Should We Get A Toy Poodle? Tell Me About Them!

Toy and Miniature Poodles (at least the ones I've met and know of) can be pretty yappy! You might have a hard time training a dog not to bark. They seem to be intelligent and lively, but they are high-maintenance when it comes to grooming. If you do get a purebred, always purchase from a reputable breeder. You might also want to have a look at your local rescues (either purebred or mixed breed rescues) or at Petfinder.com. It won't hurt to put those in as options; at least with an evaluated adult dog you will already know if the dog is good with kids, good with cats, isn't barky, is friendly and can be left alone.    

Thanks for the reply. I am really worried about yappiness but all of the dog trainers I talked to (including Uncle Matty) say that it has nothing to do with the breed, it has everything to do with the training). I hope that is true! I am hoping some Toy Poodle owners can chime in and give their input. I do know someone whith a toy poodle who is not yappy but is that the exception to the rule?

Poodles are great little dogs. I don't think they're a barky breed; it's just that toy dogs often get away with more bc their bad behavior is "smaller" and less obvious. The poodle temperament is smart, trainable, active, great human companion. Just be really careful about choosing your breeder if you're looking for a puppy... there are a lot of genetic nightmares coming out of bad toy/mini dog breeders. Start with the parent club -
 
[linkhttp://www.poodleclubofamerica.org/breed.htm]http://www.poodleclubofamerica.org/breed.htm[/link]

There is a FANTASTIC poodle board with many dedicated poodle owners on Furkids.net - I'd recommend going over there and talking to folks. 

My aunt had two, one of which she still has and the other is now my grandma's.  Now, my aunt is not a dog person and can care less if her dogs behave badly (except when it comes to her Airedale, who she keeps a shock collar on)  So these dogs were some major brats.  Her male is the same age as my beagle, and when they were about a year old my aunt gave each a bit of food.  The poodle ended up being food aggressive and snarled and snapped at my dog.  But this dog has made a complete turn around now that my grandma has him.  He used to be a major yapper, nipper, house training nightmare, and now he's fully housetrained (didn't even take a month) barks only when he's excited and never bites, only licks.  He's a new dog.  So the bad behavior is mainly just a training problem.
The breed is very smart, easy to train, but of course needs some grooming.  I believe my grandma clips her poodle every 6 weeks.

ORIGINAL: robbins
...all of the dog trainers I talked to (including Uncle Matty) say that it has nothing to do with the breed, it has everything to do with the training).

I'm a trainer, and I would argue that if that were entirely true, you wouldn't see so many de-barked Shelties at the Shetland Sheepdog Specialty each year. []
Frankly, if barking bothers you, perhaps you might want to opt for another shedless breed with more of a Lab personality- the Portuguese Water Dog.  Granted, not small, but not huge either, especially if you get a female.   Fewer health problems than Poodles are prone to, and a playful sweet personality IMO.  But, if you have your heart set on a Poodle, please take jones' advice and start with the parent club.  There are an awful lot of byb's and puppy miller's just waiting to take your money on the Internet.  The club can tell you what to look for in a dog and a breeder.  As with any breed, there may be some lines that are "barkier" than others, and it isn't always "just the training".  If you are unfortunate enough to get a particularly reactive dog, you may be able to teach it "quiet", but then the next little noise can set off the barking again. Not saying you can't be successful at training away nuisance barking, but it makes sense to start off with a dog that has a calm disposition if you can.

ORIGINAL: spiritdogs

I'm a trainer, and I would argue that if that were entirely true, you wouldn't see so many de-barked Shelties at the Shetland Sheepdog Specialty each year. []

 
I am sorry, this is a total hijack, but am I reading this correctly to mean that you can show a debarked dog?!  Wow, that is shocking to me.  Neutering is a disqualification, but debarking is OK?!  What a horrible message to send.  If ever there were an indication that the AKC has its priorities wrong . . .  

ORIGINAL: acesmom


I am sorry, this is a total hijack, but am I reading this correctly to mean that you can show a debarked dog?!  Wow, that is shocking to me.  Neutering is a disqualification, but debarking is OK?!  What a horrible message to send.  If ever there were an indication that the AKC has its priorities wrong . . .  

Dog shows are meant to evaluate breeding stock, so that's why neutering is a disqualification. My personal opinion is there's nothing wrong with debarking an extremely vocal dog. I'd rather see a dog have a surgery to give him a soft hoarse bark than wear a shock collar.

My parents have had a toy poodle for about 6 yrs now & they completely love her. She seems to have picked up on words & phrases around the house very quickly. If my mother tells her that she's not going to share her breakfast cereal & to go see someone else in the house, she does exactly that! Very smart & has a definate personality of her own. All in all, my folks have adored her.
 
However, theirs is a bit yappy. She seems to know when someone or something is in the front yard & she can't stop barking until you physically get up & look. They like that about her though, as she makes a good watchdog for her size.  It may just be their poodle, but she is also very skittish. Noises in the house (dropping a pan or even just a crinkling plastic bag), things over her head, or household items she doesn't see every day (trashbags being moved, the duster mop, etc) terrify her. She also is a little afraid of people. Loves them from a distance, but doesn't care for strange people trying to touch her. Their dog loves our whole family, but strongly prefers my mother. She's never had any bad experiences with noises, no one has ever hurt her, & she's been around strangers pretty frequently. Just her little personality. I can't say if that's normal for all toy poodles though. 

I used to have a mini poodle.  She was pretty yappy.  She did love all strangers and loved to go places with us though.  I wouldn't ever have one again though.  I hated all the brushing and grooming and yapping.  She was a sweet little dog though and if you don't mind tons of grooming they are a good breed to have. 

I had a poodle for 14 years. She was a precious and very smart girl. Not in the least yappy. Great little doggies! We were very close.   

The breed is known to be barkers.  Even the standards I had in my past.  They are number 10 on the list for alert dogs aka barkers   But like all breeds there are dogs that will be out of the norm and you may get one that is not a barker.
 
 

My aunt has a mini poodle, and it is also very skittish and nervous. They have really tried to socialize it and the nervousness seems to be in it's personality. I would watch out for that when looking at breeders.

ORIGINAL: Luvntzus

ORIGINAL: acesmom


I am sorry, this is a total hijack, but am I reading this correctly to mean that you can show a debarked dog?!  Wow, that is shocking to me.  Neutering is a disqualification, but debarking is OK?!  What a horrible message to send.  If ever there were an indication that the AKC has its priorities wrong . . .  

Dog shows are meant to evaluate breeding stock, so that's why neutering is a disqualification. My personal opinion is there's nothing wrong with debarking an extremely vocal dog. I'd rather see a dog have a surgery to give him a soft hoarse bark than wear a shock collar.

Neither is OK with me.  At most, a citronella collar, since it doesn't cause pain.  But, the AKC turns its head on a lot of issues, not the least of which is the registration of all those puppy mill pups...[:'(]