Mini Doodles and Kids

[Michelle Rodriguez]

Good morning everyone :) 

So I have been trying to get some more information on mini doodles but whenever I try to look things up online all I find is a ton of doodle bashing :( I just sent out our deposit for a mini doodle so of course its a little unsettling to hear so many negative comments on mix doodles so I thought THIS would be the best site to find some positive and helpful information on these precious doodles. 

One of our concerns is how have your doodles interacted with kids? We have two small children, my 18 month old who absolutely LOVES dogs we are not too worried about him, but our oldest is 3 and a half and she's a little more reserved. A family member of ours has a labrador retriever who is SUPER hyper and that kind of intimidates my daughter a bit, have your labradoodles or goldendoodles also experience this trait? If so how have you tried to mellow them done when they are with the kids?

Another question we had was how big have your "mini" doodles grown up to? Originally we had planned to go with a standard doodle but after seeing that they can grow as big as 100lbs we decided a mini would be best for our family. A lot of the articles I have read mentions that larger dogs are better for kids as opposed to smaller breeds like a yorki would that also apply to the mini doodles??

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

I see you have already chosen a breeder and sent out the deposit. I hope that the advice from Jane, Guiness and Murphy about choosing your breeder was something you already had done.
As with all dogs, regardless of the temperament, the pup AND the children will need training and boundaries. Both your fur baby and your human children will need training. Please find yourself a trainer early on and check out some some books at the library before you pick up your new doodle.
Good luck, and you have come to the right place, it won't be an out of the box perfection but with help and training you can get there.

[Michelle Rodriguez]

Thank you! :) We're definitely trying hard to prepare ourselves as best as we can before our little fur baby's arrival in June. I have been researching a lot of trainers and I am hoping to find one that can include the kids in some of the training process so that they can get that sense of having a "role" in caring for their new pup :) I have only been on this site for a few days and it has already been a HUGE help, so excited to have found such an amazing support group. 

[Wynnie & Jim]

Michelle, you are right! This site is an amazing. Karen and Jackson, Adina and many others are tremendous researchers and trainers with loads of experience. Insights about the proper food for you doodle, puppy training, behavioral issues and training philosophies are just a few of the topics covered by these bloggers. Keep reading and educating yourself about doodles. And good luck with your new puppy.

[Kim and Jaxson]

My mini golden doodle is fantastic with my 2 grandkids ages 4 and 2......they were so afraid of all dogs....I watch the kids 5 days a week...so call me crazy for getting a puppy.....but ....they are the best of friends....i did have the kids hand feed Jax almost all of his food in the beginning and they learned how to "train" him they both can get him to sit, stay, down, roll over,give paw....Jax is now 1year old weighs 33lbs  

[Michelle Rodriguez]

oh how precious!!!!! LOVE all the photos :) Your grandkids are about the same age as my kids so this is so refreshing to see :) How was your doodle with them during its puppy stages? 

[Kim and Jaxson]

Well...he was a puppy lol...but my breeder had already started bite inhibition training and I taught the kids what they could and couldn't do around the puppy so they felt more in control .... so he was really so good with the kids ...to this day when Jax sees the kids coming to the door he runs to get a soft toy to hold in his mouth and holds it until all hellos are done, once he is calm he drops it .....and having the kids hand feed him taught Jax that they are not his siblings but someone to respect.......first day they met Jax (8 weeks old & 8lbs) I had 2 kids climbing me like I was a tree to get away from him .....lol....they were terrified of all dogs even one so little.....now BFF's