Mini Groodle Guide: Price, Size, Temperament, Lifespan & More

Mini Groodles (AKA Mini Goldendoodles) are a designer dog breed, the result of breeding a Golden Retriever with a Miniature Poodle. Their friendly and playful nature paired with their small size which is suited to apartment living makes them highly sought after, fetching high prices!

If you are interested in Mini Groodles keep reading this article to find out the all the answers to your questions about this dog breed!

Cover Image Credit: Graham Roy via Pexels

What Is A Mini Groodle?

A Mini Groodle is a cross between a Miniature Poodle and a Golden Retriever. They are a calm, easy going and friendly dog that are small in size with soft, fluffy coats which come in many different colors like gold, caramel and chocolate. Mini Groodles are one size larger than Toy Groodles.

What Does A Mini Groodle Look Like?

Mini Groodles may look more like a Poodle or more like a Golden Retriever depending on the generation. For example, F1b Mini Groodles look more like Poodles than F1 Mini Groodles as F1b Mini Groodles have a higher percentage of Poodle genes. Mini Goroodles look like a fluffy teddy bears with their fluffy coats, dark brown eyes and black noses. They can come in a variety of colors with dense coats that can be wavy, curly or straight.

mini groodle puppy — Mini Groodle via Teela Hudak on Pexels

Characteristics

Mini Groodle Characteristics
Size	35cm to 45cm tall at the shoulder.
Weight	6.5kg ato 15kg.
Temperament	Easy going, calm, friendly.
Activity Levels	High.
Exercise Requirements	30 to 60 min per day.
Lifespan	12 to 15 years.
Coat	Wavy or curly single coat.
Eyes	Brown.
Shedding	Low.
Apartment Adaptability	Can live in an apartment if given enough exercise daily.
Good with Children	Yes.

Mini Groodle Price

Mini Groodles cost between $3500AUD and $6000AUD. They are the second cheapest Groodle size as they are quite common and easy to find. It is very likely that you will be able to find a Miniature Groodle from a local breeder that is available in an upcoming litter.

Mini Groodle Size

Mini Groodles get to 35cm to 45cm tall at the shoulder. They weigh between 6.5kg and 15kg when fully grown. . They are the middle Groodle size as the Toy Groodle is slightly smaller and the Medium Groodle is slightly larger.

Mini Groodles puppies stop growing taller between 11 and 13 months of age. They will continue filling out and around 2 years of age they are fully grown.

Mini Groodle Temperament

Mini Groodles are highly excitable dogs by nature. They love spending time around people and other animals alike and are so affectionate and gentle. Mini Groodles are keen to please which makes them pretty easy to train. They are also relatively easy to care for. The only real complaint of owners is their constant grooming requirements.

Are Mini Groodles Hyper?

Mini Groodles are a high energy dog but not to the extent of being hyper. They crave mental stimulation and exercise and if not given enough, Mini Groodles may become mischievous or even destructive. This is especially the case for puppies. A better way to describe them would be excitable or exuberant.

Are Mini Groodles Barkers?

Mini Groodles are not barkers. They are a relatively quiet dog breed and will only bark occasionally for reasons such as being bored, anxious or fearful. They do not bark any more than the average dog.

Do Mini Groodles Like To Cuddle?

Mini Groodles love to cuddle as they are so affectionate and friendly. While they love playing games and being active, they equally love snuggling up on the couch with their owners for a cuddle. They are a very social breed and crave all the attention they can get from you.

Are Mini Groodles High Energy?

Mini Groodles are a high energy dog breed. This is especially the case when they are puppies and you may be worried that they will never calm down. Luckily, as Mini Groodles mature, they become much calmer. As they have so much energy, it is really important to give them plenty of exercise each day so they don’t become destructive.

Do Mini Groodles Like Water?

Most Mini Groodles really like water and enjoy going swimming. This is no surprise as Golden Retrievers are known to love water. It is best to introduce your Mini Groodle to water and swimming at a young age so they are comfortable with this environment as adult dogs can be fearful if never introduced as a puppy.

Mini Groodle Lifespan

Mini Groodles have a lifespan of 12 to 15 years. They have one of the longest lifespans of all Groodle sizes as they are a small breed yet not so small that they suffer from size related health issues like Teacup Groodles.

Do Mini Groodles Shed?

Mini Groodles are classified as light to non-shedders. They only drop a little bit of hair here and there throughout the year and do not go through heavy seasonal shedding like other breeds.

It is important to realise that there is no such thing as a totally non-shedding dog and that Mini Groodles along with other Poodle mixes are the closest to this definition.

Are Mini Groodles Hypoallergenic?

Mini Groodles are hypoallergenic as they are a low shedding breed and therefore do not release much allergy inducing dander into their surroundings. Mini Groodles that have a higher percentage of Poodle genes such as F1b Mini Groodles are even more hypoallergenic than 50/50 Miniature Poodle to Golden Retriever mixes.

Mini Groodle Generations

F1 Mini Groodle

An F1 Mini Groodle is the first generation of the breed created by crossing a purebred Golden Retriever with either a purebred Miniature Poodle. An F1 Mini Groodle is 50% Golden Retriever and 50% Miniature Poodle.

F1b Mini Groodle

An F1b Mini Groodle is created by crossing an F1 Mini Groodle with a purebred Miniature Poodle. The resulting dog is 25% Golden Retriever and 75% Miniature Poodle.

F1bb Mini Groodle

An F1bb Mini Groodle is a cross between an F1b Mini Groodle (Groodle x Miniature Poodle) and a purebred Miniature Poodle. They are 12.5% Golden Retriever and 87.5% Miniature Poodle.

