The Mini Goldendoodle is a lovable dog that looks more like a teddy bear. Find out more about this wonderful companion here.
The Mini Goldendoodle is a hybrid between the Golden Retriever and a Toy or Miniature Poodle. This breed is a small to medium dog with an affectionate, playful, and gentle personality. The Mini Goldendoodle has a thick and wavy coat that is soft to touch.
Reading on, you’ll learn about all the important facts and information about the Mini Goldendoodle. First, this piece will touch on the history of this breed and how it was developed. Next, you’ll read about the Mini Goldendoodle’s appearance, size, and coat. You will also learn about the Mini Goldendoodle’s personality. You’ll then read about what it takes to take care of a Mini Goldendoodle. Finally, you’ll learn about the most common health issues that a Mini Goldendoodle can face.
Table of Contents
The History of the Mini Goldendoodle
The Goldendoodle was first developed in the 1990s in the United States by crossbreeding a Golden Retriever and a Standard Poodle. After the Goldendoodle grew in popularity, more pet owners wanted a smaller version of the breed and thus the Mini Goldendoodle was developed.
The first litter of Mini Goldendoodles was born in January 2001. These puppies were the result of crossbreeding a Golden Retriever and a Miniature Poodle. One of the pups from that litter was named Pebble. Pebble became an icon of the breed and since then, hundreds of Mini Goldendoodle breeders have come up across the United States.
After the breed’s popularity skyrocketed, pet owners started wanting a Mini Goldendoodle that was hypoallergenic. Only some of Mini Goldendoodles turn out to have hypoallergenic fur so the first Mini Goldendoodle breeder started crossbreeding them with Poodles. With enough time and trials, the breeder was able to achieve a 90% success rate of producing hypoallergenic puppies. However, these Mini Goldendoodles turned out to have curlier fur which strongly resembles that of a Poodle’s.
What do Mini Goldendoodles Look Like?
What your Mini Goldendoodle will look like depends on how it’s bred. F1 Mini Goldendoodles or Mini Goldendoodles that are bred from a Golden Retriever and Miniature Poodle will have the most popular version of this pup’s look. An F1 Mini Goldendoodle can vary in size but it will have the wavy fur and teddy bear-like look that the breed’s fans love.
F1b Mini Goldendoodles or Mini Goldendoodles that are bred from a Mini Goldendoodle and a Miniature Poodle will have curlier and hypoallergenic fur, a consistently small size, and the same teddy bear appearance that this breed has become popular for.
For the next few sections, you’ll read about what F1 Mini Goldendoodles look like. You’ll learn about this breed’s appearance, size, coat colors, and eye colors.
Appearance
As puppies, Mini Goldendoodles look like tiny balls of fluff. Once they reach adulthood, they look like little teddy bears with soft curls in their fur. The Mini Goldendoodle has long legs that make these puppies prance just like the Poodle. They have large and round eyes, a short or medium muzzle, and a black nose. They have round heads and flopped down ears that are wide-set.
The Mini Goldendoodle has a fluffy or feathered tail and longer tufts of fur around its face and ears. These dogs have a loving and attractive appearance that makes them popular candidates for a family pet.
Size
The Mini Goldendoodle is a small or toy-sized breed. Male Mini Goldendoodles grow up to be around 17 to 19 inches in height and 20 to 35 lbs in weight. Female Mini Goldendoodles are a bit smaller, growing up to be 16 to 17 inches in height and 18-30 lbs in weight.
You can expect some variance in a Mini Goldendoodle’s size because it can have the size genes of either its Golden Retriever parent or Miniature Poodle parent. Some Mini Goldendoodles can turn out to be larger than the standard size if they inherit their Golden Retriever parent’s genes while others may turn out to be smaller if they inherit their Miniature Poodle parent’s genes.
Coat and Eye Colors
The Mini Goldendoodle can have either brown or amber eyes and a black nose. It can also have one of seven coat colors. Below are the colors of a Mini Goldendoodle followed by a description of what it looks like:
- Black – Black Mini Goldendoodles will have a solid black color covering its entire body. Sometimes, they can have white spots on their chest, head, and muzzle. This is one of the most popular Mini Goldendoodle coat colors because of its striking black color. Under natural light, this coat color can also have a blue sheen.
