| Miniature Poodles: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find. Information about Mini Poodle personality and behavior. |
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My book, Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide (published by Henry Holt & Co.), includes a full-page profile of the Miniature Poodle, including these excerpts:
"One of the smartest, most sensitive, and most trainable of all breeds, the perky, proud Miniature Poodle is both elegant and athletic. Indoors and out he is lively and happy, carrying himself with pride and moving with a light, graceful, springy gait.
Along with companionship, Miniature Poodles require mental stimulation such as advanced obedience, agility, and fetching toys. This intelligent breed cannot simply sit in the backyard and be ignored.
The Miniature Poodle is a thinking dog who pays rapt attention to his owner, learns quickly, and responds eagerly to positive training methods.
Most Poodles are polite with strangers and sociable with other animals. You do have to watch your lines: Some are rather dainty, even high-strung, while others are confident and outgoing."
History
The Miniature Poodle was bred down from the Standard Poodle, who was used as a water retriever in Germany. Pudelin means "to splash in the water." France later developed the breed further, into a circus and show dog.
Size
10-15 inches and 14-20 lbs |
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Miniature Poodles
What's good about 'em
What's bad about 'em
- Is conveniently-sized, light and graceful, athletic and agile
- Has a curly coat that doesn't shed (one of the best breeds for allergy sufferers)
- Comes in a variety of colors
- Is lively and playful
- Is one of the brightest and most attentive of all breeds, so intuitive, and such a skilled reader of body language and expression, that he often appears telepathic
- Excels at obedience and agility competition
- Is usually polite with strangers and sociable with other animals
A Miniature Poodle may be right for you.
| If you don't want to deal with... |
- A careful search to avoid all the highstrung, neurotic Poodles
- Timidity or skittishness when not socialized enough
- Emotional sensitivity to stress, tension, or loud voices
- Monthly clipping of the curly coat
- Barking
- Health problems
A Miniature Poodle may not be right for you.
| If I were considering a Miniature Poodle... |
My major concerns would be:
- Unstable temperaments. Poodles are a dime a dozen, and most of them are bred and offered for sale by people who don't have the slightest idea of how to breed good-tempered dogs. Obedience instructors and behavioral consultants see LOTS of Poodles with neurotic behaviors, including snappiness, extreme fearfulness, and hyperactivity.
- Providing enough socialization. Poodles need extensive exposure to people and to unusual sights and sounds. Otherwise their natural caution can become shyness or suspiciousness, which are difficult to live with and could even lead to defensive biting.
- Emotional sensitivity. Be honest...is there tension in your home? Are people loud or angry or emotional? Are there arguments or fights? Poodles are extremely sensitive to stress and can end up literally sick to their stomachs, with digestive upsets and neurotic behaviors, if the people in their home are having family problems. Poodles are peaceful, sensitive dogs who need a peaceful, harmonious home.
- Grooming. To keep their curly coat short and free of mats, Poodles require regular brushing, and also clipping and trimming every 4 to 6 weeks. Please don't have your Poodle clipped into the ridiculous patterns worn by show dogs. Poodles can simply be trimmed short, with short ears, a rustic whiskery face, and no pompoms on their head or feet or tail. Poodles definitely don't have to look like sissies.
- Barking. Miniature Poodles are often too quick to sound the alarm at every new sight and sound. You have to be equally quick to stop them. For the same reason, Poodles should NEVER be left outside in your yard, unsupervised.
| To teach your Miniature Poodle to listen to you, "Respect Training" is mandatory. My Mini Poodle Training Page discusses the program you need. |
- Health problems. Poodles can be very long-lived, but they suffer more than their share of joint problems and eye diseases.
| Not all Miniature Poodles are alike! |
- There are energetic Poodles, and placid Poodles.
- Hard-headed Poodles, and sweet-natured Poodles.
- Serious Poodles, and good-natured goofballs.
- Introverted Poodles, and Poodles who love everyone.
| If you acquire a Miniature Poodle puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm." |
| If you're considering an adult Miniature Poodle... |
There are plenty of adult Miniature Poodles who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you.
When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS.
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Copyright © 2000-2008 by Michele Welton. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without the permission of the author. |
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