Poodles are some of the cutest dogs in the entire world. From their tight curls and inviting vibes, to their reputation as a designer dog and upbeat attitudes, poodles are a highly sought after breed of dogs. Poodles are not only popular in their purest form, either. In fact, poodles are very commonly bred with other dog breeds in order to create other breeds of dogs. For example, you might have heard of dogs like Golden Doodles and Yorkie Poos, or Maltipoos and Labradoodles.
Here is an easy way of understanding which two breeds are bred to create these dog breeds…
- Golden Doodles = Golden Retriever + Poodle
- Yorkie Poos = Yorkshire Terriers + Poodle
- Maltipoos = Maltese + Poodle
- Labradoodle = Labrador Retriever + Poodle
The easiest way to detect if a mixed dog breed is partly poodle is to take a look at the name of the dog breed. The names will have some rendition of poodle as part of the name of the breed. Labradoodles have oodle in them, which is the part of the name that derives from poodle. Maltipoos take the poo part of poodle and combine it with the first half of the dog breed name, Maltese.
Poodles can be born with any of an array of colors, including blueish grey, apricot, rusty orange, brown, tan, black, cream, eggshell, amber, silver, and white. A mix of these colors can also result from breeding poodles of different colors, which will produce a baby poodle with either spotted fur or fur that is a color made from combining the fur of the parents. The eye coloring, nose shapes, and other specifics of poodles often coincide with fur color and coat patterns, so these traits tend to vary from one poodle to the next.
Different Types of Poodles
When talking about poodles, it’s important to note that there are various types of poodles within the one dog breed. To be exact, there are five different types of poodles.
These distinct categories of the poodle dog breed include…
Klein Poodles
While Klein poodles are technically different from standard poodles, they are not officially recognized as being a breed of their own. Even so, people looking to adopt a poodle and breeders who sell poodles alike often agree that Klein poodles are a poodle breed of their own. Klein poodles are most often shown in dog shows, and they make for viable candidates in showcases because of their natural beauty, poise, and eloquence. On average, a Klein poodle will weigh anywhere from forty pounds to fifty pounds. Klein poodles are also known for reaching a height range of anywhere between fifteen and twenty inches tall.
Miniature Poodles
Miniature poodles are anywhere between eleven inches tall to fifteen inches in height. Though their name might suggest that these poodles are incredibly small, miniature poodles are not actually the smallest poodle type. Toy poodles and teacup poodles have shorter statures and overall average height measurements than miniature poodles. Even so, miniature poodles are smaller than standard poodles and Klein poodles as well. The average weight of a miniature poodle is within a range of fourteen pounds to eighteen pounds when full-grown.
Standard Poodles
Standard poodles are the most common type of poodle that people own as pets, as well as the most popular type of poodle that is bred on an annual basis. The shortest known height of a standard poodle is about fifteen inches tall, but most often, a standard poodle measures at anywhere between twenty and twenty-three inches in height. Since standard poodles are relatively tall in comparison to the other four types of poodles, it only makes sense that they weigh the most, too. Usually, a standard poodle will weight anywhere between forty-five and eighty pounds as an adult.
Teacup Poodles
Teacup poodles are known for their very small sizes. Even tinier than miniature poodles, teacup poodles tend to remain under or barely above seven pounds, even when fully grown. The one piece of advice that we would like to offer regarding teacup poodles is that breeders who sell them do not often take the health and safety of teacup poodles into consideration. Instead, teacup poodles are bred for a smaller size, whether that size is actually a healthy height and weight or not.
Teacup poodles are not always bred with health concerns being a given, but just know that teacup poodles are not always the wisest route to take when looking to adopt a poodle. You could be supporting a breeder with unethical or lazy practices, so be sure to look into the breeder and educate yourselves on the circumstances that go into play when breeders breed for toy poodles.
Toy Poodles
Toy poodles are named as such because of their short stature and minimal weight. Toy poodles are recognized for their petite features, and holding a toy poodle is like cradling a toy puppy dog or stuffed animal version of a puppy. In the most rare of circumstances, a toy poodle will weight ten pounds, but more realistically, toy poodles do not exceed nine pounds, on average, with the lowest weight of a toy poodle being around six pounds, give or take a few ounces.
Toy poodles are perfect lap dogs because they never reach a weight, height, or overall size that would make them too big for naps in their owners’ laps. Toy poodles tend to be anywhere between eight and ten inches tall, so just imagine a small little puppy prancing around your home and you’ll have an idea of what it’s like to have a poodle companion in your home.
The Temperament of Poodles
The temperament of a poodle refers to what the poodle is like when born. Personalities change, adjust, and blossom over the course of a poodle’s life, but poodle temperaments tend to predict the reactions, habitual behavior, and baseline mood of a poodle. So, in terms of temperament, poodles are described as being attentive, loving, loyal to owners and friends alike, full of wisdom, very intelligent, energetic, hyperactive, easy to train, led by their instincts, and wise beyond their years.
The standard poodle temperament and the toy poodle temperament are very similar, which is just one of many examples that goes to show how closely-aligned every type of poodle is, despite being categorized separately. However, just because the temperaments of poodles across the board are similar, it does not make them identical. There are discrepancies here and there when it comes to standard poodle temperament, toy poodle temperament, and miniature poodle temperament.
Miniature poodles are best for families that have children because they are so small that there is little to no risk posed to children in terms of physical size. A miniature poodle is the perfect height and weight for babies, toddlers, and smaller children alike. Standard poodles are truly great for families of any size and for people of any age. If you are concerned about the height of a standard poodle and how that might play out with young kids in the home, just know that standard poodles are not going to pose a threat to anyone in the home. Their size aside, standard poodles are very docile.
They are very relaxed outside of playtime and they are gentle souls as well. Toy poodles are not as ideal for small children as you may think. Believe it or not, toy poodles are actually viewed as being too small for kids to play with, particularly because young children might handle the poodle pup a little too harshly, which is damaging to an already-tiny dog. Also, toy poodle temperament makes toy poodles very sensitive to loud noises, angry tones, and upset voices, so toy poodles are best for adults whose children have either aged into adolescence or moved out of the house entirely.
