Mini & Medium Goldendoodle Puppies for Grand Rapids and West Michigan Families
Michigan Doodles is a small, family-owned Goldendoodle breeder in Swartz Creek, Michigan, about 110 miles east of Grand Rapids by way of I-96 and I-69 — roughly two hours each way. If you are looking at Mini Goldendoodle puppies for sale from two hours away, the practical question is how to buy well from that distance. That is what this page is about. Call or text (810) 280-4300 any time you want to talk it through.
The Facts Worth Having Before You Call
- The puppies. F1B Mini Goldendoodles that mature around 22-30 lbs and Medium Goldendoodles around 30-50 lbs, males and females, with litters throughout the year.
- The parents. Every adult dog in our program is genetically screened through Embark Veterinary, and results for both parents are available on request.
- The guarantee. Every puppy goes home with a written 2-year health guarantee covering genetic and congenital defects.
- Reserving. A $250 deposit holds a specific spot and gender in the litter you choose. It is nonrefundable, but it can be applied to any puppy for up to a year.
- Pricing. Current pricing is shown on each puppy on our available puppies page.
- Reaching us. Call or text (810) 280-4300, or email michigandoodles@yahoo.com.
We have been raising Goldendoodles for more than three decades, and we breed for three things, in this order: health, temperament, and breed standard.
Choosing a Puppy You Have Not Met Yet
Families who can travel choose their puppy in person when the litter is 7 to 8 weeks old. Families who cannot make that trip select from pictures and videos instead, and that is a normal way to do this, not a lesser one. We stay in contact through those first weeks and send pictures as the litter grows, so by the time you are choosing you are not looking at strangers.
Because our puppies are born and raised inside our home, surrounded by children and other pets, we know them as individuals — who is the cuddler, who is the explorer, who is going to be stealing socks at three months. That is the part worth asking about from two hours out. Ask us to describe temperament, not just markings, and ask for video of a puppy moving and being handled rather than a still photo.
If you have your heart set on a male or a female, say so early: your deposit holds a gender as well as a spot. The full sequence is laid out on our process and pricing page.
How to Check Out a Breeder You Cannot Drop In On
At this distance you cannot casually stop by, so when you are weighing Goldendoodle puppies for sale across the state, most of the verifying happens by phone and in writing. Here is what any West Michigan family should insist on, from us or anyone else.
- See the genetic testing. Every adult we breed is tested through Embark, which screens for more than 250 genetic conditions, among them Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Degenerative Myelopathy, von Willebrand’s Disease, Ichthyosis, Neonatal Encephalopathy, Exercise-Induced Collapse and MDR1. Ask for both parents’ results — ours are available on request.
- Get the guarantee in writing. Ours is a written 2-year health guarantee on genetic and congenital defects. If a covered condition appears, we work with you on a replacement puppy or a refund without asking you to send back the puppy your family has already bonded with. Details are on our health testing and guarantee page.
- Talk to whoever raised the litter. When you call us, you are talking to the family that raises the puppies in their own house.
- Ask what leaves with the puppy. Ours go home with age-appropriate vaccinations from our vet, multiple dewormings, a clean bill of health from a licensed veterinarian within 72 hours of pickup, and a starter kit with a food sample, a blanket carrying the litter’s scent and a care guide.
More of what families ask us is answered on our FAQ page.
Four Ways to Get a Puppy Home to West Michigan
Our free delivery radius is 50 miles, and Grand Rapids at 110 miles sits well outside it. That is not a dead end — it just means picking one of these.
- Come and get your puppy. Pickup is at 8 to 9 weeks, on a day and time we arrange with you.
- Ground delivery. We deliver within driving distance for an additional fee. Call and we will price the run out to Kent County.
- Puppy nanny. A more personal delivery option, priced by quote — call for pricing.
- Airport shipping. $450 to any major airport, covering transportation to the airport, the flight, the crate and the health certificate.
Whichever you choose, the choosing still happens at 7 to 8 weeks — delivery does not mean a puppy simply gets assigned to you. Our contact page lists the travel options in full.
Making One Trip Do the Work of Two
If you are going to drive over once, make it the visit at 7 to 8 weeks. That is when you choose your puppy in person, and when we hand over the take-home information: what food the puppy is eating and when to schedule the first vet appointment.
Before you set a date: visits are scheduled when timing allows rather than dropped in on, and to keep a litter healthy we do not allow visitors until the puppies have had their first round of vaccinations. Call before you book the day off.
While you are here, spend the time on what a phone call cannot do. See where the puppies are being raised, spend real time with the litter, and ask us to walk you through the Embark results for both parents — we are happy to. Then arrange pickup at 8 to 9 weeks, or hand that second leg to one of the options above.
Settling In After the Ride Home
Two hours is a long first journey for a young puppy. Bring a crate, plan a stop, and send the scented blanket from the starter kit along in it.
Keep the food the same at first. Our puppies are raised on Nutrena Loyal Life chicken and brown rice all-stages puppy food, which we have had excellent results with for over 15 years, and a sample goes home with every puppy so a new house is not also a new diet. If your vet prefers something else, switch gradually.
Then plan for the coat. A Goldendoodle does not shed much, but the hair keeps growing and mats faster than people expect, so plan on daily brushing and a professional groom every 6 to 8 weeks. A grooming guide goes home with every puppy, and on allergies the honest answer is that no dog is 100% hypoallergenic — the Poodle parentage just means far less shedding than a Golden Retriever.
After that, call us whenever. Training, grooming, food, a vet question — we are here for the life of your dog, whether you are two hours west or twenty minutes down the road.
Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Wyoming, Grandville and Forest Hills
We are in Swartz Creek, about 15 minutes west of Flint, and we serve families across Grand Rapids and its suburbs along with the rest of the state, listed on our areas served page. The Mini Goldendoodle puppies going to Grand Rapids families are the same puppies our neighbors take home; the only real difference is the last hundred miles. You can read how we got here on our about page.
We keep the program small and do not over-breed — our girls get generous time between litters and we cap how many we have in a year — so availability moves. The current list of Mini and Medium Goldendoodle puppies is on the available puppies page.
When you are ready, or when you would rather ask your questions out loud, call or text (810) 280-4300 or email michigandoodles@yahoo.com. We would rather spend twenty minutes on the phone with a West Michigan family than have anyone drive two hours on a guess.