Talk to me about miniature poodles!

Eucalyptus22 · 2023-09-02T09:18:55+00:00

Thinking of getting one, please share as much knowledge/experience you can of this breed. Their weight, temperament, habits, traits etc. I have the time to train etc. Would also like to hear about toy poodles (although I'm not sure that would be a good idea as I already have a spaniel so would be worried about him accidentally harming the toy). TIA!

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 02/09/2023 10:33

I have an aunt who’s a huge poodle enthusiast and I’m a big fan. Clever, adaptable, energetic and clever enough to do a lot with, without being as intense as a lot of the other breeds like that.
Coats take a fair bit of maintenance and they can be a bit anxious.

andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow · 02/09/2023 10:38

I walk a mini poodle - he's absolutely fantastic. Intelligent, quick to learn and great with people and other animals. He lives with another dog, a child, a cat and farm animals with absolutely no
issues.

His coat is quite high maintenance and daily grooming is essential. He also hates rain and puddles so needs a fair bit of mental stimulation on those days as he won't go for a walk

Original poster

Eucalyptus22 · 02/09/2023 10:45

The only 'con' I can seem to find on this breed is barking. How much of an issue is this?

OP posts:

andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow · 02/09/2023 10:46

I think it's all down to training really. The bark is quite yappy and high pitched though 😬

Totaly · 02/09/2023 10:48

I used to look after a miniature poodle, absolutely ace dog as others have said very bright, well trained, and gentle.

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 02/09/2023 15:00

None of my aunts have ever been prolific barkers. Appreciate that’s a small sample size!

Totaly · 02/09/2023 15:33

None of my aunts have ever been prolific barkers

Nor mine and they were house trained.

Talapia · 02/09/2023 15:40

Mini are fab. I think all toy breeds can yap a bit.
Very intelligent and easy to train. Loyal and good companions.

Mine love water.

Ephigenia · 03/09/2023 10:19

We have a two year old mini, our first poodle though I’ve had dogs all my life. She is a fantastic little dog, very smart (and I’m used to collies), trainable, total cuddle bug, and good with our old cat. She’s not especially barky, but will alert us to people walking past or the postman, but once she knows we are aware she stops. Ours isn’t fussed about strangers, she doesn’t go to people for attention unless she knows them. So friends who regularly come to the house will end up with her on their lap, strangers she ignores totally!

I groom her myself, so every five weeks or so I bathe her, let her air dry and next day get the clippers on her. I keep her fairly short other than tail and topknot, they need brushing and combing every couple of days or they get very knotty. If you want to keep the cute fluffy look, daily brushing and combing is essential or they end up a matted mess. The grooming is not a huge issue if you get them used to it from day one - our breeder bathed and clipped them at least twice before they went to their new homes, along with daily brushes.

They are lovely little dogs, we are currently considering when to add a second one!

Original poster

Eucalyptus22 · 03/09/2023 14:00

Ephigenia · 03/09/2023 10:19

We have a two year old mini, our first poodle though I’ve had dogs all my life. She is a fantastic little dog, very smart (and I’m used to collies), trainable, total cuddle bug, and good with our old cat. She’s not especially barky, but will alert us to people walking past or the postman, but once she knows we are aware she stops. Ours isn’t fussed about strangers, she doesn’t go to people for attention unless she knows them. So friends who regularly come to the house will end up with her on their lap, strangers she ignores totally!

I groom her myself, so every five weeks or so I bathe her, let her air dry and next day get the clippers on her. I keep her fairly short other than tail and topknot, they need brushing and combing every couple of days or they get very knotty. If you want to keep the cute fluffy look, daily brushing and combing is essential or they end up a matted mess. The grooming is not a huge issue if you get them used to it from day one - our breeder bathed and clipped them at least twice before they went to their new homes, along with daily brushes.

They are lovely little dogs, we are currently considering when to add a second one!

I've just fell in love reading all of this 😍!!

OP posts:

WhiteArsenic · 03/09/2023 14:06

Agree with all the comments above. I have two, the older is 16 now, rather deaf but on no medication and can still walk 3 miles if she feels like it. They are so clever that you can easily train out most undesirable behaviour. I get away with clipping mine rather less often than pp - also do it myself but find I can extend the interval as long as I don’t mind them looking like cockerpoos for a couple of weeks. They are not toy dogs. My bitch weighs 5 kg and my dog about 10kg. Would certainly recommend them - they’ve been great family dogs and so much personality.

Ephigenia · 03/09/2023 14:20

Just to add, they have a reputation for separation anxiety as they can get very attached to their family. When ours was little we made sure to leave her alone regularly (even if it meant us all leaving the house for no other reason than training the dog!), slowly building up the times and we have no problem with occasionally leaving her for 3 or 4 hours now. As with most things, it’s worth putting in that initial effort to get the good behaviours! And find a good breeder of course, that makes a huge difference.