14 Cute Facts You Didn’t Know About The Mini Goldendoodle

Mini Goldendoodle Feature

Love the temperament and personality of the Goldendoodle, but, unsure if their large size will fit in your family home? You should know about their smaller, more teddy bear-like dog siblings, the Mini Goldendoodle!

Here we have put together 17 incredible facts to help you decide if this miniature teddy pooch is the right dog for you.

1. They Love People… Especially Their Family

Mini Goldendoodle Feature

Thanks to their Retriever genes and early socialization, the Mini Goldendoodle is super friendly.

They love everyone and everything; especially their family. They tolerate kids of all ages and are gentle with grandparents. She will even be tolerant of other pets in the home, if raised with them.

Her fun loving personality does have one downside however; her love of people means she will struggle being left alone and this can manifest as separation anxiety. They may cry, whine, pine, dig, chew and generally destroy in periods of absence.

If you do need to leave them, find a doggy daycare or local dog walker to help out.

2. A Mini Goldendoodle Is Highly Super-Duper Trainable!

Thanks to their Poodle parent’s intelligence, and the Retriever’s eagerness to please, a Mini Goldendoodle is super trainable.

Like all dogs, they respond best to positive reinforcement and reward-based training.

Dog’s learn through operant conditioning, they are more, or less, likely to repeat a behavior based on the consequences of that behavior.

When your dog is behaving how you want them to, reward and praise them using toys, play and food.

If they are not behaving correctly, ignore and re-direct to encourage the behavior you do want to see.

Repetition is key, give him opportunities to learn and set him up to succeed.

3. They Look Like A Miniature Teddy Bear

Cute Mini Goldendoodle
The Mini Goldendoodle is exactly that, a mini teddy. They stand between 14-17″ in height and can weigh anywhere between 15-30 pounds.

Like their cousin the Mini Labradoodle, they are considered a much better option for smaller homes.

This dog is bred by mating a Golden Retriever with a Miniature Poodle – we should thank the Miniature Poodle for their smaller size.

4. There Are Different Mini Goldendoodle Generations

If you are considering a first-generation puppy, you should ensure that the Mother is the Golden Retriever and the Father is the Miniature Poodle – this is due to the health implications when mating dogs of different sizes.

Often, when mating dogs of different sizes, artificial insemination is used.

These health implications reduce as subsequent generations are bred – for example, there is less of a size risk mating two second generations (i.e. F2).

Puppy
Adult
Parent
First Generation (i.e. F1) Purebred Parent Purebred Parent
Second Generation (i.e. F2)F1 Puppy F1 Puppy

5. Mini Goldendoodles Have A Premium Price Tag

Mini Goldendoodle Temperament
For one of these puppies you can expect to pay anywhere between $1,500 – $3,500 USD.

Quite a heavy price tag for a dog so small. As demand for these puppies continues to increase, so will their price. Not only that, but, due to the health implications of breeding a large dog with a Miniature Poodle, breeders have to cover additional veterinarian costs (e.g. artificial insemination and caesarean birth).

6. He Makes A Great Running Partner

These little teddy bear dogs are best suited to active homes where there is plenty of fun happening.

They need upwards of 60 minutes exercise per day, with additional time spent training, and working on some brain games (remember the Poodle’s intelligence!).

Being highly super-duper trainable, you may be happier walking your Mini Goldendoodle off leash, they love walks through the city, in fields and hiking through the woods.

Despite their small size, they are certainly a contender for a new running buddy. With both parent’s working background, they generally love retrieving and swimming too.

All this activity means they use quite a lot of energy, so they will eat between 450-900 calories per day (depending on their weight), which works out at 1-2 cups of kibble per day.

You should ensure you are feeding a good quality food that meets his daily nutritional requirements, most importantly his protein and fat needs.

7. They Can Be Hypoallergenic

Hypo what?! Hypoallergenic means that a dog has a known reduced-shedding coat which consequently produces less dander.

Despite some Mini Goldendoodles being hypoallergenic, they still need some regular grooming and their standard coat will generally be soft and wavy.

Most owners tend to keep coats clipped short to reduce time spent grooming. If you keep it on the longer side, you should expect to brush them thoroughly when you return from walks to keep knots and matts at bay.

Commonly these dogs have an 8-12-week schedule with their groomer to keep their coats in tip top condition. Poodles are prone to ear infections, so ensure you clean their ears regularly, along with their teeth.

8. There Are Three Different Types

Mini Goldendoodle Puppies
When searching for a puppy, you may notice that there are three different types:

  • American
  • English
  • Australian

The American is more golden in color, the English is lighter in color and is also bigger boned, and the Australian lines have Labradoodles and Spaniels in earlier generations.

9. They Are A Hybrid Designer Dog

Parents of a Mini Goldendoodle
As this dog is a hybrid, you can never be 100% sure of the temperament or personality of your puppy.

They may be more Golden Retriever than Poodle or vice versa. In search of the perfect family companion, it was hoped that by cross-breeding the Poodle with the Retriever, the result would be a sweet, gentle tempered dog with the intelligence and trainability to adapt to any situation.

Generally, this is true.

