The Miniature Goldendoodle dog breed is adorable, lovable, as well as smart. However, their best feature has to be that they are small! A Mini Goldendoodle often can be portrayed as a perfect apartment dog, the perfect pet: loyalty and playfulness like a Golden Retriever combined with the intelligence of a Poodle with minimal shedding, and a nice size. However, there are instances when things do not go as planned.
Is Your Mini Goldendoodle BIG? What’s Going On?
Does your Mini Goldendoodle appear big, and not mini as the name suggests? These dogs come in a variety of sizes, depending on their breeding. Mini Goldendoodles, specifically, fall in the size range from 13 to 20 inches tall and usually weigh around 15 to 35 pounds. However, if your Mini Goldendoodle happens to be larger than this, then your dog might be a Medium or a Large Goldendoodle.
So, if you are a new buyer, how can you ensure that the furry friend you are welcoming into your home is not going to grow into a full-sized version of the breed he was bred from?
Why Is Your Mini Goldendoodle So Big?
After you get a dog, you will have certain expectations as to how big they are going to grow. However, if your dog exceeds that, often you find yourself having to handle more than you bargained for.
Goldendoodles: Petite, Miniature, Medium, or Large
Goldendoodles often are available in four sizes. A Petite or Micro Goldendoodle is built to be around 10 to 13 inches tall and weigh around 8 to 15 pounds. A Miniature Goldendoodle will likely measure up to 14 to 16 inches tall and weigh about 15 to 25 pounds. The Medium Goldendoodle will reach heights of 17 to 20 inches tall and weigh around 30 to 45 pounds. While the Standard Goldendoodle will grow up to 21 to 24 inches tall and weigh up to a heavy 75 pounds.
Consider the Parents
Mini Goldendoodle size is not a guarantee, however, an excellent way for you to be sure that your dog will be a truly small Mini Labradoodle is to look at its parents.
If you have bought your dog from a reputable breeder, then chances are that the photos of your dog’s parents are on the website.
If both your dog’s mom and dad are tiny dogs within the Mini Goldendoodle range, your dog will also follow this trend. If you have the time, a few breeders will even take requests for the preferred size.
Toy or Teacup?
First, consider that a Mini Labradoodle is not a teacup breed. Teacup dogs are bred to be extra-small, there are some common health issues for teacup dogs including heart defects, digestive problems, respiratory issues, as well as vision problems.
Mini or Toy dogs are not meant to be as small as teacup dogs, these should still be smaller than their full-sized parents. So, if you want a little dog, it is beneficial for you to understand your Mini Labradoodle’s history.
Is Your Mini Goldendoodle an F1 dog?
An F1 dog is a first-generation mixed breed of two purebred dogs. For example, a purebred Golden Retriever when crossed with a purebred Miniature Poodle is considered an F1 Mini Goldendoodle. At the same time, the F2 Mini Goldendoodle is the result of breeding two F1 Mini Goldendoodles.
Your chances of having a Mini Goldendoodle on the small end of the scale are better if your dog’s parents are F1, F2, or beyond. It is better for you if you find out your dog’s history. This will not only help you predict the ultimate size of the pup but you will also likely gain valuable health information.
Multigenerational Mini Labradoodles
If a breeding tree furthers beyond F2 or 3, the benefits provided by the purebred dogs become diluted. The purebred miniature poodle does not shed like the other dogs, however, if the purebred quality crosses again and again with other crossbred parents, the shedding might become an evident problem.
It’s worth considering how far down the breeding line your puppy has come while you are researching the dog’s small stature, you may be sacrificing other benefits from new generations.
The Bigger the Poodle…
There are different types of poodles used in breeding Labradoodles, this is important because the dog’s ancestors hold the key to its size. The smallest Poodle, the Toy Poodle, results from breeding the smallest Miniature Poodles, the range in size of these dogs varies from twelve to fifteen pounds. While Standard Poodles, which weigh up to 55 pounds, are used for breeding standard-sized Labradoodles.
As Golden Retrievers are not bred to be small, the size of the Labradoodle will depend on the breeder’s Poodle size.
Rescued Mini Labradoodles
Your dog might not come from breeders, perhaps you were a kind soul and picked up your new companion from a shelter or a neighbor who had to rehome a pet due to allergies or possible rental restrictions.
If you don’t have an idea of Mini Labradoodle’s genetic history, take a look at the paws. How do their paws compare to their current body size? Do they seem out of proportion, like your dog’s toddling around in snow boots? The larger feet can be hinting at a more giant adult dog. He might require these broad paws to support his weight once he gets older.
A longer lifespan than big dogs
Though a small dog is generally considered to weigh less than 22 pounds, as per the AKC size chart, other breeds considered Mini are available on board.
For comparison, Miniature American Shepherds weigh between 20 to 40 pounds.
The Miniature Schnauzers weigh around 11 to 20 pounds, while the Miniature Pinschers weigh between 8 and 10 pounds.
Thus, a 35-pound Mini Labradoodle is still quite smaller than the Golden Retriever parent who steps on a scale measuring around 60 to 95 pounds.
Size Versus Temperament
Petite Goldendoodles, are the smallest of the Doodles, they are energetic as well as friendly. These little dogs love to please and are very easy to train. Similarly, Miniature Goldendoodles are social creatures and exude personality. The dogs do need playtime or else they can become bored. The same goes for Medium Goldendoodles.
Finally, Standard Goldendoodle’s personalities will be similar, they will always love to be by your side.
The Mini Goldendoodle is a mixed breed, thus they are less prone to heart problems as well as thyroid problems, bone issues, and cataracts.
If you would like a more in-depth report about sturdy mixed breeds versus pure breeds at Dogs Naturally Magazine. No matter how big your Mini Labradoodle gets as they age, they are likely to be a healthy pet, which will keep the vet bills on the low.
What if my Mini Goldendoodle is Huge?
Expectations will often be broken, especially when things come to a living breathing life. Say you were expecting a small dog and ended up with one a bit bigger, I sincerely hope you can still accommodate your dog
Your dog will love you no matter what, even if it’s a Mini Goldendoodle or not. While all your dog hopes are that you love them back, even if it is half of their love.
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