DOODLE SIZES
STANDARD SIZED OR MINIATURE? WHICH DOODLE WILL BE THE BEST MATCH FOR MY FAMILY?
Here’s a great example of the difference between a 30lb mini doodle and a 55lb Standard or Large doodle. (photo courtesy of F1bdoodles.com)
DOODLES COME IN A VARIETY OF SIZES. THERE ARE MANY TERMS USED BY DIFFERENT BREEDERS TO DESCRIBE THE DIFFERENT SIZE CATEGORIES. IT CAN BE CONFUSING.
The most practical way to understand size categories is to look at puppy’s parents. The expectation of a puppy’s size, looks and temperament can be based on their parents size, looks and temperament.
At Ponsonby, we feel its best to categorize our doodles in the following 3 ways.
STANDARD: Both parents are standard sized 40-70lbs. Therefore the puppies will mature anywhere between 40-70lbs.
MINIATURE: One parent is standard sized, and one parent is miniature sized, meaning'; One parent 10-15 lbs and the other parent is 40-70 lbs. Therefore the puppies will finish anywhere between 20-40lbs.
PETITE MINI: Both parents are miniature, weighing between 10-30lbs. Therefore the puppies will finish under 30 lbs, and often below 20lbs.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN TEMPERAMENT BETWEEN STANDARD AND MINIATURE SIZED DOODLES?
YOU BET THERE IS! AND ITS WISE TO PROPERLY UNDERSTAND THOSE DIFFERENCES BEFORE DECIDING UPON A SIZE.
MINI DOODLE TEMPERAMENT:
Mini Doodles are bred from Miniature Poodles, and will inherit some of the breed characteristics from their smaller heritage. The Miniature Poodles was developed as a companion lap dog over the last two-hundreds years. And while Mini Poodles and Doodles are bright, loving, and intelligent, they do tend to bond more closely with just one family member. They are also not well suited to spending long hours alone, as they can be prone to separation anxiety and can become destructive. In general we recommend that mini-doodles go to homes where there is a person in the home most of the time, or that you have the ability to take your dog to work.
While a well bred miniature poodle selected for breeding should not be yappy or hyper they will be more dependent on people than their standard cousins. On the bright side, they are also smart as a whip, quick to be trained and excellent companions. (Not to mention, they fit more easily on a bed!) This means that if you choose a mini doodle, your puppy will also inherit the benefits of its smaller parent.
When choosing a puppy based on size, temperament is not the only consideration. It is equally important to consider the variety of Doodle you are choosing, and the way that variety will fit into your lifestyle. A puppy’s personality is inherited from its parents. Both parents.
A STANDARD SIZED DOODLE IN CONTRAST WILL HAVE A MORE MELLOW, EASY GOING NATURE AND WILL ENJOY A DEEP BOND WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY.
A STANDARD SIZED DOODLE MAY BE A BETTER FIT FOR YOUR FAMILY IF:
Your hope is to hike or jog with your dog, a mini doodle may not have the stamina.
If you are a family that is required to leave your dog for longer than 3 hours per day.
You are hoping for a very transferable family member to bond equally well with your children.
I WANT A TOY, TINY TOY OR TEACUP GOLDENDOODLE. DO YOU BREED THEM?
A toy or teacup doodle is not a thing. A Goldendoodle is a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. In order to reduce the size of a Goldendoodle to under 12 lbs, the back-cross to poodle would need to have happened so many times that the dog will retain no Golden Retriever genes and would genetically be a Toy Poodle, no matter the claims made.
HOW WILL MY PUPPY GROW?
its important to have realistic expectations about the size that your Doodle puppy with grow to. Even if puppies are advertised as miniature, does not guarantee that your puppy will finish as a mini.
Time and again we meet beautiful 40lb dogs that were touted as “mini doodles” at the time they were purchased.
Because of larger genes that may be carried by the larger parent a puppy bred to be a mini may grow to be a 40 lb Doodle. This also works in reverse. If a larger breeding pair retain smaller genes, some puppies that were bred to be large may end up growing only to the size of a small/medium doodle.
The most accurate way to predict the approximate finishing weight of your puppy, before you adopt is to weigh them using a weight charting tool. There are many resources available to predict weight. At Ponsonby we prefer to use : puppychart.com
DO YOU BREED SMALL, STANDARD SIZED DOODLES?
Many families seek a “small standard” sized doodle. At Ponsonby, we encourage families first decide which temperament/category of doodle is the best fit for their family; Miniature or Standard.
We also help families to understand the the genetics of a Standard sized dog; A Standard sized dog is a “dog sized dog”, you know, the kind of dog you picture when someone says “Lab” or “Retriever.”
It is common for a Standard sized mother dog to give birth to puppies that will grow to range in size from 40 to 70 lbs within the same litter, regardless of her size. The determination of size is found in the genes she and the father carry, just like in people. Consider your own family for example; Within a group of human siblings, one brother may grow to be lean and under 6 feet tall, while another may be heavy-boned and grow over 6 feet tall.
When the time comes, you may choose the smaller puppy in the litter, but its important to be ready to accept that it is impossible to guarantee exactly how big your puppy will grow to be. We encourage you to open your heart to your new puppy, no matter the size variance, just as you would your very own child.
OKAY, I THINK A STANDARD SIZED DOG IS MY BEST MATCH. BUT WILL IT BE TOO BIG FOR MY HOUSE OR APARTMENT?
The nature of a Standard Doodle is to be calm and composed indoors and truly exuberant out-of-doors. A Standard sized dog will grow to equal the weight of an elementary school-aged child. If you can fit one of those in your house, your pup will be no more underfoot than a smaller dog would be, and perhaps less so.
We consider your commitment to care and exercise, and your stability in life, to be far more important than the size of your home or dog. We rather that a Ponsonby puppy go to a small home where they will receive daily off-leash walks, and lots of love and structure, than to a great big home and yard where they are left outside and not walked or worked with. A big dog can lead a happy, healthy life in a smaller home, so long as its humans are dedicated to exercise and training. Its all about relationship and commitment to wellbeing!
ARE YOU READY TO BECOME A PUPPY PARENT? WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU AND ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS.