Toy Poodles are the most amazing breed of dog in the world. They are bright, loyal, and love unconditionally!

Toy Poodle Dog Breed

If you are looking for a smart and loyal breed of dog to love and welcome into your family, to be a therapy pet, show dog, or just a new friend, the Toy Poodle might be the right choice for you. Just remember though, they come with great responsibility. Here at  Cyndi's Poodles, we raise beautiful, pedigreed AKC Toy Poodles that become lifelong family members. They are are such a pleasure for kids to grow up with and keep anyone of any age company.

​Most everyone that purchases one of our poodle puppies falls in love within moments of meeting them. I cannot count the times that only one day goes by and the new owners tell us that it is as if the puppy has always been part of their family! 

Explore the gorgeous range of colors that Toy Poodles come in! Not every color is showable but every color is lovable!

The History and Breed Origin of the Toy Poodle

The color and pattern options in the Toy Poodle are almost endless! You can find them in solid colors like brown, black, silver, red, apricot,  and white. They might be abstract with a solid color except white feet, face, neck, etc...  There are phantom poodles which are extremely popular. Phantom are also called "Dobie markings" which are tan/gray eyebrows, cheekbones, inner legs and underside of tail like the markings on a doberman pincher or Yorkshire Terrier. We have had both black phantom and brown phantom poodles. Our beloved Frenchie is a black phantom.

Then you have the piebald gene that is known as a parti poodle. This is a white body with spots similar to a Dalmatian. Parti markings can be in any color a poodle comes in.  We have owned silver, black, brown, red, cream, and apricot parti poodles over the decades. 

Sable and brindle are beautiful colors that you may not find as easily as the solid or parti colors. They are pretty stunning as well. The color pattern can give a calico look to a coat in a brindle shade or in sable, you will see the color darken at the extension and lighter at the base as the hair grows.  We currently have two poodles that carry this sable gene (Latte and Petey). 
The Toy Poodle history is controversial and is argued to have originated in both Germany and France. Lots of people call call the poodle, the "French Poodle". However, a lot of information does point to the possibility that the Toy Poodle did originate in Germany. 

Poodles were downsized from the standard size poodle and were originally pets. However, they were also known to be mushroom hunters, performers, and certainly water dogs. They have webbed feet that help guide them through water quickly and were used as hunting dogs. The silly haircuts began because they wanted them to move swiftly through water but keep the joints warm. They left hair on joints for this reason. Poodle was said to be derived from the German word pudel. This means to splash and also indicates they had something to do with water.  
Poodles have been used for many purposes over the centuries. They  served as guard, guide, and military dogs.  As mentioned already, they have been popular in performing and  entertain as well as hunting and cart pulling. It all depends on the individual dog and size but a poodle is very versatile and can fit into a lot of different job descriptions.
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Easy to Train...

Ever since I owned my very first poodle (in the 1980's), I have known that the poodle breed is one of the smartest breed of dog in existence. There is only one other breed of dog that surpasses the poodle intelligence. That is the border collie. 
Because of the high intelligent brain in these canines, they. must be taught obedience. They are like a working breed and need something to do or they will look for something to do. This usually leads to mischief! Poodles are so eager to learn and please. They respond very well to repetition in training and rewarded with small treats. Sometimes, praise is all a poodle wants for a reward! They love like no other and have such big hearts for those tiny bodies.

Once you own one of Cyndi's Poodles, your life will never be the same. Unconditional love of a lifetime!

Characteristics of a Toy Poodle

Poodles make great companion pets for kids of all ages. As long as you teach your children to respect animals, your poodle will adore your children. The only nasty temperamental poodles I have ever met were old and set in their ways. I have seen dogs that belong to elderly people be untrusting with little children in their space. This is because they have never experienced these little people or they have been hurt by one. Dogs can remember things just like we do when it comes to abuse. I have helped rehome older poodles that were owned by elderly people and they were not tolerant of being handled. Personalities are molded in dogs from a very early age. If you have ever been exposed to a bad dog, remember this, we teach them what they know and it is not always the dogs fault for bad behavior. The trainer is to blame most of the time. When we are discussing poodle behavior, as long as it is not a medical or health reason for bad behavior, it is correctable and poodles should have amazing personalities. 
We mention many times that the poodle breed is very loyal and loving. They literally become part of a family the moment you bring them into your life. They can be a guard dog, therapy dog, service dog, and above all...the family dog. There are many reasons people own purebred poodles but the top quality of a poodle is its intelligence and loyalty. They will love you no matter what. I have always described them as little people in fur coats. They sense when you are sad, happy, mad, and nervous. They are there wanting to make you feel better when your world comes crashing down around you.
Poodles are not rabbits that you cage up and can ignore for days on end as long as they are fed. Poodles require lots of love and attention. As mentioned above, they must be trained or they can get into mischief. The hardest part of owning a poodle is getting through the puppy training. That goes for any dog breed though. Once you train your poodle, life is simple as a poodle owner. 
I advise you to put in the time with a puppy and spend the first six months of its life teaching it obedience and house training. Once these are mastered, you will enjoy your new best friend immensely and that dog will expect you to be there for it every day of its life. 

Remember the circus dogs that do all the tricks? There is a reason they choose poodles. Poodles are one of the smartest breed of canine that was ever created. If training is not done properly, they know how to get in trouble and they will! Don't ruin your poodle, train it while it is young.
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Life expectancy of a Toy Poodle

A well bred Toy Poodle can live into their upper teen years and even into their early twenties. So far, we have had feedback from past customers of some of our puppies living until they were 19 years old.  One passed away of a stroke, the other of a heart attack. Another past customer reported that her poodle lived until she was 17 years old. I have seen them live into their early 20's so expect your puppy to be with you for many years!
Make sure you keep up with your annual veterinarian health checks, heart worm tests, keep the parasites and protozoans away, and feed a very healthy breed and age appropriate diet and you should see longevity with your fur baby. 
Please understand that lots of dogs do get cancer. I recommend to feed foods that you know where they are sourced from. If you feed something that has chemicals, synthetic vitamins, unnecessary grains and fillers, possibly cheap ingredients... you stand the chance of your baby developing health issues. 
One of our favorite vets we have worked with...Dr. Grant.