Frequently Asked Questions:
Pictures of our mini doodles at our vet’s office for their exams. These photos were taken during a kindergarten field trip day! Each puppy is professionally examined by a veterinarian. A letter from the vet will be included in the puppy’s health records. 
Where did a Mini Goldendoodle originate from? A Goldendoodle is a Golden
Retriever and Mini Poodle cross. Miniature Goldendoodles have been bred in North America and Australia since the mid-1990s. As the smaller poodle hybrids had been such a success in filling the niche for small, allergy-friendly family pets, Golden Retriever breeders decided to try breeding with a standard poodle for a larger family pet. The quick rise of the popularity of Mini Goldendoodles is due to the dogs themselves. They are highly social dogs who are good with strangers and make great family pets. They have become a popular, sought-after pet and make great therapy dogs as well. These Mini Doodles are first-generation Goldendoodles and there are some variations in the outcome of such as coat type, shedding, and frame size. There are three types of Golden Retrievers used for breeding Goldendoodles. The English Golden Retriever has a stocky, heavier build with a blocky head, and the American Golden Retriever is taller, finer-boned, and has a narrower head. And now, more recently, the Dakota Sport Golden Retriever, which is a smaller Golden Retriever. Same great qualities, just in a smaller form. The Poodle originated in Germany or Russia and was bred to retrieve waterfowl. Eventually, there became three size variations: standard, miniature, and toy.
What more can you tell me about their traits? They have superior intelligence, making them easy to train, and they are not usually considered barkers. They are very loyal dogs who have an intuitive-sensitive nature. Miniature Goldendoodles are athletic dogs who love to run, play, and love water sports. They have an easy-going personality and playfulness and fit into just about any family environment. They are quick learners and are “model” students in their puppy/dog classes. Miniature Goldendoodles love to please.
What is the difference between F1, F1B, and F2 and a Standard versus Mini? F1 is the breeding of a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. The Standard Doodle would be with a standard size Poodle and the mini would be with a mini size Poodle. They have the highest possibility of hybrid vigor and a reduced risk of genetic defects.
F1B is the breeding of an F1 Goldendoodle with a Poodle. This means 75% Poodle and 25% Golden Retriever. The main advantage is the higher probability of minimal shedding. This also means, however, that these dogs may have reduced hybrid vigor and higher risks of genetic defects.
F2 results from breeding F1 golden parents. This results in a 50% Golden Retriever and 50% Poodle ratio. Same as the F1B doodle, this dog may have reduced hybrid vigor and higher risks of genetic defects.
What is an English “Teddy Bear” Mini Goldendoodle? This is a Goldendoodle resulting from the breeding of an English Golden Retriever with a Poodle. Because of the blocky head, shorter stature, and square body, it gives the puppies a teddy bear quality.
What size will my puppy end up being as an adult Mini Doodle? There are three typical sizes for the Goldendoodle – standard, miniature, and petite. Standards range from 20-29 inches tall and weigh 50-90 pounds. The miniatures range from 13-21 inches tall and weigh 25-45 pounds. Petite sizes are 17-25 pounds. They can vary from litter to litter and depends on the size of the parents.
What colors are available? Contrary to their name, Miniature Goldendoodles come in a variety of colors. The most common are golden-apricot and cream. Sometimes black and chocolate, or blonde. Less common is the rather striking red Goldendoodles.
What are their coats like? Are they hard to take care of? Most first-generation Goldendoodles shed lightly. F1 Goldendoodles are compatible with most families with MILD allergies. Most F1 Goldendoodles will have plush, straight to loose wavy coats and anything in between. Occasionally, a F1 breeding will produce a more curly coat. The physical appearance of the Goldendoodle runs anywhere from a shaggy-looking retriever to a curl-relaxed poodle, but usually, it falls somewhere in-between. Some could also have a flat coat. Since this is a mixed breed, we cannot guarantee color, size, and shedding. Miniature Goldendoodles are considered a very low-shedding dog. Their coats take a while to fully mature. The process can make their coats seem quite different at various ages. Your F1 Doodle may look much like a Golden Retriever puppy at first and the coat may become wild, crazy, and wispy like teddy bear fur. It may also appear quite uneven, especially around 5-6 months old. It takes patience, but it will fill in, and sometimes it takes up to a year to do so. As a rule of thumb, the curlier the coat, the less likely it is to shed.