- Brown – If you’ve seen a Mini Goldendoodle before, then you’ve probably seen one with a brown coat. This is the most iconic Mini Goldendoodle color and the most popular one as well. This coat color will be present all over your Mini Goldendoodle’s coat and can have white spots on the chest, head, and muzzle.
- Cream – The cream coat is one of the rarest colors that a Mini Goldendoodle can have. Cream Mini Goldendoodles are even sometimes called Royal Mini Goldendoodles by pet breeders. This coat color can appear to be cream, white, or off-white in certain cases. Some cream Mini Goldendoodles will have a darker shade of cream on their ears to contrast the bright white color on the rest of their bodies.
- Fawn – Fawn-colored Mini Goldendoodles fall somewhere between cream and brown Mini Goldendoodles. This coat color features a light shade of blonde that looks golden. This fur color is inherited from the Golden Retriever’s fur color genes.
- Isabella – Isabella Mini Goldendoodles have fur coats that appear to be a soft shade of brown. It often appears to have an ombre look that includes lighter and darker shades of brown.
- Red – The red Mini Goldendoodle will have a bright coat with a strawberry blonde color. Like most Mini Goldendoodle colors, this coat can also have spots of white on the pup’s chest, head, and muzzle.
- Gray – A gray Mini Goldendoodle will have different shades of gray, white, and black all over its fur. This fur color rarely has just one shade of color and will instead lighten or darken as your Mini Goldendoodle ages.
The Personality of the Mini Goldendoodle
Along with its adorable appearance, the Mini Goldendoodle has achieved its popularity thanks to its precious personality. Mini Goldendoodles are known to be affectionate and loving lapdogs. These dogs love to spend their time with people and can get separation anxiety when left alone for too long.
You can expect your Mini Goldendoodle to follow you everywhere at home until it gets tired and falls asleep at your feet. Mini Goldendoodles don’t make great guard dogs are they don’t often bark at strangers or unfamiliar people. In fact, they’ll probably want to play with anyone that comes into your home.
These dogs love to entertain and will often try to play games with you. They enjoy being part of human social events even if they don’t always understand what’s going on. Your Mini Goldendoodle will always find ways to be part of your day-to-day activities.
Take Care of a Mini Goldendoodle
Now it’s time to talk about taking care of a Mini Goldendoodle. These puppies require a medium amount of maintenance due to their thick and wavy fur. Most of the care that goes into having a Mini Goldendoodle is grooming their fur. They are mid-energy level dogs that need to eat a good amount of food every day. For the next following sections, you’ll read everything you need to know about how to take care of a Mini Goldendoodle.
Grooming
Mini Goldendoodles require quite a bit of grooming every day. Their coats need to be brushed at least once a day to keep them from shedding too much or knotting and matting. They are low to average shedders and can shed even more during shedding season.
A great type of brush to use with a Mini Goldendoodle is a pin brush or a de-shedding comb. This will lessen the amount of shedding your Mini Goldendoodle leaves around the house and prevent mats and knots from developing on their fur.
You will also need to take your Mini Goldendoodle to a groomer at least once every two months for a haircut. Their fur can overgrow if left ungroomed for too long and become uncomfortable for your dog. If you’re interested in grooming your pet yourself, you can try using a pet-friendly grooming kit.
Mini Goldendoodles don’t need to be bathed often but when they need a bath, be sure to use a mild dog shampoo to avoid drying out their sensitive skin. You can also use a mild dog conditioner to keep their fur smooth and silky.
Mini Goldendoodles are also prone to ear infections due to the long fur that grows in and on their ears. You should use an ear cleaning solution on your dog’s ears once a day to prevent dirt from building up and causing any infections, irritation, or inflammation.
Since Mini Goldendoodles are medium-energy level dogs, their nails can be prone to overgrowing. You should take your Mini Goldendoodle to a groomer whenever you notice that its nails are getting too long. If you want to save money, you can also opt to trim your dog’s nails yourself. Simply clip off the tip using a pet-friendly nail trimmer and your pup is good to go.
Feeding
Mini Goldendoodle puppies consume about 1.25 cups or 0.3 lbs of dog food every day. Adult Miniature Goldendoodles will need about 2.5 cups or 0.7 lbs of dog food a day. While your Miniature Goldendoodle is still a puppy, it should be having its food in 3 to 4 meals a day. Once it reaches adulthood or 18 months of age, you can start dividing its food into 2 meals a day.
