Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

The Current Poodle Breed Standard (Part 1)

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The current Poodle breed standard was approved August 14, 1984, and reformatted March 27, 1990, by the Poodle Club of America. Again, except for height, the standard is the same for all 3 varieties. The breed standard refers to the ideal dog. No dog is ideal, however, and many dogs excluded from the show ring for minor faults make excellent pets.

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Size: Here lies the only difference of note among the three varieties. The Standard Poodle is over 15 inches at the highest point of the shoulders and weighs 45 to 65 pounds. The Miniature Poodle is 15 inches or under at the highest point of the shoulders, with a minimum height in excess of 10 inches. He weighs 14 to 18 pounds, and is the most popular of the Poodle varieties today. The Toy Poodle is ten inches or under at the highest point of the shoulders. He weighs between 6 and 12 pounds. (European standards are somewhat different, dividing the breed into four size categories: Standard, Miniature, Dwarf, and Toy.)

The first Toy Poodles were nearly always white, but the other colors were introduced by breeding white Toy males to Miniature females of various colors. Today, Toys come in the same range of colors as Standards and Miniatures.

General Appearance: The standard states that the Poodle is a “very active, intelligent, and elegant-appearing dog, squarely built, well-proportioned, moving soundly and carrying himself proudly. Properly clipped in the traditional fashion and carefully groomed, the Poodle has about him an air of distinction and dignity peculiar to himself.” That describes the Poodle most accurately.

At first, the English and American breed standards were identical. Both the English and the American Kennel Clubs recognized Standard and Miniature Poodles; both recognized all colors. Today, minor differences exist between the two. In America, the Toy Poodle must be under 10 inches; it is categorized in the Toy Group, while the other two sizes are categorized in the Non-Sporting Group. The English Toy Poodle is another inch higher, and all varieties of Poodle are categorized in the Utility group.

The general appearance of the Poodle is square, meaning that “the length of body measured from the breastbone to the point of the rump approximates the height from the highest point of the shoulders to the ground.”

Head and Expression: The proper Poodle has almond-shaped eyes which are “very dark” and “oval in shape.” He should have “an alert intelligent expression.” It is considered a major fault if the eyes are “round, protruding, large, or very light.” The ears should hang “close to the head, set at or slightly below eye level.”

The skull should be “moderately rounded, with a slight but definite stop.” (The stop is where the muzzle meets the upper part of the skull.) The muzzle should be “long, straight, and fine with slight chiseling under the eyes.” The ideal length is clearly defined; it should be the same as the “length from occiput [the back part of the skull] to stop.” A muzzle that is too long is called “snipey” and is considered a fault in a Poodle.

Here’s an interesting Stand Poodle question:

  • Standard Poodle Question? | anon – Over all how high energy do you think standard poodles are? How tolerable are they? What do you know about standard poodles?Answer:Everything Vixen said plus.

Feeding Your Poodle (Part 1)

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Poodle pups have special feeding requirements. A puppy’s stomach is not large enough to hold sufficient food in one feeding to provide his daily nutritional needs. When a puppy graduates from mother’s milk to solid food at about six weeks of age, he will require three to four meals a day, with the exception of Toys, who may need four to six meals. When he reaches about four to five months old, twice-a-day feedings may be sufficient. He can graduate to once-a-day meals at eight to nine months of age.

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Feeding The Poodle Pup: A pup’s nutritional requirements for growth and development are greater than those for an adult dog. If you opt to feed your Poodle pup a commercially prepared diet, feed one formulated especially for pups to ensure that your Poodle gets the nutrients he needs. A Poodle pup who eats a complete and balanced commercial puppy diet doesn’t need additional supplements. Adding supplements can cause nutritional imbalance. However, if you are supplying your dog with a home-cooked or fresh-diet meal plan, supplements may be necessary. Consult with a veterinary nutritionist.

Dry food can be moistened with warm water to encourage pups to eat. Milk can be used, too, but only in extremely small amounts. Cow’s milk causes digestive upset in some puppies and dogs. A tablespoon of canned food can be added to increase interest, as well. These are general guidelines for feeding your Poodle pup; consult with your veterinarian for more specific advice.

Feeding Adult Poodles: The adult Poodle is a mature dog, usually age one year or older. Healthy adult dogs who are not pregnant, nursing, or hardworking have somewhat low nutritional requirements. Feeding is fairly straightforward if you’re feeding commercially prepared kibble. Buy a complete and balanced diet made for the adult dog and give your dog the recommended amount once or twice a day. Add a tablespoon of canned food for taste if you wish. Adjust the amount according to the Poodle’s activity level and body condition.

Feeding Hardworking Poodles: Highly active Poodles use a lot of energy. The hard-working dog can require two to three time more kilocalories per pound of body weight than what is required for normal activity. To maintain good body condition and keep up his stamina, the hardworking Poodle must eat a high-energy diet.

