I am looking for a golden doodle and am not set on size, but would prefer a med dog (35-45 lbs), but am running into problems finding a breeder who breeds smaller "standards'. I have gotten mixed reviews on the minis-some breeders I have talked to have suggested not to have them with kids...they are not as solid as the standard....etc. But I love the size-thoughts?
Hi Kari~ Two years ago I bought Jersey, a "mini" golden doodle. The breeder is a veterinarian who has 5 daughters. Jersey absolutely loves kids and is wonderful with my 5 mon old grandson. She weighs 36 pounds and about 17" tall.
We are so happy with Jersey, that we bought Jasmine, another "mini" golden doodle from the same breeder (http://laurelridgegoldendoodles.com/laurelridge3.html). She is 5 1/2 months old now, 22 pounds and about 2" shorter than Jersey, but still growing. She is gentle, has never chewed anything of ours, loves all kids and every one. I am very pleased with both of them and would get another when the time comes from the same breeder.
Both have no problem interacting with the big dogs.
I have a f1 mini goldendoodle who is almost 15 mos. old, she weighs 23 pds. She is fantastic with kids. Being a puppy still, she is impulsive, but never hurts them. She does not have a yappy bark at all. The Jack Russels that all three of my neighbors have will be "yapping" away all afternoon and she just tools around the yard peering at them between the fence slats, rarely barking back. Recently a friend brought their 18th mo. daughter over and they just followed each other all over the yard. The little girl would hug and pat (very hard) on her and she just took it in stride. I've heard that toy doodles are yappy, which would make sense because of the toy poodle heritage and that perhaps they are too small to be around small children and more easily irritated, but I've only read that and not actually experienced it.
My mini- is awesome, not yappy and better with kids than my standard size ALD. I do not think there is enough consistency in the new "breed" to start to generalize at all.
Hi, My mini is 30 lbs. Beckett isn't yappy and he's good with kids. I don't think size has anything to do with being yappy, etc. He gets along with other dogs too. Beckett is solid, he loves to play, wrestle, etc. with my son. I love minis.