If you live in an apartment and are looking for a dog, you will likely be on the market for a smaller breed. Smaller breeds are ideal for apartment living but you’ll need to make sure the temperament and energy levels will be a good fit for apartment life.
A mini Goldendoodle makes a great dog for apartment living. Specifically, the F1b mini Goldendoodle, as this type of doodle is among the smallest and most hypoallergenic. They are often well-behaved and are highly intelligent, loving and friendly.
Types of mini Goldendoodles
There are different types of mini Goldendoodles based on how they are bred. However, there are two specifically that I will discuss for apartment living.
F1 mini Goldendoodles
These are first generation and have been bred from a miniature Poodle and a Golden Retriever. They are usually 50% Golden Retriever and 50% miniature Poodle.
They vary in sizes but tend to be small to medium size ranging from 30 to 50 pounds when they reach full maturity.
F1b mini Goldendoodles
These are bred using a miniature Poodle and a F1 mini Goldendoodle. These are usually 75% miniature Poodle and 25% Golden Retriever.
These tend to be among the smallest of the miniatures and range from 15 to 30 pounds when they become adults.
Since the F1b tends to be smaller than other types, they make the perfect apartment dog. These also tend to be the least shedding and the most hypoallergenic version.
I have been blessed to have lived with a F1b mini for nearly 13 years and can say absolutely that she would make a great apartment dog.
Our Mini F1b weighs in at 18 – 19 pounds depending on the time of year. Her weight may vary based on how she is eating and how often we are going on walks or getting exercise. At her most recent vet visit, she weighed 19.3 pounds; a healthy weight for a dog of her size.
Some of the reasons you’ll love this generation as an apartment dog:
- They are small – commonly weighing between 15 – 30 pounds, this type of doodle is perfect for living in an apartment or housing that is close together.
- They are low or non-shedding – you won’t have to worry about getting hair all over the apartment from a shedding dog making it easier to work with landlords.
- They are very trainable – it’s easy to train a Goldendoodle since they are so smart. They respond well to obedience commands and can be potty trained rather quickly.
- They aren’t overly energetic – while they do have energy and are playful, they won’t tear the house down and will generally calm down and be a good girl or boy while you are away.
- They are friendly – they’ll quickly make friends with all your neighbors and become the star of the apartment complex.
Other types of Goldendoodle generations include
- F2 mini Goldendoodles – both parents are F1 mini Goldendoodles.
- F2b mini Goldendoodles – parents include one F1 and one F1b.
- Multi generation mini Goldendoodles – parents include a F2 and an F2 or anything above. These types of doodles are often likely to inherit genetic issues that may cause problems throughout their lives.
Things to consider before bringing a Goldendoodle into an apartment environment
If you are considering getting a dog to live with you in an apartment, there is some homework you should do before making the final decision.
Many small dogs will do fine in an apartment but here are some helpful questions to ask and find the answer to before you make your decision.
Will they have enough outdoor space?
Outdoor space is critical for your pet because it is where they will go to potty and sniff around. If you are planning on living in a place that doesn’t have any green space or has a very limited amount, you’ll want to make sure there is a park or somewhere with grass nearby.
If not, you may want to reconsider having a dog or you may want to consider moving to a different place that does have this necessity; your dog deserves it.
Will there be stairs to climb?
If you’ll be living in an upstairs unit, will there be lots of stairs for your dog to climb? Are the stairs safe or are they slippery and a potential danger to your pet?
Ideally, if you do live in an upstairs unit, you’ll want to be in a place that has an elevator. This will make it much easier on your pet. Your dog may not have an issue as a young pup but as he or she gets older, it may become more of a problem.
An elevator can make it much easier for both you and your dog. Remember, you’ll be taking your dog outside 3-4 or more times per day so that they can potty; much more than this if they are a puppy.
High traffic area?
Will there be traffic in the area that you live? Is the apartment complex on a busy street or is there potential for your dog to be injured by traffic?
You want to make sure you are bringing a dog into a safe environment.
Is there somewhere close by to walk your dog?
Just because you live in an apartment, it doesn’t mean that you won’t be walking your dog. In fact, you will likely need to walk your dog even more.
A mini Goldendoodle needs exercise, especially when they are young and have lots of energy to expend. It’s a good idea to take your dog walking each day so you’ll want to make sure there is a good place to do this. It could be a nice sidewalk area or a nature path through the woods.
Noise levels
Will it be noisy from street cars, city sounds, people or other things? If so, you will want to make sure your dog will do ok with this.
Each dog has a different personality so you’ll want to make sure that your dog isn’t going to bark at every noise or get scared by sirens, honking horns, people talking outside, etc.
Our mini Goldendoodle is a bit reactive to noises. She will bark and growl at people talking or walking by our house.
However, we have always lived with her in a house with acreage so she doesn’t often see people. It would likely be different had she grown up around other noises.
Possible problems
Living with a Goldendoodle in an apartment will probably be smooth sailing but you’ll want to be aware of potential problems that could arise.
Will the landlords have access to your apartment while you are gone?
If so, this could startle your dog or at worst, cause your dog to become protective and bark, nip or even bite the landlord. You’ll want to discuss this with the landlord before committing and make sure your dog is well-trained for instances like this.
What if your dog is a barker?
Goldendoodles are extremely smart and easy to train but sometimes you will find one that likes to bark at noises and other people. Our dog does this and it has been difficult to stop this behavior over the years.
Our Mini doodle didn’t grow up around a lot of people since we live in a more rural setting so this might have been different had she grown up in a city environment.
It’s important to keep this in the back of your mind and be sure to start early, teaching them not to bark at everything that moves. Acclimate them to being around others and in a place where people are coming and going.
The last thing you want to deal with is a dog that barks and lowers the quality of living for other paying tenants.
Protect the floors
You’ll need to think about having protection on your flooring, not because your dog will tear it up intentionally. However if your apartment has hardwood flooring, a playful dog with nails running around may put scratches on the floor that you’ll be responsible for.
You can avoid this by protecting well traveled areas of the floor and also by keeping your Goldendoodle groomed and their nails clipped.
Our Mini Goldendoodle has left a few scratches on our hardwood flooring around corners where she often runs and plays. We consider it extra character but we own our house so we don’t have to answer to a landlord.
There is also the chance that your dog could have accidents on carpet even after they are potty trained. Dogs get sick and might throw up or poop or pee in the carpet.
Bottom Line
A mini Goldendoodle can make a great choice as a pet for living in an apartment. However, it will require you to be a responsible owner and make sure they are trained and have the necessities that every dog needs as discussed in the article.
Do lots of research when determining if a dog like this will thrive in your apartment situation. A dog can make a great roommate in an apartment as long as you know what you are getting into beforehand.