What is a Golden Mountain Doodle?

What is a Golden Mountain Doodle?

The Golden Mountain Doodle is one of the newest and hottest fads in the “double doodle” and designer dog industry.  The Golden Mountain Doodle is a mix between three popular dog breeds: the Golden Retriever, Bernese Mountain Dog, and Poodle.  It’s famous for it’s typical tri-color coat consisting of various forms of browns, whites, and blacks.  In addition, the Golden Mountain Doodle often contains the coveted hypoallergenic and nonshedding features that comes from the Poodle.  This breed is typically bred by taking a Bernedoodle and cross-breeding with a Goldendoodle.  Thus, the Golden Mountain Doodle is intelligent, friendly, and loyal with a fun-loving attitude.

Golden Mountain Doodle: Everything You Need To Know
Golden Mountain Doodle: Everything You Need To Know

Dog Breeds

The Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers bring the submissive, fun-loving, and clever personality to The Golden Mountain Doodle. They have a respectful demeanor and make them incredible family pets, especially around small children. They are active dog breeds that love to fetch, run, and stay active. Golden Retrievers are also very caring making them great emotional support dogs, disability supporters, and search and rescue dogs.

What's It Like To Own A Golden Mountain Doodle?
What’s It Like To Own A Golden Mountain Doodle?

The Bernese Mountain Dog

Bernese mountain dogs (Berners) are completely devoted to their families, with a special fondness for children. In fact, they are so loyal that it can be difficult to re-home an adult Berner. They are exceptionally beautiful dogs and have a distinctive tri-coloured coat. Bred in the Swiss Alps as farm dogs that pulled carts or drove cattle to market, the Bernese thrive in cold weather and have a double coat that sheds quite heavily. They are intelligent, strong dogs who have a moderate need for exercise.

About Golden Mountain Doodles
About Golden Mountain Doodles

A significant number of Bernese are afflicted with hip and elbow dysplasia, or succumb to inherited cancer, heart disease, or epilepsy in middle age. While cancer is the leading cause of death for dogs in general, Bernese have a much higher rate of fatal cancer than other breeds. Overall, the Berner is one of the shorter-lived dog breeds, with a life expectancy of only seven years. This is particularly sad when the Berner is known to be slow in maturing and somewhat challenging to train.

Golden Mountain Doodle: The Ultimate Guide
Golden Mountain Doodle: The Ultimate Guide

Without proper socialization, these naturally cautious and reserved dogs can become skittish and suspicious, and may develop separation anxiety. They can also be decidedly stubborn. Yet, the Bernese also has a deep need to please their humans and are surprisingly sensitive. As a result, training a Berner requires a great deal of patience and a gentle hand. Berners are affectionately known for leaning on people to soak up all the possible attention they can!

bernese mountain doodle picture
bernese mountain doodle picture

The Poodle

  • Poodles rank high on the canine intelligence scale and excel in obedience. Most people are aware that this lovely breed has a low- to non-shedding coat, making them a great choice for people with allergies. What people don’t realize is how active and playful poodles can be! They are the clowns of the dog world, and it’s no coincidence that they were used in circus acts for centuries. But the poodle is more than a clever show dog. They originated in Germany as hunting dogs, especially good at water retrieving. This breed doesn’t get nearly enough credit for being a hardy, intrepid dog that enjoys outdoor adventures.
  • A typical poodle thrives in a busy household where there is plenty of attention to go around. Vigorous exercise and ongoing training are the keys to managing the poodle’s exuberance. If bored, poodles may find their way into mischief. They are also quick to sound an alert, and have earned a reputation for barking.
  • Poodles can be nervous and sensitive to stress and are typically affected by eye, skin, and digestive diseases, as well as immune system diseases. The most common problems are bloat/torsion, thyroid issues, sebaceous adenitis, juvenile renal disease, hip dysplasia, and cancer.
  • Poodles come in three sizes and a wide variety of colouers. Where most dogs have double coats, poodles have a single-layer coat of dense, curly fur that sheds minimally, but will mat without proper care.

