Are Goldendoodles Smart? A Deep Dive Into Goldendoodle IQ

Ask ANY dog owner, their dog is not only the cutest, but the smartest, best friend. We all know our dogs are well above average in intelligence but how smart are they really? Is your Goldendoodle really a smart dog? Let’s delve into this topic to see where the Goldendoodle ranks in intelligence. After all, when boasting on your dog’s brilliance, it doesn’t hurt to have a few facts to back it up!

Wondering if your doodle dog is among the smartest dog breeds? With parents breeds like the standard poodle and golden retriever, you can expect Goldendoodle dogs to have canine intelligence beyond average dogs, but just how smart are they?

How Intelligent are Goldendoodles?

Ask any fellow owner, if you begin the socialization process early with your pet, you will witness a great transformation from a friendly eager dog to one that captures your heart and your commands in no time. A dog is more attuned to his owner, and easier to train when he is socialized.

The Goldendoodle is a mix between a Poodle and a Golden Retriever, with their ranking 2^nd and 4^th respectively, in a clinical obedience trial conducted by Stanley Coren, The Intelligence of Dogs.

The study focused on the number of repetitions it took for a dog breed to learn a new command and the percentage that a dog breed can perform a known command, on the first try.

It was no surprise when these breeds were compared to dogs with average intelligence, the Poodle and Golden Retriever were twice as likely to get a command right the first attempt and were able to complete commands with less repetitions.

Consequently, Goldendoodles are just as intelligent – if not more.

How To Know If Your Dog Is Intelligent!

Although you cannot perform an IQ test on your dog there are some ways to determine if your pet is highly intelligent.

• Your dog can remember commands even when you become lax in your training.
• Your dog has great problem-solving skills, you can purchase dog puzzles that keep your dog entertained but they can also determine your dogs problem-solving ability. For a list of great puzzle toys for your Goldendoodle check out our article on 17 Toys Goldendoodles Actually Love!
• Your dog can determine when you need comforting when you are upset.
• Your dog has an uncanny ability to get your attention by rubbing against your hand to get their ears scratched, giving you a paw to get a handshake, and exposing their belly for their favorite tummy rub.
• Your dog initiates play with you, if your dog brings you a toy, they are encouraging you to play with them.
• Your dog can easily master new tricks with ease.
• Your dog easily recognizes their surroundings when traveling by spotting familiar landmarks or mannerisms you have on trips.

What Makes The Goldendoodle Smart?

What makes the Goldendoodle smart? Due to the Goldendoodles uncanny ability to communicate with their owners, they are extremely smart dogs. They can infer from our gestures what we are trying to tell them. Whether pointing to an object or following our human gaze, these dogs can decipher what we are telling them to do or retrieve.

They are great pets for families with infants and toddlers as they are intelligent enough to understand they are fragile family members requiring special care. Numerous Goldendoodle owners can attest to their dog displaying extra care when in the presence of small children. Goldendoodles develop into the best playmates for your children as they grow up.

There is nothing better than the gentle nudge of your dog’s nose against your elbow or when he carefully lays his head on your lap. How do they know it has been a bad day? You have probably witnessed your dog’s ability to understand your fluctuating emotions.

Goldendoodle Owners Find Their Goldendoodle Dogs are Extremely Intuitive

When I am happy or sad my fur baby is the first to react accordingly. Your Goldendoodle will be the first to celebrate with you when you are happy or comfort you when you are sad.

It’s not your imagination, smart dogs really do understand your moods and seek to comfort you when you’re sad. Your dog is cuddling you on purpose to make you feel better.

The combination of adaptive intelligence and instinctive intelligence that this hybrid is known for is part of why they were originally developed. Breeders wanted a trait makeup from the parent breeds like a hypoallergenic coat with low shedding and a dog who understood human emotions to be not only the best family dog, but effective service dogs.

These dogs are social and outgoing with an adept ability to communicate with humans. Ask any owner of a Goldendoodle and they will attest to their dog’s innate ability to communicate their ideas, desires, and fears. They are constantly finding new and creative ways to communicate with you.

The more you as the owner are willing to work with your dog on commands, it will allow your dog to communicate more effectively with you, by teaching them as many words and commands as possible.

Can Goldendoodles Be Easily Trained?

Can Goldendoodles be easily trained? Goldendoodles, with their kind demeanor and intelligent personalities, are easily trainable and outgoing family dogs. Due to their highly social manner, the Goldendoodle is typically a quick student, learning multiple commands with proficiency making them perfect pets for first-time dog owners.

The earlier an owner exposes their pet to socializing and training the easier the process will be for both of you.  Given the intelligence of the Goldendoodle, combined with their exuberance for interaction and desire to please, they will easily grasp what you expect them to in training.

