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Pronunciation

Moyen is the French word for the fourth size of the Poodles in France, but the remainder of Europe refers to them as Kleins. Its size falls in-between the Miniature and Standard Poodles, but is not obtained by crossing the two, it is an actual fourth Poodle breed size in Europe and is not a new size. Kleins (Moyen) are very common in the US but because they are small, they are generally placed in pet homes, as they cannot successfully compete in the AKC ring against their larger counterpart, the Standard, due to their size. They however can compete in the UKC conformation venue and many are Champions. Kleins tend to be in the 15-20 inch range, the size of a small Standard Poodle. Moyen means medium in French. Klein means medium in German. Both Moyen and Klein are common names for this in-between Poodle size. They are just a bit smaller than the original sized Poodle. Here in the US they are shown in the Non Sporting Class. In the UKC ring, they show in the Gun Dog Group.

Description

When groomed to show dog standards the body is meant to give off a square appearance. It has approximately the same length as the height at the withers. The skull is moderately rounded with a slight but definite stop. It has a long, straight muzzle. The dark, oval shaped eyes are set somewhat far apart and are black or brown. The ears hang close to the head and are long and flat. Both the front and back legs are in proportion with the size of the dog. The topline is level. The tail is set and carried high. It is sometimes docked to half it's length or less to make the dog look more balanced. Dewclaws may be removed. The oval shaped feet are rather small and the toes are arched. The coat is either curly or corded. It comes in all solid colors including black, blue, silver, gray, cream, apricot, red, white, brown, or cafe-au-lait. While it does not make the written show standard, some breeders are breeding parti-colored poodles. See grooming for different types of poodle clips.

Temperament

The Klein is an intelligent, joyful, companion dog. They can be trained to a high degree, and are very willing and happy to please their handler. Comical and clever, they are often used as a circus dog. The more intelligent a dog is the more they need their minds occupied. This breed cannot live outside in a kennel. They need to be part of the family. They can be high-strung if not given the proper type and amount of exercise. Do not allow this dog to develop Small Dog Syndrome, where the dog is led to believe they are alpha over humans. It can cause them to become sensitive and nervous, and not very trustworthy with children and possibly strangers, along with many other behavior issues. Socialize them well. This is a very good watchdog for its size, seldom becoming aggressive. They may start to bark a lot without proper human to canine communication, rules to follow and limits to what they are allowed to do. Poodles are friendly with other dogs and non-canine pets. Be sure you are this dogs firm pack leader, to avoid any unwanted behavior problems.

Height, Weight

Falls in-between the Miniature and Standard Poodle size. Not an official AKC size variation, however has become popular outside the USA.

Height:  15-20 inches (38-50 cm.)
Weight:  20-30 pounds (9-13 kg.)

Health Problems

Living Conditions

The Klein Poodleis good for apartment life. Given enough exercise, they are not active in doors. They will lay right next to you and are more sedate when indoor although they love to play outdoors and are a highly intelligent breed, so they do like lots of thoughtful activities to stimulate their mentality. They will do okay without a yard.

Life Expectancy

Grooming

The Poodle has been known throughout Western Europe for at least 400 years and are depicted in 15th century paintings and in bas-reliefs from the 1st century. The subject is controversial of where the dog was officially developed and no one really knows the breeds true country of origin. France has taken a claim on the origin, but the AKC gives the honor to the Germans where they say it was used as a water retrieval dog. Other claims have been Denmark, or the ancient Piedmont. What is certain is that the dog was a descendant of the now extinct French Water Dog, the Barbet and possibly the Hungarian Water Hound. The name "Poodle" most likely came out of the German word "Pudel," which means "one who plays in water". The "Poodle clip" was designed by hunters to help the dogs swim more efficiently. They would leave hair on the leg joints to protect them from extreme cold and sharp reeds. The hunters in Germany and France used the Poodle as a gun dog and as a retriever of waterfowl and to sniff out truffles laying underground in the woods. The French started using the breed as a circus performer because of the dog's high intelligence and trainability. The breed became very popular in France, which led to the common name "French Poodle", but the French people actually called the breed the "Caniche," meaning "duck dog. The Toy and Miniature Poodle varieties were bred down from larger dogs, today known as Standard Poodles. In the 18th century smaller poodles became popular with royal people. The three official sizes are the Toy, Miniature and Standard Poodle. They are considered one breed and are judged by the same written standard but with different size requirements. Breeders are also breeding an in-between size called a Klein Poodle (Moyen Poodle) and a smaller Tea-Cup Poodle. Some of the Poodle's talents include: retrieving, agility, watchdog, competitive obedience, and performing tricks.

Group

Recognition