Bernedoodle and Goldendoodle Mix

Since you can’t breed three types of dogs together, the Golden Mountain Doodle is bred from a Bernedoodle and Goldendoodle mix.  Typically, the resulting Bernedoodle and Goldendoodle mix are at least F2B generation, meaning that their offspring have at least 50% Poodle genetics, less than 25% Bernese Mountain Dog genetics, and less than 25% Golden Retriever genetics.  The reason you want a significant amount of Poodle genetics is so the dog doesn’t shed hair often and is hypoallergenic.

Golden Mountain Doodle Sizes

There are various different Golden Mountain Doodles sizes that are measured by the weight of the dog: mini and standard.  The main sizes of the dogs are below.

Standard Size (Large)

Although they are called Standard Golden Mountain Doodles, these are the larger-sized dogs ranging from 45 to 70+ pounds and are typically around 25+ inches in height. These are the largest size of Golden Mountain Doodle and will require a significant amount of exercise and socialization.

Mini Golden Mountain Doodle (Medium)

The Mini Golden Mountain Doodle is one of the smallest sizes that you can get.  Although they are called the Mini Golden Mountain Doodle, they are actually medium sized and typically range from 35 to 45+ pounds in weight and can grow 16 to 25 inches in height. The Mini Golden Mountain Doodle is one of the most commonly bred sizes because they won’t get too large and is the ideal dog size for people living in larger homes with a yard. They can also be ideal for smaller living spaces with regular exercise.

Golden Mountain Doodle Price

Since Golden Mountain Doodles are a designer dog they are typically very expensive.  Golden Mountain doodle prices vary, but typically reputable breeders will sell them anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000.  Since the dog is a new type of double doodle breed, there is no website or regulations for them.  We recommend that you search the Goldendoodle Association of North America (GANA) and view their breeder list to see if you can find someone reputable.  GANA breeders undergo strict health testing requirements for the hip, heart, eye, elbows, and more to ensure that you are getting a healthy dog.

Health and Lifespan

  • The first SwissRidge golden mountain doodle was bred in 2013, so they are still a young breed. Since I can only estimate on their long-term health, I use their lineage as my guide. They are very healthy and vibrant dogs, and I estimate the average life expectancy to be around 13 years.
  • While golden mountain doodles tend to be healthier than their parent breeds, they can still be prone to conditions such as hip and elbow dysplasia and certain eye problems. Skin conditions, such as hot spots and allergies, are also seen in this mix, and like many other breeds, they may get cancer.
  • Genetic testing can reduce the risk of many diseases. A reputable breeder will perform various tests and provide evidence of the successful results. It’s important for prospective buyers to understand that breeders invest a great deal of money upfront in finding healthy breeding stock and doing the required testing. This investment is usually reflected in the higher cost of the puppy for the buyer. A higher upfront cost will most likely reduce vet bills down the road.

Grooming

One of the most beautiful features of these dogs is their coat and the colors they come in.

That also means that grooming and taking care of their fur will be one of your most important duties as a dog owner. That’s true for the doodles with parti-colors as well as those with a solid coat.

The dogs’ hair should be brushed every day, and you should also schedule regular visits to a professional groomer every 6 to 8 weeks.

That way you can prevent matting and make sure your pet always looks its best and is as clean as possible.

Matts, which are knots close to the skin, are also painful because they can tear the skin. This is especially so when there are many, and the doodle hasn’t been groomed properly in a while.

There’s a special rake that you should get to deal with them once you notice them.

Conclusion for Golden Mountain Doodle

Golden Mountain Doodles have genetics from three of the smartest dogs in the world: Golden Retriever, Bernese Mountain Dog, and Poodle.  With the right amount of training and socialization, they are the perfect family dog and get along well with kids.  This can be a rewarding experience as these dogs are cute and extremely loyal.

Edward Hollon is an avid dog lover and writer, knowing all there is to know about our furry friends. Edward has been writing for petdii for three years now, wanting to use her knowledge for good and share everything she can with new dog owners. Edward has two dogs herself - a German shepherd called Banjo and a chocolate labrador called Buttons. Edward knows more than anyone how adjusting to new life with a puppy can turn your life upside down, and she wants to ease some of the burdens through her articles.