How to Tell If You Have a Curly Goldendoodle Puppy [3 Steps To Determine The Perfect Hair Type]

Are you looking for a Goldendoodle puppy? You may want a Goldendoodle with a specific type of hair coat. There are many different coat types that can be – curly, wavy, or straight. When your dog is a puppy, it may be hard to tell curly goldendoodle.  This article will explain how to tell the coat type of Goldendoodle puppies and other things that you can do to make sure you are getting the hair type you want.

While this is not always a guaranteed way to tell what hair type your Goldendoodle will hold true most of the time.  Just like with anything, there is always an exception.

Nature work can work in mysterious ways, and there are really no guarantees when it comes to predicting what coat types your dog will have.  Even understanding whether Goldendoodles have hair or fur or whether they are hypoallergenic can be challenging. There are some subtle hints that you can follow to help guess the coat type of your new Goldendoodle.  

A Goldendoodle’s coat can change as they get older, just like people’s hair will drastically change as they age.  So, you cannot always go by what you see when your Goldendoodle is a puppy, as this may change as your dog ages.

Dr. Sara Ochoa, DVM

The Different Types Of Goldendoodle Coats

Your Golden doodle can have 3 different coat type or any mixture of the three.  Some dogs can actually have all 3 coat types. 

These are a description of the 3 common coat types seen in Goldendoodles:

Shaggy or wavy hair

Shaggy or Wavy coat is the most common hair type, and most popular hair type wanted in Goldendoodles. 

This coat is a mixture of the two parents. The curly Poodle mixed with a straight Golden Retriever makes a soft wavy or shaggy appearance in Goldendoodle puppies. 

This hair type is known as a teddy bear coat since they resemble a teddy bear.  This hair type will require regular brushing to keep them clean and tangle-free. 

The great thing about this hair coat is that it is usually little to no shedding making it great for people who have pet allergies.

These dogs are usually groomed, so they always resemble a teddy bear.  This can take some time and patients for your dog to learn to tolerate their grooming. 

There are many great products that you can use on your Goldendoodle’s hair to help keep it tangle-free and clean.

Curly Hair

Tight curly hair is very similar to the curly coats of Poodles.  The length of their fur and how tight the curls are will depend on the Goldendoodle’s parents.  Multigenerational goldendoodles are more likely to have this coat. It is closest to non shedding.

Some poodles will have curls that are very tight and close to the skin, but some will have loose barrel ringlets. 

If your Goldendoodle puppy has curls they will need regular grooming to keep them from becoming matted and their hair from taking over.  Some pet owners will have their Goldendoodle trimmed short to help avoid matting. 

This hair type is the second most popular but is very popular with people who have pet allergies. 

This hair sheds the least and is the most hypoallergenic of the three coat types. It’s the least likely to cause problems with people with pet allergies. 

Many people who never could have a dog because of their allergies have found it possible to have Goldendoodles with curly coats.  Curly Goldendoodles are the most sought after, but they take multiple goldendoodle generations to achieve.

If shedding matters to you, choose a reputable breeder. Hypoallergenic Goldendoodles are developed with extensive commitment to breeding dogs, including DNA testing, monitoring what genes each litter is liekly to inherit, and looking for just the right curly coats to breed to produce the curl people want without sacrificing temperament.

Straight Hair

A straight hair Goldendoodle closely resembles their Golden Retriever pet parent. The flat coat may have the furnishing gene, resulting in some whiskers around the muzzle area, but in general this dog’s coat type is much more like a golden.

This type of coat is very rarely seen when the parents are Poodles and Golden Retrievers, but when you bred two Goldendoodles’s this hair coat is commonly produced.  It’s more common when parent dogs are a poodle and retriever.

This hair type is probably the easiest coat to maintain and is a great choice for people who have very little time for the daily brushing the other two types require.

The downside to the straight coat is that they will shed.  They are also not able to achieve the famous teddy bear look. 

The teddy bear look is the reason that most of the dogs are sought after.  Although many people consider it an improper coat, the short coat with eyebrows can be very cute, and while there may be more dander, there will also be fewer knots.

The one thing that makes these dogs look very different than the other two hair types is that these coats usually do not grow a beard around their muzzle.  They will have a muzzle very similar to Goldens.