Mini Goldendoodles will need dog food that is formulated to take care of their coat and skin. Mini Goldendoodles have sensitive skin and fur that need specific types of nutrients and vitamins. They are also prone to allergies to certain food. To prevent this, you can consult with your veterinarian on what type of meat your dog’s food should be made of.
There are several types of high-quality dog food that you can try with your Mini Goldendoodle. The important characteristics of dog food for Mini Goldendoodles are that it’s high in protein, contains nutrients for skin and coat health, and easy to digest.
Below is a table that compares the price of the brands of dry puppy food that you can feed your Mini Goldendoodle puppy:
| Puppy food brand | Quantity per bag | Bags per year | Unit price | Price per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Buffalo | 15 lbs | 7 | $23.98 | $168 |
| Hill’s Science | 15 lbs | 7 | $32.99 | $230 |
| Instinct | 10 lbs | 10 | $39.99 | $400 |
| Purina | 24 lbs | 5 | $38.48 | $192 |
| Royal Canin | 2.5 lbs | 44 | $21.38 | $941 |
Below is a table that compares the price of the brands of dry puppy food that you can feed your Mini Goldendoodle:
| Puppy food brand | Quantity per bag | Bags per year | Unit price | Price per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Buffalo | 24 lbs | 11 | $54.99 | $605 |
| Hill’s Science | 15 lbs | 17 | $39.99 | $680 |
| Instinct | 18 lbs | 14 | $69.99 | $980 |
| Purina | 30 lbs | 9 | $47.98 | $432 |
| Royal Canin | 10 lbs | 25 | $49.69 | $1,242 |
Dental Care
To keep your Mini Goldendoodle’s oral health up to par, you will need to brush its teeth every day. This will get rid of and prevent any plaque or tartar from building up in its teeth and gums. You’ll want to start brushing your Mini Goldendoodle’s teeth while it’s a puppy so that it can get used to its dental routine as soon as possible. You can use a vet-recommended toothbrush kit to make it a bit easier for your dog to enjoy brushing its teeth.
If your Mini Goldendoodle shows to be strongly against brushing its teeth, you can try using enzymatic toothpaste. Enzymatic toothpaste is formulated to break down the plaque in your dog’s mouth while tasting like a delicious treat for your Mini Goldendoodle. You can pair it with a water additive to help keep your dog’s breath smelling minty fresh.
Exercise
Mini Goldendoodles will get enough exercise from following you around at home or having daily regular playtime. These dogs don’t need much physical exercise because of their small size but they will still benefit from going on a couple of short walks every day. Walks are a great opportunity for your Mini Goldendoodle to spend time outdoors, socialize with other animals and people, and experience new sights and sounds.
Mini Goldendoodles are also great swimmers that love to spend their time in the water. It’s a good idea to take your Mini Goldendoodle to a beach that allows pets. They love trips to the beach and will gladly take you on a game of frisbee while letting their paws out on the sand.
A great way to exercise your Mini Goldendoodle is by teaching it tricks. Mini Goldendoodles are intelligent dogs that can quickly pick up on obedience training and other activities to stimulate their brains. You can opt to get your Mini Goldendoodle some training treats and teach them fun tricks like sit, speak, wait, and fetch.
Health Issues in Mini Goldendoodles
Both Poodles and Golden Retrievers are prone to several health issues, which are the same health issues that Mini Goldendoodles can face. It’s important that you clear your Mini Goldendoodle of these hereditary diseases to ensure that you have a healthy puppy. This is an important step in selecting a Mini Goldendoodle puppy and the best way to find out is to consult with your breeder.
A reputable breeder should be able to provide you with the medical certificates of your Mini Goldendoodle and its parents. It can be difficult to come home with a puppy that inherits health issues not just because it’s expensive to treat it, but because your puppy will have to suffer from these diseases.
The following sections will discuss some of the common health issues that Mini Goldendoodles face. They will also cover the symptoms of these health issues, diagnosing them, and the required treatment for each.
