Great Goldendoodles! If you have a 5-month-old Goldendoodle, you’re probably amazed by how much your pupper has grown and changed.
In our continuing series on raising a Goldendoodle, we’re sharing all the zoomie-worthy moments of caring for a 5-month-old Goldendoodle puppy. If you’re wondering what Doodlehood is like, we’re glad you here!
And if you’re new to our little corner of the world called HappyGoDoodle®, you may want to check out our other articles in this series.
So far, we’ve introduced Sadie and shared what to expect from a10-week-old Goldendoodlepuppy, explained what a3-month-old Goldendoodle puppy is doing, and explored the world of the 4-month-old Goldendoodle.
By the end of this post, you’ll have practical tips on caring for a 5-month-old Goldendoodle. Plus, you’ll discover what’s going on physically (teething, growth spurts, coat changes, etc.) between 20 and 24 weeks of age.
But before we get started, you may be wondering about our pack.
Get to know the 5-month-old Goldendoodle
As a Doodle dog mom for over 10+ years, I’ve put my heart and soul into learning everything possible about these teddy bear dogs.
Everything I share is a combination real-life experiences caring for our family’s F1b Goldendoodle and F1 Goldendoodle, along with my love for being a research hound.
So, with my senior Goldendoodle curled up beside me and a five-month-old Goldendoodle peeking out the window as I’m typing, this article is just about as authentic, real-life, and in the everyday moments of Doodlehood as you’ll find.
Now let’s get started and get to know the 5-month-old Goldendoodle.
Physical development at 5 months old
First, let’s look at the physical growth and development of 5-month-old Goldendoodle puppies.
By this age, your Goldendoodle puppy is past the baby stage and quickly maturing, but definitely not fully grown.
Overall, weight and height of the five-month-old Goldendoodle varies considerably.
In general, five month Goldendoodles can weigh anywhere from 25-40 pounds. However, some puppies may weigh more or less.
This is because adult Goldendoodles vary greatly in size, too—from mini Goldendoodles to medium Goldendoodles to standard size Goldendoodles.
Also, you’re probably wondering, “When do Goldendoodle puppies finish growing?” I’ve searched for scientific data to answer this specific question. Unfortunately, there just isn’t a lot of research available about Goldendoodle dogs specifically.
However, to get a general idea, we can look at what’s going on with purebred dogs at this age.
According to the American Kennel Club’s article on when puppies finish growing, by around six months of age:
- Small dog breeds are 75% grown
- Medium sized dog breeds are 66% grown
- Large dog breeds are 60% grown
- Extra large dog breeds are 50% grown
Again, this data from the AKC specifically applies to purebred dogs. Since Goldendoodles are a hybrid breed (some say mixed breed), determining growth rates can be tricky.
One thing that we do know based on the percentages above is that smaller dogs tend to grow faster than larger breeds. Why is this? In short, it has to do with bone structure—large dogs just have bigger bones and joints that take more time to develop.
If you have any questions about your puppy’s size or height, it’s a good idea to speak with your veterinarian.
Our puppy’s experience
By the end of five months, our family noticed that our Goldendoodle puppy wasn’t growing quite as quickly as she was at four months of age.
That rapid change in appearance—that puppy growth spurt where it was easy to see a physical change from the “baby stage” to a more adult-looking puppy—seemed to have slowed down a little.
Sadie, a medium Goldendoodle, weighed 22 pounds at five months.
Physical maturity and puppy puberty
Along with physical changes, puppies around the age of five months may be just about to enter doggy adolescence, a.k.a. the “teenage years.” This phase can begin at different times for different puppies. According to the AKC, this phase begins around eight months and continues through twenty four months. Again, this is a rule of thumb. Some puppies mature earlier and some later.
During this time, you may notice that your puppy is more independent, much like a teenager.
At this age, you may also want to reach out to your vet to start the conversation about when to spay or neuter your puppy.
By consulting your veterinarian earlier rather than later, you can plan for this in advance. If you work, you may want to consider booking the vet appointment toward the end of the week so that you can spend the weekend with your puppy as he or she recovers.
Goldendoodle coat
If you have a Goldendoodle puppy, you may have been amazed by the softness and fluffiness of your puppy’s coat. By five months, take a close look at the coat color and the texture. Is it changing? Since Goldendoodles are a hybrid or crossbreed, there are no hard and fast rules about when the coat will change, but it will eventually go through the Goldendoodle puppy coat transition. Usually this happens before two years of age.
Also, there are no hard and fast rules about what the adult coat will look like.
