Updated: January 27th, 2023
Miniature Goldendoodles are excellent dogs for anyone looking for a friendly, intelligent, and trainable dog similar to a golden retriever.
Unlike golden retrievers, though, Goldendoodles have low-shedding coats and are smaller in size, so they can manage a bit better in smaller homes.
A cross between a golden retriever and a mini or toy poodle, mini Goldendoodles are high-energy and intelligent dogs that are easy to train and extremely loyal.
They only grow to around 13 to 20 inches tall, and their low-shedding poodle coat means less dog hair in your home.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about miniature Goldendoodles and whether adopting one is right for you!
Goldendoodle Breed Overview
- Size: 13-20 inches
- Weight: 40-50 pounds
- Coat: Likely to have a curly and low-shedding, long coat
- Color: Can be black, white, brown, gold, red, silver, or sable
- Life Expectancy: 10-15 years
- Intelligence: High
- Temperament: Friendly and sociable
- Exercise Needs: 20-30 minutes per day
History Of The Mini Goldendoodle Breed
Both the golden retriever and poodle breeds have rich histories and have existed for many years.
Golden retrievers were originally hunting dogs bred and used to retrieve game in the Scottish highlands.
They can handle the cold, wet, and rugged terrain of the highlands and are able to retrieve game from both land and water – they love to swim!
While they have a longer history, they were recognized by the UK Kennel Club in 1903 as excellent working dogs due to their intelligence and motivation to learn and please.
They quickly became popular as working dogs and especially guide dogs.
However, they have a high shedding coat, which can make them problematic in some working situations.
Meanwhile, poodles were bred as intelligent lap dogs in France and Spain from the 15th and 16th centuries.
They are extremely intelligent and loyal, but they are also a bit more headstrong than golden retrievers.
Fortunately, this trait gives them the ideal personality for a lapdog. They also have a dense, curly coat, which tends to hold onto lost hair rather than letting it shed.
This means they leave very little hair lying around, but they also need to be groomed regularly to remove dead hair trapped in their coat.
In the 1960s, Monica Dickens bred the first golden retriever and poodle mixes, the Goldendoodle.
The plan was to develop a loyal and intelligent working dog with a low-shedding coat.
She was successful in controlling for the most desirable characteristics, and by the 1990s, Goldendoodles were popular as low-shedding service dogs.
In the 2000s, as the trend for smaller “designer” dogs emerged, miniature Goldendoodles were bred by breeding a golden retriever with a miniature or toy poodle.
This resulted in a much smaller dog. While standard Goldendoodles are between 17 and 24 inches tall and weigh 45 to 85 pounds, mini Goldendoodles are substantially smaller, measuring 13 to 20 inches in height and weighing 40 to 50 pounds.
Interested in full-size Goldendoodles? Read our full-size Goldendoodle profile here.
Miniature Goldendoodle Size And Appearance
Miniature Goldendoodles are a mixture of golden retrievers and smaller poodles, and they share physical characteristics of both dogs.
While your average golden retrievers reach 20 to 24 inches in height and weigh 55 to 75 pounds, poodles can be much smaller.
Standard poodles are similar in size, measuring 18 to 24 inches and weighing up to 70 pounds, but miniature and toy poodles are small.
Miniature poodles are 11 to 14 inches in height and weigh 26 to 31 pounds, while toy poodles are just 9 to 11 inches in height and weigh 14 to 17 pounds.
When you mix one of these smaller poodles with a golden retriever, you end up with a dog around 13 to 20 inches tall that weighs roughly 40 to 50 pounds.
In a pure F1 mix of a golden retriever and a small poodle, the golden retriever will always be the mother to avoid complications of a small dog trying to birth a larger baby.
But you also get F1 and F1B mixes where a F1 mini Goldendoodle is mixed with a pure golden retriever or pure small poodle, and F2 miniature Goldendoodles that are bred from two miniature Goldendoodle parents.
Despite their relatively short stature, mini Goldendoodles tend to have strong and athletic bodies with dense muscles.
Their facial features can resemble a broad mix of golden retriever and poodle characteristics, but you can probably expect a medium-sized snout with a black button nose and medium-length floppy ears.
They are bred specifically to have the low-shedding coat of the poodle, and most breeders are good at controlling for this characteristic.
Generally, goldendoodles should have a relatively long, dense coat of curly hair.
They can range in color thanks to their poodle genetics, including golden, black, brown, and sable.
Miniature Goldendoodle Temperament And Trainability
Mini Goldendoodles have the right combination of genetic traits to make them very intelligent, highly trainable, and skilled at figuring out what is needed from them in new situations.
Golden retrievers are not only intelligent, but they are also eager to please, which makes them reward-driven.
This means golden retrievers are extremely easy to train and are good at remaining focused on tasks for extended periods of time. They tend to pass these traits on to their Goldendoodle offspring.
Poodles are considered to be even smarter than golden retrievers and can learn a new command in less than five repetitions, which contributes to the trainability of miniature Goldendoodles.
They are also a little more independent and are good at judging what may be needed from them in new situations.
Golden retrievers find strangers interesting rather than threatening and want to make friends with everyone. Poodles are friendly, but they are a bit more protective of their owners.
Mix these personalities together, and miniature Goldendoodles tend to be very friendly, but they can occasionally bark when they feel like they or their person is threatened.
Goldendoodles are extremely loyal and build a close relationship with their person very quickly.
