Poodle

The Poodle comes in Toy, Miniature, and Standard sizes, so daily care and exercise must be adjusted to the individual dog, though all share an exceptionally biddable and athletic nature. Living well with this breed means channeling their intelligence into sniff-heavy walks and training, while committing to the regular clipping and brushing required to manage their curly, low-shedding coat.

This breed comes in several varieties — toy, miniature and standard sizes. Grooming and some traits differ between them; the details below reflect the most common variety, so confirm your dog's specific type with your breeder or vet.

Medium size18–32 kgmale18–32 kgfemale10–18 yrs lifespan

Coloured-pencil illustration of a Poodle

Daily-care planners

House-training

Easy to house-train

Standard Poodles are among the quickest learners. The most common setback is inconsistent outdoor access — a fixed daily schedule resolves most issues quickly.

Most reliable by 4–5 months

Open the potty planner

Walks

High exercise needs

Standard Poodles are athletic and quick on their feet — they make excellent running companions once adult. New environments and sniff-heavy routes engage their intelligence and keep walks interesting. They adapt well to varied terrain and generally handle most weather. Consistent loose-leash practice from puppyhood produces an enjoyable adult walking partner.

Plan walks

Temperament

This breed is eager to please and stands out as one of the quickest learners. They are generally polite with people and have a moderate vocalization level, making them pleasant daily companions.

They adapt well to most environments, but maintaining a fixed schedule for outdoor access is the best way to prevent house-training setbacks. As adults, they are athletic running companions who thrive on high physical exercise, mental stimulation, and consistent loose-leash practice.

Their eagerness to please suits dedicated first-time owners and seniors who can commit to an active lifestyle. They display a moderate ease with children, meaning a harmonious household requires supervised interactions, teaching kids respect for the dog's space, and carefully managing their moderate risk of separation anxiety.

Inherently social with other dogs, they make polite additions to multi-dog households when properly introduced. With a moderate prey drive, they can comfortably share a home with cats if socialized and taught clear boundaries early on.

In the UK and North America, their minimal shedding suits indoor living, provided owners budget for professional grooming. Originally bred as water retrievers, their traditional clip was strictly functional to keep vital organs warm in cold water, reflecting a working heritage that requires dedicated physical and mental outlets.