Mini Labradoodle Guide: Price, Size, Temperament & More!
Mini Labradoodles (AKA Mini Labrapoos or Mini Labrador Poodles) are a designer dog breed, the result of breeding a Labrador Retriever with a Miniature Poodle. Their friendly and playful nature paired with their tiny size which is suited to apartment living makes them highly sought after, fetching high prices!
If you are interested in Mini Labradoodles keep reading this article to find out the all the answers to your questions about this dog breed!
Cover Image Credit: Photo by Janosch Diggelmann on Unsplash
What Is A Mini Labradoodle?
A Mini Labradoodle is a cross between a Miniature Poodle and a Labrador Retriever. They are a small yet lively dog that is very friendly, affectionate and gentle. Mini Labradoodles can either look more like a Labrador Retriever or a Poodle depending on the generation and the percentage mix of Labrador to Poodle. Mini Labradoodles generally have a small build with legs that are quite long in comparison to their body size. They have curly or wavy fur that comes in a range of colors such as black, chocolate, white or red.
Mini Labradoodle Characteristics
| Mini Labradoodle Characteristics | |
| Size | 35cm to 40cm |
| Weight | 7kg to 12kg |
| Temperament | Lively, friendly, affectionate, gentle. |
| Activity Levels | Moderate. |
| Exercise Requirements | 30 to 60 min per day. |
| Lifespan | 12 to 15 years. |
| Coat | Wavy or curly single coat. |
| Eyes | Black or brown. |
| Shedding | Low. |
| Apartment Adaptability | Can live in an apartment if given enough exercise daily. |
| Good with Children | Yes. |
Mini Labradoodle Size
Mini Labradoodles get to approximately 35cm to 40cm tall at the shoulder. They usually weigh between 7kg and 12kg. They are a smaller version of the Standard Labradoodle and one size larger than the Toy Labradoodle.
Mini Labradoodles usually stop growing between 11 and 13 months of age and can continue gaining weight and filling out for many more months.
Mini Labradoodle Price
Mini Labradoodles sell for prices between $2500AUD and $5000AUD. They are the smallest and most expensive size of Labradoodle as they are not very common and their litter sizes are very small.
Mini Labradoodle Temperament
Mini Labradoodles have a lively and friendly temperament. They are a great addition to families as they are very gentle and get along well with children. Mini Labradoodles are often described as being outgoing, playful, curious and eager to please. They are a very intelligent breed and respond very well to training from an early age. As they are a mixed breed dog, their temperament can be more like a Mini Poodle or more like a Labrador.
Mini Labradoodle Lifespan
Mini Labradoodles on average live for 12 to 15 years. There are many factors that can influence their lifespan such as genetics, diet as well as activity levels/exercise.
Do Mini Labradoodles Shed?
Mini Labradoodles do not shed much at all. They only drop a few strands of hairs here and there throughout the year. That is why they are classified as non to low shedders. Cross-back generations of Mini Labradoodle such as F1b, F1bb or F2b shed less than F1 Mini Labradoodles. The best way to reduce how much a Mini Labradoodle sheds is to brush them daily or every second day with a slicker brush.
Are Mini Labradoodles Hypoallergenic?
Mini Labradoodles are hypoallergenic as they are a low shedding breed and therefore do not release much allergy inducing dander into their surroundings. Mini Labradoodles that have a higher percentage of Poodle genes such as F1b Mini Labradoodles are even more hypoallergenic than F1 Mini Labradoodles.
Mini Labradoodle Exercise Needs
As Mini Labradoodles are smaller than Standard Labradoodles they do not require as much exercise each day but that does not mean they don’t need anything. They are still a very energetic dog, so need between 30 minutes and an hour of exercise each day. Mini Labradoodles enjoy going on walks, running and playing games. Mental exercise is also required so they don’t get bored and destructive.
Mini Labradoodle Grooming
Mini Labradoodles need to be groomed every 6 to 10 weeks. If you prefer that your Labradoodle 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.
Mini Labradoodle Training
Mini Labradoodles are very intelligent so they respond very well to training. You should start teaching your Mini Labradoodle 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.
Mini Labradoodle Colours
Mini Labradoodles can come in a range of coat colors and patterns including: black, chocolate, white, red, black & white, parti, phantom, yellow, blue merle, sable, grey, caramel, tuxedo and english cream. Black, cream, caramel and chocolate coats are the most popular for Mini Labradoodles. All of these coat colors are pretty common as they can be inherited from either the Poodle or the Labrador Retriever.
Red Mini Labradoodle
Red Mini Labradoodles come in a variety of tones from light red to dark red. They have black noses and dark brown eyes. Mini Labradoodles with lighter red coats are usually called Apricot Mini Labradoodles.
Black Mini Labradoodle
Black Mini Labradoodles feature a solid black coat with a black nose and dark eyes. They may have small white patches over their body like on their chest or paws. Black Mini Labradoodles are usually created by breeding a Black Labrador with a Black Miniature Poodle. They are one of the most common Mini Labradoodle coat colours.
Chocolate Mini Labradoodle
Chocolate Mini Labradoodles feature a solid brown coat that can range from a very light to a rich brown tone. Some Chocolate Mini Labradoodles are so dark that they’re almost black while others are more of a milk chocolate or silver-beige color. Their noses and eyes are brown.
White Mini Labradoodle
White Mini Labradoodles have a slightly off-white coat color. They have black or brown noses and dark colored eyes. White Mini Labradoodles are also known as Chalk Mini Labradoodles as their coat color is a very similar shade to chalk.
Apricot Mini Labradoodle
Apricot Mini Labradoodles have very light red coats with a peachy tone. They are slightly darker than cream Mini Labradoodles. Apricot Mini Labradoodles have black noses. They are created by breeding an Apricot Poodle with a Yellow Labrador Retriever.
Mini Labradoodle Generations
As a mixed breed dog, there are many different generations of Mini Labradoodle that you can get. There are many different ways that breeders can mix the two breeds to alter the genetic make up of the Mini Labradoodle.
The most common Mini Labradoodle generations are F1, F1b and F2 where each generation has a different percentage mix of Labrador Retriever to Poodle. You can also get F1bb, F2b and F2bb generations however these are much rarer for the Mini Labradoodle size.
F1 Mini Labradoodle
An F1 Mini Labradoodle is the first generation of the breed created by crossing a purebred Labrador Retriever with either a purebred Mini Poodle. An F1 Mini Labradoodle is 50% Labrador Retriever and 50% Mini Poodle.
F1b Mini Labradoodle
The “F” in F1b Mini Labradoodle means “filial”, the “1” means first generation and the “b” means back-cross. An F1b Mini Labradoodle is created by crossing an F1 Mini Labradoodle with a purebred Mini Poodle. The resulting dog is 25% Labrador Retriever and 75% Poodle.
F2 Mini Labradoodle
The “F” in F2 Mini Labradoodle means “filial”, the “2” means second generation. An F2 Mini Labradoodle is the second generation of the breed created by breeding a F1 Mini Labradoodle with another F1 Mini Labradoodle. They are 50% Labrador Retriever and 50% Poodle.