Miniature Poodles

Description

The Poodle is a fun loving dog known for its dressed up look. You will find that there are several ways that they can be groomed, which helps to define this breed's characteristics. The Pet Clip may be used for dog's that have a short hair length. The English Saddle or Continental clip is also used with the back half of the body shaved, rings are left around the feet and the tail and tails will have pom poms.

Another feature that defines these dogs is their coat's curl. Some will have a very loose curly look while others have a corded look to them. Colors range widely. The tail on a miniature poodle is set high. It is often docked at about half of its size. The dog's ears are also a tell tale sign of their breed. They are long and flat with a wide look to them. They generally lay down, on their cheeks and close to the head. Generally, the poodle will have dark colored eyes with black and brown being the most common found. Usually, their eyes will have a bright look to them, giving a show of their happy go lucky temperament. They have a squared off body, with a long head and a neck that is just slightly arched.

The miniature poodle is defined as a miniature by its height and coloring. Other varieties of poodle, include the toy (which is the smallest of poodles), and the standard size which is much larger.

Miniature Poodle Puppies

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Coat Description

The miniature poodle has a curly or corded coat. This is not fur, but a coat of hair. They do need help with maintaining their coats and that means a good amount of brushing and clipping on the owner's part. The coat is thick and can easily become matted. Grooming styles can be traditional or can be simple, sheered looks. Because of their unique curl, they are often brushed out to keep the curls from matting.

The miniature poodle is a variety of colors and often is a mixture of them. Some of the most common are those that are solid, and these are the only permissible colors for shows. Their colors including cream, silver, white, apricot, red, white, black, brown, blue, gray, and cafe au lait.

History

The poodle has been in history for at least the last 400 years mainly in Western Europe. There are conflicted beliefs about where the poodle was developed including France, Denmark and in Germany, but the French have won the title for being the country of origin in most record books. The dog is thought to be the descendents of the French water dog and the Hungarian water hound.

They have various types of jobs and duties. They served as gun dogs and later worked as retrievers of waterfowl. They also were used as hunters especially in water situations. Indeed, they were used heavily for their intelligence as circus dogs and were trained to do various activities. The miniature poodle is bred down from the standard poodle size.

Temperament

While the poodle is well known for his look, there are other characteristics that make it just as enjoyable and should be the reason why you invest in this dog. The poodle is a highly enjoyable pet, with lots of character and plenty of cheer in him. They are very intelligent dogs and with that comes a very good amount of training ability. You will also find that they can be temperamental. A good sign of this is when playing with or spending time with someone other than him, the poodle is likely to become overly sensitive and either try to interact or sulk. They enjoy being the center of attention and being their master's true companion.

You will find that the miniature poodle makes a great addition to training shows and events simply because he likes to learn to do tricks. They want to entertain and have fun, and making their master happy is a great way for them to do that. You will find too that when he is able to make you happy, it is funny and adorable to be around.

In terms of other dogs and children, the poodle will adjust well. While he likes to be the center of attention, he is, beyond anything else, more than willing to play with anyone that wants to play with him. On the other hand, some miniature poodles will show signs that they are less than inviting of this type of attention. Some are very nervous around people they do not know and other animals. Some are sensitive to the time that you spend with others, too. Some poodles can be high maintenance like animals because of this.

In an effort to help them to adjust better to those around them, do socialize these dogs as young as possible. This will help them to open up to strangers and help them to feel more at ease when someone new is around them. The good news is that the poodle is more than willing to learn, at any age. In addition, the miniature poodle is more than willing to protect what is his. He makes a good watchdog, being vocal when necessary to ward off those that come near to him. Yet, they are not necessarily aggressive dogs. While they will bark, and bark quite a bit, they are not likely to attack anyone.

Health Problems

Poodles are a breed that has been around a very long time and that makes them likely to need some medical attention. They do have a history of having genetic diseases passed down by generations. Some of those include the following:

Progressive Retinal Atrophy: manifests as night blindness, slowly progresses to total blindness.