Golden retrievers are energetic dogs that need lots of exercise. Despite their reputation as being posh French dogs, poodles are also high-energy and need almost as much exercise as golden retrievers.
Goldendoodles need a bit less because of their smaller size. A golden retriever needs about 60 to 90 minutes of exercise a day, while a standard size Goldendoodle needs 40 to 60 minutes.
A mini Goldendoodle can get away with 20 to 40 minutes a day depending on their size and individual character.
Since both golden retrievers and poodles are sociable animals that get along with people and other animals, you can expect the same from a miniature Goldendoodle.
Like all dogs, they should be socialized from a young age so they know how to respond to others.
Since miniature Goldendoodles latch on to their person quickly, they generally won’t do well if they are left alone for hours at a time.
They can easily develop separation anxiety. While Goldendoodles fare slightly better than golden retrievers when left alone, they won’t thrive in households where everyone is out at work or school for most of the day.
Mini Goldendoodle: Grooming, Diet, And Exercise
Miniature Goldendoodles need about 20 to 40 minutes of formal exercise per day to be healthy and happy.
They also do well if they have a space of their own to roam around in, but thanks to their small size, this can be an apartment rather than a large backyard.
Their low-shedding coat also means they shouldn’t leave too much mess behind while playing.
They will love to join you on more adventurous activities on the weekends and holidays.
Despite their small size, mini Goldendoodles will love hiking and swimming – but don’t forget their doggy life jacket on the boat.
As mentioned earlier, they won’t like being left at home while you go out and enjoy yourself.
If this happens consistently, don’t be surprised to confront a frustrated dog that can be destructive.
While miniature Goldendoodles will usually have the low-shedding coat of a Poodle, this means they need daily brushing to remove dead hair and to stop their coat from becoming matted.
They will also likely need a good trim every six to eight weeks.
Miniature Goldendoodles tend to have a healthy appetite, so it is important not to overfeed them.
Their small size means it is easy for them to pile on excessive weight. They usually need 30 to 40 calories per pound of their body weight per day.
They will thrive with a diet that has lots of animal-based proteins and healthy fats that will maintain their energy levels and keep their coat healthy.
The genetics of mini Goldendoodles can make them prone to a few medical conditions, but they are generally healthy dogs with an expected lifespan of 10 to 15 years.
Watch out for issues with their eyes, Von Willebrand’s disease (a blood clotting disorder), hypothyroidism, bloating, allergies, and problems with their knee joints.
Your vet will likely keep their eye on all of these factors throughout your miniature Goldendoodle’s life.
Miniature Goldendoodle Cost
While there are many breeders out there that specialize in miniature Goldendoodles, you can expect it to be rather expensive to get your hands on a puppy from a reputable breeder.
Finding appropriate dogs to breed of the right size and compatibility can be challenging, so the puppies are expensive.
Depending on where you live and the demand in your area, you can expect to pay somewhere between $1,500 and $2,500 for a mini Goldendoodle puppy.
When you buy from a reputable breeder, they should offer you the opportunity to meet both parents, and provide you with full medical records for the dog.
When you take them home, your new puppy should already have received their first vaccinations.
If any of these elements is missing from the adoption process, this should be a red flag.
FAQs About Miniature Goldendoodles
What is a mini Goldendoodle?
A miniature Goldendoodle is a dog that is a cross between a golden retriever and a miniature or a toy poodle.
They are high-energy dogs that are intelligent and trainable, but they have a diminutive size, which makes them easier for some people to manage.
How big will a mini Goldendoodle get?
Miniature Goldendoodles typically grow to between 13 and 20 inches in height and weigh between 40 and 50 pounds.
Exactly how big they get depends mainly on the size of their parents. The smaller the parents, the smaller their offspring will be.
How much does a mini Goldendoodle cost?
It is difficult to successfully breed mini Goldendoodles, because of the difference in the size of golden retrievers and small mini or toy poodles.
For this reason, depending on supply and demand where you are, a mini Goldendoodle puppy can cost between $1,500 and $2,500.
Are mini Goldendoodles smart?
Miniature Goldendoodles are very smart since both golden retrievers and poodles are extremely intelligent breeds.
They are both trainable because they are reward-driven, and they are also capable of independent thinking and problem solving.
Final Thoughts
The mini Goldendoodles is a mix between the golden retriever and the miniature or a toy poodle.
Goldendoodles have been bred since the 1960s to create a working dog with the trainability and work ethic of a golden retriever with the low-shedding coat of the intelligent poodle.
Mini Goldendoodles emerged in the early 2000s when smaller designer dogs became popular.
While they are far from teacup dogs, their smaller size does make them more manageable in small homes than larger goldens.
They are great pets for anyone who wants an energetic companion to join them on all their adventures but doesn’t need a large house and backyard to call home.
However, Goldendoodles need lots of love, attention, and exercise, so they need owners who have lots of time to spend with them.
As an overview, the Goldendoodle’s main traits are:
- Size: 13-20 inches
- Weight: 40-50 pounds
- Coat: Likely to have a curly and low-shedding, long coat
- Color: Can be black, white, brown, gold, red, silver, or sable
- Life Expectancy: 10-15 years
- Intelligence: High
- Temperament: Friendly and sociable
- Exercise Needs: 20-30 minutes per day
Read our comparison on golden retrievers and Goldendoodles here.
