Goldendoodle Lifespan – How To Extend Dog Life Expectancy

Regardless if you’re buying, adopting or have a goldendoodle. Any owner would wonder – what about goldendoodle lifespan? The good news is that not only your goldendoodle’s lifespan can be a long one but you can also learn how to extend dog life expectancy by doing a few simple things.

Goldendoodle Lifespan And How To Extend Dog Life Expectancy

Goldendoodles might not necessarily be an unusual pet but they are fairly new dog breed and also considered designer dogs. Therefore, that makes them pretty unusual in our opinion.

As a mixed breed of poodle and golden retriever, Goldendoodles are overall healthy and happy dogs with an average lifespan of 10 to 15 years.

Although, it can be difficult to tell which traits from the two breeds they can eventually inherit, there is the possibility of inherent health problems.

Your Goldendoodle lifespan, as any other creature, would depend on a combination of things such as:

  • Genetics – normal average expectancy, the normal lifespan of the dog’s direct ancestors
  • Health – injuries, predisposed health conditions, diet, exercise, etc

In addition to the above, there is also proof that the environment you’re raising your dog in, can affect their life expectancy. For instance, urban dogs can live longer than rural-kept dogs.

On one hand, urban dogs are exposed to things such as loud noises, low quality air, pollution and even less exercise. As on the other hand. rural-kept dogs could be exposed to more life-threatening conditions such as high chance of injury, poisons, wildlife, lack of supervision, etc.

Role Of Genetics In Goldendoodle Lifespan

Although, larger breed dogs normally have a shorter life expectancy than smaller breeds, some small or miniature cross breeds can end up having shorter lifespan.

The reason for that is, these dogs would be predisposed to more health problems due to their size and poor genetic match such as French bulldogs.

The good news is that your Goldendoodle lifespan wouldn’t be affected by similar health problems but as a mix breed, it has its breed’s inherited disease that can start appearing.

Therefore, there is the possibility of a shorter lifespan due to being predisposed to certain health problems such as cancer.

As time passes, your Goldendoodle will naturally age, and eventually the their life will come to an end. Although, this is the normal aging process, keep reading to learn how to extend dog life expectancy.

Overall, by providing a quality life, you would also be improving your Goldendoodle lifespan.

Average Lifespan of a Goldendoodle

The average Goldendoodle lifespan is 10 to 15 years. In some rare cases they can live all the way through to 18 years. The mentioned average comes from the two mixed breeds that make up Goldendoodle.

  • Golden Retriever has an average lifespan of 10 to 12 years
  • Although, Poodles come in a different sizes, their average lifespan is 10 to 18 years

Overall, how long your Goldendoodle lives depends on various factors and maybe some luck!

Hybrid crosses like the Goldendoodle have different sub breeds and each sub breed has different average lifespan. Check out the following Goldendoodle breeds:

Sub Breed of GoldendoodleAverage LifespanFactors Affecting Lifespan
Goldendoodle10-15 Years
English Goldendoodle Lifespan10-15 Years 
American Goldendoodle Lifespan10-15 Years 
Mini Goldendoodle Lifespan12-15 YearsSize of the dog is smaller, therefore the lifespan is in the higher range
F1b Goldendoodle Lifespan10-16 YearsWhere the Poodle genetics are higher, the lifespan would also be in the higher ranges
Teacup Goldendoodle12-16 YearsThis breed’s lifespan varies depending on the third breed in the mix of the Goldendoodle

Overall, there are thing you can learn on how to extend your dog life expectancy and provide it with a long and happy life.

How To Extend Dog Life Expectancy

The following are factors that can affect your goldendoodle lifespan:

  1. Exercise
  2. Diet and Nutrition
  3. Weight Management
  4. Enrichment
  5. Inheritable Health Problems such as gum disease and more

Exercise Could Be The Key To Long Life

Exercise is essential to your Goldendoodles’ health and well-being. Even the smallest Goldendoodles require exercise to stay healthy.

Providing your dog with exercise has many health benefits such as:

  • Burning off calories
  • Heart health
  • Bone Health

By keeping your dog active and providing them with plenty of exercise, you’d be adding time to your Goldendoodle lifespan. Goldendoodles who get enough exercise will live longer.

