LIFE EXPECTANCY OF THE GOLDENDOODLE #BLOGGING FROM A-Z

The life expectancy of the Goldendoodle is between 10-15 years.

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This is about average for medium breeds.

Now that Harley is 7 years old, and by canine standards – a senior dog, I’m on a mission to go for the “max”

life-expectancy

My mission is to do everything possible to stay ahead of whatever health issues he may be prone to that could/would either affect his quality of life or shorten it all together.

While cancer can unfortunately strike any breed at any age, there are some breeds that have higher instances of the disease.

A golden retriever happens to be one of those breeds. #hauntsme...

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Even with a life span between 10-13 years, golden retrievers can also develop –

  • lymphoma
  • hip dysplasia
  • subvalvular aortic stenosis
  • addison’s disease

Of all three poodle sizes, standard poodles are the ones most prone to serious health problems –

  • eye disease
  • cancer
  • skin conditions
  • epilepsy

This is why when selecting a goldendoodle, you should insist on written documentation that the parents were cleared of specific health problems that affect this breed.

Please don’t be fooled/tricked that having your dog “vet checked” is a substitute for genetic health testing – IT IS NOT!

At a minimum the breeder should be able to show evidence that both parents have –

  • hip certifications
  • heart clearance
  • certification from the Canine Eye Registry

We all love our pets dearly – regardless of the breed, and we know their life expectancy just isn’t comparable to ours.

The best we can do is love them like there’s no tomorrow, give the best care we can and enjoy each and every day…

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*I am not a breeder nor a veterinarian. I am a Doodle Mom searching and sharing a better understanding about everything Goldendoodle.

References:

Pet Breeds

Embrace

PetMD

Your Purebred Puppy

This year over 500 bloggers from across the world will participate in the A-Z blogging challenge.

We will attempt to blog everyday during the month of April (minus Sundays) completing the entire alphabet in one month.

Our Theme? – “Everything Goldendoodle” ❤️

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20 Comments
  • Monika & Sam
    April 14, 2016

    Paws crossed you get the ‘max’ and then some. 🙂

    • Cathy Bennett
      April 14, 2016

      Likewise to you Monika – we all want them to live forever 🙂

  • Kimberly Gauthier
    April 14, 2016

    I wish there was a guarantee that our dogs would be with us forever. What I do take confidence from are the people raising dogs that are in their late teens and twenties. I want to be one of those people.

    • Cathy Bennett
      April 16, 2016

      Now that Harley is 7 years old, I’ve decided to focus on helping him maximize the highest quality of life possible. I want him to be healthy and happy for the rest of his life 🙂

  • Emma
    April 14, 2016

    We all hope to live forever, but one never knows how long we really will make it. My sister is coming up on 14 which is a lot for an 80lb dog, but she is trudging along, usually happy, but definitely old. We can’t imagine her not being in our family.

    • Cathy Bennett
      April 16, 2016

      I am always so happy to see pictures of Katie on your blog Emma. You’ve got to keep including her – because so many people are so fond of her. 14 years old for a dog is exceptional. Tell your mom she’s doing a marvelous job with her. You and Bailey continue to keep her young at heart.

  • Lindsay
    April 15, 2016

    We’re on year 8 for our little guys, I totally, totally wish they’d live forever. Instead we have to cherish them as long as we possibly can. Aging is depressing, especially when I think of Charlie and Baxter.

    Have a great weekend Girlfriend!

    • Cathy Bennett
      April 16, 2016

      I agree Lindsay. I’m trying so hard to do everything I can to make sure their quality of life is the absoDOODLEtute best ever! 13 or 15 years goes by so fast.

  • Callie, Shadow, and Ducky's Mom
    April 16, 2016

    As Monika said, I too hope you “get the max and then some”! Callie would have been 12 today. But we can still celebrate the fact that this is also Shadow’s half-year birthday…she is 11-1/2…and she is still here with us, healthy and mostly happy. Though I am a little bit concerned about her eyesight. I think I’ll call the vet next week and make an appointment.

