You may not have heard of a hybrid originating from three dog breeds. Well, breeders went for three specific dog breeds, American Cocker Spaniel, Golden Retriever, and Poodle, to come up with a friendly and tiny Toy Goldendoodle.
Originating from three different dog breeds, all known for their outgoing and playful temperaments, the Toy Goldendoodle is no exception to these desirable personality traits. In addition, its smaller physique and varying coat types add character to the Toy Goldendoodle breed, both of which are widely sought after by owners and avid fans of the Goldendoodle family.
If you are longing for a cuddly and playful tiny pet with a strong resemblance to a teddy bear, the Toy Goldendoodle may very well be the right one for you. But before you make your commitment, keep on reading to get an accurate picture of what you can expect from this hybrid.
How Big Do Toy Goldendoodles Get?
Toy Goldendoodles are small dog breeds growing up to 20 inches in height. However, on average most of these little furry friends grow to a height of 17 inches. The pooches weigh around 15 to 35 lbs.
The three aforementioned dog breeds were intentionally bred to come up with a smaller version of the Goldendoodle. Breeders firstly bred a female Golden Retriever with a male Cocker Spaniel. This hybrid, the Golden Cocker Retriever, was later mixed with a Poodle to produce the resultant offspring, the Toy Goldendoodle.
Let’s explore further what a Toy Goldendoodle will look like and its other physical traits.
Aesthetics
The Toy Goldendoodle takes the characteristics of both parents to come out attractive to the eyes. Just like all of the pup’s parents, it has gentle eyes and a beautiful body complexion. Its teddy bear-like appearance makes a Toy Goldendoodle one of the most unique pets to own.
Coat
Toy Goldendoodle has a wavy or curly coat, depending on the percentage of the dominant genes from the parents, especially on the Poodle’s side. Most of these furry friends will have hair measuring around 2 to 3 inches. The hair on this hybrid is usually shorter on the head and longer on the tail, ears, and legs.
The color of the coat also varies depending on the parents. Standard coat colors include black, white, golden, cream, apricot, gray, or red. Most Goldendoodle pups will have golden coat color with white appearing on the feathering. You may also notice your four-legged friend’s color lightening with age. This is normal, and you should not worry if it happens.
Eyes, Ears, And Nose
The Toy Goldendoodles have round black eyes and a black nose with a dark muzzle. Like the Cocker Spaniel and Golden Retriever parents, this pooch has floppy ears that fall close to its shoulders.
How Long Do Toy Goldendoodles Live?
Toy Goldendoodles have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years.
The four-legged furry friend’s health conditions are no different from the parents’. The pooch will enjoy a healthy life throughout its growth stages. However, there are some debilitating conditions that this hybrid is prone to. These conditions include:
Hip Dysplasia
This is one of the common issues in Toy Goldendoodles and is hereditary in most cases. However, malnutrition is also one of the probable causes of hip dysplasia, which usually affects the thigh bone, causing it to not properly fit into the hip joint.
Early diagnosis of hip dysplasia is usually done by X-ray screening. You should thus check on the parents’ medical history before buying a Toy Goldendoodle to ensure that none of the parents suffers from this condition.
Elbow Dysplasia
Similar to hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia is degenerative. This means that this health issue is related to aging and the wear and tear of the elbow joints in a Toy Goldendoodle.
You should always conduct checks on the parents’ medical history before buying a Toy Goldendoodle. If it occurs on your dear Fido, you can treat the disease through surgery, medical management, and weight management.
Patellar Luxation
Patellar luxation is another common condition among small dog breeds, especially Toy Goldendoodles. This condition is also referred to as slipped stifles, and it happens when the knee joint, usually of the hind leg, gets out of position as the dog makes movements.
Ear Infections
Many dog breeds with floppy ears, like that of a Toy Goldendoodle, often encounter this problem. You should check and clean your furry friend’s ears regularly to prevent an infection from happening.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
PRA is another condition that affects Toy Goldendoodles. Affected dogs will lose their sight during the day. A consoling part of it is that your dog can adapt to this condition and live well as long as you don’t shift to a newer environment.
How To Take Care Of Your Toy Goldendoodle?
Toy Goldendoodle is one of the dog breeds that require minimum effort to care for. Its exercise and nutrition needs are not as demanding as its bigger counterparts.
Engage Your Toy Goldendoodle With An Exercise Routine
The Toy Goldendoodle has an average energy level. This means this pooch should require 20 to 30 minutes of daily exercise.
Moreover, you will not need to have a wide area or space for this small pooch to exercise. However, you have to set aside a few minutes for a walk outdoors, after which you can provide several toys to keep the pooch busy.
Toy Goldendoodle, like any other dog, will also need to socialize and play with other dogs. Taking your furry friend to the dog park is highly recommended for this purpose.
Exercise is an excellent supplement to proper feeding. With a Toy Goldendoodle, you do not have to deal with burdensome feeding requirements. However, you have to ensure you are offering a balanced diet.
Opt For High-Quality Food
For several years, pet parents have relied on dry food for their pets. However, dry food has been found to have many additives and supplements that may cause some health issues in Toy Goldendoodles, such as food allergies and liver problems.
