Goldendoodles can eat bananas and love the sweet taste and texture. Bananas provide vitamins and nutrients and can be a great addition to your dogs daily eating routine as long as they are given in moderation. It is not recommended for them to eat the peel as this could cause problems.

Giving dogs treats other than what they normally eat may sound like a bad idea. However, there are some foods that dogs can eat that aren’t bad for them at all and even add additional health benefits.

Besides being a low calorie and low fat treat, bananas are loaded with healthy vitamins and can be beneficial to your dog. They are often a preferred choice to use as treats when compared to many commercially available treats that are high in sodium and fat.

Here are a few of the healthy vitamins and minerals that your Goldendoodle will get when they eat bananas.

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B6
• Fiber
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Protein

Note: although bananas provide lots of nutrients for both dogs and humans, you should make sure not to overfeed them to your dog. Bananas also contain a high amount of natural sugars and should only be given in moderation.

The best way to feed them to your dog is raw and natural. A simple peeled banana makes the perfect treat for your dog. However, there are a few other ways that your Goldendoodle can enjoy this delicious fruit.

Can dogs eat banana chips?

Banana chips are very simple to make and can also be purchased from nearly any grocery store. There are some things to watch out for if you intend to purchase them.

Make sure they have no added ingredients other than bananas. There should be no added sugar, salt or preservatives.

Some may have coconut oil added which should be fine. However, avoid those that contain natural flavors as this could mean nearly anything. Natural flavors are a concoction of flavors extracted from plants and animals so you never know exactly what it is.

As a best practice, it is always best to choose foods that have a minimal amount of ingredients so that you don’t have to worry about hidden dangers.

The best choice is to just make them at home yourself.

How to make healthy banana chips for your Goldendoodle

It’s easy enough to make banana chips that you should really never need to buy them. Bananas are cheap and all you need is a dehydrator or an oven and you can have healthy homemade banana chips.

If you do not have a dehydrator, here is the one that we use and recommend.

This dehydrator allows us to dehydrate all kinds of fruits and vegetables and to make healthy treats for our dog. Bananas are among our favorite and they happen to be one of the easiest as well.

You simply slice the bananas into thin slices and then place into your dehydrator and then run the dehydrator for six to eight hours. Of course, this will also depend upon the dehydrator you have and the thickness of the banana slices.

You’ll want to read the instructions for your dehydrator to make sure they turn out perfect. Most of them come with a recipe book to help you make all kinds of healthy treats.

If you do not want to use a dehydrator, you may also use a standard oven. You would want to set your oven to a lower temperature, around 220 degrees F and allow them to bake for 90 minutes or so until the desired crispiness is reached.

Tip: dipping your banana slices in lemon juice before adding them to your dehydrator or oven will help to reduce oxidation. This will result in bananas that don’t turn brown and will look nice and appetizing once complete.

We prefer our banana chips to be chewy but it’s totally up to you and your dog as to how you want your banana chips to turn out. The longer you dehydrate them, the crunchier they will get.

It may take a few times to get it right but your dog will be thankful for the work you put in.

For an extra treat for your dog, try dipping banana chips in peanut butter before giving them to your dog. Dog’s also love peanut butter and what goes better together than these two combined?

Learn more about feeding your dog peanut butter.

Can dogs eat banana peels

Although the fruit of the banana is a great treat for your dog, you should avoid giving banana peels to them. The peels are not toxic but your Goldendoodle may have a difficult time digesting the high fiber skins.

To be safe, it is recommended to treat bananas for your dog the same way you do for yourself. Humans generally peel the banana and only eat the sweet fruit that is contained inside. This is the same way you should do it for your dog.

Simply peel the banana and pinch off small pieces for your dog and you shouldn’t have any issues.

As a safety precaution, you should always consult your vet before feeding something to your dog that he or she has never eaten before.

Can dogs eat banana bread?

