Guide to Goldendoodle sizes
Goldendoodle Sizes and Generations: Petite, Mini, F1, F1B and Multigen Explained
Goldendoodle sizes come in four official categories. The Goldendoodle Association of North America (GANA) recognizes petite (under 14 inches, usually 25 lb or less), miniature (14 to 17 inches, 26 to 35 lb), medium (17 to 21 inches, 36 to 50 lb) and standard (over 21 inches, 51 lb or more). Words like micro and teacup are not official sizes, so always ask for the parents’ actual weights.
Goldendoodle sizes: the four GANA categories
GANA is the breed’s registry and breeder association in North America. Its size categories go by height at the shoulder, with typical weights alongside.
| Size | Height at the shoulder | Typical adult weight |
|---|---|---|
| Petite | Under 14 in | 25 lb or less |
| Miniature | 14 to 17 in | 26 to 35 lb |
| Medium | 17 to 21 in | 36 to 50 lb |
| Standard | Over 21 in | 51 lb or more |
GANA is clear on one point: a dog’s size category is set when it is an adult, and a breeder’s size estimate for a puppy is an educated guess that may turn out somewhat different (GANA).
Are micro, teacup and toy real Goldendoodle sizes?
These are marketing words, not GANA categories. Breeders use them for dogs at the small end of petite, and each breeder draws the line in a different place. One breeder’s micro can be another breeder’s mini.
So skip the label and ask three things:
- What does each parent weigh today?
- What did puppies from this pairing, or from these parents’ earlier litters, weigh as adults?
- What adult weight range do you expect for this puppy, and how often are your estimates right?
We list the parents on every litter announcement. See upcoming litters for how we present them.
Why Goldendoodle sizes vary so much
A Goldendoodle’s two parent breeds are far apart in size. The American Kennel Club lists these adult figures:
| Parent breed | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Retriever | 21.5 to 24 in | 55 to 75 lb |
| Miniature Poodle | 10 to 15 in | 10 to 15 lb |
| Toy Poodle | No more than 10 in | 4 to 6 lb |
Smaller Goldendoodles come from pairing a small Goldendoodle with a Miniature or Toy Poodle over more than one generation. Puppies in one litter can still differ by several pounds as adults, which is why the parents’ and grandparents’ sizes are the best guide.
Generations: F1, F1B, F2 and multigen
The letters describe how a puppy was bred, not how good it is.
| Label | Parents | Rough mix |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | Golden Retriever and Poodle | Half and half |
| F1B | F1 Goldendoodle bred back to a Poodle or, less often, a Golden Retriever | About three quarters of one parent breed, usually Poodle |
| F2 | Two F1 Goldendoodles | Half and half on average, with more variation between puppies |
| Multigen | Any cross beyond F1, F1B and F2 | Varies. Most lean toward Poodle. |
Those fractions are averages. Each puppy inherits a different share from each grandparent, so two F1B littermates can look and shed quite differently.
Does generation decide shedding?
Only loosely. More Poodle in the mix raises the odds of a curlier, lower-shedding coat, which is why F1B and multigen puppies are often chosen by families who want less hair in the house. It is not a guarantee, and it says nothing certain about allergies. Our article on whether Poodle mixes are hypoallergenic covers the research.
The parents’ own coats are a better guide than the generation label. Ask to see both parents, and ask whether either has had coat DNA testing.
Health testing to ask about
Size and coat are preferences. Health testing is not. GANA requires its member breeders to test breeding dogs for the following (GANA health testing standards):
- Hips and elbows: evaluated through OFA or an equivalent service
- Eyes: an eye exam repeated every two years
- Heart: a cardiac clearance for Golden Retrievers and Goldendoodles
- Knees: a patella clearance for Poodles and Goldendoodles
- DNA tests: including progressive retinal atrophy, von Willebrand disease type 1, ichthyosis and degenerative myelopathy
Use that list as your yardstick with any Goldendoodle breeder, including us. Our parent dogs have an Embark DNA health panel, which covers the DNA side. Ask us what physical exams each parent has had. See how we health test.
Sources
- Goldendoodle Association of North America, Size categories
- Goldendoodle Association of North America, Health Testing Standards
- American Kennel Club, Golden Retriever
- American Kennel Club, Poodle (Miniature) and Poodle (Toy)
Figures were checked against these pages on October 6, 2026.
Looking for a small Goldendoodle?
See who is available now, or ask what litters we have planned and how big we expect the puppies to be. Ready to meet a puppy? See our available puppies.