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The Miniature Poodle is a noble-looking dog with a slender muzzle and long neck. The coat is profuse and curly and is often styled. They can be seen in many colours.
The miniature poodle can be prone to:
- Patellar luxation
- Legg-Perthes disease
- Progressive retinal atrophy which is an inherited disorder where part of the eye degenerates and wastes away which can result in blindness.
- Osteochondrodysplasia which is a form of dwarfism cause by the abnormal development of bone and cartilage.
- Intervertebral disc disease¹ a condition where there us abnormality in the discs which act to cushion the bones in the spine.
- Cushing's syndrome² which is where too much natural steroid hormone (called cortisol) is produced, leading to symptoms such as excessive drinking and tiredness.
- Entropion³ which is a painful eye condition where the eyelids roll inwards.
- Mitral valve disease4 which is where the heart valves become diseased and don't work properly.
Priority Kennel Club health schemes and testing:
- DNA test for progressive retinal atrophy which tests whether or not a dog has the potential to be affected by this condition
- Eye screening scheme
¹B.A. Brisson et al, 'Intervertebral Disc Disease in Dogs', 2010, Veterinary clinics: small animal practice
²J. M. Hoofman et al, 'Canine hyperadrenocorticism associations with signalment, selected comorbidities and mortality within North American veterinary teaching hospitals', 2018, Journal of Small Animal Practice
³S. K. Jhala, 'Surgical Management of Entropion in Dogs, 2016, Intas Polivet
4K. M. Meurs, 'Myxomatous mitral valve disease in the miniature poodle: A retrospective study', Feb 2019, The Veterinary Journal
| Lifespan: | 13–15 years |
| Weight: | 12–14kg |
| Height: | 28–38cm |
| Colours: | Black, white, blue, grey, silver, brown, apricot, red, silver beige and cream |
| Size: | Small |
| Kennel Club Group: | Utility |
| Family-friendly: | 4/5 |
| Exercise needs: | 4/5 |
| Easy to train: | 5/5 |
| Tolerates being alone: | 1/5 |
| Likes other pets: | 4/5 |
| Energy level: | 4/5 |
| Grooming needs: | 2/5 |
| Shedding: | 1/5 |
The Poodle is a lively, sociable and affectionate dog who is both intelligent and amusing, and makes a wonderful and fun companion. They love to be included in all family pursuits and can be good watch dogs, announcing visitors without being aggressive. They bond closely to their owners and so do not like to be left home alone.
Country of Origin: Germany
The original Poodle is the Standard Poodle - who was a water retrieving dog so this is a breed who was always very much a worker. The Miniature Poodle was created as a smaller version of the original Poodle for owners who didn’t want such a large dog but were enchanted by their personalities and enthusiasm for all kinds of work. The major influencers in this desire for a smaller Poodle were circuses - who were using this highly intelligent, easy to train, friendly and even comical dog in their shows with great success but found the Standard Poodles just a bit too big.
Up until 1907, the Miniature Poodle was called the Toy Poodle but as even smaller versions of the breed were becoming popular due to selective breeding, these smaller dogs (under 11 inches) became known as Toys, and Miniature was used to describe dogs 11-15 inches.
