That explanation makes a lot of sense, thanks. I see now that Mini’s are between 15-40 lbs and Toy’s are under 15 lbs!
I have now gone down a rabbit hole because you are right, breeding a Golden Retriever with a Toy Poodle sounds kind of crazy. But I’m seeing lots of breeders advertising Toy’s, so I guess there is a way and they are not that rare.
I will second the vote for a Vizsla. My brother has one, and I’ve never seen a dog with so much energy. He doesn’t like to walk; that dog just wants to run. A Vizsla would be a perfect running companion.
I’ve had a similar response; my dog responds best by creating a calming environment in the house. I also don’t make a big deal about leaving. I can see he gets anxious when I grab my keys and put shoes on, but I found that if I calmly walk out the door, it works better than making a big fuss.