Mini goldendoodle, cockapoo and small doodle coat sizes

There is no such thing as a doodle size. A "mini goldendoodle" from one breeder is 15 lb and from another is 35; a cockapoo can be a toy poodle's size or a cocker's; a cavapoo and a mini labradoodle overlap both. The only published size categories come from breed associations rather than a kennel club, and even those are wide. So this page gives the categories, says which of our sizes each one lands on, and then insists, more than usual, on the tape.

The published categories

Goldendoodle Association of North America, size standards: petite under 14 in and 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 and up.
Cockapoo: no standard. Crosses from a toy poodle run 6 to 12 lb; from a miniature, 13 to 25 lb. The cocker spaniel parent is 20 to 30 lb.
Cavapoo: typically 9 to 25 lb, between a Cavalier at 13 to 18 lb and the poodle parent.
Chest on the breed charts: The Foggy Dog puts the mini goldendoodle in its "up to 24 in" sweater size and its 15 to 25 in harness size; the cocker and poodle pages on this site give 16 to 25 for the parents.

Measured-dog charts, not a standard, and on doodles wider than on any purebred. Measure over the coat as it lies; a doodle coat adds an inch or two around the chest and disappears at the groomer.

Our sizes for the common range

Piece	Fits	Size for a 16 to 25 in chest	Notes
All-Weather Jacket	Yes	M to XL	Size by chest; between sizes go up. Back length is short for the chest on purpose.
Heritage Turtleneck	Some	M up to a 24.4 in chest	The XL is 24.4 in around the chest; bigger dogs are past the chart.
Fireside Cable-Knit	Some	XL to XL, up to a 16.5 in chest	Only the smaller dogs of the breed: the XL stops at 16.5 in around the chest.
Quilted Vest	Yes	S to M	Pick the size whose chest range holds the measurement; the strap and collar toggle adjust within it.
Trench Coat	No	-	Cut for toy breeds: up to 16 lb with a neck to 11.4 in.

Worked out from the size charts on the product pages for the measurement range above. Your dog's own tape measurement is what decides it.

For the small end, a 16 lb cockapoo or cavapoo with a 17 in chest: jacket M, Heritage Turtleneck M, vest S, Fireside only if the chest is 16.5 or under. For the big end, a 32 lb mini goldendoodle at 24 in: jacket XL (the L is 22.8), Heritage XL, vest M or L. A medium doodle (36 to 50 lb, chest 24 to 29) is a jacket XL or 2XL and a vest L; a standard is on the golden retriever and Labrador pages, which cover the same sizes.

The coat is the poodle's

Whatever the mix, a doodle coat is usually some version of the poodle's: curly or wavy, low-shedding, growing until cut, and very good at absorbing rain. It mats where it is rubbed. Two rules follow, the same as for a poodle: the rain shell is the piece worth owning, and a sweater goes on for the walk and comes off at the door.

The All-Weather Jacket keeps the back and sides dry, opens flat, zips up the chest so nothing drags over the head, and clips the leash to a harness built into the chest. The Quilted Vest does drizzle without the lining, and its belly strap is useful on a dog whose chest changes with every groom. Both are cut short in the back to free the hind legs; on a long-bodied cockapoo the hem sits a few inches ahead of the tail.

A doodle with a straighter, retriever-type coat sheds and dries faster; the jacket still saves the towel.

Does the dog need warmth

A doodle in a full coat is well insulated. A doodle in a short clip, which is how most are kept, is a thin-coated dog in cold weather and feels it. The Heritage Turtleneck in M, L or XL by chest is the knit for a clipped doodle on a cold dry day; it stretches, and the neck column matters, because doodle necks under a full head of coat read bigger than the chest predicts.

Shipping and returns

Free US shipping; ships in 1 to 2 business days and usually arrives 4 to 9 business days after that; 60 days to return a size, which with a doodle is the honest way to buy (Shipping & Returns). Measure the chest at the widest point behind the front legs, over the coat: how to measure your dog for a coat.

Questions

The breeder said "mini". What size jacket?

Nobody can say from the word. Measure the chest: under 18.9 in is M, under 22.8 L, under 26.8 XL. Most minis land in L.

Should I size for the groomed or grown-out coat?

Grown-out, then rely on the zip or the strap when the coat is short. A piece that closes on the big measurement closes on the small one; the reverse is not true.