Goldendoodle dogs are known for being very friendly, energetic dogs who love to play. They’re lesser known, however, for having an amazing variety of potential coats to be born with.
Goldendoodles are a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. The breed was developed in the 1980s by crossing two separate breeds together.
This combination creates a unique mix of characteristics that makes them a great choice for families.
Goldendoodles come in a number of different colors. They weigh anywhere from 50 to 70 pounds at maturity. Their coats are short and soft, and they shed less than other breeds.
Thanks to them being bred between the curly-haired poodle and the straight-haired Golden Retriever, they can have lots of different types of coats.
But how would you know which you’re going to get? Goldendoodle puppies all look the same and you won’t know what coat they’ll have until they’ve matured.
So, we’ve found a few ways of how to indicate what coat your Goldendoodle puppy will grow into as they get older.
Potential Coats Your Goldendoodle Could Have
When trying to find out what coat your Goldendoodle is going to have, you should know the four primary categories that it could fall under.
These are: Flat, Straight, Wavy, or Curly. Some of these are more popular than others.
There are also three different lengths of coat that your Goldendoodle could have, including:
Long Haired Goldendoodle – This is the longest hair style on a Goldendoodle. They typically have a lot of length, but also a lot of body. If you want an extremely fluffy dog, then this is the one for you.
Medium Haired Goldendoodle – This is a medium-length hair style. It’s somewhere between short and long hair. It can be either wavy or straight depending on the individual dog.
Short Hair Goldendoodle – This type of coat is the shortest of the three styles. It tends to be more wiry and shorter than other styles.
All of the potential coats for a Goldendoodle come with their benefits and drawbacks. Let’s take a closer look into these four types of coats.
Flat Coat (Improper Coat)
A flat coat is often considered an improper coat as it is different to what you would commonly associate with a Goldendoodle.
A flat coat is often the least popular because they look more like a Golden Retriever than a Goldendoodle.
Flat coated Goldendoodles don’t tend to have furnishings, which is what takes away from their distinct Doodle look. Furnishings are the eyebrows, mustache, and beard that Goldendoodles have.
The furnishings are what gives this breed their distinct look, so the fact that flat coated Goldendoodles don’t have them is a real shame.
Flat coats are most commonly seen in F2 Goldendoodles. F2 Doodles are created when two 50/50 hybrids were bred to become its parents.
This means that the F2 Goldendoodle might have much more Golden Retriever genes than Poodle, altering its appearance and giving it a flat coat.
One good thing to come from a flat coat is that they are very easy to maintain and won’t need brushing nearly as much as a curly coat would.
However, if you’re looking for a teddy bear dog, the flat coat is not for you.
Another thing to consider is that flat coats shed much more than curly coats, so they’re not recommended for anyone who suffers from allergies.
This is important to note because, as a whole, Goldendoodles are considered hypoallergenic thanks to their Poodle heritage.
However, the less curly the coat is, the less hypoallergenic the Goldendoodle is. Following this logic, a flat coated Goldendoodle is the worst for a family of allergy sufferers.
Straight Coat
The next type of coat is called a straight coat. This type of coat is usually associated with the long haired Goldendoodle. It comes in three different lengths, and each length has a different name.
A straight haired Goldendoodle is one that is commonly otherwise known as a loose coat or a hair coat, because this type of coat is most like that of a Golden Retriever (aside from the flat coat, of course, but that is still considered the improper coat).
Goldendoodles with this type of coat will have received one ‘non-curl’ gene from both parents, and therefore have predominantly straight fur.
What makes this coat type different from a flat coat, however, is the appearance of furnishings.
Straight haired Goldendoodles will still have the furnishings associated with Goldendoodles and therefore will look more like a Doodle rather than a Golden Retriever.
This coat type doesn’t need too much grooming, but your dog will still require regular brushing to keep matts at bay.
You should brush their coat once every one or two weeks, and ensure that you get right down to their skin.
Much like the flat coated Goldendoodle, those with straight coats tend to shed a lot and therefore are not a good mix with allergy sufferers.
Even brushing them daily won’t necessarily stop them from shedding all over the place, so make sure that you have a lint roller handy!
Wavy Coat
The third coat type is the wavy coat. This coat type is similar to the straight coat, except that instead of being straight, it’s wavy. Wavy coats can be either short or long.
Goldendoodles with wavy coats will have received one non-curl gene from one parent and one curl gene from the other.
The genetic makeup will have found a happy medium between the two and resulted in a wavy coat.
The waviness of the coat is caused by the fact that the coat is not as thick as the straight coat, and therefore isn’t as heavy. Therefore, it tends to move around quite a bit.
The wavy coat is the most common among Goldendoodles as it is seen in the most popular generations of the breed – F1, F1b, and multigenerational Goldendoodles.
Find out which Goldendoodle is best: F1 vs F1b here.
This coat gives off a shaggy appearance and will need grooming more regularly than a straight haired Doodle.
A wavy coat should be brushed at least once a week, ensuring that you are getting right down to the skin over the entire body.
Without regular grooming your dog could suffer from matts which might lead to issues such as pain and open lesions. If you want to learn how to groom your Goldendoodle at home, we have plenty of tips and tricks.
Wavy haired Goldendoodles will shed less than flat or straight haired Doodles, but bear in mind that all are different. F1 and F2 Goldendoodles tend to shed more than other generations.
So, if you suffer from allergies and need a hypoallergenic dog, make sure that you opt for a trusted breeder to avoid disappointment as the dog matures.
Curly Coat
A curly coat is perhaps the most sought after in a Goldendoodle because it gives the most true teddy bear look.
Doodles tend to be so popular because of their teddy bear look, so a curly coat will be the most popular of the four we’ve looked at.
