My Journey to Getting a Mini F1 Goldendoodle
Alright, so I wanted to share my whole experience with getting a mini F1 Goldendoodle. It’s been quite the ride, let me tell you, from start to, well, now, I guess!
It all kicked off ’cause I was just really wanting a dog. My last dog, a super sweet old lab, passed away a couple of years back, and the house just felt too quiet, you know? I started looking around, doing a bit of casual searching online. I kept seeing these adorable fluffy dogs, and the Goldendoodle name just kept popping up. But a big one? Nah, my place isn’t huge. So, the “mini” version sounded like a much better fit for me and my tiny backyard.
Then I had to figure out what this “F1” business was all about. Honestly, I had to look it up. Turns out, F1 means it’s a first-generation mix – so, one parent is a Golden Retriever and the other is a Poodle. People say they’re generally pretty healthy and you get a good mix of both breeds’ personalities. I wasn’t looking for some fancy show dog, just a good, friendly companion.
So, the real hunt began. Finding a breeder. Man, that was a whole thing. I spent ages, and I mean ages, looking at websites, reading forums, trying to figure out who was legit. You see some sketchy stuff out there, and I really wanted to avoid any puppy mill situations. I was looking for someone who actually cared about their dogs, you know? Someone who health-tested their parent dogs and raised the puppies in a good environment.
After a lot of digging, I finally found a breeder a few states over. They seemed really good. They asked me a ton of questions, which I actually appreciated. Made me feel like they weren’t just trying to sell puppies to whoever. Of course, there was a waiting list. Seemed like everyone wanted one of these little guys. So, I put my name down and started the waiting game. That was tough, just waiting and wondering.
While I was waiting, I went into full-on prep mode. I think I bought half the pet store.
- A small crate (which he outgrew super fast, by the way!)
- Food and water bowls, obviously.
- A mountain of chew toys – he still preferred my shoes for a bit.
- A tiny leash and collar that looked like it was for a kitten.
- So. Many. Puppy. Pads. You can never have enough.
I tried to puppy-proof my house. Or at least, I thought I did. Puppies, man, they find ways to get into absolutely everything you didn’t think they could reach or chew on.
Then the day finally came to pick him up. I was a bundle of nerves and excitement. He was so incredibly tiny! Just this little ball of fluff. The car ride home was an experience. He wasn’t a huge fan of the car at first, lots of little whimpers. I think I just babbled at him the whole way home to try and keep him calm.
Those first few nights were pretty rough, not gonna lie. Crate training is a journey. There was whining. There were accidents. I remember setting alarms to take him out in the middle of the night, feeling like a zombie. It was kind of like having a newborn, but with fur and a surprising ability to find trouble. My sleep schedule was totally messed up for a while.
We had our first vet visit pretty quickly. Got his first round of shots, and the vet said he looked great, which was a huge relief. Slowly but surely, we started to get into a bit of a routine. Walks (more like sniff-and-stumbles at first), playtime, and trying to teach basic commands. “Sit” took a while. “Stay” is still a work in progress, let’s be honest.
He’s a bit bigger now, definitely not as “mini” as when he first arrived, but still the perfect size for cuddles on the couch. He’s got that classic Goldendoodle energy – loves to play, loves to run. But he’s also a massive sweetheart. Follows me everywhere. If I go to the kitchen, he’s there. If I go to the bathroom, he’s waiting patiently (or not so patiently) outside the door. It’s pretty cute, most of the time!
Looking back, it was a whole process. More than just picking out a cute face. There’s the research, the waiting, the financial part, the training, the cleaning up messes. But seeing him curled up next to me right now, wagging his tail in his sleep? Yeah, totally worth all of it. He’s a good little dude, a great addition to my life.