Banana bread is a staple dessert for many people in the world. I love the smell of fresh banana bread in our house and we know it’s always time to bake some banana bread once we notice the bananas getting a little too ripe.

However, banana bread is probably not a good idea for your dog. It generally contains high amounts of added sugar and other ingredients that dogs should avoid.

When we bake banana bread, we often put only a few ingredients in it including flour, almond milk, flaxseed, coconut oil, maple syrup and rolled oats.

While all of these ingredients are fine for our dog, we choose not to give her this. We would rather stick with all natural banana chips or just raw banana slices rather than take a chance on something in our ingredient list making her sick.

If your banana bread recipe has only a few ingredients in it and contains nothing harmful for your dog, like raisins, it probably won’t hurt to give a few pieces.

However, I wouldn’t suggest making a habit of it.

Note: raisins are toxic to your dog so never give your dog banana bread that contains raisins.

If you would like to give your dog something other than just plain bananas or banana chips, the recipe below should help get you started.

Healthy treat recipe using bananas

You can often find healthy treats that contain very few ingredients for your dogs. However, the healthier the treat, the more expensive it is liable to be.

It’s simple to make recipes on your own that your dog will love and you will know exactly what is in them. Listed below is our go-to favorite.

Banana & peanut butter dog treats

This recipe is one that we make often for our Goldendoodle and it can be found here: 3 ingredient banana dog treats

As the name of this recipe implies, it uses only 3 ingredients and all are very healthy options for your dog. They contain bananas, peanut butter and oat flour. We simply grind up our own rolled oats in the blender to make oat flour.

The good thing about simple healthy treats like these is that humans can eat them too although they may not be as tasty as they will be to your pup.

Since humans are used to more sugar and other unhealthy ingredients, they will probably be a bit bland.

Although they do take a little more work than simply picking them up at the store, they are healthier for your dog.

Bottom line

Bananas can be a healthy addition to your dog’s daily treat allowance. Be sure to only think of bananas as treats so as not to overfeed them.

Like any treat, they should only be given in moderation and make up only a small percentage of your dog’s daily calories.

If you have never tried giving your Goldendoodle a piece of banana before, give it a try. You’ll see real quick whether or not they like them. Our dog loved it the first time we gave her a piece and she has been eating them ever since.

I eat a banana each morning in my oatmeal and she always hears when I break a banana off from the bunch. She comes running because she knows she always get two small slices. She looks forward to it and I look forward to making her happy.

Simply start with small pieces and see how your dog reacts. Be sure to stop immediately if you notice any adverse reactions to them eating them.

Although this isn’t common, each dog is different so for this reason, you should always consult your vet first. They will be able to tell you for sure whether your dog is ok to eat bananas.

Goldendoodles are all the rage nowadays. It seems that everywhere you go, you see a teddy bear faced doodle of some kind. Why is this? Are they good dogs or is it just a trend that people have jumped on?

Why are Goldendoodles so popular?

Goldendoodles are so popular because they are great dogs. Most are hypoallergenic, and can be great for people with allergies. They also make great family pets and are very intelligent. They are good with children, easily trainable, playful and fun to be around.

If you have ever been around one, you might already be aware that they are very fun dogs to be around. They love to play and they are loyal to their owners as well as any friends of the owners. They also draw lots of attention and steal the show when they are around.

It’s difficult to see one and not fall instantly in love. In fact, we are seeing them more than ever now.

• We see them in people’s cars with their heads hanging out the windows enjoying fresh air.
• We see them in stores shopping with their owners.
• We see them in airports and other public transportation areas.
• We see them more and more at dog parks and out on the walking trails.

They are popping up all over the place and every time we see them, we want to pet and love on them.

The Truth About Goldendoodles

We had never heard of a Goldendoodle when we began our search for a dog. We hadn’t really considered any dog breed as we just wanted any dog that would accept us as their pack.

We stumbled upon Goldendoodles by accident and discovered that there was a miniature version. These piqued our interest and we began heavy research into the breed and found our best friend only a couple hours from where we live.