    • Cathy Bennett
      April 16, 2016

      11.5 is extraordinary in my book. I was actually depressed when Harley reached 7. It was as if he crossed over into the “danger years” even though he’s in tip top shape. I tell him all the time he has to be the miracle doodle and live to be 30! LOL We could go on the Ellen Show and everything 🙂 Hey – a girl can dream can’t she?

  • Jan K
    April 21, 2016

    I read that average life expectancy for golden retrievers is 12. I think it’s important to know that when you are dealing with a dog with cancer or other health issues. It can affect decisions about treatments, etc.
    I will be thrilled if Sheba makes it to 12!

    • Cathy Bennett
      April 21, 2016

      Jan – because Sheba is in your care, I have no doubt that your wish is totally obtainable. You are an incredible pet parent. Sheba is blessed to have you.

  • Sheila
    May 18, 2016

    My Joey turned 13 1/2 on April 27. I wish I’d seen this site earlier — you are all so supportive. Joey had his annual checkup this week and the vet explained he’s too weak for his annual shots, so it looks like we’re on the home stretch at last. It’s unbelievably hard knowing we don’t have much time left. But Joey still wags his tail and asks for walks so, as the vet said, he is still a dog and deserves everything we can do to make these precious days as comfortable and fun for him as possible. I’ve never owned another dog but I can’t imagine one better than a doodle.

    • Cathy Bennett
      May 18, 2016

      Shelia – what a blessing to have Joey for so long. It doesn’t make it any easier turning the corner as you find yourself doing right now, but I so envy you for the many years you and Joey have had together. Enjoy every moment. Know I am here for you – always! If only their lives lasted as long as ours…

  • Pat
    May 10, 2017

    Hi Cathy,

    We just lost our goldendoodle to lymphoma. He was going to be 5 in July. I want another goldendoodle so bad but the sites I have visited indicate a short life span due to various cancers. I am terrified of going through this again. We did chemo and prednisone for four months to get an additional 7 months of life. I do not regret the therapy we did but was hoping for maybe a year or two more of Eli. I don’t know where to begin our search for another doodle but more than anything I need to hear about doodles living to a healthy age.

    • Cathy Bennett
      May 10, 2017

      Hello Pat – I am so sorry to hear about Eli – Leo was only 4 when he died suddenly. It is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through. I mean that sincerely. I would love to talk with you. I will send you an email.

  • Janene Gore
    August 29, 2018

    My 90+ pound GoldenDoodle, Gertie, will be 14 in March. This last year we started to notice a real decline. We have been very lucky so far. She can still make it up the stairs but her breathing is labored. It is difficult to get her into the car. She sometime doesn’t hear me when I pull into the garage and I am so fearful when she doesn’t meet me at the door. But once she realizes I am home she bestows the same love. She gets bouts of diarrhea and I’m not sure what we will do when our daughters start college soon as she will be home all day by herself. We consider ourselves so blessed with her and she has had a good long healthy life. We will take it as it comes.

    • Cathy Bennett
      September 4, 2018

      Hello Janene, I am in awe of a 14 year old Goldendoodle. That is truly a blessing. You are to be commended as a pet parent. My Harley will be 10 this November and the thought of him reaching double digits frightens me sometimes so much I can’t breathe. Harley is my heart doodle – the very first dog I’ve ever owned and I was in my late 50’s when I brought him home.

  • Paula Landon
    April 12, 2019

    Paula
    Our Micky turned 14 last November. He is still very healthy and has no real health issues. No hearing or sight issue yet. He has definitely slowed down with some arthritis issues. Once he get going he runs around like a young pup again. We are going to try acupuncture next week. I think one of the best thing we have done for his overall health is my husband brushes he teeth everyday. He even has an electric toothbrush. He loves having it done and will even remind us that it’s time. He is a real love and pretty much runs our household. I hope this post give you hope that you could have your doodles for many more years.

    • Cathy Bennett
      July 23, 2019

      Thank you so much for sharing this Paula. I just came back from the vet – it was time for Harley’s physical. He’s doing great. The vet and I are on a great plan with diet and some exercise to try and keep him around for as long as his quality of life allows. He gets a great deal of activity with Jaxson around, and he’s still working at the hospital with me one or two days each week.