Toy poodle: caring for a toy poodle, maintenance, puppies (photo)

History of the breed

France is considered the homeland of the toy poodle. But the history of the origin of the breed is quite confusing. Several states claim the title of the country in whose territory this breed originated.

The poodle is an ancient species. His images have been discovered in Roman tombs and date back to the thirties BC.

Regarding the origin of the breed, there are several versions, the main ones are presented below:

1. The most unlikely version of the three is that the history of the toy poodle began in Mongolia and Tibet. These dogs came to other countries of the world along with the Phoenicians. When traveling across the seas, they took poodles with them.

2. According to the second version, the homeland of the toy poodle is France. It was on its territory that the ancient ancestors of modern poodles served their owners as hunting dogs for ducks and other small game. Then the representatives of the breed were appreciated for their beautiful exterior. They turned from hunting pets into indoor and decorative pets. The poodle also became famous as an unsurpassed circus performer, thanks to its intelligence and intelligence.

3. The third version says that the toy poodle comes from Germany. Translated from German, “poodle” sounds like “soaked to the skin.” This name is explained by the main purpose of these dogs - to retrieve feathered game from the water for hunters. During the formation of the poodle, breeders used genes from retrievers and shepherd dogs.

In addition to the countries listed above, Hungary was also called the homeland of the toy poodle. There have been debates about this for many years.

In the end, France was officially declared the birthplace of this breed. The basic standard of the toy poodle from the French club has also been officially approved.

As mentioned earlier, initially in the distant past the toy poodle was a hunting dog. Later, small cute dogs were accepted into the highest circles of society.

They became fashionable pets among the nobility and were kept in wealthy homes. The peak of popularity occurred during the Renaissance.

In France, miniature toy poodles were worn in wide sleeves. Because of this, they were called “sleeve dogs.”

The cost of the poodle was very high. Ordinary people could not afford such a pet. In rich houses, such dogs were assigned a servant who looked after the animals.

In the modern world, the toy poodle is still popular. This is a cheerful, friendly dog. Representatives of the breed often perform in circus arenas and receive awards at exhibitions.

Breed standard

The Toy Poodle is often confused with the Miniature Poodle. Indeed, there are practically no differences between these breeds.

The main difference is the height at the withers. According to the standard, a miniature poodle can reach a height of 35 cm, while a toy poodle should not exceed 28 cm . The weight of adults is 6-8 kg .

According to the standard, a toy poodle has the following exterior.

A small, regularly shaped head rests on a strong neck with a convex scruff. The ears are hanging, rather long, and rectangular in shape.

The forehead is convex, not too wide. The eyes are almond-shaped and medium in size.

The nose is flat. The nose is black or matches the color of the coat. The nostrils are neat, moderately open. The jaws are strong, have a scissor bite, and the teeth are relatively small. The lips are thick, but not droopy.

The physique is proportional. The loin is muscular. The back is straight and short. The croup is round in shape. The chest is oval in shape.

The legs are straight, with well-developed muscles.

The tail is set high. When running, the poodle lifts it up. Cupping by half or a third is allowed.

A lush coat is the main difference and decoration of the Toy Poodle breed. The hair is thin, but elastic, with stable curls.

Single-color and two-color colors are allowed. More popular are solid coat colors, such as black, gray, brown, white, red, peach.

Appearance - standard requirements

All types of poodles have the same external characteristics, except for height. The main characteristics of a standard toy poodle are:

noble posture;
well-defined, pointed chin;
thick curled fur;
long ears hanging along the head;
expressive eyes;
single-color or two-color color, without other impurities

Differences from a miniature poodle and a mini toy poodle

The differences between a miniature poodle and a toy poodle are minimal, the only difference being their height. The dwarf breed reaches a height of 28 to 35 cm, the toy poodle - 28 cm. Everything else - color, habits, diseases, life expectancy - is the same for these dogs.

Small dog breeds also include Norwich Terrier, Griffon, Lhasa Apso, Chihuahua, Japanese Dwarf Spitz, King Charles Spaniel, Yorkshire Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier, Papillon, Biewer York, German Spitz, Welsh Terrier, Maltipoo.

Maintenance and care

Keeping a toy poodle outdoors is unacceptable. These are gentle, lap dogs. They need careful care, comfort and constant communication with people.

Thanks to its small size, keeping a toy poodle is easy even in a small apartment.

The pet should have a bed or an indoor house with a bed, toys, care products, containers for food and water and, of course, a harness, collar, and leash. In addition to the above, many owners buy various decorations for their pets, for example, bows.