13 years later, we have some stories to tell about our amazing dog and the fun and laughter she has brought to our lives. You probably already know that they are very smart but there are other great things about them that you might not know.

They are great for first time dog owners

We had never owned a dog of our own until our Goldendoodle. I will admit that we were a bit scared going into it. We wondered if we would be up for the challenge or if we would be able to raise her properly.

She put that to ease when she showed us how easy she was going to make it. She was so darn smart and well-behaved from the beginning that we really just had to show her what we wanted, and she learned and did it.

We never had a lot of the problems that many people talk about when raising a puppy. She never chewed up things in the house, most always minded us and only used the potty on the carpet a handful of times.

This doesn’t mean that all Goldendoodles will be this way but ours made our lives easy. We were able to focus on teaching her good behaviors instead of focusing on overcoming bad ones.

If you are a first time dog owner, a Goldendoodle can make a great choice.

They can learn nearly anything you want to teach them

There are many smart dog breeds. Whether it’s a Border Collie, German Shepard or a Labrador Retriever, you will always find intelligence in dogs. However, the Goldendoodle comes from two of the smartest breeds combined; the Poodle and the Golden Retriever.

They definitely take on traits from both breeds and their intelligence level and willingness to please is what allows them to learn nearly anything you want teach them.

They will patiently learn new commands and tricks as long as you are willing to teach them. In fact, We are still teaching our senior dog new things each day.

It’s amazing to watch her trying to figure out exactly what we want. We know from being with her over the years when she is truly trying to learn something. She will cock her head and look at us and do some of the tricks she already knows, hoping that she picks the right one.

You can almost see the gears spinning in her head wondering how to please us.

However, sometimes she is only trying to please us so that we will leave her alone and give her a treat already.

They are often used as therapy or service dogs

With their gentle, loving and attentive nature, it’s no wonder that they are often used for therapy and service to others. Being hypoallergenic also makes them great for use in these situations.

Some of the following are what they may be used for:

• Visiting nursing homes to help lift the spirits and give love to the residents
• Visiting hospitals to help spread cheer and bring comfort to those who are sick
• Visiting jails or rehabilitation centers to help bring joy and hope to those who are working to change their lives.

They can also be used as service dogs and can serve as guide dogs for the blind or assistants for the physically disabled.

Goldendoodles have the qualities that it takes to be a dog who works for the service of others.

Our dog has shown us these abilities in our own lives. As we have gone through our own challenges, she has been there for us without us even asking.

She has brightened our days and showed us hope when times were tough. She has been an angel to us and has truly made our lives better.

They are healthy and athletic

Most people like to know that the dog they adopt is going to be healthy and have a long life free from pain and suffering. Goldendoodles have proven to be a healthy cross breed and are often touted for their athletic ability.

They excel at activities such as:

• Walking / Hiking – they will be by your side as you walk or hike off into the sunset. Just make sure you aren’t doing it in the mid day heat and to bring along enough water.
• Jogging – need a jogging partner? They have lots of energy and can jog by your side. However, they are also able to turn it off and cuddle by your side.
• Agility courses – their high intelligence level combined with their athletic ability makes them perfect for running and training for agility courses.
• Swimming – they are natural swimmers since they are bred from two breeds that love the water. Poodles were naturally bred as water retrievers so they are no stranger around the water.

We have been very happy with the health of our doodle. She has been running and playing with lots of energy since we brought her home 13 years ago.

We still take her walking and often have spurts of running with her. She can walk for miles with us with no problem.

We have been lucky and she has never had any health issues either. The only thing she has been plagued with are lipomas that are starting to show up more and more on her body.

We have had these tested and they are nothing to worry about. They are simply benign fatty tumors that will continue to grow shouldn’t cause any issues.

Do Goldendoodles Shed?

