MICRO doodle & which breed best Labradoodle, Golden, Austrailian for my preferences?

[a.k.a. Rodney]

hi, i have been advised this is the best way to get great feedback on my questions..

i am looking for a Mellow, highly intelligent, easy to work with doodle. That also must fit a size requirement as i travel frequently on planes, and would want the dog with me.

i have been in contact with a few breeders that claim they are producing MICRO doodles now 

9-15 lbs. multigenerational 14'.  Some breeders are saying they have worked for years to produce this dog. Am i naive to accept this as fact?

i am also  possibly interested in a dog that i can train for therapy work, probably working  with seniors at a care center.The dog needs to be 14' or less & between 9-15 lbs. I have 8 grandchildren ranging from 1 yr. to 11 yrs. old. The dog will be socialized well, but i prefer a non shedding dog..some kids have allergies as well as i have asthma.

Dogs generally don't affect me..Cats do!!

Big question is difference between labradoodle, goldendoodles & austrailian doodles for my preferences. Which would fit best for my needs?

Any helpful thoughts, suggestions or tips..very welcome and of course breeder recommendations

thanks in advance

[Lynne of Fountain Falls]

The micro mini sounds like a marketing ploy.  I am a breeder and own a mini golden doodle, 9 pounds that was slowly and scientifically bred to a smaller size, over many generations,  by the breeder that first introduced mini doodles to the U.S.  Any breeder that has "Franchise" on their site is not in this for the dogs benefit(most are not) Again, as already stated, you have no guarantees.  My darling boy was expected to be around 20 pounds, at least that is what I had planned.  He is 8 months and hasnt reached the 9 pounds I mentioned earlier.  You just dont know with hybrids.  As a breeder I never guarantee coat or size, much less that they will be laid back.  Some of my doodles are very laid back, others not.

If size is very important to you, I would go with a poodle, havanese, or Bichon.  All non shedding hypo allergenic.  If you would like more information, send me a note and I will respond directly to you. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There are so many small non-shedding breeds that are guaranteed to mature under 15 lbs and 14 inches (and guaranteed not to shed, unlike doodles). With such specific requirements, why would you take a chance on buying a puppy who might get bigger than you want, or who might not be allergy friendly?
Why not look at Havanese? http://www.akc.org/breeds/havanese/index.cfm
They are very sweet, beautiful, non-shedding dogs who come in every color and are gauranteed to have the qualities you want. There are many other breeds that would work for you, too, including a toy or miniature poodle.
To start out with a full sized retriever and breed down to dogs who are under 15 lbs and under 14 inches, there would have to be a LOT of small poodle there. You really wouldn't have much of the retriever temperament left there. There are also no guarantees on size.
There can also be structural problems when you are mixing dogs of such great disparity in size and conformation, even when the parents of each breed have been tested, and I see no mention of health testing on that website. A health warranty is not the same thing. That place looks like an internet puppy broker to me, especially considering that the prices are well below what reputable doodle breeders charge. Unless you can visit and see the dogs and the property, I'd stay away.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

That was my first pick when I read this!  Havanese seem like awesome dogs.  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I have a friend who has three of them. They are very nice little dogs. Very friendly and outgoing, very affectionate and people focused. Like any other breed, you do have to buy from a reputable breeder who health tests and breeds for temperament as well as appearance.

[Adina P]

We all love our doodles and think they are sweet.  But mellow is another story.  I have one that is very mellow and a registered therapy dog.  I've had another that was not at all mellow and would have licked all her therapy patients to death.  And I have a 3rd who is an energizer bunny.  All first generation labradoodles.  Of course mine are large dogs, but I'm with the others, if size is a critical factor, then a labradoodle, goldendoodle, or australian labradoodle seems very risky to me.   As long as you have labrador or retriever or any larger dog genes in the mix, size is variable and not predictable. 

Part of the awesomeness of labradoodles and goldendoodles is the labrador and golden (retriever) part of them.  Although you never know how much of the retriever's personality will shine through, if that wasn't part of the mix then we'd all have poodles.  And you can get poodles in size 'toy'.  But there are other small and toy breeds out there that would fit the job quite well.  I'm not sure why it needs to be a 'doodle'.  Why are you wanting a 'doodle' vs. just a tried and true pure breed that is small and shed-free?

[Ginny Nightingale]

I totally agree with this and I too have three with 3 different personalities--there is a lot of HYPE out there that is leading people to believe that all doodles are created equal.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Oh, and there is no such recognized organization as the NAKC; that's a private group of individuals who made up a club in order make some money by "registering" and selling papers for dogs whose breeds are not recognized by the real kennel clubs. To uninformed people, it lends legitimacy when the puppy has "papers".

There is also no such organization as Ethical Dog Breeders Assn. That's another scam.

And neither of the breeders you mentioned does genetic health testing on the breeding dogs.

[Doris, Knox & Flash]

I am going to step in for Rachel. Her mini-doodle, with parents weighing only 23 and 27 pounds, is 50 pounds! Rachel adores Ollie and is able to laugh about her mini-NOT, but if size had been a make-or-break thing for her...well, let's just not go there...

[Rita and Fazzy]

We have a labradoodle, but we also have a Cavapoo, which is a combo of a Cavalier King Charles and poodle.  She is right about 15 lbs and is the sweetest thing every.  Very people oriented, very much a lap dog and considering putting her into the therapy program.  You may consider this breed as well.  Very smart and such a great companion dog.  Non-shedding and such a wonderful personality.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm glad your Cavapoo is such a wonderful companion, but again, Cavalier King Charles spaniels do shed quite a bit, and this mix can shed as well. 

[Rita and Fazzy]

All I'm going by is my own experience and that of a few others that have Cavapoos as well - was just another option.  The thought of breeding a large dog down to micro is rather scary to me.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

To me as well. But being involved in rescue, it's also scary when someone has very specific requirements as to size and shedding, and opts to purchase a mixed breed dog. Many doodles and "something-poos" lose their homes when the advertising/predictions about size and non-shedding turns out not to be true, because there is absolutely no way to be sure of those things with mixed breeds. 95% of the people who join the DRC website looking to adopt a doodle are unaware of the fact that many of them do shed and are not allergy friendly. I'm sure you would agree that it isn't worth the risk to purchase a puppy that you will have to rehome because of these issues, when there are many breeds that would be guaranteed to fit the requirements..