A Poodle's Size = A Poodle's Life Span

The life span of a poodle may well depend on its size, but not in the way that you might think. The toy poodle -- measuring under ten inches at the withers and weighing only five to ten pounds -- surprisingly outlives 23 - 28 inch high standard poodles that weigh between 40 and 55 pounds -- and 10 - 15 inch high miniature poodles that weigh between 12 - 15 pounds!

Personality Outweighs Pounds

The toys poodle personality however, seemingly outsizes its weight by a long shot. At times, the behavior of these poodles makes them seem like actual toys (wind them up and watch them go...), but that doesn't mean they're untrainable. As much as they may prefer your lap more than your backyard, trained toy poodles are natural charmers in the show ring.

Only a Minor Difference Between the Toy, Miniature, and Standard Poodle Persona

If you were to judge all three poodle types by personality alone, it would be difficult to distinguish them from one another. This is because the toy poodle is really a product of its miniature and standard versions -- specifically bred to a smaller size. Much of the larger poodles' personality in fact, remains in the toy. These pups are just a little more outgoing and excited than standard poodles, but other than that, the only real difference among the three is size, thanks to the hard work of professional breeders.

Breeding Practices Built the Toy Personality

The personality of the modern toy poodle in essence, is the result of careful and lengthy breeding. Past efforts prior to 1920 weren't so successful. Instead of improving the poodle, the work at that time turned out substandard, and it wasn't until American poodle breeders introduced the qualities of valuable miniatures that we garnered the perfect toy we have today.

History's Final Result

This means that we can now enjoy the standard or miniature poodle's quick propensity to learn and its instinctive need to please within a smaller, more manageable version. It also means that the toy poodle is just as easy to train as its larger version is. Every aspect of the poodle personality in fact, is present within the toy version, making this specific breed equally energetic, friendly, and playful (or shy, mild-mannered, and serious).

Regardless their disposition, their intelligence renders toy poodles as highly intuitive creatures. All poodles across the board attentively respond to our body language, tone, and expression like no other dog -- making them extremely obedient companions and wonderful show ring contenders.