Toy, Miniature or Standard Poodle? How to Choose the Right Size

The poodle started as a big water retriever, and the smaller sizes were bred down from it over centuries. All three share the mind: clever, sensitive, eager, watchful, funny. What changes with size is the body, and with it the exercise, the fragility, the lifespan and the diseases. Choosing the size is the most important decision after choosing the breed, and it matters far more than colour.

Standard: over 38 cm, 20–32 kg

A proper working dog. Adults need about an hour and a half of exercise a day plus brain work, and the puppyhood is boisterous enough to knock a toddler flat. Standards live eleven to thirteen years. Growth plates close at fourteen to eighteen months, so no forced running, jogging or agility jumps until then, and a large-breed puppy food so growth is steady.

Health: the deep chest brings bloat, the stomach twist that kills in hours, so Standards eat two meals a day from a slow bowl with no exercise around food. Addison's disease, a failure of the adrenal glands, is a breed hallmark that shows as vague, on-and-off illness in a young adult. Sebaceous adenitis, an immune condition that destroys the skin's oil glands and the coat with them, is mostly a Standard problem. Hips need scoring. For a family with space, time and a fence, the Standard is one of the best all-round dogs there is.

Miniature: 28–38 cm, 5–9 kg

The middle size and, for most homes, the sweet spot. Robust enough for children and a proper walk, small enough for a flat, and without the Standard's bloat and Addison's risk. Miniatures live fourteen to sixteen years. Growth plates close at ten to twelve months. Adults need forty-five minutes to an hour a day plus brain work, and will take more.

Health: patellar luxation, the slipping kneecap that shows as a skip in the step; Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, a crumbling of the hip joint in puppies of four to twelve months; progressive retinal atrophy and epilepsy as in all sizes; dental disease, less extreme than in the Toy but real. Miniatures get fat on love, and the coat hides it.

Toy: under 28 cm, 2–4 kg

A whole poodle in a very small body, and the size to think hardest about. A jump off the sofa or a drop from a child's arms can break a foreleg. The windpipe is soft, so a collar on the lead is out and a honking cough is a known problem. The teeth are crowded and periodontal disease starts by three without daily brushing. Puppies can drop their blood sugar if they miss a meal. Toys can be nervy if under-socialised, are the size most likely to become a barker, and are often carried and coddled into both.

They also live fifteen years and more, fit into any life, and are as clever and trainable as the big ones. Best for adults and older children, and for anyone who wants a poodle in a small flat and will walk them on their own feet.

Which size for which home

• Young children: Miniature or Standard. Not a Toy.
• A flat with no garden: Miniature or Toy, with a real walk every day.
• Runners, hikers, an active family: Standard, once the growth plates have closed.
• Older owners, or anyone who can't lift a big dog: Miniature. A Toy if the sofa rule is kept.
• A first poodle: Miniature, for most people.

The teacup warning

There is no such thing as a teacup poodle. It is a marketing term for a Toy bred below 2 kg, usually from the smallest, weakest puppies in a litter, and it brings broken legs, hypoglycaemia, heart defects, open fontanelles and a short life. A breeder who uses the word is telling you what they value.

The health tests to ask for, by size

All sizes: DNA tests for prcd-PRA and von Willebrand's disease, an eye examination certificate within the last year, and parents you can meet who are steady and friendly. Standards: hip scores, and a breeder who will talk openly about Addison's and sebaceous adenitis in their lines. Toys and Miniatures: patellas checked by a vet on both parents. A breeder who raises puppies in the house, introduces a brush and a table, explains grooming before money changes hands and never says hypoallergenic is a breeder who knows the breed. The health guide explains what each test is protecting you from.