Potty training your Goldendoodle should be started early, coupled with crate training, this process can be learned quickly as your puppy acquires the ability to control their bladder and bowels. Goldendoodles love to learn new things, even as they age, they are eager to learn new tricks and commands.

It is important to note that with all breeds every dog is different, regardless of how smart they are, or how much they want to please you, training times can vary. If attention is paid to socializing your puppy from birth to 4 months of age many issues, such a biting and housetraining, are easy behaviors to correct.

Socialize and Exercise to get the Most Intelligent Dog

Want your Goldendoodle’s intelligence to shine? These popular breeds are smart enough to be a service dog, but without mental and physical stimulation, they aren’t easily trained. Even the basic commands sit and down won’t register without training and stimulus.

Whether you want a circus dog or a therapy dog, get your pup out and about to develop a gentle temperament, calm around small children and other dogs, and working intelligence to succeed in obedience tests.

Socialization for puppies is crucial as they need to be exposed to a variety of people, situations, places, and items in order to become a well-socialized dog. Successful socialization of your puppy will create positive experiences impacting them for the rest of their lives.

It is important to remember these breeds are full of energy-requiring plenty of exercise in order to have the best training sessions. Taking a vigorous walk, playing, or a trip to the dog park, all of these are great ways to allow your dog to exercise off some of their energy in order to be able to focus on training.

Although a dog with lots of energy can learn something new, their mind may not be as engaged as required, for successful training. Remember the key for success is consistency in your training, by training every day, even if it is for a short period of time.

What Are Some Things Goldendoodles Do That Make Them Smart?

What are some things Goldendoodles do that make them smart? Goldendoodles learn quickly, obey commands consistently, and can learn human-type behaviors that make them smart. Their intelligence is not only a physical ability, but they are often emotionally attuned to their owner’s needs.  These dogs are known for being calm when required and recognize when the time is appropriate for being energetic and active.

Goldendoodles are perfect examples of dogs when given a puzzle toy, can quickly figure out the tricky toys super-fast, emphasizing their problem-solving skills are top-notch.

The Goldendoodles ability to remember a command after one session is a key indicator of their highly intelligent nature. Many Goldendoodles have been known to be great escape artist, they can manipulate their crate’s door lock, turn the handle and open the door, or figure out how to lift a gate handle.

Due to the combination of the Poodle’s intelligence and the Golden Retriever’s loyalty and obedience, these dogs are known for their ability to be great service animals.

Many are trained to provide support for individuals with balance issues, responding to seizures, and relieving stress. This combination allows your dog to be a wonderful companion for blind people, people in nursing homes, elderly hospice residents, and hospital patients to name a few. The loving nature of these dogs makes them ideal therapy dogs for those needing affection and comfort.

To learn more about Goldendoodles being service dogs check out our article by Angela, Can Goldendoodles Be Service Dogs?

These outgoing dogs won’t be a good guard dog, but they do have personality traits that make them easily trained. Keep in mind that this mixed breed dog doesn’t always have predictable traits, but most dogs enjoy learning.

In Conclusion

Goldendoodles are highly intelligent dogs suited to all sorts of households. Goldendoodles will understand your request, respond well to training and commands, and clearly exhibit problem-solving characteristics.

It is important to keep your Goldendoodle in a stimulating environment, both emotionally and physically. A Goldendoodle that is constantly trained is a happier pet.

This breed has the intuitive nature allowing them to recognize the need for gentleness when around infants and toddlers. Their loving, protective nature will go in full force when small children are near.

Their easygoing, friendly personality coupled with high intelligence makes this breed easy to train, and a joy to own. The best part of owning a dog, no matter the breed, is knowing All dogs can learn and love unconditionally. As a dog owner, that is what truly matters!

Related Content You May Find Interesting

Here are some more articles that may be of interest to you if you’re training a Goldendoodle.

• Goldendoodles are highly intelligent dogs because they are a mix between Poodles and Golden Retrievers, which are both smart breeds.
• In a clinical obedience trial conducted by Stanley Coren, Poodles and Golden Retrievers ranked second and fourth, respectively, in terms of intelligence.
• Goldendoodles are just as intelligent, if not more so.
• Ways to determine if a dog is highly intelligent include their ability to remember commands, problem-solving skills, ability to initiate play, recognize surroundings, and understand human gestures.
• Goldendoodles are smart because of their ability to communicate with their owners and understand their needs.
• They are great pets for families with infants and toddlers because they are intelligent enough to understand they need special care.
• Goldendoodles are easily trainable and outgoing family dogs.
• The earlier an owner starts socializing and training their Goldendoodle, the easier it will be.