One of the main reasons Goldendoodles and poodle mix dogs in general have become popular is because they are low or non-shedding. They are considered hypoallergenic.

This term refers to something that won’t likely cause an allergic reaction.

Poodles are among those dog breeds that are considered to be hypoallergenic. They don’t shed or shed very little and they have less dander that is likely to cause allergies to flair up in those who have allergy issues.

Since Poodles are hypoallergic, Goldendoodles inherit this trait and are less likely to be a problem for allergy sufferers than other popular dog breeds.

Are Goldendoodles Protective?

They can show signs of being protective but this is because they are super loyal. Speaking from personal experience with our dog, she has a tendency to be protective at times.

She will sometimes growl or bark when we are too close to strangers. However, when this happens, we put her in her place and let her know that it is not ok. She usually responds the way we want but it really depends upon the situation.

She is more protective when we are at home rather than when we are out in public with her.

Conclusion

The popularity of non-shedding mixed breed dogs will only continue to grow. The Goldendoodle is a perfect example of a dog that is hypoallergenic, great with family, faithful, loyal, loving and so much fun to own.

There is a reason that you are seeing them pop up all over the place. They are worthy cross breed dogs that are being noticed for the good that they bring into the world and into the lives of others.

There is no doubt that the summer months can be brutal for a pet. Like any dog, Goldendoodles need to be continually monitored in the summer months to avoid overheating. Making sure your dog has plenty of water to drink, giving them a shorter haircut, lying on a cooling mat or wearing a cooling shirt are all things that may help your Goldendoodle manage the summer heat better.

It’s important that you do everything you can to make sure your dog is comfortable in the heat of the day or your dog could end up having heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

It gets so hot and humid in the summer making it miserable for dogs and humans alike. It’s often difficult to find relief from the heat on these hot days.

So what are some of the things that can be done to help cool your doodle down?

First of all, always make sure your dog has plenty of water. This should be a no-brainer but it’s easy to let the water bowl run dry without even knowing it. Without enough water, your dog could be at risk of dehydration.

Our dog doesn’t drink water as often as we want her to. Sometimes it seems like she can go a whole day without drinking anything. However, there’s no way we can force her to drink. We have water sitting out for her all day and she knows where it is and she gets it as she wants it.

We have learned after nearly 13 years with her that she will be fine as long as we have her water bowl filled. She will go and get a drink when she feels like it and no sooner.

Do Goldendoodles Need to be Shaved in the Summer?

There are a lot of varying opinions on this one. Some people shave their Goldendoodle or keep their hair really short and some don’t. Some simply don’t want to see their doodle without their Teddy bear fur so they don’t like to get summer cuts.

I don’t believe this is the best idea because I have seen how great a summer cut can be for making the heat more manageable.

With our Mini Goldendoodle, we notice a huge difference when we give her a haircut in the summer. If her hair is long when it gets hot, she struggles throughout the day. She pants and tries to find a cool place on the hardwood floor. She doesn’t feel like playing much and just doesn’t act like herself.

When we give her a short haircut, we nearly shave it on most of her body, with the exception of her head. We generally leave it at 6mm long and you can tell a huge difference once she has this short cut.

She no longer searches for cool spots and is fine laying on the couch. She doesn’t pant and is back to being herself. She plays and acts like the normal dog that we love. In fact, you can actually feel coolness from her skin when she has a short haircut.

Goldendoodles typically do not have double coats so cutting them short in the summertime should be fine. However, one important note is to not cut them too short. If you are unsure, ask your vet or groomer for advice on this.

Their skin is sensitive and can be damaged by the sun if you let them outside. Their hair shouldn’t be so short that their skin is showing. If it is, you may want to consider a using sun shirt until their hair grows back to a longer length and covers the skin.

When our dog is cut short, we use a UV blocking sun shirt in order to protect her skin when she goes out to potty.

How long does it take a shaved Goldendoodle to Grow Back?