The following health issues are commin in Mini Goldendoodles:
- Patellar luxation
- Hypothyroidism
- Bloat
Patellar Luxation
Patellar luxation is a condition wherein the patella, also known as the knee cap, slips outside of the out of the femoral grove, where the knee is flexed. This condition is common among small breeds like the Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier, and Miniature Poodle. It’s likely that if your Mini Goldendoodle’s Miniature Poodle parent has or had this condition, your puppy will inherit it as well.
This condition is sometimes caused by trauma or injury to the knee but it can also be inherited genetically or occur during development. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what causes this condition but research shows that it occurs along with other bone-related problems in a dog’s body.
The symptoms of patellar luxation are limping, shaking the affected limb, and bow-leggedness. Patellar luxation can be diagnosed during a routine physical exam on your dog but will likely need to be confirmed by conducting an x-ray.
Treatment of patellar luxation will depend on the severity of the case. Patellar luxation is normally put on a scale of 4 grades that determine how bad the condition is. Grade 1 patellar luxation can usually be corrected by your veterinarian without surgery, followed by physical therapy.
If your Mini Goldendoodle is suffering from patellar luxation with a severity grade of 2 and above, surgery will be needed. Surgery of a Mini Goldendoodle to treat petellar luxation will consist of one of the following:
- Reconstructing the soft tissues surrounding the knee cap
- Deepening the femoral groove so that the knee cap can slide back into place
- Correcting abnormally shaped femurs and installing a bone plate
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a common disease that affects medium to large-sized dogs. It commonly affects Golden Retrievers so Mini Goldendoodles can be prone to disease as well. Hypothyroidism is a condition wherein a dog’s thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroxine. Thyroxine is the hormone that’s in charge of converting food into energy.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include fur loss, specifically around the rear, back, and tail, fast weight gain, dull skin, increased appetite, toenail infections, and repeated ear infections. More serious symptoms include seizures, heart problems, and sterility or infertility.
If your Mini Goldendoodle shows any of these symptoms, you should take it to the vet for a diagnosis. Your vet will need to run a number of blood tests to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms.
Treating hypothyroidism involves giving your dog L-thyroxine, a manmade replacement for the thyroxine hormone. Your veterinarian will prescribe your dog the proper dose of the medicine and your dog will need to take this medication for the rest of its life.
Fortunately, hypothyroidism isn’t a life-threatening disease. It cannot be cured but it can be managed with enough effort and care from you as a responsible pet haver.
Bloat
Bloating is a health issue that occurs in dogs that tend to eat too fast or too much. It is common among Mini Goldendoodles because they inherit a lack of food inhibition from their Golden Retriever parents.
Symptoms of bloating include an enlarged stomach, gagging, rapid breathing, drooling, and restlessness. These symptoms will occur after a meal that your dog might have eaten too quickly or after they’ve eaten too much food in one go.
You can prevent bloating by feeding your Mini Goldendoodle using a slow-feeding bowl. A slow-feeding bowl will keep your Mini Goldendoodle from consuming its meals too quickly and lessen the chances of bloat occurring.
Bloating can quickly become a serious problem if it happens to your Mini Goldendoodle. If you notice that your Mini Goldendoodle is bloated, you must take it to the vet right away. Treatment for bloating involves passing a stomach tube through your pup’s mouth or inserting a large needle into their stomach to release trapped gas.
Final Thoughts
The Mini Goldendoodle is one of the most popular hybrids that exist today. It has an adorable build, size, coat, and personality that the breed has used to sneak into the hearts of pet lovers everywhere. Even though it’s only been around for 20 years, this pup is arguably one of the most well-known dogs on the market.
This tiny pup has one of the most loving personalities that you can find in any dog. The Mini Goldendoodle will always make you feel loved and cared for because of how much it loves to bond and spend time with people. Even though they can be prone to some health issues, these little puppies are resilient.
If you want a puppy that will love you unconditionally, then the Mini Goldendoodle is the right dog for you. These dogs will easily take over your life with their need for attention, love for cuddles, and intelligent minds. Should you decide to have a Mini Goldendoodle, then you’re set to have a cute best friend by your side for the rest of their life.
Hey there! I’m Matt and I’m a content writer from the Philippines. I’ve raised over 10 dogs and 5 cats. I love taking care of my rescue dog Kewpie and my two rescue cats, Misty and Rosy.