A Goldendoodle with a curly coat will have received the curl gene from both its parents. The curly coat is the most dense and it resembles a fleecy fabric.
This is the coat most similar to that of a Poodle, so if that’s what you’re looking for, then the curly coat is for you.
Curly coats are most commonly seen in F1b Goldendoodles, which is when a F1 Goldendoodle is then bred with another purebred Poodle.
As the F1b Doodle has been bred with two purebred Poodles, it’s more likely to have two curl genes, resulting in the curly coat.
When choosing a Goldendoodle with a curly coat, keep in mind that it will require more grooming than any other coat. You’ll need to brush it at least once a week to prevent matting.
Matting occurs when the hair gets too tangled up. This happens when your dog’s coat is not maintained properly. If this does start to occur with your Goldendoodle, then we have an ultimate guide to dealing with matted dog hair.
Curly coated Goldendoodles are best for allergy sufferers as they are the least shedding types of this breed.
Many people don’t understand the difficulties that come with the curly coat of a Goldendoodle. The curls can trap dirt very easily, meaning that your dog will require lots of cleaning and brushing.
Some believe it is easier to get them shaved regularly to avoid matts and trapped dirt.
Determining your Goldendoodle’s coat type
As we mentioned earlier, a Goldendoodle’s coat will not reflect its true type until the dog has matured into an adult.
Goldendoodles of all coat types look very similar to puppies, so this isn’t going to be much help to what they are to look like as adults.
One thing that can help you to determine the coat type that your dog is going to have will be their face.
If they have furnishings (the eyebrows, mustache, and beard of a typical Goldendoodle) then they will either have a straight, wavy or curly coat. If your dog has no furnishings, then they will most likely have a flat coat.
If you want to know what type of coat your Goldendoodle will have, there are various ways to do this. It’s important to remember that each breed has a unique set of characteristics and traits.
If you’re unsure about how to tell what coat your Goldendoodle is going to have, here are some tips.
1. Ask the breeder
If you’re using a reputable breeder to purchase your Goldendoodle, they should be able to tell you what coat your dog is likely to have.
This is down to the fact that they might be using DNA testing to learn more about their litters so that they can sell them for a more accurate price.
Curly haired Goldendoodles are going to cost more to purchase than a flat haired Doodle.
So, the breeder might carry out DNA testing to see whether their litters are worth more or less than the average asking price.
So, it’s worth asking the breeder if they know what type of coat your Goldendoodle will mature into.
Bear in mind that it is entirely possible that they will lie about the type of coat your dog has to avoid you from making a complaint.
For example, if they know that your dog is going to mature into having a flat or straight coat, they might be concerned that you will ask for a refund due to these being the least popular coat types.
They might get around lying to you by saying that DNA testing isn’t always effective, so just bear this in mind if you do ask the breeder about DNA testing.
2. Knowing your dog’s genetics
Another way to find out what kind of coat your Goldendoodle is going to have is to examine his genetics. If your dog is anything other than a F1 Doodle, then you should consider both parents.
Let’s break down what the generations of Goldendoodles actually mean.
F1: 50% purebred Golden Retriever, 50% purebred Poodle
F1b: 50% purebred Golden Retriever, 50% F1 Goldendoodles
F2: 50% F1 Goldendoodle, 50% F1 Goldendoodle
F2b: 50% F1 Goldendoodle, 50% F1b Goldendoodle
F3: 50% F2 Goldendoodle, 50% F2 Goldendoodle
Multigenerational: 50% F3 or higher Goldendoodle, 50% F3 or higher Goldendoodle
The more Poodle your Goldendoodle has within them, the higher the chances of a wavy or curly coat.
So, the further down you are in the generations, the more likely it is for you to get a curly haired Goldendoodle.
Another thing to consider is that Doodles often take after one parent more than the other. If both parents have straight coats, then it’s likely that your dog will have a straight coat.
If only one of them has a straight coat, then you’ll have to wait to see which of your dog’s parents they’re going to take after.
To find out more about the different Goldendoodle varieties, generations, sizes and colors take a look at our informative guide.
3. Check your dog’s snout
Many breeders believe that your dog’s face will indicate what type of coat they are going to have when they reach maturity.
A mustache appearance will indicate that your dog will have a curly coat, while a shaggy beard might be an indication of a wavy coated Goldendoodle.
Straight coated Goldendoodles will have a much neater muzzle, with the hair being short and trim.
Again, there are always exceptions with this rule and therefore it cannot be deemed accurate all of the time.
Sometimes you might think that you have a straight haired Doodle thanks to a lack of hair around its nose, but they grow to have a super curly coat!
4. Play the waiting game
You could also wait until your Goldendoodle reaches adulthood before you know what type of coat they have.
There are many stages that your Doodle’s coat will go through, and each could hint at what type of coat your dog is going to grow into.
Your Goldendoodle’s immature coat is going to shed by around 6 months of age, and by 8 months, your Doodle will have its mature adult coat.
This mature coat will not be as soft as their puppy coat, and it will look different to how it was when the dog was a puppy.
Between 6 and 8 months you will be able to notice slight differences between your dog’s puppy coat and its mature coat. These changes might be sudden, or they could be more slow moving.
Either way, if the hair is growing curlier, then the coat is likely to end as a curly or wavy coat. If the coat is growing straighter, then it is going to either be flat or straight.
Again, checking whether your Doodle has furnishings will decide whether it is flat or straight.
Summary
There are many factors that can affect the coat of your Goldendoodle. The generation of your Doodle will affect its mature coat, but you won’t know this until your dog is around 8 months old.
You might be able to get an answer sooner if your breeder carried out DNA testing.
You can also get a good idea of what coat your dog will have by looking at their parents, as well as their nose and the hair that grows around it.
Either way, enjoy the suspense of waiting for your Goldendoodle’s mature coat to grow in!
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