When Do Goldendoodles Calm Down? A Complete Guide With Pro Tips

Goldendoodles are known for being energetic and playful dogs. They are always ready for a game of fetch or to run around the yard.

But sometimes they can also be a bit too much, and they are almost always too easily excitable. This makes many people wonder if these dogs ever calm down, or if they stay like this forever.

So, when do Goldendoodles calm down? Goldendoodles calm down when they are 12-18 months of age as they start to transition from puppyhood to adulthood. However, Most Goldendoodles will stay relatively energetic for the following few years in their life.

So while your Goldendoodle will actually calm down as they get older, they will stay relatively energetic when compared to most other dog breeds.

However, there are things you can do to help your Goldendoodle become calmer and quieter (without crushing their fun spirit), so let’s discuss how do Goldendoodles behavior changes as they grow and what you can do to help them calm down.

Are Goldendoodles Hyper?

goldendoodle playing with a rope toy to explain when do goldendoodles calm down

Goldendoodles are not hyper, but they are playful and energetic dogs. They actually have average exercise needs, but they are easily excitable since they are incredibly social and playful dogs.

They could be a really lively ball of energy, especially in the early days of their puppyhood. Both the Poodle and the Golden Retriever are high-energy breeds developed for hard work and sports, so it should not be much of a surprise that their offspring is as energetic as they are.

However, as long as they get enough exercise and have lots to do, it shouldn’t be a problem, and later in the article, we are going to discuss a bit more about how to calm down even the hyper dog.

If you think your Goldendoodle is hyper, they probably are just too young and have plenty of energy, which is probably a sign that they need more exercise.

Let’s now discuss the behavioral stages of your Goldendoodle as they grow so you can know what to expect at every stage:

Goldendoodles Behavior Stages (by age)

All dogs, including Goldendoodles, must progress three stages during their lives, and while the general activity level is close in most dogs of the same breed in the same age bracket, some dogs are just more energetic than others.

In the case of Goldendoodles; they go through their growth stages at the following rate:

Puppyhood stage: High energy levels all the time, followed by rest naps. Birth to 18 months of age.
Adult Stage: Still relatively high energy but gets calmer with age. Goldendoodles start to transition into adulthood when they are 12-18 months of age and will start becoming seniors at 7 years.
Senior Stage: Low energy, more restful dogs. Starts at 7-8 years (Goldendoodles live 10 to 15 years)

Goldendoodles, like most dogs, spend most of their lives in the adulthood phase, and while adult Goldendoodles are still relatively energetic dogs, the most energetic phase is their puppyhood, without a doubt.

You should also know that the transition in their behavior will be gradual, so it’s not like you wake up at their 12-months-old mark and they are suddenly calm. Getting to calm down is also a process of training them as much as it is a process of aging, so you will need to play your part, which we will get to later.

Do Goldendoodles calm down?

Goldendoodles, like all dogs, do calm down with age. Goldendoodles will calm down as they turn from puppies into adults, and with proper socialization and training, your Goldendoodle should become calmer, quieter, and gentler.

However, you should know that Goldendoodles will stay relatively energetic, and if you feel that yourdog is becoming lazy or lethargic, it could be a sign of a health problem, so you will need to check in with your vet to make sure nothing is wrong with your dog.

At what age do Goldendoodles calm down?

Goldendoodles start to calm down at around the 12 months mark, but the transition from puppyhood to adulthood can take a few years, so your Goldendoodle will start to calm down indeed but he will do so slowly.

Almost all dogs, whatever their breeds, go through their energetic puppyhood phase for the first year to 18 months of their lives and then start to calm down slowly. Some dogs start to calm down before others even when they are of the same sex and breed, as the dog’s personality can have an effect on how energetic they are.

7 Ways to help your Goldendoodle Calm down

Now that you know when to expect your Goldendoodle to calm down, let’s discuss some of the things that can help them calm down a bit more quickly.

Get enough exercise

Goldendoodles need around two hours of exercise per day as they are pretty energetic dogs, and the bare minimum you can do 20-30 minutes of moderate to intense exercise every day. A daily walk (or two) of 30-60 minutes every day is recommended.

It’s important to know that these are guidelines, not hard and fast rules, so if you take your dog for 60 minutes of exercise in the morning and find them still overly energetic in the afternoon, a night walk may be needed to burn off this excess energy.

If you can take them for a walk to a dog park or the beach of basically anywhere that you can let them loose and they can run around freely off-leash, that would be better as you would not need to keep up with their running.

Try out new activities

Although dogs like routines, they also appreciate new activities. If walking doesn’t seem to be doing the needed work for your Goldendoodle, maybe it’s time to change things up. Try games like fetch with them as a form of training, if you have access to a pool then maybe swimming could be a great change of pace.

You could also organize playdates or take your dog to parks where they can roam free and play with other dogs. You can also take them hiking, camping, or to the beach. A change of scenery and routine can do you and your dog some good.

Get them toys

Toys can be helpful in making your dog “exercise himself”, sort of. Consider investing in some specialized toys that can keep them busy. One such example would chew toys that can help them relieve stress and reduce barking. It’s also much better for them to chew the toy instead of your shoes and furniture, right?

Tennis balls, flavored toys, ropes, puzzles, and squeaky toys can be great, too. You may also need to do some experimentation as your dog may turn out to be a bit picky and will not fall in love with every toy.

I have found out in my own experience that toys that make sounds, like squeaky toys, are a favorite of my dogs’ and many of my friends’ dogs as well, but if you live in a small house, you need to make your peace with the noise before you get them.