In our experience with our dog, once we cut her down to 6mm, her hair will grow back to what we would consider to be perfect length in about six weeks. It will grow out in about 12 weeks to where it’s time to cut it again.

We generally cut her coat down to 6mm three times per year. Sometimes we do some scissor trimming on areas of her body throughout the year between full haircuts.

Every dog will be different so obviously some will grow faster and some will grow out slower.

Can a Goldendoodle be cut too short?

I wouldn’t want to cut their hair to the level to where they are nothing but skin. I feel that this would be too short. Although we have shaved our dog’s body before (excluding her head and face), it is better to leave some length on it.

Our dog has thin, sensitive skin and we don’t like to have her hair cut so short that she could get sunburn or skin damage from the sun while doing her business or going on a walk with us outdoors.

The 6mm guard that we use is as short as we would want to go on our dog.

Can a haircut change a dog’s personality

Well, it really seems like it changes our dog. However, it’s not that her personality is changing, it’s that her fun loving personality is coming out again. It’s like a kid that gets a haircut and then feels hyper and active afterwards. Getting a haircut just makes you feel better all around.

After a haircut, our dog acts silly and playful again after not feeling that way at all with her full coat of fur on. Once we give her a haircut, she’s like a happy little kid that is running around the house again.

So, no, it doesn’t change their personality, it just brings the personality back that you know and love.

Using a cooling bed or pad

A cooling bed or pad can be a great option for dogs in the summer heat. These types of mats are suppose to cool the dog as they lay on them. There are different types of these beds.

• Gel Filled. These are filled with a gel material that is activated by the pressure when your dog lays on them. They can keep your pet cool for up to 3 hours. After use, they recharge on their own and are ready for use again after a short while.
• Water Filled. These beds require you to fill water into them and then the cool water keeps the dog cool for hours. The problem with these can occur when they have a leak or your dog punctures them with a paw or their teeth.

Our dog has never been a fan of these. We bought her a hammock type bed at one point that was supposed to keep her cool but she would never use it. She just didn’t like it and refused to get in it. We ended up selling it at a yard sale.

Using a cooling towel or shirt

Besides keeping our dog’s hair short, this has been our best solution for keeping our Goldendoodle cool in the summer. This is a great solution and perhaps the cheapest solution that you can find.

Cooling shirts work by getting them wet. After they are wet with cold water, you ring them out and then you put them on your dog. They stay damp and cool for hours and can have a great cooling effect on your dog.

It works even better if they have short hair because the coolness is closer to the skin.

The solution we have settled on is actually not even a shirt. It’s a cooling towel that we purchased that is supposed to fit around a human neck. It just so happened to fit perfectly around our dog’s body so that’s where we used it.

We recently took a trip to the beach and the weather was nearing 90 degrees each day. We wrapped the towel around her body and it really helped us to be able to have fun with her out in the heat. The towel we have is also UV blocking so it protects her from the sun as well.

The cooling effect usually lasts for a few hours and then you just need to put water back on it to refresh it and then it’s ready to go again.

This is a great low cost solution that could work well for you and your doodle.

Summary

Keeping your Goldendoodle cool in the summer comes down to using common sense and always taking precautions. It can be summed up by the following.

• Make sure to give your dog enough water throughout the day. Make it a habit to check on their water level on a regular basis.
• Shorter hair may be the best option for your dog. Only you know your dog and each one is different so give it a summer cut a try and see how it works out. Hair will always grow back.
• Keep dogs indoors during the hot days. When you let your dogs outside, make sure they have proper shading and airflow to stay cool.
• Try cooling beds or cooling pads. These can be very effective for some dogs and it’s worth a try if you have a dog that struggles in the warmer months.
• Try a cooling shirt or cooling towel. This has been great for our Goldendoodle and without it, she wouldn’t be able to enjoy the summertime as much.

Don’t just assume that your dog is fine. Always keep an eye on him or her and try different ways to cool them down if you find that they are having a difficult time with the heat.