Our puppy’s experience
For our puppy, we continued to notice changes in the color and texture of the coat. Specifically, the coat was coming in a little darker and the texture was not quite as soft as her puppy coat. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still incredibly soft!
Some of her hair was finer along her legs and on top of her head, and some of her hair was courser—more like that of a Golden Retriever—especially along her topline.
Also, her coat continued changing—getting fuller and thicker. And she was getting more “feathers” (hair along her tail and hocks).
The photo below shows all the different colors of our puppy’s hair as it was growing in. Notice how the roots are darker, the middle of the shaft is lighter, and then the tips are darker.
It’s important to mention that, while this was our experience with our Goldendoodle puppy at five months, your experience will be different and unique!
Why? Because Goldendoodles have two very different parent breeds—the Golden Retriever and the Poodle—there’s more variation among Goldendoodles than purebred dogs.
I like to call this the “box of chocolates” gift of Goldendoodles. Like an assortment of chocolates, you never quite know what you’re going to get. (But it’s going to be yummy.)
In other words, you can expect your puppy will be different from other Goldendoodles that you’ve met. That is part of the joy of watching Goldendoodle puppies grow up!
One thing that is consistent? All Goldendoodle puppies will go through a puppy coat transition—a time when they blow their puppy coat and the adult coat grows in.
What can you do to care for your Goldendoodle’s coat?
If you haven’t already, now is the time to help your puppy get comfortable with consistentGoldendoodle grooming.
At five months, ourF1 Goldendoodlepuppy still had that adorable “bed head” look and we’d started her out on a lifetime of happier grooming by introducing her to our dog grooming table, grooming tools, and frequent combing.
Oral health and nail care
Along with coat care, remember to start establishing good nail and oral health care routines that are positive for your puppy. By starting now, you’re setting your bestie up for many happy bonding moments with you.
I use Millers Forge dog nail trimmers and have for five years now. For a complete review of Millers Forge dog nail clippers check out my article: Best Dog Nail Clippers for Goldendoodles.
Our experience
At five months, we started introducing our Goldendoodle to the idea of daily toothbrushing. You can learn a few of my pearls of wisdom about those pearly whites by checking out my article on how to brush your dog’s teeth.
Also, it’s important to call out that you should NOT ever use human toothpaste to brush your dog’s teeth. According to the Veterinary Oral Health council, human toothpaste poses a health hazard for dogs.
Adult teeth
Have you noticed permanent teeth replacing your puppy’s baby teeth? By the end of five months, your puppy may have most of their adult teeth. This means that puppy teething should start subsiding!
However, the reprieve from chewing due to puppy teething may be short-lived. Often, according to the AKC, puppies around eight to ten months begin a second chewing phase when the adult teeth are settling. So, your puppy will appreciate it if you keep the safe chew toys handy!
Our Goldendoodle puppy’s experience
During our Goldendoodle puppy’s fifth month, we found a few teeth (see the photo below) that had fallen out, but not nearly as many as when she was four months old.
Also, as teething subsided, our puppy’s chewing slowed down. However, she still had a fondness for the corners of decorative couch pillows. Her chewiness seemed to increase in the evenings when she was sleepy.
House training
Puppy potty training is another milestone you may be celebrating with your puppy by five months of age. By now puppies have better control of their bladders and all your positive potty training techniques are likely paying off.
And if an accident happens, give your puppy (and you) lots of grace. Neither of you are perfect.
And what ever you do, don’t scold your puppy for an accident.
Our puppy’s potty training experience at five months
Sadie had a couple of accidents at five months, but we chocked these up to us hoomans letting our guard down. She was doing so well, we just weren’t as attentive as we’d been when she was younger.
At five months, we were continuing many of the potty training routines we’d put in place when she was a 10-week-old Goldendoodle including:
- Taking her out on a leash for potty breaks. This way, we tracked whether she’d pooped or peed.
- Praising her for pottying by saying, “Yesss, potty!”
- Keeping her on a schedule.
In addition to continuing potty routines we’d already put in place, we introduced the potty bell at five months. (We didn’t introduce it when she was first learning to potty train because we didn’t want to confuse her.)
Our potty bell was simply a bell tied near the door. Every time we took Sadie out, we rang the bell with one hand to let her know it was time for her to go out and do her business. It wasn’t long and Sadie was using her nose to ring the bell by herself!
I will warn you, she also figured out that the potty bell makes a great attention bell. Goldendoodles are so smart!