One helpful tip that I always use is that I hide most of the toys and only give them a select few. Once they get bored of the toys I’ve given them, I take them away and replace them with a few of the hidden toys. I do this every few days to every few weeks to keep things fresh and every time they are as surprised by the old toys as if they are new toys. This simple tip of “recycling” the toys can save you a ton of money.

You can also save a ton of money by choosing quality toys, and you can learn about this more in our guide to dog toys here.

Obedience Classes help

If your Goldendoodle doesn’t seem to be calming down, maybe it’s time to sign them up for some obedience classes. Obedience classes can help your dog become calmer and more discipline and will reduce their hyper tendencies.

You will also be able to train them on commands like “sit” and “stay” which can help you make them calm down on command when needed, but we don’t recommend relying on these commands too much to calm down your dog so they don’t fire back as your dog may, at times, have too much energy to obey your command and this will means you need to do more training to reinforce these commands

Scent training or Nose Work

Nose work or scent training can do wonders for your Goldendoodle’s behavior. It can help with their lack of concentration and their inability to focus, which is more common in Goldendoodles than we like to admit.

Thankfully, Nose work is simple and effective, and Goldendoodles love it. It’s also quite energy-consuming and your dog will be exhausted after you are done. It’s also easy to do indoors.

Here is an example of how it can be done:

Play hide and seek with a food treat. These treats are going to be referred to as “hides”
You can use hiding places like cardboard boxes to begin with, and then spread out to other hides around your home.
Find the places to hide the treats that are going to be tricky for your dog so they can exert more effort, and with time, you can make it more and more difficult.
Good examples of food treats include liver snacks, grated cheese, cacpscium, and even doritos chips.
Start off easy with hiding spots they can find quickly and without much effort.
When they find a hide, reward them with an extra set of treats.
As time goes by and they start getting better, start making it more difficult.
Reduce the number of total hides around the house but spread them out more, so your dog has to work harder to find them.

This may seem like a pretty simple exercise, but keep in mind that the sniffing and searching is mentally and physically draining to dogs, so by the time they are done finding all the treats, they are going to be exhausted.

Frozen Treats

You can hide frozen treats inside your dog’s toys. This will make the dog work harder on eating the treats and it will last a lot longer. This will also save you money and it will make your dog enjoy the treat more.

Relaxing Music

Some dogs respond well to relaxing, calm music like classical symphonies, so consider playing some Mozart or Bach to your dog and see if it helps them calm down.

To get better results, you should try this when your dog is already relaxed and calm, such as after a walk, to associate the music with the calm feelings, and then, after a few repeats, try to do it when they are somehow calm and quiet.

Design their environment.

We often think that we control our environments, but the truth is that more often than not, our environment has more impact on us than we imagine. Take a look at your dog’s environment and see what can you change to make it more relaxing.

For example, if their bed is placed in a heavy foot-traffic area of the house where they are constantly welcomed by people coming and going or children running around, maybe move it to a calmer spot in the house where there are fewer things to get excited about.

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with our best intentions in mind, we can sometimes do some things that go against what we want; which is for our dogs to become calmer.

Don’t leave them alone for too long

Goldendoodles are very social dogs that love nothing more than spending time with their families and their friends, so if you leave them alone at home while you spend your day at work, they are going to become bored, stressed, and anxious, and will almost always be hyperactive when they finally get to see you at the end of the day.

Hiring a dogsitter, leaving them at a doggy daycare, or even leaving them with a friend or a neighbor are all good options if there is no one to keep them company at home while you are at work. You can also learn about the other things you can do when you leave your dog alone at home here.

Don’t let them get bored

Even if you spend the day at home, your can still unintentionally lead your dog to become bored which will lead them to stress and anxiety. Changing the routines every once in a while can do your dog some good, and so does trying new things and going to new places.

Getting excited yourself

Dogs don’t understand our words, but they for sure feed off our vibe and energy. If you are happy, your dog is going to be happy, and if you are angry, they are going to be angry as well.

For example, If you start shouting on the phone, your dog will pick up on that and become irritated and angry themselves.

When interacting with your dog or being around him, you should try to keep your general attitude calm and relaxed, so use a firm but a calm tone of voice, move slowly, don’t engage with their overexcitement, and just give them the kind of vibe you want them to show.

Rewarding the behavior

Don’t reward your dog’s overexcitement or hyperactivity. You can do this without meaning to, for example, by asking them to calm down in a loud tone, you are actually encouraging their overexcitement.

When your dog is too excited, the best thing to do is to act calmly so they can start to calm down as well. Be patient as you wait for them to settle down before you interact with them, and in some cases, you may need to ignore them completely so they understand that their overexcitement will not be rewarded with attention.

Punishing the dog

You should never yell or hit the dog for any reason, including them being hyperactive. Even if it’s in front of people and they are embarrassing you, it’s your responsibility to train them to calm down, and your dog should not be punished for being not-so-well-trained.

If you want to learn how to correct their behaviors, you must learn how to discipline them correctly, and you can learn how to discipline your dog the right way here.

What to do if your Goldendoodle just won’t chill

If you have tried all of these solutions and waited a few years and your Goldendoodle just doesn’t seem to be getting any calmer, it’s time to seek professional help. Find a dog trainer or a dog behaviorist that can get to the bottom of the problem and help you fix it.

Do Goldendoodles calm down after being neutered?

Most dogs, including Goldendoodles, will calm down after being neutered. They will usually start to calm down a few weeks to a few months after their surgery.

Conclusion

Goldendoodles are great dogs, but when they become hyperactive and overexcited it can be a little overwhelming for the owners. Most Goldendoodles will calm down as they get older, but some will also stay relatively energetic for the rest of their lives.

There are always things you can do to help them calm down, and if you start your training early and keep it consistent, you should have no problems with your Goldendoodle’s behavior.