Do Goldendoodles Like to Cuddle? Do They Like Attention?

Man’s best friend! That’s how the dog has been known since time immemorial. We want to find out how much truth is in that phrase and how much affection comes with the bond that man and his dog can form. Join us in investigating how much your Goldendoodle enjoys displaying his affection through cuddles and discovering how much attention they really need.

Goldendoodles love to cuddle. They like nothing more than clambering onto your knee, nestling their head under your arm, and settling down for a good old embrace. Goldendoodles love their people and they want to show them how much. They also want you to show them you feel the same.

Poodle Temperament

First let’s take a brief look at the parent breeds that make up the Goldendoodle, one of the most popular and better-known Doodle mixes, starting with the Poodle. Poodles come in three or four sizes depending on where in the world you are and the registering body, Toy, Miniature, Moyen, and Standard. The only difference should be the size – the temperament is pretty much the same although generally, the Standard (which is the original) is slightly calmer than that of his smaller cousins.

There is a huge misconception surrounding Poodles that they are sissy and not ‘real ‘dogs but nothing could be further from the truth. The Poodle is actually one of the most intelligent and trainable dogs of all, second only in terms of being smart to the Border Collie. He is also an athlete with an elegant springy gait and excels in obedience and agility competitions as well as in the show ring. The Poodle is a thinker and responds very well to training, he needs a job to keep him occupied and happy. However, he is a sensitive dog and needs to be trained using positive reinforcement methods.

The Poodle does like the sound of his own voice and makes an excellent watchdog, he will alert you of anyone approaching long before you hear them. Some Poodles are also protective although they should never be aggressive.

Poodles are ‘people’ dogs and need a lot of human companionship. They are known to suffer from separation anxiety. For this reason, they do not make good ‘yard’ dogs and are unsuited to be left home alone for long periods.

The Poodle is a natural clown and will soon work out what sort of things get a laugh out of ‘his people’. One thing is for sure, things are never dull with a Poodle around.

Golden Retriever Temperament

The Golden Retriever is another intelligent and trainable breed. Bred to work alongside humans in their role as a gundog. As you would expect from a working breed, they are packed full of energy and have lots of stamina which means they do need plenty of exercise. The Golden is easy to train so combined with a tolerant and loyal attitude means they are an excellent choice for an active family.

The Golden Retriever is a breed that is slow to mature and do tend to keep puppy tendencies well into adulthood which means they do like to chew and if left to become bored can be destructive. They are not good usually good watchdogs as they view strangers as friends they have not met yet. So, rather than protecting your home from intruders, the Golden is likely to invite the intruder in for a game of fetch or a tummy rub!

Golden Retrievers usually get along with other dogs, cats, and livestock. They thrive on being part of their owner’s day to day life. Known for being calm and kind (once out of the puppy stage) Golden Retrievers are a popular choice as Guide dogs and assistance dogs.

Goldendoodle Temperament

As you would imagine having read about both of his parent breeds, the Goldendoodle is a friendly, intelligent, and affectionate dog. He is also energetic, loving, and highly trainable. Most Goldendoodles are very sociable (which means he will need training if he’s not to run up to and enthusiastically greet everyone he sees whether they want to be greeted or not) and, like his Poodle parent, a bit of a clown.

The Goldendoodle is active and fairly high energy which means he will need a good amount of exercise every day. A walk to the shops on the lead is not enough for a Goldendoodle, he needs to run off-leash daily for both his mental and physical wellbeing.  As a highly intelligent and easy to train dog, the Goldendoodle is a great companion and bonds closely with his family or ‘person’. They are naturally kind around children but as they can be large and bouncy, they do need to be trained not to jump up or be too over the top.

Keeping in mind the Poodle and the Golden Retriever temperament, it stands to reason that the Goldendoodle does not do well left alone for long periods and is known to suffer from separation anxiety. For this reason, he does need to be taught to be left alone for short periods or he may become distressed and noisy or destructive. He is not an ideal choice for families that are out of the house for long periods. As one of the friendliest dog breeds or mixes, he is not known to be an ideal guard or watchdog although he will often bark and alert you to someone approaching his home although this is more likely to be an excited rather than aggressive bark.

If you choose a Goldendoodle as your doggy companion you will probably never do anything alone again – including going to the bathroom! I often joke that as an owner of 3 Goldendoodles, I could never hide as wherever I go, they go and 3 Doodles standing outside the bathroom door is sure to give the game away.

How Do You Know When Your Goldendoodle Wants to Cuddle?

This is question is commonly asked by new potential Goldendoodle owners, especially those with children. So how do you know when your Doodle wants a snuggle or when he wants some ‘me’ time?

Whilst all dogs are different, and you will come to know and understand your own canine companions’ language, there are a few dead give away signs. I have three Goldendoodles and so I will describe for you what each one does to get attention.