Are there any health concerns for my Miniature Goldendoodle? To date, there are no known major health concerns. With good care and nutrition, your puppy will live 15 or more years. Your mini doodle puppy will be vet checked before joining your family. Your mini doodle puppy will require a moderate amount of exercise, and their coats are generally low maintenance. They can live in the city or on a farm. They are social dogs and are happiest when they are with people. We strive to produce puppies with sound healthy bodies and wonderful, well-rounded temperaments. We know that you will be extremely happy with your new mini doodle puppy. The genetic defects that are common in specific breeds cannot be replicated in a cross of two breeds. This provides a healthier mini doodle puppy for you that is free of some inherited defects that come with specific single breeds. All our puppies are vet certified.
Do Miniature Goldendoodles make good service/therapy pets? Absolutely!
Their intuitive nature and keen intelligence allow them to excel in areas of service and therapy work. And because of their low shedding – allergy-friendly coats, they can reach a wider group of people who need service dogs. We have had many families with special needs, nursing homes, and other environments buy a miniature doodle for this very purpose. All our puppies are child socialized.
What to expect with your growing Mini Doodle puppy? Patience, especially during the first few weeks of completing potty training. This is a time when your mini doodle baby might have separation anxiety from its littermates and have trouble sleeping and eating. It is not uncommon for them to not want to settle into a kennel for training purposes, and sometimes they might drool or bark incisively to be let out. Speak with your vet or puppy trainer on how best to guide your doodle puppy through this. I highly recommend buying a Goldendoodle training book if you didn’t already receive one from us in your puppy kit. Biting and mouthing are normal social activities of a young puppy. And because they have strong retriever parentage, Goldendoodles are mouthy which means their mouth is more active when they are puppies, and they will use that mouth on you if not properly trained. This is where a sturdy puppy toy used to redirect them will come in handy.
What nutrition do you recommend for our growing puppy? Proper nutrition is an intricate part of the health and development of a puppy. It helps with brain development and growth, healthy bowls, teeth and bone development, healthy coats, and has the right balance of proteins and fats. It is also a vital part of the puppy guarantee as a healthy puppy is a health guarantee. That is why we are a Pet Pro with pawTree® and feed our puppies only pawTree® dog food and snacks. At pawTree®, their philosophy about nutrition starts with their belief that pet nutrition shouldn’t just help your pets survive; it should help your pets thrive! With pawTree®, you can feel confident that the quality and care put into the development of every product means every bag is packed with the wholesome goodness your pets need to live healthy, vibrant lives. We do require our buyers to sign up as a pawTree® customer through www.pawtree.com/doodledoghill to order pawTree® brand dog food for the duration of the two-year puppy guarantee to retain that puppy guarantee from DDH. We are able to track buyers’ purchases of pawTree® brand dog food and will void the two-year puppy guarantee if there is not a record of buyers placing regular orders with pawTree® with DDH for this dog purchase. Nutrition really is that important!!
If I send in an application to be put on the waitlist but do not like the choices I have when it comes to my turn to choose, can I pick a mini doodle puppy from the next litter? Yes! People get to choose puppies from litters in the order in which we receive their applications for our waitlist. If you do not pick a mini doodle puppy from the litter we present to you, you get bumped to the first available spot in the next litter.
If I have put down a deposit on a mini doodle puppy and do not want to pick up the mini doodle puppy as soon as it is ready to leave its littermates at 7-8 weeks old, will you hold the mini doodle puppy for us? Puppies are usually picked up the day of, or the weekend following, the date they turn seven weeks old. The full purchase price is required upon the regularly scheduled departure. If you make arrangements with us ahead of time, we are willing to keep your puppy with us for a small extended amount of time. There will be an additional charge of $10.00 a day to help cover the additional food, worming, immunizations and care your Miniature Goldendoodle puppy will require while they are with us. Anything over one week, will be $100 for the week of boarding. We do not intend to be a boarding facility. It is subject to our availability.
