Poodle

Poodle


Poodle


Poodle


Poodle

Description	The Toy Poodle is an elegant, lively, small dog with a profuse, but well-groomed and clipped curly coat. The ears are long, flat and wide, laying close to the head. The head is long with dark, almond-shaped eyes that have an alert expression. The skull is a bit rounded, with a slight stop. The teeth should have a scissors bite. A good Poodle has a square silhouette, with approximately the same overall length as the height at the withers. The level top line has a slight depression behind the withers. The feet are small, oval and webbed, with arched toes. Dewclaws generally are removed. The tail is docked to produce a balanced dog. The coat may be groomed into three basic styles: the "pet clip" (or puppy clip), with relatively short hair all over the body, the "English saddle" clip, and the "Continental" clip with the rear half of the body shaved, bracelets left around the ankles, and pom-poms left on the tails and hips. All solid colors are permissible. The Poodle has a delightful springy gait.
Temperament	The Toy Poodle is remarkably intelligent. Highly responsive, they are said to be one of the most trainable breeds. Pleasant, happy, perky and lively, they like to be with people. Delightful, very amusing and clever. It makes a very good watchdog for its size. Any effort the owner puts into training and socializing will be well rewarded. 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. It worst cases, 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	Some are prone to ear infections, runny eyes, digestive tract and heart disorders, skin conditions, slipped stifle and PRA. Also IMHA (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia)
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	These are active little dogs, who need a daily walk. Play will take care of a lot of their exercise needs, however, as with all breeds, play will not fulfill their primal instinct to walk. Dogs who do not get to go on daily walks are more likely to display behavior problems. They will also enjoy a good romp in a safe open area off lead, such as a large fenced in yard.
Life Expectancy	12-15 or more years.
Grooming	Poodles must be bathed regularly and clipped every six weeks. Clean and check the ears frequently for wax or infection and pull out hairs growing inside the ear canal. The traditional clips were developed to lighten the weight of the coat for swimming and to protect the joints and major organs from cold, but many pet owners opt for a plain lamb clip (the same length all over). The teeth need regular scaling. Poodles shed little to no hair and are good for allergy sufferers. (See description for different styles of clips.)
Origin	Although the Poodle has been known throughout Western Europe for at least 400 years, its origin is controversial. Whether it was developed in France, Germany, Denmark, or the ancient Piedmont, is uncertain. Despite the claims of several other countries, France has now been officially recognized as its country of origin, and the breed occupies a special place in the affections of the French. It is certain that the Poodle is descended from a now nearly extinct French water dog, the Barbet and possibly the Hungarian Water Hound. The name 'Poodle' probably derives from the German word "Pudel," which means: one who plays in water. The Poodle is used as a gun dog. They were originally used in Germany and France as a retriever of waterfowl. Hunters clipped the dog's thick coat to help them swim, leaving hair on the leg joints to protect them from extreme cold and sharp reeds. The French capitalized on the breed's high intelligence, trainability & innate showmanship and made the Poodle into a circus performer. His great popularity in that country led to the breed's common name "French Poodle." In France, however, the Poodle is called the "Caniche," or duck dog. The Poodle has been used to sniff out truffles lying underground in the woods. Poodles are depicted in 15th century paintings and in bas-reliefs from the 1st century. Toy Poodles became royal favorites, particularly in the 18th century. The Toy and Miniature Poodle varieties were bred down from larger dogs, today known as Standard Poodles. The three sizes are considered as one breed, and are judged by the same standard. Today, the Poodle is primarily a companion and show dog, though he can learn almost anything.