Mixed Hair Types

Some Goldendoodles can even have a mixed hair type.  They may have tight curls around their face and long feathered hair on their legs.  Their bodies or ears may have wavy hair.  They often have a wavy or shaggy coat overall. Wavy coats look smoother, while a shaggy coat gives a goldendoodle’s hair a ragamuffin look.

With these two mixes, your Goldendoodle’s hair type can be a mixture of all 3 types on their body.  These types can require lots of upkeep, as each section will need a different type of grooming to keep them looking great.

On the other hand, these three coat types and the variations can create wavy or shaggy coats that are very cute. The smooth face paired with a curly coat collar is a lot of fun.

How To Tell What Type Of Coat Your Goldendoodle Will Have

There are 3 different steps you can do to help you determine what coat type your Goldendoodle will have.

Look At The Fur Around Their Mouth

When trying to determine the different hair coats that your Goldendoodle puppy may have, first start by looking at the hair around the muzzle and face. 

This will help tell you what kind of hair your dog may have.  Curly coated dogs will often have lots of curls on their mustache and beard.  Shaggy and wavy hair coats will have straight hair on the muzzle and have what you would think of as a beard on a dog. 

Goldendoodles who have straight hair will have short hair on their muzzle and no beard.  

Dr. Sarah Ochoa, DVM

When your puppy is firstborn, and as they are growing, it can be very hard to tell what coat type your puppy may have. 

At first, they may all be very similar.  Usually, the facial hair can clue you into what type of coat your puppy will have.  Just like us, Goldendoodle’s hair can even change from one type to another.

Considering Their Genetics

Genetics plays a big factor in the hair type and hair color of all dogs.  When trying to get a certain coat type for your Goldendoodle, look at their parents, and even grandparents coat types.

The genes that are expressed their will help indicate what type of coat yours will have.

How Goldendoodles Get Their Coats

Goldendoodles are made by breeding a purebred poodle and a purebred golden retriever. Their offspring are Goldendoodles.  These Goldendoodles can then be bred to make more Goldendoodles. 

Also, a Goldendoodle can be mixed with another poodle or Golden Retriever.  Depending on what mix you use will cause varying differences in their hair coats.  

No matter what mix you can usually make three different coat types.  Your Goldendoodle’s hair may be shaggy, wavy, curly, or straight.  Coat length, furnishings, and non-curl gene that results in a flat coat all depend on the poodle parent and golden retriever parent and what kind of coat genes they had.

How Breeding Affects Coat Type

When looking for a specific coat type, you can look at how your Goldendoodle was bred. 

When trying to understand the breeding of a Goldendoodle, you may think that you will need to take a little lesson in genetics to help you.  This is very easily explained below.

By understanding these different ways of breeding, can help you understand what will cause your Goldendoodles to have a certain hair type.  These are the common crosses used to make Goldendoodles.

First Generation Crosses F1

A First generation cross Goldendoodle was made by crossing a full-blooded Poodle with a full-blooded Golden Retriever.  This makes an F1. 

These dogs tend to have wavy or curly hair.  After you complete this first cross, there are many different options for producing more Goldendoodles.  This may be the most popular type of Goldendoodle. 

These dogs are 50% Poodle and 50% Golden Retriever.  This means that your dog will have a split between the traits of these two dogs.

Breeding F1 Goldendoodles

After you have two F1 Goldendoodles, you can then cross these Goldendoodles 3 different ways. 

Each of these different ways will cause the Goldendoodle’s coat to look totally different. These different crosses are known as F2 or second-generation crosses.

Breeding Two Goldendoodles Together

When you cross two F1 , you will produce more Goldendoodles.

These are considered second-generation Goldendoodles or F2. Even though these dogs are still considered 50% Poodle and 50% Golden Retrievers, these dogs tend to look more like a Golden Retriever with shorter hair. 

These tend to shed more but nowhere near as much as Golden Retriever’s shed.

Breeding a Goldendoodle with a Poodle

Another way to make a Goldendoodles is to breed an F1 Goldendoodle with a full-blooded Poodle. These are called F1B. This is done to bring out more of the poodle traits in the Goldendoodle.

These dogs will usually have more tight curly fur since they are 75% poodle and 25% Golden Retriever. If you want a Goldendoodle with a coat very similar to a poodle, this is a great breeding that you will want to look for. 

These dogs are also very low to non-shedding and usually allergy-free.

Breeding a Goldendoodle with a Golden Retriever

When a Goldendoodle is bread with a Golden Retriever, you will also get an F1B Goldendoodle. 

