Miniature Goldendoodles available for sale. Information, photos & breeder listings.

Home » Dogs » Miniature Goldendoodles

Jump to Miniature Goldendoodle Advertisements

The Goldendoodle was first recognized as a hybrid in 1992, and because it is a cross-breed between the Poodle and the Golden Retriever, different sized Goldendoodles can result, depending on the size of the poodle bred with the Labrador Retriever.

Standard sized Goldendoodles were the first Goldendoodles to be bred, because it was the standard poodle that was first mated with the Golden Retriever.

However, successful hybrids have been produced with other poodle sizes as well, such that now, medium and Miniature Goldendoodles are available along with the standard Goldendoodle.

History

Although it's not quite known when the first deliberate mating between a poodle and a Golden Retriever occurred, the name came about as a result of someone's family pet. Sugar was the first Goldendoodle to be called that, courtesy of her family, the Neelands, in 1992. The hybrid was a deliberate attempt to produce a dog and family pet that was hypoallergenic. Because of their friendly, affectionate personality, intelligence, and easygoing nature, they have become very popular indeed.

Although standard poodles were the first to be bred with Golden Retrievers and produced a larger dog that weighed between 45 and 100 pounds or even more, subsequent breeders also successfully paired miniature size poodles with Golden Retrievers to produce what became smaller Goldendoodles, called Miniature Goldendoodles. The Miniature Goldendoodle is the smallest of the three Goldendoodle hybrid sizes, and weighs between 15 and 30 pounds.

Types of Miniature Goldendoodles

• First generation

Most Miniature Goldendoodles in existence today came about as a result of the pairing between a miniature poodle and a Golden Retriever. These are generally the hardiest of the types of Goldendoodles available, because they typically retain their parents' breeds' health and positive characteristics, and have fewer of the health problems that can be seen in purebreds.

Although these dogs were specifically bred to capture the positive characteristics of the Golden Retriever and the poodle while minimizing shedding, these first generation Goldendoodles do sometimes still have minor shedding problems. Therefore, although they make great family pets because of their personalities (see below) and are great for families with only minor allergy problems, they're not always suitable for people or families with severe allergy problems.

• Backcross

The backcross Miniature Goldendoodle is produced by breeding a first generation Miniature Goldendoodle with a miniature poodle, known as a "backcross." A dog of this breeding is likely to shed not at all, meaning that it's a great pet even for those with severe allergies. And again, while the first generation Goldendoodle is a dog that only produces only minor if any shedding problems, the backcross may completely eliminate shedding problems altogether.

• Second generation

Some breeders are now attempting to mate Goldendoodles with Goldendoodles, for a standalone "breed" of the Goldendoodle.

Appearance

The Miniature Goldendoodle is proportional in size and looks exactly like the standard Goldendoodle except that it's much smaller. While the standard Goldendoodle weighs anywhere from 45 pounds to 100 pounds or even more, the Miniature Goldendoodle will only reach a size of between 15 and 30 pounds. This makes it the perfect lap dog and family pet.

The Miniature Goldendoodle can be any color from white, cream, apricot, red, gold, black, etc., and may have the unique "Golden Retriever bump" on the top of its head, as a nod to its Golden Retriever heritage. In terms of its facial and body structure, it may exhibit a greater propensity toward the poodle or the Golden Retriever's appearance, although many Miniature Goldendoodles are a blend of both in appearance.

The hair on a Goldendoodle often appears as loose waves or a relaxed curl, and can have a somewhat shaggy appearance. Goldendoodles can sometimes have the tighter curl and more wiry hair of the poodle, as well.

Personality and temperament

These dogs generally bring the best of both breeds to the table, in that they are exceedingly friendly and intelligent. They absolutely must have human companionship and also get along well with other dogs. They do tend to exhibit some of the higher strung traits of the poodle, which is simply to say that they are very, very intelligent and can be prone to misbehavior if they're not given boundaries or proper training.

As with the poodle, Miniature Goldendoodles absolutely have to have gentle but persistent dominance in the owner-pet relationship if they are to be well behaved. They're so intelligent that they can actually pick up on whether not an owner has a strong personality; if they can dominate their owners, they will try to, but this does not really make for a happy dog. Miniature Goldendoodles are happiest when their owners are calmly assertive, so that the Goldendoodle can simply please its master.

In an environment with proper training and clear boundaries, the Miniature Goldendoodle is a gentle, easygoing, very intelligent and eager to please dog that wants nothing more than to be with its humans, giving and receiving affection and attention. Because it is so intelligent, the Miniature Goldendoodle can also make a good service dog for people with disabilities or in other areas where small tasks, like opening and closing doors, picking things up, and fetching things need to be done.

Environment

The Miniature Goldendoodle craves stimulation, noise, activity, and fun. It loves to be doing something, so running around and playing with small children is perfect for it, as is the aforementioned service duty. However, the Miniature Goldendoodle should not be left alone; although it does well with canine companions, what it really wants is human attention and affection. Therefore, don't think you can get two Miniature Goldendoodles if you travel a lot and need to leave your canine charges home alone, thinking that company will do them good. Instead, they're likely to get into much more mischief than you'll find pleasant!

That said, if you do get more than one Miniature Goldendoodle (or you simply have a multiple dog household) your Miniature Goldendoodle will very much enjoy the canine company. You just have to make sure that you are around to provide plenty of attention and affection, too, and plenty of guidance and discipline.

Activity level

The Miniature Goldendoodle actually does quite well in an apartment setting, and doesn't need a lot of room to run and play outside. It does need daily walks and simply to be "busy," but as long as you provide enough activity through daily walks and a lot of interaction, Miniature Goldendoodles don't need a lot of room for exercise.

Grooming

Miniature Goldendoodles require minimal grooming at most. Brushing is required on a daily basis to keep the coat tangle free, and to remove any loose hairs if that particular Goldendoodle does shed minimally; as stated previously, Goldendoodles may shed minimally or may not shed all, depending on whether they are first generation or backcross hybrids. They will also need to be trimmed on a regular basis.

Health

Because it's a hybrid, the Miniature Goldendoodle is generally healthier and hardier than even its parent lines; these dogs can live to be 15 years old easily. They are prone to some of the same health problems as their parents, although they manifest them less often than their parent lines do because of the crossbreeding. Some problems that are sometimes seen include Von Willebrand disease and hip dysplasia, although hip dysplasia and other bone disorders are much less common in the smaller Miniature Goldendoodles than they are in the larger sizes.

Longevity

Fortunately, the Miniature Goldendoodle is a very long lived dog, indeed, on average. Because of its hardy physical disposition and small size, it can easily live 15 years. In fact, you should take care to take your pet to the vet on regular basis, just to make sure he or she is healthy. Because your dog it is likely to be so healthy, it can be easy to overlook any minor health problems that could later become major ones. Regular veterinary visits will make sure your pet has a long and happy life.

Contraindications for the Miniature Goldendoodle as a pet

Simply, Goldendoodles don't do well when you leave them alone. If you're not going to be around your pet a lot and you intend to leave him or her home alone while you go to work, for example, it's best to get another breed that does better with solitary living. Miniature Goldendoodles absolutely crave companionship and activity, especially with their favorite humans.

This gentle, affectionate and very intelligent dog needs you; if you decide to welcome a Miniature Goldendoodle into your family, make sure you can give it the time and attention it deserves – and it will give it back many fold.

Tell the Breeders you found them on the Pets4You® Website!

Save Time & Money! We help find any puppy you want. View Dog Breeders Near You!