Picking a F1 mini that will stay mini ( under 20" and 25 lbs)

[Raghu]

I have wanted a puppy since I was a kid. First it was my mom then school and then small apartments stopped me from getting a puppy. I get married, find a bigger place and now its the wife. She is scared of dogs but doesn't mind a small dog around. After showing her countless pictures of cute lil doodles and promising her that he/she will not get bigger than 15"- 20" and 25 lbs. She has agreed to get a mini doodle.

 

I have made a deposit on a F1 mini that is due in Dec. The sire is a mini poodle (14" and 15 lbs) and the dam in an all American retriever ( 22" and 42lbs). I understand its hard to determine the coat and size of a F1 mini until it grows up.

 

How do I pick a puppy that has the "best chance" of staying mini.

[Becka]

It's interesting to hear you say that--I tend to agree, although I believe it's usually the owner's fault for not realizing that a dog the size of a purse needs just as much training as a Great Dane. The difference in volume level between the little dog side of the dog park and the big dog side is always really striking. The mini-doodles I've met (at the park and elsewhere) seem to be exceptions to this rule and hardly seem to yap at all.

[Dori & Rua]

I think a F1b has a better chance of being "mini" than a F1.  Rua is almost 15 months old and weighs 17.8lbs.  Her mom was a 24lb miniature F1 (Golden Retreiver to a miniature poodle) and her dad was 14lb miniature poodle.

 

That being said, you have already placed a deposit on a miniature F1.  The odds are you aren't going to have a huge dog, but could certainly have a medium sized dog - 30lbs or so.  So I have to agree that 5lbs or so isn't going to matter once your wife bonds with that puppy.  I have to whole heartedly agree with the training aspect of things.  I would a even suggest that your wife become the primary trainer...it is an incredible bonding experience.

 

I am so happy for you!  If you haven't already, join the groups "waiting for a new puppy" (or something like that), "Puppy Madness", "food", and "training - experiences, challenges & mindsets".  Can't wait to see pictures.

[Raghu]

Thanks Dori...I am soo xcited.. I can't think of anything else other than puppy stuff and where want to take ..what I want to teach him...etc :)

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

I agree-who can be scared of a cute little doodle, I used to be turned off of the big doodles until I met some, now I just want to go up to them and squeeze them, most of them are all hair. Good luck!

[Adina P]

The only thing that could still 'scare' your wife is the 'nippiness' that might be exhibited by your puppy--normal puppy nipping and jumping and zooming...COULD...freak her out as she deals with it.  But maybe not.  Make sure she's prepared with how to deal with that because some puppies are little pyrhannas!

[Raghu]

Yeah... thats something I'm worried about... but I guess the cuteness will help her stay calm :)

 

ALL!! thanks for all the love, advise and support... this is the bestest forum I have ever been a part of...

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

reading through some of the Puppy Madness group should help her be prepared for the puppy aspects of owning a dog.  Some of those puppy teeth are brutal but it is all temporary.  The training is going to be the key for bringing your wife over to the dog lover side of the fence.  Training tricks is cute, but training a well behaved puppy that doesn't rule the house is the part that you really want to focus on.  You also learn a lot in training about how to read the puppy and their behavior.  Simple little things like the fact that even though it is cute that the puppy grabs the leash like it is walking itself, isn't a good thing.  All sorts of things about their body language and what it all means.  There is a wealth of knowledge out there to help you have a wonderful well behaved little puppy regardless of how large it gets to be.

[Jess and Pippin]

Pippin is an F1B (doodle mom, 22" inches tall, mini poodle dad, 16# tall) and he was expected to be under 35 pounds.  He is almost 1 year old , so still has some growing to do.  Height has been stable at 18" for the past couple of months and current weight is 37 pounds.  We got Pippin from an experienced breeder.  IMO, there is no guarantee for genetics.  We love Pippin, however, he is a very busy boy, and quite confident, much more so than any of our other dogs and he was considered medium energy for his litter, and is one of the smaller males.  Due to being confident/strong willed, he has also been more challenging for us to learn how to train effectively,as our previous dog was more timid and was more of a pleaser.  Size shouldn't be your only consideration.  You might be better off with a slightly larger dog from this litter who is more laid back and calm, than a higher energy, more confident, smaller dog. 

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Peri is an F1 mini and is 24 pounds - the smallest in her litter. I believe her brothers are mid-30s....but they still seem "small".  I wouldn't worry too much - your wife isn't going to to rehome the dog if he/she weighs 30 pounds instead of 25, right?  If so, I would say don't buy a dog - period.

[Raghu]

There is no question of rehoming... we were initially planning on adopting a puppy from a shelter.. there is no way we would abandon our baby

[Carol Brand]

This does not sound like a good fit for your family.   There is NO way to predict that an F1 cross like this is going to stay small.  You could very well end up with a 20" 40lbs dog and while that sounds smallish, that can be a whole lot of dog. 

My next concern is the breeder.  Breeding puppies to raise money is a BAD idea.   It says to me that person's main concern is not dogs but their charity.  What experience does this person have in training and socializing puppies?  There is a heck of a lot more involved with raising a litter than just feeding and letting the puppies run around for 8 weeks.   How will this person be able to accurately evaluate the litter and place the right puppy in your home?  How can this person mentor or help you with training and grooming once you get the puppy home? 

 

I know that this is a Doodle board, but I going to say that I don't think that a Doodle is the right choice for your family.   A Doodle requires extensive exercise, grooming and training.  I would not call it a good choice for a 1st time dog owner especially one who is already nervous about dogs.  This just seems like a recipe for disaster.  I think you would be best served by getting a purebred dog that will reliably stay small like a Bichon or a Cavalier or if you are set on a Doodle, get a multigen ALD.

[Raghu]

Hello Carol.. I sincerely appreciate your concern and advise. Maybe I used very strong words to describe my wife's discomfort. Her mother has a pekingese and my wife absolutely adores him... she picks him up and even lets him sleep by her. She is just a little concerned if she will be able to handle a bigger dog.

 

After researching and hearing from the forum members about the behavior and temperament of a dood, I am sure the size will not be a concern. We are extremely excited about making this new addition to our family.

 

About the breeder... Frankly, I had decided against buying from a breeder as there were so many homeless puppies available for adoption. While I was researching on where to get the puppy, I came across our breeder. I decided to adopt my puppy from them to help their cause in supporting kids fighting deadly diseases in 3rd world countries.The breeder in not experienced but they are being guided by another reputed breeder. Though they may not have the best idea on how the puppy would grow up to look, I am sure the puppy is coming from a wonderful and caring family.