This dog will be more like a Golden Retriever with less curly hair.  These dogs will be 75% Golden Retriever and 25% Poodle.  Since this dog will have more of the traits of a Golden Retriever, they will also shed more. 

This cross is not ideal if you have pet-related allergies.  This is not a very popular cross as the reasons most people buy a Goldendoodle is for the non-shedding and low allergen dog.

Get An Older Goldendoodle

While most people want to get their Goldendoodle when they are younger, there are many older Goldendoodles that also need a great loving home. Many breeders will offer older dogs at a discount too.

This is the easiest way to get the coat type that you want since they have already lost their puppy coats and have developed the adult coat.

The Importance Of Grooming Goldendoodles

No matter what coat type your Goldendoodle has, they will need to be brushed and groomed. 

Curly and wavy hair will need way more attention than straighter hair Goldendoodles.  Many people have their Goldendoodles professionally groomed to keep them looking pretty.

Even though they are getting groomed often, they will need baths in between the grooming visits.

Some people will learn how to groom their dogs themselves, as this can increase the bonding experience between you and your Goldendoodle.

Not only will your Goldendoodle need their hair trimmed, but they will also need their nail trimmed, ears cleaned, and eyes cleaned. 

Sometimes these can be a hassle to do every 6 to 8 weeks that people will schedule regular grooming visits to make sure that their Goldendoodle is kept looking its best.

Goldendoodle Coat FAQs

Will My Goldendoodle’s Coat’s Color Change As They Age?

Most people think that this is very easy to determine that their dog will be the same color that they are when they are born. 

As your puppy is growing and hair type possibly changing, so can their coat color. This will not be a drastic change, but usually, your puppy’s hair color will fade or even get darker. 

Your chocolate Goldendoodle puppy may fade to a Parchment color as they get older.

There are many different colors that your Goldendoodle may come in. 

These are the 10 different colors seen in Goldendoodles:

• Chalk (white)
• Cream (gold)
• Apricot
• Red
• Café
• Lavender
• Parchment
• Black
• Chocolate
• Sliver

These colors can also be a combination of colors.  It is very common to see a dark-colored dog with some white hair sprinkles throughout or even large patches of fur on their arms or legs. 

The most common color is Apricot, with cream being second place and red third place. 

A chocolate-colored F1 Goldendoodle is very rare also is a tri-colored Goldendoodles. 

The more rare the color and coat type is, the more expensive the dog is.  

It is very common for a lavender dog to be chocolate when they are a puppy and slowly fade to a lavender color as they age. 

It is not until they are fully grown that you will know if your chocolate Goldendoodle will be chocolate or lavender.

Do Goldendoodles Have Double Coats?

Yes, Goldendoodles have a very thick double coat.  A double coat means that there are two different hair types on your dog.

If you look very closely at your Goldendoodle’s fur, you will see a thick undercoat, usually of short hairs and a long coat on top.  If you ever see a dog that is very fluffy, they usually have a double coat. 

These double coats also mean you have to spend double the amount of time with grooming.

This double coat is very susceptible to matting and getting dirty.  Once this double coat gets dirty, it can be very difficult to get clean without a full bath. 

It is best always to brush your Goldendoodle each day to help prevent mats.  Some Goldendoodles can mat very easy requiring you to shave them to get their mats out. 

Many people will opt for a short haircut to help prevent mats and decrease the amount of hair maintained that you have to do. 

When Do Goldendoodles Develop Their Adult Coats?

Your Goldendoodle can be up to 8 months old before their true coat type is shown. Most Goldendoodles, you can get a good guess at around 4 months, but these pups are growing and changing that even their hair type can change. 

Most of these dogs will have their adult hair coat between 6 to 8 months, and then you can for sure be able to tell what type of adult coat your dog will have.  Most people get their dogs around 8 to 12 weeks, sometimes before then. 

While the coat type that they have then will be very close to what their hair will look like as an adult, it can always change as they grow.

Final Thoughts

Looking at your dog’s muzzle can help determine what type of hair coat that they have but is not always perfect.  The Golden Retriever Association has advise on how to pick the hair type you’re looking for as well.

You can also ask about what the parents look like and follow their breeding linage to see what they may look the most like.  When looking for a dog, it is best to let the puppy’s personality be the best guide instead of what it looks like. 

This way, you will end up with a puppy that you share a special bond with.  This will make sure that you end up with a great puppy that you will love.

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