Goldendoodles are energetic and playful dogs that love to exercise and be active. If you are an active person, Goldendoodle is the perfect fit for you. With that said, besides the regular walks, your Goldendoodle would enjoy hikes, runs, swims and all type of adventures.

A Goldendoodle that is lazy or lethargic is a rare thing – and there is usually a cause that needs to be remedied.

Diet and Nutrition

Another important factor that can influence a Goldendoodle’s lifespan is diet and nutrition. Providing your dog with a well-balanced, quality diet throughout their life can boost your Goldendoodle’s health and longevity.

Unfortunately, Poodles are prone to pancreatitis and by being part of the breed mix, it means your Goldendoodle might have the same tendencies. Therefore, you should avoid feeding them leftovers as fatty foods can lead to this disease.

Learn more about Goldendoodle diet and nutrition here Goldendoodle Diet – How To Pick The Best Food

Weight Management

Weightmanagement is important part of your dog’s health. Unfortunately, over 50% of dogs in the USA are overweight. Furthermore, overweight dogs can develop further diseases and health problems that can lead to shorter life.

It’s always nice giving your dog treats but it’s important to not overdo it as treats should only make up 10% of your dog’s diet. Although, too many treats can lead to weight problems, there are low calorie options.

With that said, keeping your Goldendoodle weight under control will have a big influence on how long they live.

Enrichment

Happiness and enrichment are important to a pets life. If you want your Goldendoodle lifespan to be in the high range, you should ensure there is enough social and mental stimulation in their daily life.

Goldendoodles are very social dogs and therefore require long periods of interaction and playtime with their owners.

On the other hand, you can provide them with mental stimulation by teaching them new tricks and playing games with the with a treat as a reward.

Inherited Health Problems

As genetics can be unpredictable with mixed breeds such as Goldendoodle, you can either get the best of both breeds or your dog can develop genetic health problems. Furthermore, both breeds, Poodles and Golden Retrievers, come with a set of possible inheritable health problems.

The first thing you should do before getting a Goldendoodle is to select a reputable breeder who can provide you with a health history including health certifications. Ideally, you’d be able to see the dog’s parents, especially if you’re getting it as a puppy.

In the cases of inbred, when the breeder is trying to achieve a smaller size Goldendoodle, the dog might have a lifespan of 6 to 10 years on average.

However, if the breeder can provide you with test results showing negative proclivity to bone cancer, then your Goldendoodle should have an average lifespan of 15 to 17 years. Furthermore, this mean that your Goldendoodle hasn’t been inbred.

Overall, the most common inherited diseases that you should look out for and can affect your goldendoodle’s lifespan are the following:

  • Heart condition
  • Skin Disease
  • Hip Dysplasia
  • Addison Disease
  • Cataracts
  • For instance, golden retrievers are prone to several forms of cancer

Dental And Gum Disease

One of the diseases Goldendoodles are prone to developing is dental and gum disease. However, the good news is that you can prevent this by simply brushing your dog’s teeth.

Overall, teeth brushing can have a major influence on your Goldendoodle lifespan. As this is something that is often neglected by dog owners, if not done routinely, it can lead to teeth extractions which can be worsened by developing gum disease.

You can brush your Goldendoodle’s teeth by using a children’s tooth brush and special dog toothpaste.

Major contributors to your Goldendoodle’s quality and length of life, is avoiding dental diseases and managing any pain or inflammations if it develops.

Final Thoughts

Overall the average lifespan on a Goldendoodle is to 10 to 15 years. However, there are factors that can affect your dog’s longevity in a positive or a negative way.

The following is a list of factors that can shave off years of your Goldendoodle lifespan:

  • Inline breeding can lead to diseases such as bone cancer
  • Inherited health problems as a result of being a mixed breed
  • Not brushing their teeth
  • Poor diet and nutrition
  • Little or no exercise
  • Lack of enrichment and mental stimulation

Your goal as a pet owner, should always be to provide your Goldendoodle with the proper care. Moreover, this includes well-balanced diet, plenty of walks and exercise, vet care check-ups.

And let’s not forget, if you also add to that – plenty of interaction, mental stimulation and enrichment, then your Goldendoodle lifespan can even reach 18 years in some cases!

unusualpetsguide

My name is Iliyana and I'm a passionate animal lover and pet owner. As there is significantly less information online about unusual and exotic pets, I decided to found this website and recruit expert writers to help pet owners.

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