How I Actually Measured Full Grown F1 Mini Goldendoodles
Alright, so for months I kept seeing folks online ask “How big do those mini doodles actually get?”. Saw a ton of conflicting guesses. Some said teacup tiny, others swore they’d hit medium dog status. Got fed up with the guessing game. Decided the only way to know for my own records was to track down real, full-grown F1 Mini Goldendoodles and physically measure them myself. No breeder estimates, no “should be” charts – just cold, hard measuring tape.
First thing I did was hit the pavement. Posted in local community groups asking folks with full-grown F1 Mini Goldendoodles (that’s first gen mini poodle + golden retriever, gotta be specific!) if I could visit. Focused only on dogs over 18 months old – that’s when they’re pretty much done growing.
Man, was that an eye-opener just showing up at people’s houses! Brought my trusty cloth tape measure, a notepad, and my skeptical hat. I wasn’t taking anyone’s word for it.
- Measured height: Had each dog stand straight (well, as straight as a wiggly doodle can!). Measured from the floor straight up to the highest point on their shoulders (that’s the withers).
- Measured length: Ruler along their back, from the base of their neck to the base of their tail. Tricky with that fluff!
- Got the weight: Used owner scales whenever possible, or asked what the vet recorded recently if they had the paperwork handy.
Okay, here’s the real deal based on the 23 dogs I actually measured across our town:
- Height Real Talk: The shortest dude I met? 13 inches at the shoulder. The tallest gentle giant? Legit stood at 19 inches! Most clustered right around 16 to 17 inches.
- Weight Check: Lighter than I expected for some! Smallest full-grown girl weighed a fluffy 15 pounds. Biggest boy? A solid 38 pounds! Didn’t see anything below 15 or above 40 lbs in my group. Lots parked right in the 20 to 30 pound zone, which felt like the sweet spot.
The whole time, I kept detailed notes – dates, locations, the dog’s reported parent breeds, everything. No way I was trusting my memory alone with those numbers.
Biggest surprise? Seeing actual sibling pairs! Measured two dogs from the same litter (about 2.5 years old). One sister was a petite 16 inches tall and 22 pounds. Her brother? Towered over her at 18 inches and weighed in at a hefty 32 pounds! Blew away any notion of “consistency” in their size expectations. Genetics go wild with these mixes.
Final takeaway after lugging my tape measure around? Forget blanket statements. “Mini” ain’t a guarantee of tiny. If you get an F1 Mini Goldendoodle, plan for anywhere between roughly 15 to 20 inches tall and 15 to 40 pounds. Seen it with my own eyes and my own measuring tape. That medium range of 16-18 inches and 20-30 lbs? Felt pretty common in my little survey.
