Hello!!

I cant believe how crazy the dog world has gone during this pandemic!!

How long are waiting lists for golden retrievers and what would be the expected price bracket to pay? I'm also looking for a small dog to join our family with the a golden :) what breed would you recommend? We've been online looking at maltipoo, cavapoochon,

Why look at expensive Cross breeds that will probably have had no health testing done & that you have no idea how they will turn out?

Contact the breed Golden Retriever club with regard to a Golden breeder, as to cost prices are silly at the moment & responsible breeders are putting off breeding litters at the moment.

Lots of pedigree small breeds that are not produced for pure profit

If you like Poodle crosses why not a poodle? They can be cut into a doodle cut. You can find a decent breeder who fully health tests too.
Most poodle crosses tend as research has shown take mainly after the Poodle as it seems to have the dominant gene in terms of character traits and temperament.
You also won't pay the stupid crazy prices either.

I know of several responsible breeders with litters on the way but all with full waiting lists. Reputable breeders are not charging crazy prices, pups should be between £1200-1800

Another point to consider. It isnt a good idea to get 2 pups at the same time regardless of breed or if they are the same breed.
Litter mate syndrome which applies regardless of if the pups are litter mates  or not or different breeds id worth taking seriously .

If u search here u will see various posts about it from knowledgable people

https://caninecoaching.co.uk/littermate-syndrome/

Much better to get one dog and then when that pup is mature consider another if u want to

Or alternatively get an adultbrescue, and once trained and well adjusted, you can add a 'clean sheet' puppy, and your well behaved adult dog will be a great ally in its upbringing.

As a retriever owner for over 40 years I would never recommend getting 2 puppies at the same time especially if one is a golden. Retrievers are fairly easy to train but they need a lot of attention as they can chew for England as I know to my cost with my 10 month year old! Trying to even house train 2 puppies at the same time would be very time consuming and hard work. I would recommend getting the retriever first and wait until she is house trained and past the chewing stage and then look at another puppy which would suit the retriever's personality. You will almost certainly have to wait for a quality retriever whose parents have good results to their health tests but it does pay off. All mine were researched carefully before I put my name on a waiting list and it paid off as they all lived years longer than the average and were all incredibly healthy. A good starting point is this site's puppy page and also to google 'breeders' and contact them to ask when they are next breeding and if you can go on their list. Never put down a deposit to go on a waiting list. This should be made when you have chosen and been allocated your puppy. I agree that you should pay from £1400 to £1800 for a quality puppy. My Susie which I bought in January this year cost £1400 with an excellent pedigree and health tested parents. Good luck in your search.