Poodle

A Poodle
Photo: Joselodos
Varieties
4
Lifespan
14 yrs

What it's like

Poodles are alert, quick to learn and keen to take part, with a lively, sensitive and somewhat dignified manner. Standards tend to be the more robust and sporting, Toys the more natural lap dogs. In the late nineteen-eighties and early nineteen-nineties a team of Standard Poodles ran Alaska's Iditarod sled race, and the race soon afterwards restricted entries to northern breeds.

Toy
Miniature
Standard
Day to day
Activity
Intelligence
Handler demand
With people
Affection
Loyalty
Independence
Around the home
Sensitivity
Voice
Prey drive
Toy
Lap dog
Alert and quick to learn, close to its household.
Miniature
Companion
Quick to learn and keen to join in with family life.
Standard
Family
Energetic, usually affectionate; reserved with strangers.
Each size's page spells out its ratings in words. The Medium is not rated by the breed matcher.
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour1. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home2,3.
Is a Poodle right for you?
Take the breed matcher

Size and growth

All varieties share one design: a square, elegant body, a long fine muzzle, dark oval eyes and long ears hanging close to the head, moving with a light, springy gait. The coat is dense and tightly curled, grows continuously rather than shedding in the usual way, and needs regular clipping. Breed standards accept only solid colours, among them black, white, brown, apricot and silver.

Varieties

Toy
Adult weight: males 1.8–2.7 kg, females 1.8–2.7 kg (breed club figure)4
Height: males 24–28 cm, females 24–28 cm5
Miniature
Adult weight: males 4.5–6.8 kg, females 4.5–6.8 kg (breed club figure)6
Height: males 28–35 cm, females 28–35 cm5
Medium
Adult weight: males 9–13 kg, females 9–13 kg (estimated: FCI 172 sizes the Medium by height alone; no registry publishes a weight)
Height: males 35–45 cm, females 35–45 cm5
Standard
Adult weight: males 27–32 kg, females 18–23 kg (breed club figure)7
Height: males 45–60 cm, females 45–60 cm5

Puppy growth

The FCI sizes these by height and gives no weight, so no chart here: each variety page has its own.

Health and lifespan

Typically about 14 years, for all sizes together: no size was measured on its own.
Health findings:
ToyMiniature

Where it comes from

The Poodle was bred to retrieve ducks from the water for hunters, and its country is disputed: the FCI gives France, where it is the caniche, from cane, a female duck, while the Kennel Club and the AKC give Germany. Even its clip began as a working trim, with tufts left over the joints and tail tip for warmth and the hindquarters shaved so it swam more freely5,9,10.
The FCI registers one breed, the Poodle, in four sizes: Toy, Miniature, Medium and Standard. The Kennel Club registers three separate breeds, the Toy, Miniature and Standard Poodle, and has no Medium. The AKC registers one breed, the Poodle, in three varieties judged by one standard except for height5,11,12.

The Poodle became firmly linked with France, where it was a favoured dog at court and later a circus regular, prized for how readily it learned tricks. Smaller dogs were bred down from the original water dog, and some are said to have been used to sniff out truffles. The Standard is the original form; the Miniature and Toy followed, and the Medium, recognised by the FCI but not the Kennel Club, sits between Standard and Miniature.

Breed standard

FCI standard no. 172, group 9: Companion and Toy Dogs5. Origin: France5.
Toy the KC's Poodle (Toy) and the AKC's Toy variety
Miniature the KC's Poodle (Miniature) and the AKC's Miniature variety
Medium recognised by the FCI only; the Kennel Club and the AKC have no Medium
Standard the KC's Poodle (Standard) and the AKC's Standard variety

Compare with related

Toy Poodle vs Miniature PoodleToy Poodle vs Medium PoodleToy Poodle vs Standard PoodleMiniature Poodle vs Medium PoodleMiniature Poodle vs Standard PoodleMedium Poodle vs Standard Poodle

Sources

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Parts of this page were written by AI ·