You will also need clothes for walking in the cold season. The poodle's coat is lush and curly, but it cannot protect the dog from extreme cold and natural precipitation.

From the first day your dog is in the house, install a litter tray or buy special diapers. Tray training a poodle can be done quickly and easily. This habit will be required when you cannot walk your pet due to bad weather.

The toy poodle is extremely active and playful. He needs daily walks, during which the dog can throw out pent-up energy.

Playing in the fresh air has a positive effect not only on the physical development of the animal, but also on its health and psyche. Having run around to its heart's content, the poodle behaves calmly in the house and does not misbehave.

It is interesting that the toy poodle does not like to play or make friends too much with other animals; he prefers communicating with people.

If the air temperature in the apartment drops below 16 degrees Celsius, the pet feels uncomfortable and freezes. If the temperature outside is above 10 degrees, you should avoid walking. In general, in winter, walking time should not exceed 20-30 minutes.

Caring for a toy poodle is quite difficult; it takes a lot of time to take care of the pet’s unique, sheep-like coat. Do you want your dog to look well-groomed and get sick less often? Then follow all the rules and on time:

We brush the coat every day. It is recommended to lightly moisturize it before each combing. If you neglect this procedure, the poodle's curled fur will become covered with dense felt, which is completely impossible to untangle. As a result, the dog will have to be completely shaved.
Each owner uses a haircut to care for the coat of a toy poodle. At home, you can trim your pet in the simplest way. If you want your poodle to show off with a haircut such as “lion” or “modern”, you should use the services of a professional dog groomer as the fur grows back.
Bathing for a poodle is a pleasant and desirable procedure. Representatives of the breed love water, be it a bath or an open natural pond. Such a pet needs to be bathed once a month or when it is very dirty, for example, after a walk. It is important to comb the fur thoroughly before washing it so that there are no tangles left anywhere. It is recommended to use a special shampoo and anti-tangle spray. After bathing, be sure to dry the coat with a hairdryer.
We wipe our eyes lightly in the morning, removing night discharge. Having discovered inflammation, we contact the veterinarian.
We clean our ears once a week using products recommended by the veterinarian.
We cut off the claws as they grow.

Provide your poodle with a balanced diet. It is easier to achieve this by buying ready-made food for small dogs. Buy only premium food, this food contains all the necessary additives and vitamins.

If you choose natural nutrition, create a diet with the help of a specialist. It is important that your poodle receives both plant foods and animal products.

Beef is an important, one might say, the main part of a toy poodle’s diet. We feed the meat both raw and boiled, but always in small pieces.

Porridge is also the basis of the diet, but in smaller quantities. Preference is given to buckwheat and rice. Barley and peas are prohibited; barley is not advisable.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of the Toy Poodle breed are:

A small breed that lives well in an apartment, even the smallest one.
Not prone to shedding and unpleasant odor.
Doesn't cause any trouble with training and training.
Not aggressive towards other animals, does not bark for no reason.

The disadvantages of the Toy Poodle breed are:

If a dog is not trained from childhood, it can be aggressive and even attack for no reason.
Painful and traumatic. This breed is susceptible to serious diseases such as joint problems, dental disease, diabetes, epilepsy, deafness and blindness.
Special maintenance and care, special diet.
The need for activity, frequent walking and constant play with the pet.

Share your methods of caring for and maintaining a toy poodle. What nutritional principles do you adhere to, how do you train and raise your pet, leave your comments below.

Health

A toy poodle, if all rules of maintenance and care are followed by the owner, can live up to 18-19 years. Moreover, the average life expectancy of these dogs is 14-16 years.

It cannot be said that a toy poodle has strong immunity and good health. These are animals that need care, they need to be well taken care of and the condition of the body must be closely monitored.

It is mandatory for a toy poodle to undergo examinations at a veterinary clinic 1-2 times a year. Deworming, vaccinations and treatment with anti-parasite medications are also required.

The owner of a toy poodle should familiarize himself with the diseases to which this breed is predisposed:

Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by disturbances in nighttime sleep, persistent daytime sleepiness, and sudden “falling asleep” during the day.
Cardiomyopathy – leads to the development of congestive heart failure.
Urolithiasis is a pathology of the urinary system.
Medial luxation of the patella is a genetic disease.
Hair loss can occur as a result of severe stress.
Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disease that cannot be treated, but it can be controlled.
Hydrocephalus is a congenital disease characterized by excessive formation and accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the cerebral ventricles.