Epilepsy: a neurological seizure disorder. There is no test for this.

Deafness: Congenital Deafness can be a problem.

Allergies: Some will Show in skin conditions that the dogs will have, Allergies to shampoos is common as well as color reinforcers. Some skin conditions can happen due to the misuse of clippers against their sensitive skin.

diabetes: evident in many dogs

Heart disease: Although a genetic condition, this is likely to be minimized with a good Diet and care.

Premature Gray: Mostly seen in the brown Miniature Poodle, the coloring may become gray earlier than it should.

IMHA: Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia, especially in dogs with a poor source of quality food.

Grooming

Perhaps the hardest part to owning a miniature poodle is having the time and the skill to groom these dogs. They do require quite a bit of grooming. They will first need you to bath them often, often weekly. They like to be clean but they do need help in maintaining themselves. They will also need to be clipped every other month at the least, although some will allow the poodle's coat to grow much longer, this is not often safe. The hair of the coat will become matted especially if not brushed often, which is not only a problematic situation for the groomer, but also does pull at their skin and makes them uncomfortable.

The poodle's ears also need to be cared for. You will find mites and ear hair in them often times, which must be removed. Hair here needs to be removed for comfort and cleanliness. Clips are generally used as well. The most traditional are those that are used to help reduce the weight of the dog's coat. This allowed them to swim better and provides some protection for joints and the organs of the pet from having to overwork as well as from the cold.

Most will provide their dog's with a simple lamb clip, though. This is the clipping in which they are sheered the same length throughout their bodies. This is easier and much easier for the every day owner of the dog to care for.

Other grooming that is needed involves the teeth which should be brushed often. Because the poodle does not shed, or sheds very little, this is not necessarily a problem for those that have allergies. In fact, the coat of a miniature poodle is not a fur but is hair, similar to the hair that humans have. For this reason, you do need to provide him a jacket or sweater during winter months to remain warm outdoors.

Exercise

The miniature poodle is a great choice for many reasons, including this one. As a highly energetic dog, they are likely to demand at least some physical attention and activity by you. They do like to play either with you or with children. They will even enjoy themselves with a dog their own size and age. You should take note in their physical activity, though. Many of the health conditions they are predisposed to face are brought on by a poor diet and lack of exercise.

The miniature poodle is not likely to be demanding of you, though. They will take the exercise they are given and will truly appreciate the activities you do with them, but they will not beg for it. The poodle is a great swimmer and they often enjoy the exercise that a pool or water body can give to them. They are good for walks too, but their short legs are not necessarily capable of keeping up with a big bike or a long term run next to your side.

An important part of enjoying your poodle will be allowing him to run. Providing a fenced in area is a great opportunity because running without a leash allows them to truly enjoy themselves. And, playing catch with them or spending your time chasing them will make it even more enjoyable for them.

The miniature poodle will be in good spirits if given the opportunity to play with you and get a good amount of exercise. They are not lazy dogs that want to lie around all day, but would rather enjoy time running and playing.

Training

The miniature poodle is a great find for many reasons including their intelligence. They have served as being some of the best and smartest dogs available and for that they have a long history of training. Often, the dog's will do best with positive, rewarding training because they enjoy pleasing their masters and often are more than willing to do anything to showcase that love that they have.

As mentioned, they are highly trainable and this has played a significant role in their lives and history. Being highly trained circus dogs made them an enjoyable yet hard working dog. They loved every minute of it and they do enjoy being trained now. It often seems they like a challenge and are willing to learn what you teach and what makes you happy.

You will find that the miniature poodle of today has many great talents. This includes being a watch dog, being the trick performer, being very obedient and even competitively so. They are very agile dogs even for their small size and light weight. You will find that they are excellent at learning to retrieve. You can teach them to do nearly anything. When you provide these dogs with a happy, companionship based life, it is likely that they will learn anything you want them to.