Miniature poodle

[Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow]

We currently have a poodle cross breed. Brilliant dog but he is a little older now.

We are thinking of a second dog and my daughter loves poodles. She wants a toy poodle but I think a miniature poodle would better suit our lifestyle as we are active.

Anyone have any experience? We are an active family, three young-ish kids, able to provide a good life for a dog.

I’m assuming miniatures are bright, mischievous, affectionate, need enough exercise and grooming every couple of months?

I have a toy poodle and she can walk for miles, and loves to do so. Temperament is as you describe;they are great fun. Grooming though - mine is kept fairly short all over, but I brush her with a slicker type brush at least every other day because it does tend to mat very easily, and it grows at an amazing rate.

Thanks. The toys look adorable.... can she walk quickly?

I worry the kids will treat a toy poodle as a little cat and that won’t be good for him/her (our current dog is huge!)

Yes, she trots along or zooms about just like any other dog and also loves water/muddy puddles, rabbit and horse poo (so just like all the other dogs I've had!). They are small and light (about 5 kilos fully grown), and I have noticed that visitors, especially my nieces, do like picking her up and nursing her (she doesn't object), so possibly a miniature may be more suitable for you. The toys are also tiny as puppies - you have to be very aware of where your feet are.

We have a standard and you will definitely need to brush very regularly. I have met some very yappy toys and miniatures and was told it’s a breed thing but maybe it’s a training thing..

I think yappiness is a training thing, because ours only barks when you would expect a dog to bark - doorbell etc. However, I have always discouraged barking for no reason, and none of my dogs have been yappy, and that has included several Yorkies, who also have a bad reputation for noise.
OP, I meant to add, our toy gets 2 walks a day, of about 1 hour mornings, and half an hour late afternoon, so yes, they can cope with plenty of exercise - plus of course indoor and garden games (now the weather is better). I think the trouble with a lot of toy breeds is that people think they don't need much exercise, so they get frustrated and yap. I know its been a good day when she spends the evening crashed out on the sofa.

MIL has 3 toy poodles and they are very happy and have not toilet trained very well at all.

Very active happy little dogs though!

Thanks everyone

If you know of any recommends breeders let me know!

Miniature poodle owner here and they are great dogs! Ours is coming up to 2 now and is a bundle of energy - loves long walks but does ok with shorter ones if the weather is bad. We have our boy clipped every 6-8 weeks - as someone else had said, their fur does seem to grow very fast and ours currently looks like a mobile mop as his next groomers' appointment is tomorrow! Minis can come in on the big or small side - our boy is 9kg fully grown but has a mini friend who is much daintier. They are a talkative breed but ours only gets really barky when the doorbell goes or when he spots a cat out of the window; he has a wide range of noises to convey different things though, including very stern woofing to tell us off!

I've had toys and a miniature - we currently have a standard.
Even the toys need more exercise than you might think and can be quite vocal. They are loyal, sensitive, lively, happy dogs.
Be aware though that it's not just a case of taking to a groomer's every 6 weeks - the coat would be full of matts by then. Regular (preferably daily) grooming is needed too - the coat is labour intensive.

Do contact the breed club and see if they can point you to breeders. Do your research about what health tests poodle parents should have before breeding. I can't remember!!

Thanks....

The coat is a good call actually. Our cross is a dream that way as his coat needs little maintenance. Realistically it will be me doing the care!!

standard going by your name, are standards your favourite? I’m veering towards a miniature just now as hopefully can keep up with us on walks. I love standards but two big dogs are maybe too much!