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Pronunciation

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 Toy Poodle is remarkably intelligent. Highly responsive, they are said to be one of the most trainable breeds. Sweet, cheerful, perky and lively, they like to be with people. Delightful, very amusing and keen. Socialize them well. They make a very good watchdog for their size. Without the proper type and amount of exercise they may be high-strung and timid. If the human is not 100% pack leader, they may snap if they are teased or surprised. Toy Poodles are generally good with other pets and dogs. Unless given rules to follow and limits as to what the are, and are not allowed to do, this breed will tend to bark a lot. Do not let this small dog developed Small Dog Syndrome, human induced behaviors where the dog believes he is pack leader to humans. This causes varying degrees of behavior issues, including, but not limited to snapping, growling, guarding, demanding, untrustworthy with children and sometimes adults, sensitive, nervous, reserved with strangers and obsessive barking, as the dog tries to tell the humans what it is HE wants THEM to do. This little dog can be good with children, however is usually recommended for older children, who know how to display leadership skills. The reason, most humans treat the dog in such a way that makes them unsure just who the pack leader is in the human dog relationship. The dog, in his own mind, is convinced HE is the leader to humans. These are NOT Toy Poodle traits, but rather traits brought on by meek owners. Make sure you are your dogs firm, consistent, confident pack leader, providing daily mental and physical exercise in order to have a trustworthy, mentally stable dog.

Height, Weight

Height:  up to 10 inches (25.4 cm.)
Weight: 6-9 pounds (3-4 kg.)

The sizes of the official AKC recognized Poodle breeds are determined by height, not by the weight. The Toy Poodle is 10 inches or under at the highest point of the shoulders. Any Poodle which is more than 10 inches at the highest point of the shoulders cannot compete in the AKC show ring as a Toy Poodle.

Health Problems

Living Conditions

Toy Poodles are good for city life as well as country living. 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.

Exercise

Life Expectancy

Grooming

Extensive grooming is needed if the dog is to be shown. Poodles must be bathed regularly and clipped every six to eight weeks. Clean and check the ears frequently for wax or mites or infection and pull out hairs growing inside the ear canal. The teeth need regular scaling. Since the coat does not shed it needs to be clipped. There are several different types of poodle clips. The most common for pet owners is an easy care clip called a "pet clip", "puppy clip" or "lamb clip" where the coat is cut short all over the body. Popular show clips are the English saddle and the Continental clip where the rear half of the body is shaved, bracelets are left around the ankles, and pom-poms are left on the tails and hips. The AKC standard allows for a dog under a year old to be shown in a show style puppy clip which has special requirements such as a pom-pom on the end of the tail. Other clip styles are the modified continental clip, town and country clip, kennel or utility clip, summer clip, and the Miami of bikini clip. Poodles shed little to no hair and are good for allergy sufferers.

Origin

Group

Recognition

CKC = Continental Kennel Club
FCI = Fédération Cynologique Internationale
AKC = American Kennel Club
UKC = United Kennel Club
KCGB = Kennel Club of Great Britain
CKC = Canadian Kennel Club
ANKC = Australian National Kennel Club
NKC = National Kennel Club
NZKC = New Zealand Kennel Club
CCR = Canadian Canine Registry
APRI = American Pet Registry Inc.
ACR = American Canine Registry
DRA = Dog Registry of America, Inc.
NAPR = North American Purebred Registry, Inc.