What do Mini Goldendoodles look like as adults?
Congratulations!
You have brought your new puppy home. Like most new puppy owners, you most likely have so many questions running through your head. I remember all the excitement those first few weeks—potty training, teaching your pup the rules of the house, and making sure to introduce your new fur baby to all of your family, friends, and neighbors to give them their social exposure.
A frequently asked question by many new Mini Goldendoodle owners is:
What do Mini Goldendoodles look like as adults?
During that first year, your dog’s appearance will most likely go through many stages. When they are very young (8–12 weeks), their hair will be very soft and delicate.
Between 4-7 months, they may even go through an awkward-looking stage. During this time, their adult coat will start growing in, while their puppy coat will begin to fall out. As these two different coats mix during this short time frame, your Mini Goldendoodle may look a bit scraggly.
In our experience, this stage occurred when our puppy was around six months old. Although I refer to it as the ugly stage for our puppy, my children would think otherwise. ;) They have a heart of gold and thought she was still the cutest dog ever, even during this transitional stage.
I would say around nine months is when you will start to get an idea of what your dog’s coat may look like. Over the next few months, your Mini Goldendoodle’s fur will most likely also thicken up a bit.
Below you will see the different stages with our Mini Goldendoodle, Millie. I have labeled each photo to make it easy to follow the timeline.
Keep in mind there are three different types of fur coats that a Mini Goldendoodle can inherit. The straight coat is the least common, which resembles closest to a Golden Retriever. The curly coat in the second most common and favors the Poodle. This type is the most non-shedding coat. The wavy coat is the most common, which is the coat you will see in the photos below.
Teeny tiny puppy
This photo was taken the day we brought our Mini Goldendoodle, Millie, home. As you can see, she is as cute as a button! There is no denying how adorable she is—as most all puppies are!
Adorable puppy stage
Just three weeks later, you can already see a difference in appearance. At this early stage, they change so quickly and so fast. Here, Millie doesn’t look quite as fragile. Notice her tail still appears more of a solid shape, rather than the fan shape she will develop in later months.
Starting to look more grown up
Millie is beginning to look more grown-up compared to when we first brought her home. Her hair is growing fast, and as you can see in this photo, it is not very thick yet. Look at how you can almost “see-through” to the grass near the ends of her coat.
Puppy coat and adult coat starting to mix
Our Mini Goldendoodle’s coat appears to take on more of the Golden Retriever coat as it is thinner and not as curly as a Poodle. She reminds me of a wolf in this photo—maybe because of her skinny little legs! Remember, every Mini Goldendoodle is different. Some may have more stocky bones and extremely thick fur.
Gawky "teenage" stage
I consider this period of growth the awkward stage for our Mini Goldendoodle. As you see, she looks like she just rolled out of bed! Some people may have decided this would be an appropriate time to get their dog's first haircut. It is a good idea to wait until the dog is at least six months old before getting a first haircut. We chose to wait a while longer, as we wanted to let her adult hair grow in more before getting Millie professionally groomed.
Coat is thickening up
Phew! We’re looking a little better at this point. The adult coat is starting to thicken up while Millie is beginning to look (and act!) a lot more mature.
Adult coat has grown in
At this point, our Mini Goldendoodle’s adult coat has really filled in. You can also see that her hair has gotten a little lighter as she has gotten older, which is very common. I love her apricot/cream-colored coat. Her color sure compliments nicely with a snowy backdrop, doesn’t it? Pay attention to the tail at this stage. It is significantly longer and fluffier than at the puppy stage. So pretty!
Millie's first professional haircut
Whoa! Is this the same dog? It’s incredible how different a Mini Goldendoodle can look just by taking her to a professional groomer and getting her hair cut. I honestly believe that is one of the most fun parts of having this type of dog—that they can take on a completely different look depending on how you groom them.
Hasn't had a haircut in months
Sometimes, life gets in the way. Or you simply do not have time to get your dog to the groomer when you want. I have learned that it is a good idea to make appointments months in advance. Why? Because professional groomers get booked up, which results in you waiting a long time before getting in. On the other hand, maybe you prefer your dog’s hair to be long during certain seasons. Think of it as fun to be able to have your dog portray different looks throughout each year.
Professionally groomed
During the summer, we asked our groomer, Erica’s Grooming in Yorkville, IL, to trim Millie’s coat short (about 0.75” in length).
Notice how much darker she looks after having her topcoat trimmed. Millie’s undercoat is more of a tan color while her top layer is more cream.
Long hair or short hair, our family loves how she looks either way!
As you can see, a Mini Goldendoodle’s appearance can change dramatically depending on the age and how often you groom the dog.
Although your particular Mini Goldendoodle may not look exactly like our Millie shown in these photographs, I hope these pictures give you an idea of what a Mini Goldendoodle will look like as an adult.
If you would like to view additional examples of what other Mini Goldendoodles look like as adults, timberidgegoldendoodles.com also shows standard F1B Goldendoodle growth time lapses.
All in all, Mini Goldendoodles are precious as a puppy and just as adorable as an adult!
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