending on what kind of breeding stock is used.

Field labs and Field goldens are higher energy, lighter boned. Field goldens are usually darker in color.
Show labs/goldens tend to be stockier. Show labs/goldens are typically 'calmer' but some golden retriever people see that as excessive calmness...I've read that some can be calm to the point of lazy. A year or two ago I met three golden retriever pups from the same litter. Two of them were the stocky mellow kind and one was a skinny spazz. The stocky ones were SOOOOO mellow they were bordering on lazy. The skinny one was super hyper (she also had some fear issues which aren't related to skinny).

If I were to choose a lab or golden I would choose field lines because I prefer the more athletic look they have. Bu

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Permalink Reply by Linda and Murphy on March 17, 2010 at 10:44am

Adina, Murphy is just a "big boned" boy. lol And he is athletic....similar to a small horse. Or as a friend of mine told me "More like a 747 than an F-15".

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Permalink Reply by Anna and Achilles on March 18, 2010 at 3:36pm

Julie, I had a labradoodle for 11 years, Houdini was the most loving companion anyone could ask for(smart too). After he passed away last summer we got a goldendoodle who is also turning into a very sweet loving dog(just as smart). This is just my opinion but the only difference I can see at this point(Achilles is only 7 months) is that Houdini had curly hair and Achilles is more wavy. Aside from that they both are/were incredible dogs. I don't think you could make a bad choice! They are both wonderful breeds. Good luck on your search, find a breeder who you are comfortable with and trust. Don't be afraid to ask questions. One question I wish I had asked, was what food the breeder was feeding the puppies. I have learned so much reading the posts of the food group and that is something I would ask next time I am looking for a pup. Let us know how the search is going.

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Permalink Reply by Ginny Nightingale on March 18, 2010 at 4:18pm

I have to add that you really can't predict exactly what either will be like! There are all kinds of varieties of both types! I have an Australian LD (with many generations of LD breeding, rather than a recent crossing of a poodle and lab) and she is so much like two goldendoodles I know, it isn't funny. They all look alike, too. You can see my neighbor's GD, who is also white, with my ALD and my mini LD (red) in my pictures and it's hard to tell the white ALD and the GD apart!

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Permalink Reply by Kady on March 18, 2010 at 5:01pm

Well, I have a labradoodle, but my friend had a goldendoodle. Each are genuine and should be treasured. I can't tell many differences, except the labradoodle is more hyper.. I think.

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Permalink Reply by Missi on March 18, 2010 at 11:53pm

I have one of each, an apricot female goldendoodle and a black male labradoodle. Their hair is pretty similar, Marley's (labradoodle) is a bit more wiry. The coats will also greatly depend on what generation of doodle you get! Mine definitely have some personality differences too, but I can't really associate that with the breed versus just being different dogs. Marley is much more loving and cuddly, always wanting to be at my side. Lizzie (goldendoodle) is more independent and loves being outside on cool nights by herself. Marley is more fearful around strangers and new experiences, and Lizzie hasn't met a stranger yet! They are both sweet, easy to train with time, and are good with the cats. I think you will be happy with either one! It's important to find a good breeder and spend lots of TIME with the dog as they grow.

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Permalink Reply by Jenel Looney on March 20, 2010 at 5:50am

Our goldendoodle's fur is not at all relaxed. He's very, very curly. Coat types in both breeds vary greatly. I personally think both have similar personalities, as goldens and labs do. Very people-pleasing and fun-loving.Whichever you choose, you'll adore!

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