Supplementing the diet with multivitamins should help to improve digestion, maintain coat health and increase immunity, thereby allowing your Toy Goldendoodle to enjoy a healthier and fuller life.
If you are worried about the best diet for your dear Fido, you can opt for Pet Plate. The food company is determined to offer the best recipe perfect for your four-legged friend.
Feed Your Pooch Moderately
Golden Retriever is known for having gastric torsion. This problem can be passed on to any Toy Goldendoodle. For this reason, offer your pooch several small meals in a day. Depending on your dog’s size and age, 1 to 4 cups of food is recommended per day.
Get Dental Water Additives
Dental additives for drinking water are also a perfect choice to include in caring for your Toy Goldendoodle. These additives are great for keeping your canine buddy’s mouth fresh, preventing bacterial growth, and reducing tartar buildup.
Do Toy Goldendoodles Bark A Lot? Temperaments Of Toy Goldendoodles
Toy Goldendoodle likes barking and is vocal about its feelings. You can always tell that they are happy whenever they bark. The pooch, being playful and full of positive energy, will bark almost all the time. If you dislike barking dogs, you may need a different pooch.
Apart from this, Toy Goldendoodles are known for many positive personality traits. Here are a few of the characteristics you can notice in the pooch.
Outgoing And Welcoming
Toy Goldendoodle has an outgoing and welcoming character. You will probably like their friendliness and eagerness to meet you every time you return home from a busy day of work.
Playful
The pup is always willing to get close to strangers and to be held by its owners. Besides, with good training and socialization, the hybrid can give you beautiful moments playing with you. You can get several toys to keep the dog’s attitude high.
Curious
Toy Goldendoodle may be willing to get along well with strangers but will always be curious with unfamiliar people. Just give it time to get used to these people before this pooch returns to its jovial mood.
Intelligent
This is another trait you will notice in Toy Goldendoodles. This canine’s intelligence will require you to offer more mental and physical exercise. Since the dog is smart, you can potty train it easily. It listens well and is eager to please, so it will do whatever you direct it to do.
Toy Goldendoodles are a few dog breeds that you can leave alone at home for 8 to 10 hours. However, this requires you to prepare them early. For younger pooches, leave them for one to two hours.
Are Toy Goldendoodles High Maintenance? Grooming Tips For Toy Goldendoodles
Toy Goldendoodle are hypoallergenic. However, you can find a few cases where Goldendoodle shed lightly. Their long, wavy to curly hair with ears falling close to their shoulder will mean high-maintenance requirements.
Nevertheless, with a good maintenance routine, you will find it easy to take care of your canine companion. Take a look at the grooming tips below.
Brush The Coat Regularly
Brushing our pets is one of the standard maintenance practices to keep our pets and our families healthy. It is not different from Toy Goldendoodle. Brush once every week or two.
As this hybrid is hypoallergenic, it will mean that you will not have to deal with its shedding. However, you are expected to brush it regularly to keep the coat in its best shape.
The FURminator Undercoat Tool works best for brushing purposes. The tool is designed for dogs with fairly long hair. Its edge reaches through the topcoat removing loose hair without affecting your pet’s skin or topcoat.
Clip The Coat
This is a must-do if you want to reduce brushing requirements. A clipped coat will require brushing after two to three weeks.
Bathe Your Toy Goldendoodle Occasionally
Unlike most dog breeds, Toy Goldendoodle requires minimum bathing. In this case, you can use Pro Pet Works All Natural 5 In 1 Oatmeal Shampoo to bathe your furry friend at most once a month. The shampoo offers multi-purposes to keep your pooch’s skin healthy.
Brush Your Pooch’s Teeth
Brushing your canine companion’s teeth is necessary to keep tartar and bacteria in check. Brushing should be done 2 to 3 times every week. Use dental water additives alongside if you don’t want to brush daily to prevent bad breath and gum diseases.
Remember To Trim The Nails
This practice is also crucial in taking care of your four-legged furry friend. Long nails may cause painful tears or other problems you do not expect. Nail trimming should be done once to twice a month. Ensure you don’t cut too deep to prevent bleeding.
Check The Ears
Check the ears every time you brush. Most Toy Goldendoodles will have odors due to infected ears.
Wipe the ears with a damp cotton ball every time you check them. Use a vet-recommended pH-balanced ear cleaner solution to wet the cotton ball. A pH-balanced ear cleaner is excellent in preventing ear infections.
Related Questions
How Much Does A Toy Goldendoodle Cost? Expect to pay between $2,500 and $5,000 for a Toy Goldendoodle. These mini pooches tend to cost much higher than the bigger Goldendoodle hybrids. This is because of their high demand and the difficulty to breed these little pooches.
What Is The Difference Between A Toy And Mini Goldendoodle? A Toy Goldendoodle is smaller than a Mini Goldendoodle. Keeping in mind that these two hybrids come from the same parents, you will expect little difference. The Toy Goldendoodle weighs 20 to 35 lbs when the Mini Goldendoodle weighs 35 to 50 lbs.
Can Toy Goldendoodle Swim? Toy Goldendoodles can swim well. These little four-legged friends are known for their love for the water. This makes swimming one of the favorite exercises to offer your dear Fido. You can also opt to play water games with it in your swimming pool. However, supervision of your pooch is necessary to avoid accidents.
