Goldendoodle Genetics: Size, Coat, Shedding and Colours

A Goldendoodle is a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. How any one Goldendoodle looks, sheds and grows depends on which genes it inherits from each side. A handful of known genes control curl, beard-and-eyebrow "furnishings" and coat length, the Poodle parent's size sets the size range, and most of the colour variety comes from the Poodle side.

The short version

• Two parent breeds: the Golden Retriever and the Poodle (Standard, Miniature or Toy).
• Three genes shape most of the coat: one for furnishings, one for curl and one for coat length.
• Generation matters. An F1 is a first cross; an F1B is crossed back to a Poodle, and usually has a curlier coat.
• No dog is hypoallergenic. Studies haven't found lower allergen levels in homes with so-called hypoallergenic dogs, including doodles.
• Size follows the Poodle parent. A Standard Poodle parent gives a much bigger dog than a Miniature or Toy.
• Colours range from cream to deep red from the Golden side, and the Poodle side can add black, chocolate, parti and phantom patterns.
• It isn't a kennel-club breed. It's a cross, so there's no breed standard and a lot of variety.

Where Goldendoodles come from

The Goldendoodle crosses two popular family breeds: the Golden Retriever, a gun dog known for its feathered golden coat, and the Poodle, a curly-coated breed that comes in three sizes. In Canada it has become one of the most popular dogs of all: in Rover's 2025 rankings it was the most popular dog in Québec, as CTV reported.

Because it's a cross rather than a recognized breed, kennel clubs don't publish a standard for it, and two Goldendoodles can look very different. Most of that variety comes down to a few genes.

Three genes shape most of the coat

A study of more than 1,000 dogs from 80 breeds found that variants in three genes account for most coat types in purebred dogs: RSPO2 (furnishings), FGF5 (coat length) and KRT71 (curl). A Goldendoodle's coat is largely a mix of what it inherits at these three.

F1, F1B and multigen: what changes

Breeders use shorthand for each generation, and each one shifts the odds for the coat genes above. These are the expected odds when the Golden Retriever parent has no furnishings or curl and the Poodle parent carries two copies of each:

An "improper coat" Goldendoodle inherits no furnishings. It looks more like a Golden Retriever, with a flatter coat and a smooth face, and it usually sheds more. That's a genetic outcome, not a fault in the dog, and our physical appearance section reports furnishings where the sample supports it. Our guides to improper coats and doodle generations go deeper into the odds.

Do Goldendoodles shed?

All dogs shed some hair. Many Goldendoodles shed less than a Golden Retriever, for two main reasons: furnished coats tend to shed less, and curly or wavy coats trap loose hair instead of dropping it on the floor. A large genetic study also found a region of the genome linked to coat length and shedding.

So shedding varies from dog to dog, even within one litter. A curly, furnished F1B will usually leave less hair around than a flatter-coated F2 with an improper coat. Our guide to doodle shedding covers the genes involved and what to do about a doodle that sheds more than expected.

Are Goldendoodles hypoallergenic?

Not reliably. In one study, dogs of so-called hypoallergenic breeds, including Labradoodles and Poodles, actually had higher levels of the main dog allergen in their hair and coat than the comparison breeds. Airborne levels were no different, and the researchers concluded there's no evidence for calling any breed hypoallergenic. A separate study found no difference in allergen levels between homes with "hypoallergenic" dogs and other homes.

Some allergic people do react less to some individual dogs. If allergies are a concern, spend time with the specific dog before committing, and talk to an allergist. Our guide to what the science says about hypoallergenic dogs explains why low shedding isn't low allergen.

How big will a Goldendoodle get?

The Poodle parent sets the range. Golden Retrievers typically weigh 25 to 34 kg as adults. Standard Poodles typically weigh 18 to 32 kg, Miniature Poodles about 5 to 7 kg and Toy Poodles about 2 to 3 kg, going by breed-standard ranges.

• Standard Goldendoodles (Standard Poodle parent) usually land somewhere between their two parents.
• Mini Goldendoodles usually come from a Miniature Poodle parent, or from smaller doodle parents over several generations, so they're much smaller.
• Puppies from the same litter can still differ noticeably in size, especially in mixed generations.

The PuppyGenes report includes an estimated adult height and weight, based on your dog's own genetics: useful context, not a promise. Our guide to estimating a mixed-breed puppy's adult size shows how to combine it with your vet's growth checks.

Where Goldendoodle colours come from

Every Golden Retriever is a shade of yellow, from pale cream to deep red, because Goldens carry a variant of the MC1R gene that limits them to yellow pigment (Newton et al. 2000). Poodles come in many more colours. The Poodle parent's genes decide most of the variety:

• cream, apricot and red when both parents pass on the yellow-only version;
• black or dark coats when the Poodle passes on a working copy of MC1R;
• chocolate, parti (white patches) and phantom (tan points) patterns when the Poodle side carries them.

A puppy's coat can also change colour as it grows, especially in lines with Poodle "fading" genetics. The PuppyGenes coat colour section predicts colour, pattern and markings where the sample supports them.

Temperament: what you can and can't expect

Both parent breeds are known as friendly family dogs, and many Goldendoodles are social, playful and eager to be with people. But breed is a weak predictor of any individual dog's personality: a 2022 study of more than 18,000 dogs found breed explains only about 9% of behavioural differences between individual dogs. Training, socialization and the dog's own nature matter far more than the label. Our guide to what a dog's breed means for daily care covers how to use breed context without over-reading it.

What a DNA test shows for a Goldendoodle

A DNA test turns guesses about your doodle into estimates based on its own genetics. The PuppyGenes report covers six sections:

• Breed ancestry: how much Golden Retriever and Poodle is in your dog, plus any other breeds. Multigeneration doodles can carry ancestry from other breeds used in earlier crosses, such as the Labrador Retriever or Cocker Spaniel.
• Coat colour predictions.
• Physical appearance: coat length, curl, furnishings and shedding, each where the sample supports it.
• Temperament and size predictions, including an estimated adult height and weight.
• Genetic diversity.
• An oral microbiome snapshot.

The report does not include genetic disease or health screening. To see what a doodle-type result looks like, open our example reports: both are Poodle-dominant mixes with Labrador and Cocker Spaniel ancestry. Our guide to doodle DNA tests walks through both.