What else should I have ready to bring my new miniature puppy home? We very much encourage crate or kennel training. We recommend a crate just big enough for your mini doodle puppy to lie down and stand up comfortably. You will also need a leash, collar, food and water bowls, sturdy puppy toys, and a brush to brush out your puppy’s coat. A “snuggle puppy” that has a heartbeat and warming pack inside is very helpful for sleeping at night.
Click on our checklist for Preparing to be a DDH Mini Doodle Parent: Checklist
Do you buy your mini doodle puppies back, or refund our purchase price, if, at any time, we find ourselves unable to keep the dog we got from you? For various reasons, no, WE DO NOT BUY BACK OR OFFER A REFUND FOR ANY PUPPY OR DOG.
Do you give a Puppy Guarantee? Yes! Part of our commitment to you is a two-year health guarantee document given to you to ensure that you are indeed purchasing a puppy that has been fully examined by our vet and given a well-puppy check-up and first vaccinations with documentation. Along with that, we guarantee that your puppy is free of genetic defects that would prevent him/her from being an active healthy part of your family. We do require buyers to buy pawTree® brand dog food for the duration of their extended two-year puppy guarantee to ensure proper health for the dog. (All our puppies come with a one-year health guarantee regardless.)
Click here for our Puppy Guarantee: Puppy Guarantee
If I send an application for the waitlist to hold my place in line to choose a mini doodle puppy, and I don’t like my choices when it comes to my turn to choose, can I pick from the next litter instead? Yes, if you are not happy with the choices you have for any reason (color, sex, markings, etc.), or if you decide the timing of the present litter is not quite right for you, your name will go to the first available spot to pick from the next litter of pups. Families are always placed on our lists to choose their puppies based strictly by the date we receive their application.
Once you inform me that it’s my turn to pick a mini doodle puppy, how much time do I get to make up my mind? Because there are often many people in line behind you waiting to pick up their puppy, we require that you decide within 48 hours of being notified that it is your turn. If you cannot, for whatever reason, make your choice within this time frame, we can let the following people after you in line go ahead, and you can “jump in” anytime with your choice.
When it is my turn to pick a mini doodle puppy, can I come out to pick in person, if I live close enough? If you can come out within that 24-hour period after being notified that it is your turn and it works with our schedule, yes, we will allow you to visit. However, based on the total number of pups to choose from, we may require that you have three to four pups to consider, rather than having you peruse in person all the pups we have at the time. The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of our VERY HAPPY customers choose their pups from pictures based on color, sex, and personality. Those few that choose their pups in person most often find themselves overwhelmed by the task of choosing from so much cuteness in person.
How much does it cost to have our mini doodle puppy flown to us, and how do we go about making flight arrangements if that is what we need? We highly recommend using a puppy nanny service, such as Puppy Boopers. Flight costs vary, but most times, the cost is around $500-900. We also use Delta Safe Pet Program and can fly your puppy via shipping. That is $450. The puppies do wonderful. They are very comfortable in their little crate. They go in for a nap, and within several hours they pop out to greet their new families. I will need to know who needs their puppies shipped and who is planning on picking them up. Please talk with us about all shipping options.
Puppy pick-up appointments need to be scheduled as soon as you know your schedule. Please keep in mind we schedule our appointments in the Central Time Zone.
We do delivery anywhere in Wisconsin or to the Wisconsin border for a small fee of $150. So don’t let the location deter you from considering an adorable puppy from us. Delivery is set up at our discretion.
What forms of payment do you accept? If you are putting down a deposit on a litter, we will accept either a personal check or a money order. When coming to pick up your puppy from us, we ask you to bring cash or pay the full amount ahead of time by bank-certified check. We also accept PayPal (please add 3% for PayPal fees).
