What Is a Moyen Goldendoodle?

Did you just hear or read the term ‘Moyen Goldendoodle,’ and now you’re wondering how you could’ve missed the existence of this new breed? You’re not alone, as it can be hard to keep up with new breeding trends and popular hybrids. 

Even as a Poodle mix expert, I was a little confused when the phrase “moyen” started popping up in relation to Goldendoodles.

If you love Poodles, Retrievers, or Goldendoodles, you’re likely intrigued by this new breed you’ve never heard of before. 

This article explains what a Moyen Goldendoodle is, where they come from, what they’re like, and more! 

Read on to become an expert on the mysterious Moyen Goldendoodle so you can educate your friends all about it.

What Does Moyen Mean?

Moyen is the French word for ‘medium,’ referring to the breed’s size.  

The breed qualifies as ‘moyen’ when it falls between a large miniature poodle and a small standard poodle, making it perfectly medium-sized. Usually, the weight range for a medium dog is 24 to 55 pounds. 

Size Comparisons of a Moyen Goldendoodle

Poodles are known to come in three sizes:

• Toy Poodle
• Miniature Poodle
• Standard Poodle

However, these sizes set the expectation in the dog breeding world, and the size range between a miniature and standard is quite large.  

As mentioned above, a standard poodle can weigh anywhere between 40 and 70 pounds, placing itself in both large and medium-breed categories; this is where the Moyen comes in! They fit in the lower weight range of the Standard Poodle, weighing between 30 and 40 pounds.

The list above breaks down poodle sizes, but Goldendoodles are often a bit larger as they take genes from their Golden Retriever parent. A Moyen Poodle would fit right between a standard and a miniature in both height and weight. 

Moyen Goldendoodle Temperaments

The medium-sized hybrid breed is a wonderful companion for most families, which is why breeders wanted to achieve this combination. Goldendoodles have the trainability of a Retriever with the intelligence of a Poodle, making them wonderful with kids of any age.

Because of their moderate size, they enjoy playing and exercising much like their parent breeds but tire out quicker. With their shorter legs and smaller body, their muscles wear out faster, so instead of a 2-hour walk, they’ll be ready for a nap after one hour outside. 

How Did Moyen Goldendoodles Originate?

The Moyen Goldendoodle was a very purposeful breed creation. Breeders were pairing different-sized poodles and Goldendoodles in an attempt to breed a medium-size dog. For the most part, Golden Retrievers are not the parent breed but more likely a grandparent breed. 

To achieve the right size, breeders were mixing large miniatures with smaller standard poodles, trying to find the perfect mix to get that medium size. 

Some breeders, instead, bred a medium-sized poodle and then bred that dog with a Golden Retriever. Both breeding techniques end in the same result, the Moyen Goldendoodle, unless the Retriever genes take over, resulting in a larger Goldendoodle, closer to a Standard Poodle. 

Breed Popularity

Moyen Goldendoodles are quite a popular breed, as they offer the personality of a Retriever without excessive shedding and common health problems. They are energetic but smaller than their parent breeds, so they don’t need quite as much exercise to tire them out. 

When it comes to the toy or miniature poodle, many people feel they are too small and prefer a slightly larger dog. The Moyen allows people to have the fun-loving personality and intelligence of the Poodle and Golden Retriever, packed into a medium-sized, fluffy dog. 

In both the US and Europe, the Moyen Goldendoodle is a sought-after breed. But they are rarer than other Goldendoodles, therefore, more difficult to find, creating a higher demand for the breed hybrid. 

Are Moyen Poodles AKC? (And Goldendoodles)

Moyen Poodles are not an officially recognized Poodle size. The three recognized sizes of Poodles are toy, miniature, and standard.

Moyen Goldendoodles fit smack bang in between mini Goldendoodles and a standard Goldendoodle.

Even though Moyen Goldendoodles are not an officially recognized AKC breed, this doesn’t mean that you can’t show them. In fact, many people do show their Goldendoodles in various dog shows across the country.

Just because they’re not an officially recognized breed doesn’t mean they can’t be as talented as any other puppy. They just compete more often in agility or grooming competitions rather than breed standards (given there are none).

What Is a Goldendoodle?

A Goldendoodle is a popular dog breed with a Golden Retriever and a Poodle as its parent breeds. People love Goldendoodles because they combine the best traits from these two lovely breeds. To better understand what Goldendoodles are like if you’ve never met one, we’ll discuss the temperament and physicality of the two parent breeds. 

Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers are outgoing and rambunctious dogs that love to run and play fetch. They are an extremely active and energetic breed that benefits from long walks and open spaces they can run around.

They are extremely loyal toward their family and can be protective at times, but mostly welcome new people and dogs into their space. They’re fiercely intelligent, making them quite a fun companion. 

They are usually either a dark or light honey color with long silky fur that keeps them warm in the winter. The standard Golden Retriever weighs between 55 and 75 pounds, falling into the category of a large breed. 

Poodle

Poodles are known to be stubborn dogs that are strong-willed and independent. But they are such a popular breed to adopt or buy because they come with loads of personality and lots of love. They’re excellent with children of all ages and love to be playful just as much as they like to nap on the couch. 

They are athletic dogs that need exercise and attention to live a happy life, which many people love giving them. Unlike some breeds, they want to be involved with everything you do and be present for you.

A standard poodle can weigh anywhere between 40 and 70 pounds, exemplifying the wide range of sizes they can come in. They come in many different colors, most often black or white, and are known for their floofy and curly fur that can need frequent maintenance. 

Final Thoughts

So many families have come to appreciate the mix of Golden Retriever and Poodle, but breeders continue to work towards the ideal mix of the two breeds. 

The Moyen Goldendoodle is the newest mash-up of Poodle and Retriever, finally achieving that ideal medium size for people that can’t handle a massive breed. 

While size matters, at the end of the day, both the parent breeds and derivative hybrids are intelligent, loving dogs that aim to please and protect their owners. Their parent breeds make them the perfect family dog.