Dog
Group:
Toy 
Toy Poodle Champions
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Pronunciation:
toi pood-l
Breed Description:
The Toy Poodle is a medium sized breed of dog that should be compact and robust while still having a refined and delicate look to them. They should be square in proportion with their height and length being equal. They should have a wedge shaped head with a slightly rounded skull. The muzzle should be long and the long ears should be set low on the head and should hang. The dog should look athletic with a level top line and the tail should be medium in length and usually has a slight curve to it.
The coat of the Toy Poodle should consist of a double coat. The undercoat should be thick and short and should cover the dog completely. The top coat should also be dense and it should be very curly. In addition, corded coats have been seen in the Toy Poodle. The breed should have a solid color and they can be a number of colors including silver, blue, red, cream, gray, cafe-au-lait, white, black, brown and apricot.
Temperament:
The Toy Poodle breed of dog is a very intelligent breed of dog that truly shines in any type of training you give them. In fact, they listed as one of the top 5 most intelligent breeds alive today. Given their intelligence, there is little doubt that they will learn quickly and easily. In fact, the Toy Poodle can be a wonderful breed that listens well and adapts to a wide range of lifestyles. They are usually a very playful breed and they can often be too smart for their own good since it often leads them into trouble. The breed is usually very calm, although they do have a large amount of energy that can be surprising. The breed has a good sense of humor and is often described as being clown like, which is probably why they have been a favorite of circuses for decades. The breed is very even tempered and does very well with children. In addition, they are usually good with other dogs and pets but they do much better if they are properly socialized. The Toy Poodle can make an excellent watch dog since they are naturally suspicious of strangers and will usually be reserved with them.
Height:
The average height for a Toy Poodle is between 9 to 10 inches.
Weight:
The average weight for a Toy Poodle is between 6 to 9 pounds.
Health Problems:
The Toy Poodle breed of dog is considered to have an average health. They are susceptible to a number of health problems including Hip Dysplasia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Sebaceous Adenitis, Patellar Luxation, Addison’s Disease, Von Willebrand’s Disease, Hyperadrenocorticism, Legg-Perthes Disease, Hypothyroidism, Epilepsy, Gastric Torsion and Optic Nerve Hypoplasia.
Living Conditions:
The Toy Poodle breed of dog is versatile when it comes to living conditions and they can live in both apartments and homes with yards. They should not live outdoors and do best when they are inside with their family as a companion dog.
Exercise:
The Toy Poodle breed of dog is an active breed that requires between 20 to 30 minutes of exercise each day. Generally, two good walks will meet their needs but it is also important to give them an opportunity for off leash exercise as well.
Life Expectancy:
12 to 15 years
Grooming:
The Toy Poodle breed of dog can be quite a chore to groom, even though it is a low shedding breed. The thick curls can become matted very easily and it is recommended that you brush your Toy Poodle on a daily basis. In addition to brushing, the ears should be cleaned on a weekly basis and the eyes should be washed on a daily basis to prevent tear stains. The coat is often tidied up with scissors or it can be clipped into a number of coat patterns that were originally designed for hunting. It is the clipped haircuts that has led many to believe that the Toy Poodle was a decadent type of dog but that isn't further from the truth. Bathing should be done on a monthly basis and nails should be trimmed once or twice a month. Most owners keep their dogs in a puppy clip, which is a short all over clip to make grooming easier but if you show your Toy Poodle, you will need to clip the dog in one of their other patterns.
Origin:
The Toy Poodle breed of dog shares a history with all the other Poodle breeds and are, in fact, considered to be different size variations of the same breed. In fact, many kennel clubs around the world still register all Poodles, regardless of size under the same registry. While we do know that there are several sizes of Poodle, it is not clear where the breed originated since two countries have claimed their development. The main consensus is that the Poodle was developed in Germany, roughly in the 1500's, in an effort to create a versatile hunting dog. The result was an energetic breed, but there were many issues with the coat becoming water logged. Although we are not sure what breed went into their development, it is believed that the Spanish Water Dog, North African Barbet, German Water Dog, Hungarian Water Dog and the Portuguese Water Dog is attributed with the Poodle's development. From Germany, the Poodle was quickly adopted by the French and it is felt that in France, the breed was refined into what we know today. The first Poodle to be developed was the Standard Poodle, however, it wasn't too long before the Miniature and Toy versions of the breed were created. The breed gained popularity very quickly and was one of the first breeds accepted by the AKC. Comments
The standards for all the breeds accepted to the AKC are used here for breed information, and those not part of the AKC are resourced from FCI standard information, where it is written and coded into the club rules for those breeds.