Many veterinarians recommend commercially prepared “performance” diets for highly active dogs. Higher fat, higher-protein diets supply the working dog with needed calories. Because performance diets are higher in protein than maintenance diets, there s a misconception that the active dog just needs extra protein. However, all nutrients are required in greater amounts. Additionally, research indicates that moderately high-protein diets are unlikely to cause kidney damage – in spite of some breeders’ and owners’ beliefs that it does.

Feeding Your Elderly Poodle: Older Poodles (those who have reached the last 25 percent of their expected life span) are usually less active than adult dogs and pups. Thus, their energy requirements are reduced and they can gain weight easily if fed too much or fed a high-calorie diet. Some veterinarians recommend “senior” diets; foods high in nutrients but reduced in calories to keep a senior Poodle at a healthy weight.

Should You Get A Toy, Miniature, Or Standard Poodle?

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Poodle Pups are certainly adorable, but they are a lot of work. Repeat: They are a lot of work! It will take time and effort to teach your puppy the ropes: house-training, manners, grooming, and socializing. If you’re home a lot, perhaps you work from a home office or you are a stay-at home parent, a puppy could be a good bet since you may be able to supervise and acclimate your new friend better.

As well, puppies almost invariably are a bit more playful, and you can develop his personality to your liking. Remember, too, that the first year of a dog’s life is an expensive one! However, if you’re not up to the tireless effort that puppies require, consider adopting an adult Poodle. You can find many available at rescue organizations and sometimes at animal shelters. With an adult dog, you’re past house-training, crying, jumping, and chewing – hopefully.

Adult Poodles also come with a developed personality, which can be wonderful. When it comes to the choice between a male or female Poodle, you’ll encounter proponents of each sex. Some believe female Poodles bond more closely to men and vice versa. In general, enthusiasts say a female Poodle has the attitude of “what can you do for me?” while the male Poodle has the attitude of “what can I do for you?” The Poodle is a one-breed-fits-all in terms of size. What’s so cool about the Poodle is that there’s a size to fit anyone or any household!

The Toy variety is popular among individuals with limited space. Though small in size, the Toy is hardy in stature and has all the heart and spirit of a big dog. Toys can be trained to do just about anything except play the retrieving game. Because of its small size, Toys are sometimes overly spoiled and babied by their owners. Like all dogs, Toys need training and proper socialization.

Because of its tiny size, the Toy may not be a good choice for a family with young children. Larger Poodles are better able to handle the normal roughhousing that goes along with kids. If properly supervised, though, a Toy can fit nicely into a family home.

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The Miniature Poodle, larger and sturdier than the Toy but not a big dog, is also popular among individuals with limited space, and travels well, too. For those who love big dogs and Poodles, the Standard variety is an excellent choice. Exercise and activity requirements are greater than for smaller varieties, but a 100-acre ranch is not a necessity. A Standard can live comfortably in the city with daily romps in the park. Maintenance costs go up with each variety. Toy, Miniature, or Standard. Obviously, it costs more to feed and groom a Standard Poodle than it does to groom a Toy or Mini.

Mutts Are Special Too!

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In setting official standards for mutts, everyone has used the guiding principle that dogs belong to the same species, called the Canis familiaris. All dogs come equipped with the remarkable blend of high intelligence, fierce loyalty, human-like emotions, boundless love, and the ability to smell leftover meat two blocks away.

It is us humans that have established differences among dogs. Some dogs were selected over centuries for astonishing traits of size and temperament. These dogs were bred for high purposes, such as the Mastiff for defending the Roman Empire, the Newfoundland for rescuing sailors, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever for retrieving ducks, and the Saint Bernard for saving lost mountaineers. These are purebred dogs.

To create a purebred, all matters are arranged by a responsible breeder. On the other hand, other dogs, such as strays, neighborhood dogs or most dogs who have ever lived have met and mated as they saw fit, without the help of humans. This is evident by simply looking at them. These are called, simply, “dogs.”

All dogs are capable of the greatest genetic elasticity among mammals, providing a dazzling array of coat types, head types, tail configurations, and placements. Dogs astonish us with their rich diversity, the 250-pound Mastiff and the five-pound Miniature Poodle are members of the same species, a heart the size of a peanut and a heart as big as a fist both beating with love for us, their best friends. Breeders can’t perform this trick with other types of species.

In the last century or so, dog breeders, carefully molding remarkable lumps of canine clay, have turned out an amazing array of more than 450 distinct breed types, although only 146 breeds and varieties are formally recognized by the American Kennel Club. Dogs meeting dogs for entirely unsupervised dates have done it a little differently. For example, Yorkies serenading a song of seduction to strong, silent Shepherd types, and Terriers falling for Chihuahuas. The results of this dizzying merry-go-round of random matches is nothing less than the richest, maddest, crazy-quilt variety of mammals of a single species on Earth: mixed-breed dogs. Surely there are thousands of types of mixed-breed dogs, roughly familiar, and yet each one unique, like snowflakes.

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