These dogs are loved for their friendly nature and their ease to train. Their smaller size just means they are suitable for smaller homes or city dwellers.

But, sometimes things just don’t go to plan.

Some have inherited more Poodle than Retriever meaning their intelligence gets the better of them, leaving them easily bored and frustrated. In some situations, this can result in distress and destruction.

There is also the chance that they maintain a larger size, so they may not be the mini dog that you expected. Again, 2nd generation or subsequent will help you predict with greater accuracy; looking at the parent size and temperament.

10. She Will Live For Between 10 – 15 Years

Thanks to the increased life span of the Miniature Poodle, the Mini Goldendoodle generally has a life span of between 10-15 years.

For some owners with children this is important as, providing they are in good health, they will be around for most of the kid’s life growing up.

The best way to ensure good health is to research a reputable breeder and look at the health of both purebred parent dogs:

  • The recommended health tests for Golden Retrievers are hips, elbows, eyes and heart.
  • The recommended tests for Poodles are patella luxation, progressive retinal atrophy, hip scoring and most recently testing for dwarfism.

11. A Mini Goldendoodle Is Easily Identified

Mini Goldendoodle In The Snow
They’re pretty easy to spot.

Most have a pretty consistent teddy-bear like appearance. As we’ve mentioned, they tend to have a soft, wavy coat.

Most are tan or golden in color, but they can come in a range of other colors including: white, black, silver, red and brown – it all depends on the color of the poodle parent.

12. Their Hybrid Vigor Might Be A Myth

Standard Sized Goldendoodle
Whilst some people think that cross-breeds are generally healthier than pure-breeds, this isn’t always true. Hybrid dogs and designer pooches can still inherit any of the health conditions that their parents suffer.

We know that this designer hybrid can suffer from:

  • Progressive Retinal Atrophy – a genetic disease which leads to vision loss and eventually blindness.
  • Von Willebrand’s Disease – a common inherited disorder which affects the blood’s ability to clot in the body.
  • Patella Luxation – this is where the kneecap dislodges.
  • Hypothyroidism – this results in a slowing metabolism and has a range of symptoms including weight gain and inactivity.

13. Their Parents Are Very Intelligent and Popular

Poodles have become popular in hybrid mixes due to their hypoallergenic coat. Their tight curls trap dander which makes them low shedding dogs – they do shed, it just doesn’t fall off them.

According to the American Kennel Club, the Golden Retriever is 3rd out of 193 for popularity. Developed in Scotland as a Gun Dog, the Golden Retriever is a result of cross-breeding yellow Retrievers with tweed water Spaniels.

Retrievers first started appearing in the US around 1908 as they were loved for their sweet, gentle temperament. Popularity soared after President Ford had his very own Golden Retriever.

14. A Mini Goldendoodle Is Friendly and Gentle

Golden Retriever and Miniature Poodle Mix
These tiny dogs are loved for their super friendly and gentle nature.

When socialized from an early age, they are tolerant of all: kids, pets, you name it.

Their intelligence and eagerness to please just means they are more responsive than some breeds.

Despite their easy nature, your dog still needs to know what sort of dog he needs to be, and you need to teach him.

Summary

A sweet natured and even-tempered teddy bear who adores people.

What’s not to love?

The Mini Goldendoodle is a perfect addition to any family home. Super intelligent and eager to please, they are a dream to train – they are also a good choice for smaller homes or if you have smaller kids.

Be mindful of the health implications of the size difference in the parents and ensure you source a reputable breeder. Also remember that as it’s a hybrid, you can never be entirely sure of the dog you will end up with.

The offspring of two incredibly popular breeds, they are best suited to active homes and love being involved in everything the family has to offer.

Other Miniature Poodle and Golden Retriever Mixes

If you’re interested in learning about other Miniature Poodle mixes or Golden Retriever mixes, check out the hybrid dog breeds below.

Miniature Poodle Mixes

Golden Retriever Mixes

About John Woods 300 Articles
John Woods is the founder of All Things Dogs, member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, graduate in Animal Behavior & Welfare and recognized author by the Dog Writers Association of America.

5 Comments

  1. I am looking for a reparable mini golden doodle breeder near me. I live in O’Fallon MO near St Louis. I am hoping you could help me find one!

  2. Our Golden Doodle, Beau is an F1 first generation golden doodle, he’s 10 and will be 11 on 11/15/20. We are very spoiled with our wonderful Beau. He’s the most kind and gentle pup ever. No shedding at all. He loves babies, kids and women, also some men, my husband especially. Beau has grown old in our loving home. We love him like our child. We’re Growing old too, like him, and would like to get him and us a mini golden doodle brother or sister. Because we are seniors a mini doddle would be easier to walk with.

  3. We are looking for a mini English cream golden doodle, any info for a reputable breeder is appreciated. We live in Northern California, will travel to meet and pick up.

  4. We have a great little goldendoodle mini she is a year old very energetic sweetheart very loving and true to her breed love her so much.

  5. Cox Doodles in Mesa Arizona are the very best breeders I have found in my TWO YEAR search. I am on their waiting list and have followed them on Instagram continuously. The wait will be well worth it. Elise Could x is an amazing, loving, and giving person and breeder!!

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