Take a moment to think about what a Toy poodle has to go through in his or her day. They can only get food and care from creatures who speak another language. They usually are stuck indoors for hours on end. They often are made to wear silly clothes and even have their fur dyed fashionable colors. And yet they always find a reason to wag their tails and try to make friends.
Although all dogs have their individual quirks, on the whole Standard, Toy and Miniature poodles have brilliant temperaments.
People Pleasers
Poodles are incredibly social animals and not concerned about trying to be Top Dog of a group, whether the group consists of all dogs, all people or a mix or people, dogs and other animals. They will happily be on the lower ends of the pecking order to keep the overall peace. They are sort of the diplomats of the canine world. They see the grand scheme of things.
Poodles are considered one of most intelligent breeds of dogs, along with herding dogs. They definitely have more common sense than most people. They are the preferred breed for circuses and performing dogs, as they have good long-term memories, love to learn new things in order to please their people and seem to be able to learn hundreds of commands. One of the Guinness World Record holder for smartest dog in the world was a Toy Poodle named Chanda-Leah, who obeyed over 1000 commands. (Sadly, she passed away in 2006).
Attention Addicts
If you bring a Toy poodle into your life, you better be willing to let that Toy Poodle become the center of your universe. You will be rewarded with friendship, self-confidence and laughter. But if you’re not willing to spend a lot of time and attention with your Poodle, then consider another pet.
If Toy poodles are left in the back yard and not allowed to live in your home, they become extremely stressed. They want to be with you. This stress then manifests with destructive behavior or snappishness. You would be in a bad mood, too, if everyone in your world ignored you.
Toy poodles even love strangers, so they don’t make the best of guard dogs. But they will let you know that a stranger is nearby due to their barking, which can be a problem if not worked on.
A Note About Size
Toy poodles are not a separate breed from Standard poodles. They’re just smaller. However, their ancestors were Standard Poodles. Toy poodle puppies can sometimes grow far bigger than their parents. This doesn’t mean your dog is sick or not a purebred. This just happens sometimes. Think yourself lucky that you have more poodle to love.
References:
Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds.” D. Caroline Coile, Ph.D.; 2005.
ASPCA Complete Guide to Dogs.” Sheldon L. Gerstenfeld, VMD. Chronicle Books; 1999.
Dog Breed Info. “Toy Poodle Information and Pictures.” http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/toypoodle.htm
Chanda-Leah.com. “About Chanda.” http://www.chanda-leah.com/about-chanda.html
