Description

The Poodle is a fun loving dog known for its dressed up look. You will find that there are several ways that they can be groomed, which helps to define this breed's characteristics. The Pet Clip may be used for dog's that have a short hair length. The English Saddle or Continental clip is also used with the back half of the body shaved, rings are left around the feet and the tail and tails will have pom poms.

Another feature that defines these dogs is their coat's curl. Some will have a very loose curly look while others have a corded look to them. Colors range widely. The tail on a miniature poodle is set high. It is often docked at about half of its size. The dog's ears are also a tell tale sign of their breed. They are long and flat with a wide look to them. They generally lay down, on their cheeks and close to the head. Generally, the poodle will have dark colored eyes with black and brown being the most common found. Usually, their eyes will have a bright look to them, giving a show of their happy go lucky temperament. They have a squared off body, with a long head and a neck that is just slightly arched.

The miniature poodle is defined as a miniature by its height and coloring. Other varieties of poodle, include the toy (which is the smallest of poodles), and the standard size which is much larger.

Coat Description

The miniature poodle has a curly or corded coat. This is not fur, but a coat of hair. They do need help with maintaining their coats and that means a good amount of brushing and clipping on the owner's part. The coat is thick and can easily become matted. Grooming styles can be traditional or can be simple, sheered looks. Because of their unique curl, they are often brushed out to keep the curls from matting.

The miniature poodle is a variety of colors and often is a mixture of them. Some of the most common are those that are solid, and these are the only permissible colors for shows. Their colors including cream, silver, white, apricot, red, white, black, brown, blue, gray, and cafe au lait.

History

The poodle has been in history for at least the last 400 years mainly in Western Europe. There are conflicted beliefs about where the poodle was developed including France, Denmark and in Germany, but the French have won the title for being the country of origin in most record books. The dog is thought to be the descendents of the French water dog and the Hungarian water hound.

They have various types of jobs and duties. They served as gun dogs and later worked as retrievers of waterfowl. They also were used as hunters especially in water situations. Indeed, they were used heavily for their intelligence as circus dogs and were trained to do various activities. The miniature poodle is bred down from the standard poodle size.

Grooming

Perhaps the hardest part to owning a miniature poodle is having the time and the skill to groom these dogs. They do require quite a bit of grooming. They will first need you to bath them often, often weekly. They like to be clean but they do need help in maintaining themselves. They will also need to be clipped every other month at the least, although some will allow the poodle's coat to grow much longer, this is not often safe. The hair of the coat will become matted especially if not brushed often, which is not only a problematic situation for the groomer, but also does pull at their skin and makes them uncomfortable.

The poodle's ears also need to be cared for. You will find mites and ear hair in them often times, which must be removed. Hair here needs to be removed for comfort and cleanliness. Clips are generally used as well. The most traditional are those that are used to help reduce the weight of the dog's coat. This allowed them to swim better and provides some protection for joints and the organs of the pet from having to overwork as well as from the cold.

Most will provide their dog's with a simple lamb clip, though. This is the clipping in which they are sheered the same length throughout their bodies. This is easier and much easier for the every day owner of the dog to care for.

Other grooming that is needed involves the teeth which should be brushed often. Because the poodle does not shed, or sheds very little, this is not necessarily a problem for those that have allergies. In fact, the coat of a miniature poodle is not a fur but is hair, similar to the hair that humans have. For this reason, you do need to provide him a jacket or sweater during winter months to remain warm outdoors.

Exercise

The miniature poodle is a great choice for many reasons, including this one. As a highly energetic dog, they are likely to demand at least some physical attention and activity by you. They do like to play either with you or with children. They will even enjoy themselves with a dog their own size and age. You should take note in their physical activity, though. Many of the health conditions they are predisposed to face are brought on by a poor diet and lack of exercise.

The miniature poodle is not likely to be demanding of you, though. They will take the exercise they are given and will truly appreciate the activities you do with them, but they will not beg for it. The poodle is a great swimmer and they often enjoy the exercise that a pool or water body can give to them. They are good for walks too, but their short legs are not necessarily capable of keeping up with a big bike or a long term run next to your side.

An important part of enjoying your poodle will be allowing him to run. Providing a fenced in area is a great opportunity because running without a leash allows them to truly enjoy themselves. And, playing catch with them or spending your time chasing them will make it even more enjoyable for them.

The miniature poodle will be in good spirits if given the opportunity to play with you and get a good amount of exercise. They are not lazy dogs that want to lie around all day, but would rather enjoy time running and playing.

Training

The miniature poodle is a great find for many reasons including their intelligence. They have served as being some of the best and smartest dogs available and for that they have a long history of training. Often, the dog's will do best with positive, rewarding training because they enjoy pleasing their masters and often are more than willing to do anything to showcase that love that they have.

As mentioned, they are highly trainable and this has played a significant role in their lives and history. Being highly trained circus dogs made them an enjoyable yet hard working dog. They loved every minute of it and they do enjoy being trained now. It often seems they like a challenge and are willing to learn what you teach and what makes you happy.

You will find that the miniature poodle of today has many great talents. This includes being a watch dog, being the trick performer, being very obedient and even competitively so. They are very agile dogs even for their small size and light weight. You will find that they are excellent at learning to retrieve. You can teach them to do nearly anything. When you provide these dogs with a happy, companionship based life, it is likely that they will learn anything you want them to.

Life :: between 12 and 15 years, although some tend to live longer with a healthier lifestyle

Litter Size :: 4 - 8 puppies, average 6 puppies

Group :: Gun Dog, AKC Non Sporting Group

Color :: cream, silver, white, apricot, red, white, black, brown, blue, gray, and cafe au lait.

Hair :: Medium

Size :: Toy/Small

Shedding :: Lite Shed

Male Height :: 11 - 15 inches (28-38 cm.)

Male Weight :: 15 - 17 pounds (7 - 8 kg.)

Female Height :: 11 - 15 inches (28-38 cm.)

Female Weight :: 15 - 17 pounds (7 - 8 kg.)

Living :: The miniature poodle is an ideal choice for virtually any location. They are perfect for small homes or apartments simply because they are such small dogs. You will also find that they are okay with a range of yard sizes, especially since they like to remain indoors rather than outdoors for any length of time, especially if you remain indoors more often. Do protect them with a fence as they do like to explore their neighborhood if untrained and allowed to. This dog will not do well if left outdoors all of the time.