Arthur, my male Doodle, does what we call ‘creeping on us’. He will come and stand directly in front of his chosen snuggle buddy and rest his chin on your lap while staring into your eyes and wagging his tail gently. This means he wants to be invited onto the sofa (or wherever you are sitting) where he will snuggle up close to you for you to stroke and snuggle him while he falls asleep. This usually leads to him stretching right out, rolling onto his back with his legs in the air, and gradually taking up the whole sofa! He does not like to do this in bed however, preferring to sleep next to the bed with his legs up the wall. He will occasionally ask to hop onto the bed for a quick cuddle but never goes to sleep there.

Lucy, my oldest female Doodle, uses another method. She sits in front of you too but never touching. Looks at you with her best ‘smiley’ face and wags her tail frantically. She very rarely gets on the furniture (unless my adult daughter is sitting on the sofa) but she wants you to fuss and cuddle her, and tell her how beautiful she is. She also likes to be sung to and has her own favorite song.

Rosie, my younger female has a different method again. She doesn’t ask so much as demands or forces you to cuddle her by coming alongside you and literally pushing her head under your arm and closing her eyes. This is sometimes accompanied by a paw placed on your shoulder almost as though she is cuddling you back.

So, you see they all have their own methods, but each is easy to understand, and the meaning of the gesture made very clear.

The flip side of how to know when your Goldendoodle wants to cuddle is how to know when they want to be left alone; the answer is simple. Doodles are very people orientated and want to be with you as much as possible but like any of us, human or canine, they do need their own space sometimes. There is no mystery here.

Your Doodle will simply take himself off to his bed or quiet spot and flop down. Sometimes this is at your feet as he still wants to be close, other times he will find a cool spot or go to his own bed. It is important to recognize and respect his need for his own space and unless he is looking at you with tail thumping and inviting you to join him, leave him alone to rest and just admire his cuteness from afar. This is perhaps the opportunity to discreetly take some cute sleepy photos.

Where Is Best to Cuddle?

The best place to cuddle your Doodle is in your space rather than his. It is important that his space remains his space so that he knows he has somewhere to retire for some peace and quiet without worrying about human interruption. Whether you allow your dog onto your furniture is entirely up to you but remember you must be consistent.

In order to keep some boundaries and to make the difference between your space and his space clear, you should teach your dog from day one that he is allowed onto the sofa or bed strictly by invitation only. This is important as there will be times when it’s not convenient for you to have the dog on the furniture and it also keeps this as something special for your dog.

He will be extra happy when you invite him up for a snuggle rather than this just being something he is entitled to do at any time. If you are consistent and only ever allow him on when invited he will understand. If you allow him to jump on the furniture whenever he likes, when you have visitors or he is wet and muddy, and you tell him to get down he will be confused and unhappy. A dog who understands the rules is a secure dog and in turn, a secure dog is a happy dog.

Consequences of Not Giving Your Dog Enough Attention

So, what happens if you don’t give your dog enough attention? In short, he will be bored and lonely and a bored and lonely dog will find his own amusement. This may be in the form of barking and howling, chewing, and being destructive or becoming withdrawn and depressed. Like a child, a dog that craves attention will do anything to gain that attention and even ‘bad’ attention is better than being ignored. Even if his actions mean you will shout at him or chase him to retrieve something he has stolen, to him this is better than being ignored.

What Is an Acceptable Timescale to Leave Your Dog Alone? Is Caging a Good Idea?

There will be times that you will have to leave your dog alone regardless of your lifestyle. However, leaving a dog alone regularly for long periods is never a good thing. The absolute maximum I would ever recommend is four hours and even then, preferably not every day.

Before you leave your dog, you must make sure he is comfortable. By this I mean he should have had a good walk, have access to food and water, a comfy place to sleep, and some toys. I am a big believer in the ‘quiet goodbye’ and the ‘quiet hello’ which means not making a big fuss of your dog when you leave such as telling him ‘be a good boy, mommy won’t be long’ etc as to your dog, this is telling him there is a reason to be anxious.

Just make sure he is safe and comfortable, and quietly leave the house. When you return don’t make a huge fuss, simply come in, put your keys away, perhaps put the kettle on and then give him some loves and always allow him out to potty.

Caging or crating is another point to mention here. This is personal preference and something that works for some people and dogs but not for others. If your home is open plan, crating is a very good idea as you need somewhere safe to leave your dog where he can’t access anything that could be dangerous to him while he is unattended.

If you do use a crate it is important that the crate becomes your dogs’ den or safe place and is never ever used for punishment. The crate must be large enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and lie down stretched out. There must also be room for him to have his water bowl while you are away.

The other option (and the one I use) is a dog-proof room. A room where he is completely safe and can have a bed, toys, water, etc where you can leave him when you are out of the house. Some people will choose neither of these options and allow their dog the run of the house. This is also fine but make sure there is absolutely no way your dog can escape or harm himself whilst unsupervised.

Think of your dog in terms of a child. Are you sure there are no wires he could chew anywhere or that there is nothing he could knock over that could break and hurt him? If so, and you know your dog can be trusted not to get into mischief than this is an acceptable option. There are no hard and fast rules here. What works for one may not work for another. So long as your dog is safe and you are both happy, you will make your own rules.