F2 Mini Groodle

An F2 Mini Groodle is the second generation of the breed created by breeding a F1 Mini Groodle with another F1 Mini Groodle. They are 50% Golden Retriever and 50% Miniature Poodle.

F2b Mini Groodle

An F2b Mini Groodle is created by crossing an F2 Mini Groodle with a purebred Miniature Poodle. The resulting dog is 25% Golden Retriever and 75% Miniature Poodle.

F2bb Mini Groodle

An F2bb Mini Groodle is a cross between an F2bb Mini Groodle and a purebred Miniature Poodle. They are 12.5% Golden Retriever and 87.5% Miniature Poodle.

Mini Groodle Coat Colors

Red Mini Groodle

Red Mini Groodle come in a variety of shades from light red to dark red. Their coats can be anywhere from a reddish cream to a rusty brown color. Mini Groodles with lighter red coats are usually called Apricot Mini Groodles.

Apricot Mini Groodle

Apricot Mini Groodles have very light red coats with a peachy tone. They are somewhere between a light red and a cream. Only the Miniature Poodle carries the genes for an apricot coat so Apricot Mini Groodles are usually created by breeding an Apricot or Red Miniature Poodle with a light Golden Retriever. They are one of the most sought after Groodle coat colors.

English Cream Mini Groodle

English Cream Mini Groodles have an off-white coat. Some English Cream Mini Groodles have black noses while others have light brown or beige noses. English Cream Mini Groodles are often mistaken for Mini Labradoodles because they are so light in color.

Parti Mini Groodle

A Parti Mini Grodle has a white base coat that covers at least 50% of their body with a secondary color marbled through it. Most of the time the secondary color is apricot, red or cream. It’s also relatively common for the secondary color to be black.

Chocolate Mini Groodle

Chocolate Mini Groodle have a solid brown coat that can range from a very light shade to a dark brown. They inherit this coat color from the Poodle side. Brown coats were originally a result of a mutation of the gene that produces a black coat. It is a recessive gene so both parents need to carry it to get a Chocolate Mini Groodle. That is why Chocolate Mini Groodles are more commonly found in back-cross generations such as an F1b, F1bb or F2b Mini Groodle.

Black Mini Groodle

Black Mini Groodles feature a solid black coat. They may have small white patches over their body like on their chest or paws however these as technically Black and White Mini Groodles. Mini Groodles can only be this color if they inherit it from the Poodle as purebred Golden Retrievers are never black.

Merle Mini Groodle

A Merle Mini Groodle carries the merle gene which dilutes certain sections of their coat into mottled patches. This gene also affects eye color and skin pigmentation on the nose and paws so Merle Mini Groodlesoften have very light eye colors such as blue and often have pink patches on their nose and paws. They can either be a Blue Merle or Chocolate Merle (Red Merle) Mini Groodle.

Mini Groodle Grooming

Mini Groodles need to be groomed every 6 to 10 weeks. If you prefer that your Mini Groodle has a shorter coat at all times they need to be groomed every 6 to 8 weeks. If you prefer a longer coat, they should be groomed every 8 to 10 weeks. This can be done at a professional groomer or you can learn how to cut your dog’s hair at home from watching YouTube videos and investing in a dog grooming kit.

The best way to reduce the amount that your dog sheds is to regularly brush them. Slicker brushes are great for dogs with single coats (most Poodle mix breeds) and deshedding tools are great for dogs with double coats.

Mini Groodle Haircuts

There are many different haircut styles that you can give your Mini Groodle. Some popular ones include:

Puppy Cut
Teddy Bear Cut
Poodle Cut
Lamb Cut
Summer Cut

Mini Groodle Exercise Needs

As Mini Groodles are smaller than Standard Groodles, they don’t need as much exercise each day. Nevertheless, this does not mean that they don’t need anything at all. They are still a very energetic dog, so require at least half an hour to an hour of vigorous exercise each day to use up all their energy.

Mini Groodle Training

Mini Groodles are very intelligent so they respond very well to training. You should start teaching your Mini Groodle basic commands such as their name, sit, stay and come from the moment they arrive home. You can then progress to more difficult tricks and commands.

When training your dog it is important to use positive reinforcement techniques as dogs repeat good behavior when it is followed by a reward such as a treat or their favorite toy. Clicker training is another type of positive reinforcement training that is a good method for learning new tricks. You use a clicker device so your dog can associate a new behavior with a click and then a reward.

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Smaller size than the Standard Groodle which is more suited to apartment or city living.	Mini Groodles require regular grooming which can get expensive.
Mini Groodles are companions dogs that have unconditional love for their owners.	Mini Groodles can become destructive if they do not get enough exercise each day or if they get bored.
Mini Groodles are hypoallergenic and light shedders.	Mini Groodles can get separation anxiety and be ‘velcro’ dogs.

Size Comparisons

Mini Groodle vs Toy Groodle

The main difference between a Mini Groodle and a Toy Groodle is size. Mini Groodles are one size larger than Toy Groodles as they are bred with Miniature Poodles rather than Toy Poodles. Mini Groodles get to 35cm to 45cm tall at the shoulder and weigh between 6.5kg and 15kg while Toy Groodles get to 25cm to 40cm tall at the shoulder and weigh between 4.5kg and 12kg.

Mini Groodle vs Standard Groodle

The only real difference between a Mini Groodle and a Standard Groodle is size. Standard Groodles are slightly larger than Mini Groodles. Mini Groodles get to 35cm to 45cm tall at the shoulder and weigh between 6.5kg and 15kg while Standard Groodles get to 50cm to 65cm tall at the shoulder and weigh between 22kg and 40kg.

	Toy	Mini	Standard
Weight	4.5kg and 12kg	6.5kg to 15kg	22kg to 40kg
Height	25cm to 40cm	35cm to 45cm	50cm to 65cm