Can a Goldendoodle Be Mean?
Families who want to choose a new dog to bring home will have a lot of options available to make this an easier transition to work with.
One breed that is gaining in popularity though is the Goldendoodle. This dog is easy to train, has a lot of intelligence, and seems to be a good friend to anyone who is willing to play with them.
With this in mind though, you may wonder whether the Goldendoodle is able to be mean.
Can a Goldendoodle Be Mean?
Goldendoodles are generally not known for their aggression. They are one of the most loving breeds of dog, making them one of the best family dogs, even with small children. Aggression is usually due to specific circumstances that make them scared. Goldendoodles are often friendly and will give you all the love and loyalty that you need.
Let’s take a closer look at the Goldendoodle and why this is a happy and friendly dog that you are sure to love and why they are not generally seen as mean dogs.
It is possible for any type of dog to become aggressive. If they are abused or neglected and harmed, they are more likely to feel aggressive and mean to everyone around them.
With some patience and kindness, this is something that you can work on with the dog and help them overcome.
Naturally, though, the Goldendoodle is not a mean dog at all. In fact, they are so beloved because of the fact that they are friendly and loyal and have a very happy disposition around others.
Since the Goldendoodle is a mixture of the Poodle and the Golden Retriever, both of whom are friendly dogs that like to be around people, you usually will not have to worry too much about them being aggressive or mean.
These dogs do well with their owners, with children, and even with strangers. Give them some praise, a nice treat, or play with them and the Goldendoodle will want to be your best friend forever.
What Can Cause My Goldendoodle to Be Mean?
While it is uncommon for a Goldendoodle to be mean or aggressive, there are times when this dog is going to be a bit more aggressive than they should.
Aggression can come for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is breed-related, but since the Goldendoodle is not an aggressive breed, it is often something else that will cause these problems.
With the Goldendoodle, who is known to be a calm and good-natured dog, there is often a specific cause or reason why they are so aggressive.
Some of these reasons may include:
Fear
This is a common reason why the Goldendoodle is struggling with aggression. If the dog is in constant fear, the aggression may be one of their ways to help express themselves a bit.
Pain or illness
Although this is really an indirect thing, this type of aggression will happen when the dog is trying to protect themselves or when they are angry due to all of the pain.
Frustration
This is an aggression that stems from the dog being more frustrated because they are not able to get, have, or do. Helping them get through the aggression will make a world of difference.
Protective
This dog is not necessarily known as a watchdog compared to some of the others, but they are very protective to their possessions, home, and family. If they feel that this is threatened, they may become aggressive a little bit too.
Leash aggression
A dog that has not been trained on the leash may show some aggression if you put them on the leash and expect them to behave.
Social aggression
This aggression type is going to happen when the dog is in a social situation with other dogs and people and are not familiar with that.
Anxiety
This aggression will show up with your Goldendoodle when they are anxious about a situation or a person.
Possession or resource guarding
With this aggression, the dog is going to work to guard what they think is their property. The property can be anything like a toy, a dog treat, food, or even their favorite person.
The good news is that most of these forms of aggression can be handled with some proper training along the way.
Teaching them how to work on the leash, for example, can cut down on aggression. If pain or an illness may be the main culprit, then it is time to take the dog to the vet to give them a break and make them feel better without the pain.
Recognizing the different signs in your Goldendoodle is a great way to fix the problem and get them feeling better in no time.
Can I Reduce the Likelihood That My Goldendoodle Will Be Mean?
There are some steps that the dog owner will be able to take to help prevent their Goldendoodle from being mean or aggressive.
Dogs are going to show their aggression in different ways and sometimes for different reasons.
Often, being able to recognize some of the signs that the dog is aggressive, or that they are about to become aggressive, can make it easier for you to nip the problem in the bud and prevent it from getting out of hand.
Some of the signs that you should look for that show whether the Goldendoodle is about to become aggressive or not can include biting, eye aversion, lunging, ears tucked back, snarling.
Dog owners will find that training and the right socialization can make a difference in reducing how often their dog is aggressive around other people, no matter what the reason is that the dog is showing this aggression.
A good place to start is to get rid of or avoid any situations that can increase the aggression.
When the dog is not in a situation that will make them aggressive, this is less likely to be an issue around your home. If the dog starts to show some aggression when you go to the dog park, for example, do not try to push this situation.
It is best to take them back to the car and give them time to calm down. If that does not happen, then you can take the dog back home.
If you can get the dog to calm down, you can praise them and then try it again until they get more comfortable there.
It is often about the training and the socialization for your dog. If they are around other people and other dogs often and are given the proper training, then the issues with aggression are not going to be as big of a deal.
They will have less anxiety when they are around other people or other animals and can run around and play. If you are uncertain what steps to take to help train and socialize your Goldendoodle well, there are often training specialists who will be able to work with you through this too.
Why Is My Goldendoodle Growling?
One of the signs of aggression that you may notice with your Goldendoodle is they are growling at something.
However, there are different reasons why the Goldendoodle is growling as it is one of the many ways they try to communicate with you.
While fear is one of the most common reasons for growling, they may also growl to express their pain or to show some territorial aggression.
Some even growl a bit when they are trying to play.
Pay attention to the situation that is going on when the dog chooses to growl. If they seem like they are tense and upset at the same time, this may be their way of communicating that something is not right.
Looking at the reasons for this tension and anxiety is a great place to start and can help them calm down. Depending on the exact reason they are feeling this way, it may be time for you to do some training and see what you can do to eliminate some of the issues along the way.
With the right training, the growling is less likely to happen and your dog will feel much more comfortable and happier than before.
Keeping Your Goldendoodle Happy
The good news is that the Goldendoodle is a very happy and loyal dog. They like to play and give off as much affection as possible all day long.
It is very rare that you will need to worry about a Goldendoodle being aggressive or mean and you are more likely to need to worry about them giving out too much love to the members of your family.
With the right training and socialization, you will find that the Goldendoodle has a lot of desirable characteristics that you are sure to love.