Does the Goldendoodle make a good hunting dog?

Does the Goldendoodle make a good hunting dog?

  Over the years, many people have contacted

me asking if the Goldendoodle would make a good hunting dog and my answer is yes and no.  Yes, because both the Standard Poodle and the Golden Retriever breed has been used for hunting and retrieving since both breeds have been known to exist.  No, if the owner leaves the Goldendoodle's coat long and full providing this hybrid is a curly coat or a shaggy coat.

Unlike the Standard Poodle,  a curly coat Goldendoodle's coat does not have tight curls.  The curls are more relaxed allowing briars, sticks and other particles to become entangled inside the coat.  This will also occur if the Goldendoodle is a shaggy coat.  I feel that the best coat type for hunting purposes would be the smooth coat Goldendoodle since the coat is very similar to the purebred Golden Retriever. 

Hunting is a very exciting hobby for many people across the world.  Taking a trained canine into the field for hunting purposes has gone on for centuries.  Originally,  hunting with one's dog was for survival purposes only.  Now it is simply a pleasurable sport and an activity someone can enjoy with their dog.

The Goldendoodle hybrid can make a wonderful companion in the field for gaming purposes providing its coat is kept trimmed short if not a smooth coat doodle.  Like the Standard Poodle and the purebred Golden Retriever,  the Goldendoodle hybrid has a keen sense of smell.  They enjoy the water and they enjoy retrieving.  Although there are many types of canine who also enjoy hunting and retrieving,  many people are unaware that the Standard Poodle was also used for retrieving and hunting centuries ago.

The Goldendoodle can easily be trained as a "gun" dog or a "bird" dog.  They are highly intelligent and eager to please.  They are also considered to be a soft mouthed canine.  It has been my personal experience since 1999,  that our own Goldendoodle puppies show an enjoyment for playing in the water at a very early age.  This may not be the case for other breeders,  but it is the case for our own doodle dogs.  The lineage of my Standard Poodles comes out of Bel Tor, Wycliffe, Dassin and Eaton lines.  The history of these ancestral lines dates back to the early 1930s with many of our Goldendoodles'  having master hunters and utility dogs for ancestors.  The instinct for hunting and retrieving comes natural for our particular Goldendoodles.

While some theorize that selecting a canine that has been genetically bred for  gaming and hunting activities is the ideal way to have a canine for these purposes, many breeds are used for these activities and the Goldendoodle is no exception.   The Goldendoodle hybrid can make not just a wonderful family companion,  but he or she can also  be trained to become an exceptional master hunter or utility dog.  This terrific hybrid is very versatile and easy to work with.  I have no doubt in my mind that should someone desire to include the Goldendoodle hybrid as a field companion,  that they will be thrilled to have this dog by their side.

*About the author:   Dee Gerrish has written about the Goldendoodle hybrid since 1999.  Dee is a founding breeder for the Goldendoodle dog and is one of the original goldendoodle breeders in the southern region region of the United States.  Dee Gerrish was the first breeder to register the Goldendoodle hybrid with a ligit kennel club in the United States.  More information about the Goldendoodle can be obtained at http://www.goldendoodleworld.com