Poodle (Toy)
The smallest of the three, bred in the twentieth century purely as a companion. It keeps the poodle coat and the poodle brain in under ten inches of dog.
Photo by Yasuhiko Ito, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Toy Poodle is the smallest of the three Poodle varieties, all of which are one breed at different scales. It was bred down from the Miniature in England and the United States in the early twentieth century, primarily as a city companion.
Underneath the size it is the same dog: a water retriever's brain in a four to six pound body, and it is one of the most trainable small dogs there is.
Temperament
Bright, sensitive and closely attached. Toy Poodles are affectionate with their families and can be reserved or nervous with strangers, more so than the larger varieties.
They are highly trainable and they need mental work. They are also prone to barking and to separation anxiety, and they are easily spoiled into reactive small dogs. A Toy Poodle asked to behave like a dog behaves like one.
Care and grooming
The curly single coat does not shed and grows continuously, so it needs combing to the skin two or three times a week plus professional clipping every four to six weeks. That is a permanent running cost.
Patellar luxation, Legg Calve Perthes disease, collapsing trachea and progressive retinal atrophy all occur, and PRA has a DNA test. Dental disease is severe in toy breeds and daily brushing matters.
Living and exercise
Thirty to forty five minutes a day plus training games, and the training is what they want most.
A harness rather than a collar. They suit flats and they suit anyone who enjoys teaching a dog. Ten to eighteen years is a wide range and the top end is real.
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