Miniature temperament

[GAbe]

Hi, as some of you may already know. I am fairly new and still trying to decide wich kind of dog would fit our family best. I really liked the miniature since we don't have a yard. But I've heard that miniatures are not really calm, that they are the most active of all three sizes. What is your experience? Wi live in a big condo. How much exercise would he/she need?
Thank you all...

[Tamara & Giada]

I am a recent new doodle parent. I too heard that doodles require a lot of exercise, but had not heard any one size more so than the rest. Since we brought Giada home I have been surprised, that she does not seem to be hyper active nor need LOTS of exercising from us. We are a very active family, so maybe that is why, and we also have a good size back yard for her to run and play. The last month we have had LOTS of rain, and have gone days without taking her for a walk and limiting her outside romps due to the mud...........she has handled it very well:)

So, I think you have to know your lifestyle.

[Leslie and Halas]

Halas is a mini, and I think he's pretty calm. He has some puppy excitement when people come to visit, but he calms down in a minute or 2. I live in a big condo, but I do have a small yard. We play inside and outside, and we go on a couple of walks each day in a big field behind the condos. Most of his running around is done inside, and that can tire him out. He plays in bursts of about 15 minutes at a time. Then he's ready to relax for awhile. I don't have any other doodle sizes to compare him to, but I think he has a lot less energy as a puppy than my previous dog (a siberian husky) had.

[sbis0oszc95r]

We have a mini who's 7 months old and he's relatively calm too. He will get excited and run around inside, but like Leslie said......they tire out pretty quick. We have a neighbor who has a standard doodle and they have to put him in doggy daycare a few days a week to calm him down and prevent him from destroying their house when they're at work. I think it also depends on how you train them.....

Minis are wonderful!

[Tamara & Giada]

I want a mini one day!!

[susan kaput]

Hi, GAbe. I have a 14 mo. old mini goldendoodle (Angus) who has the sweetest temperament. He's less likely to freak out than my son's full size doodle if someone drives in the yard, for instance, also calmer when greeting visitors. My breeder (Christine Phillips, of the PawPad) was very helpful in helping me pick the right dog. I'm in MA and she's in IL so we had to do it by phone and email. He does have a lot of energy; what pup doesn't, but is basically a calm little guy. He gets a good walk every day and also plays with my son's big doodle, who's at my house most of the day. I think that all dogs benefit from a good walk every day; even if you had a large yard, he'd still need a walk. As the saying goes....a good dog is a tired dog. I also think that you get what you put into it as far as dogs(or children) go -- put in the time and BE CONSISTENT and it will serve you well in the long run. Once you get your dog, you'll find the folks on this website very helpful. Good luck to you.

[Leslie and Halas]

Halas and Angus have the same mini poodle daddy, so that's probably part of the reason they're such good boys. I think training and exercise will both have a big impact. I also think that bigger dogs can get into bigger trouble. If your mini decides to rip something apart, it will hopefully be something small like a pillow. If a bigger dog feels destructive, he might take it out on the couch instead of the pillow.

[sbis0oszc95r]

One last thing about our mini is that he NEVER barks......which might be good in a condo setting.

Not much of a watchdog, but I love this about him.

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Blake is a mini and extremely calm unless inspired to be rambunctious.....and his rambunctious level is even calm compared to other dog breeds....I have heard from many mini owners that this is the case with the majority of minis.....Once and awhile I'll hear about a yappy hyper mini.....but for the most part the consensus is that they are calm.......

We live in an apartment in a large mansion that has been converted without a fenced in yard....I walk Blake 1 mile twice a day and let him out to pee frequently in the yard.....It's not really enough for him.....The daily dog park excursion for about an hour a day is what it takes to really wipe him out.....

Doodles big or small are very social creatures much more so than other dog breeds..They need to have routine exercise for various reasons.....Obviously they need exercise for health and well being but they also happen to need the mental stimulation and socialization that comes with being in the company of other dogs and humans in a "play" environment....I find they thrive on this.......Isolation makes for a very unhappy Doodle......I would be prepared to provide dog park time to your mini at least 4 times a week.....

[Patty Barnes]

Hi GAbe,

I have both miniature and medium Labradoodles. I find that age dictates calmness more than size. At the moment my miniatures (who are older) are more laid back than my mediums (who are younger). One exception is a small medium who has been a rag doll since birth. Christian is as easy going as it gets. He resembles my husband who is kind, calm and as laid back as a sleeping puppy.

[Tricia Campbell]

I have read some of the replies & have to say I am very jealous. Duffy is is a mini & he is far from calm.
He just turned 7 months & I am hoping with time he will calm down.

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Hi Tricia...He will....14 months to 18 months...You will see a tremendous difference....As is true of the human species...lol...It takes the males a little longer to mature... By two they seem to calm down significantly....

[Libby, Rufus & Jacoby]

I have two large mini's/small mediums, they are very easy going until they see us pick up the ball thrower and/or frisbee!! This indicates play time and what dog wouldn't get excited at the prospect of some great play! Also, they tend to get excited when someone arrives in our driveway - this lasts for just a couple of minutes, they calm down very quickly. Oh, and they are 21 months and 9 months!