Nutrition and enrichment
Meal time
At five months, puppies need a good quality puppy food to ensure they are getting the proper nutrition. Also, as puppies grow, the amount of food they need increases based on their weight.
If you’re unsure how much to feed your growing puppy at this stage, your veterinarian is the best resource. Many veterinarians answer questions like these over the phone.
Our experience
Sadie is a chow hound, so we continued to substitute a traditional food bowl with a slow feeder or even a snuffle mat to slow meal time down. In addition to extending meal time, it also added more mental enrichment to her day.
Play time: Mental and physical enrichment
Puppies are inquisitive, active, and curious, so new experiences fill a need they crave. Keeping five-month-old Goldendoodle puppies satisfied not only includes physical enrichment but also mental enrichment too.
At five months, most puppies benefit from physical activities such as fetch, walks, dog games, and obedience training. Additionally, by adding in mental enrichment activities such as puzzle toys, food dispensing toys, sniffari walks, and brain games, you’re working their mental abilities too.
Our experience
Sadie was enjoying twice daily walks, playing fetch, and practicing some tricks and commands. As an aside, our puppy loved to carry things around in her mouth, as you can see in the photo below!
Sleepy time
Another milestone…sleep! You’re probably getting a better night’s rest now that your puppy is five months old!
Also, at this age, puppies still need plenty of naps in addition to sleeping at night. According to Embrace Pet Insurance, the average 5-month-old puppy sleeps about 11 hours in a 24 hour period.
Our experience
At five months, Sadie was sleeping through the night. Additionally, she was crate trained and comfortable with a nightly routine of trotting into her crate when she heard the “Sadie, kennel” command.
Training
Goldendoodles are eager to learn. Training and basic good manners should be taught with positivity and patience.
Also, now is a good time to start teaching your puppy the “drop it” and “leave it” commands. These skills reinforce behaviors of self control. By now, your puppy most likely has had all their puppy shots. So, enrolling in a basic puppy training class is a great way to get helpful training and instruction. Plus, it’s another chance to spend time bonding with your pupper.
Our experience
Our Goldendoodle puppy has mastered many skills including sit, stay, come, lay down, spin, and shake paws. She is getting close to mastering the “drop it” command.
As an aside, she’s started that cute head tilt when she recognizes words she knows like “walk” or “go” or “load up.”
Puppy safety updates at 5 months
Has your five-month-old Goldenoodle tried counter or table surfing yet? By the end of five months, our Goldendoodle was tall enough to place her paws on the counter and peek over the edge. If you haven’t already, now is a good time to keep food items picked up and put away rather than sitting out on the counter or table.
While the dangers of chocolate for dogs gets a lot of press (and rightfully so), there are two other dangers that I like to mention to new puppy parents: Xylitol and grapes (including raisins). Grapes, according to a Live Science article on foods that cause pet deaths, are among the top seven dangers for dogs.
Honestly, we don’t even bring grapes/raisins and products containing xylitol (many kinds of sugar-free chewing gum) into our home. Our motto? Safety first and happiness will follow.
Things to do for your puppy at 5 months
Finally, if you’d like to track tasks and milestones for your five-month-old puppy, here is our check list:
Health
🔲 Speak with your veterinarian about when to spay or neuter your puppy.
🔲 A couple of weeks before the spay or neuter, purchase a post-surgery doggy onesie. Getting it in advance allows you time to help your puppy get used to it and make sure it is the right size.
🔲 Check with your vet to determine whether you need to increase your puppy’s daily food requirements based on their weight.
Grooming & Daily Care
🔲 Get your puppy comfortable with professional grooming. If your puppy has not been to a professional groomer, start with a general visit to get your puppy acclimated. Then schedule a face, feet, and fanny trim. Or you can speak with the groomer about what they recommend to prepare your puppy for comfortable and happy grooming sessions.
🔲 Establish a frequent at-home grooming routine that’s positive, positive, positive. Enjoy this time as a way to bond with your puppy.
🔲 Gently handle the paws so that your puppy is accustomed to this for nail trimming time.
🔲 Speak with your vet about dental care and nail trimming.
Physical & mental enrichment
🔲 By now your puppy should have had all their vaccinations. If so, you may consider enrolling in puppy obedience class.
🔲 Give your puppy plenty of opportunities for physical and mental stimulation each day.
Thanks for stopping by
Thank you for stopping by HappyGoDoodle®, the happiest online space for Doodle dog enthusiasts, By sharing our own journey through parenting a 5-month-old pupper, we hope you have a better picture of the comical, goofy Goldendoodle.
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