Adding a puppy to our family

[anthony]

Good morning everyone I'm new to the forums just want to say hello.
My wife and I are looking to add a puppy to our family we have narrowed it down to either a mini poodle or a mini goldendoodle. Wanted to see what everyone thought of both breeds. Which would be better for our life style ? Keep in mind I have a one story ranch home with a grassy backyard. We are also allergic seasonal to dog hair.
I did some research on a mini goldendoodle but wanted to ask on here how big do they get and if they shed I have seen conflicting info on both.
Thanks look forward in hearing from you.

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

Welcome! 

Tell us more about your life style that you are wanting the pup to fit in to. Also, "allergic seasonal to dog hair?" I'm not understanding how it could be seasonal. :-) But, as far as allergies go, you are probably better off getting a mini poodle. With a goldendoodle, you never know how much of the golden characteristics are going to "come through" when it comes to the "hypoallergenic" part of things....

Best wishes!

[anthony]

Hi thanks for the reply . Well she's a teacher and I work in construction and also coach ice hockey we were looking for next spring l/summer so one of us would be home to train and let get pup get use to our home. We are gone a couple hours a day but our parents live down the block so they would always be coming to heck and hang out with the pup. Seasonal so iv noticed when allergy season starts and I'm around dogs that shed I start sneezing etc . I'm guessing it's from the pollen bringing everything out on top of the dog hair.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It may also be due to the fact that dogs can have a lot of pollen on their coats, especially if they spend a lot of time outdoors rolling in grass, etc., and then they bring it into the house with them. Wiping them down when they come in from outside and frequent brushing can help cut down on that. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

With a Miniature Poodle, you are guaranteed of size and non-shedding/allergy friendly coat. With a mini goldendoodle, (or any mixed breed dog) you can't be sure of anything. We have people here with "minis" ranging from under 20 lbs to over 50, and you absolutely cannot predict a doodle puppy's coat.  In terms of basic care, exercise, grooming, etc., the two are so similar that IMO your best bet would be to go with the Poodle from a reputable breeder. You can locate a great breeder by going through the AKC breed club for your area. 

[Carrie]

I don't know anything about owning a mini poodle, but as far as Goldendoodles go you should consider an F1b because they are more likely to take after the poodle in the type of hair they have (curly). Curly hair USUALLY means less shedding, but lots of grooming.  Since they have this curly hair people with allergies tend to do better with them...of course there is no guarantee! F1b Goldendoodles are 75% poodle and 25% golden retriever....As far as how big they get if the poodle is a standard poodle they can get very large 45 Lbs. to 100 lbs. A medium sized is anywhere between 30-45 lbs. and the mini is 15 to 30 lbs. Some breeders call the medium size Goldendoodles small or mini because most breeders haven't bred them down to the actual 15 to 30lb size so I would go by what the breeder says for actual weight predictions not by the name of the size. Since you do have allergies to consider you may look for a breeder that knows how to work with you. My cousins breeder sent her a tshirt that her puppy had slept with and had her wear it to determine if the puppy would trigger allergies. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

We have dozens of members here with F1Bs who do shed and don't have curly hair. Also, allergy testing with puppies is futile, because their coats change when they mature; many a puppy who didn't shed or affect someone's allergies started shedding and causing allergy symptoms as an adult. Some very good info on this: http://www.doodletrust.com/education/doodle-alergy-myth

[Lynda Kamrath]

I don't know about miniature goldendoodles, but miniature poodles are great.   But I think all poodles are great.  They just do not make great service dogs, hence the breeding with labradors and goldens.  As far as a family pet, the mixture of miniature poodle and golden retriever should make a great pet and a little smaller than a standard goldendoodle.  In my estimation, you can't go wrong.  You might also consider an Australian Labradoodle.  They are a mix of puli, poodle, and cocker spaniel.  Take a look on my page to see Harpo, my ALD.  He is an absolutely great dog, hypoallergenic, and a great size.

[Lisa & Sunny]

My "mini" goldendoodle is 26 lb. at eight months old and still growing. She is an F1 and sheds. If you need a dog that does not shed, I think a poodle is the way to go.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

If you have allergies, you have a better chance of not having reactions with a poodle than a doodle, however if your allergies are seasonal, it probably isn't the dog but the pollen on their coat from being outside rather than the dog.  Shedding dogs make me sneeze and get itchy eyes - not from any dog allergy but from the fur floating around when I pet them.   If size limit is a must, then I'd definitely go with a poodle.  Size-wise, I really like that 25-35 pound range and I haven't found that in a poodle. What I mean is really evaluate what you are looking for.  Whatever you choose will work out.

[Ginny Nightingale]

You can always ask for a doodle cut on a mini-poodle too--and then they would look less poodle-y, if that is what you prefer. I agree with Karen that allergies are hard to test for with a mini GD and can change as the dog matures--if you want a small dog with a nonshed coat and low allergic reaction, a mini-poodle is the way to go. Or even a Kleine poodle--also called moyen--they are mid-size, 22-30 pounds, I believe.