Caries is the destruction of hard dental tissue.
Hypoglycemia is a decrease in blood sugar levels.
Cryptorchidism is a hereditary anomaly in which the testicles are undescended into the scrotum.
Tracheal collapse is a genetic, chronic degenerative disease associated with anatomical deformation of the tracheal rings.
Inflammation of the tonsils - inflammation of the palatine tonsils, caused by coccal microorganisms, develops as a concomitant with plague and hepatitis.
Damage to the anal glands - characterized by swelling and minor damage to the skin around the anus.
Epilepsy - characterized by convulsions, seizures with involuntary urination.
Hypothyroidism is insufficient or absent production of thyroid hormone.
Immune hemolytic anemia is a disease of the immune system.

Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis is an acute disorder characterized by vomiting and bloody diarrhea.
Eye diseases – glaucoma, cataracts, retinal detachment, death.
Chronic insufficiency in the atrioventricular valves - a chronic cough develops, sometimes with shortness of breath and cyanosis.
Von Willebrand disease develops when there is a defective von Willebrand factor in the blood or a deficiency of it in the blood.
Cushing's syndrome or hyperadrenocorticism is a disease of the endocrine system.
Disorders between the discs of the spine lead to weakness of the limbs and limited movement.

Character

The toy poodle is a dog with an ideal character. This pet is very affectionate, friendly, playful, and cheerful. Representatives of the breed are moderately active and playful. They are not characterized by excessive activity.

The Toy Poodle needs constant contact with people. He is devoted and strongly attached to his family. If he is left alone for a long time or in the care of strangers, he can get very stressed. As a result, he may get sick and even lose his fur.

This does not mean that the poodle cannot be left for a minute. If you take him for a walk in the morning, feed him and leave him with his favorite toys, he will patiently wait for you from work, calmly, quietly until the evening.

It is valuable that the toy poodle rarely barks, so if it is kept in an apartment, the neighbors will not complain about the noise.

Gets along well with children. Enjoys playing with both kids and teenagers. The main thing is to teach children to treat miniature dogs with care, not to offend them, to love and care for them. Only in this case will the poodle and the child be inseparable friends.

He is wary of strangers, but not aggressive. The poodle studies the stranger from afar. If he doesn’t see any danger on his part, he will try to make friends and involve him in the game.

Does not conflict with other pets. He likes to spend time not with animals, but with people.

Training and education

The toy poodle is smart and has a good memory. That is why raising and training him is not difficult. Of course, a small pet does not need watchdog or security skills, but it must learn basic commands and rules of behavior.

Raising a poodle begins from puppyhood. We begin teaching our pet more serious commands from the age of four months.

Plan your lessons in a playful way. There must be variety, consistency and rewards. Physical punishment is excluded. The poodle, being a naturally affectionate dog, does not tolerate rudeness, shouting, or any manifestation of aggression.

Interesting Facts

The poodle is very fond of people and not very fond of dogs.
The uniqueness of the poodle's coat lies not only in its similarity to sheep's wool, but also the hair of the representatives of the breed is distributed evenly over all parts of the body, its length is the same on the tail, on the muzzle, and on the back.
The name "poodle" comes from the German "pudel-nass", which translated means "soaked to the skin."
The “toy” part of the name means “toy” in English.
Poodles were Marie Antoinette's favorite dogs; they lived at court and had their own servants.
The Toy Poodle's coat quickly and easily curls into felt. There are farms that specialize in raising poodles for their wool, which is used to make warm clothing.

How to choose a puppy and its price

For your own confidence, it is better to buy toy poodles from nurseries. If you decide to buy a four-legged friend from your own hands, then to make the right choice, focus on the external characteristics of the puppy, namely (as an example, let’s take a puppy who is 4-6 weeks old):

the head is set nobly. The skull is oblong and flat on the sides;
has an elongated muzzle and a well-defined chin;
has dark oval eyes. The eyelids should be dry. There should be no wet streaks under the eyes;
The ears are long and wide enough to reach the nose. The ears should be soft to the touch;
At this age, the teeth should already be fully visible, six incisors on top and bottom. The fangs are just breaking through (the lower fangs look to the sides);
The length of the neck is equal to the length of the head. The body is compact, dense, the loin is strong, the back is wide;
the tail should not fall over the back;
The front legs are straight, the hind legs are arched, the dog stands firmly and confidently. It has elastic muscles and massive limbs.

The pricing policy is varied; on the supply market you can buy a toy poodle for $500-1200. The criteria for setting prices are different: famous parents, unique color, excellent external characteristics, etc.