History and General Description:

Poodles originated in Germany,  The Toy Poodle is the smallest of the three sizes. ( Standard, Miniture and Toy ) Poodles were bred as 'retrievers', and in particular water retrievers and their tails were originally clipped to reduce the drag in the water. Whether this practise should be tolerated today is cause for debate.

Suitability and Temperament:

Remarkably clever and intelligent, they are ranked the second most intelligent dog behind the Border Collie.

Poodle's make an excellent watch dog for their size and adore its mistress or master above all others. They have an abundance of personality, very cheerful , lively and love to be with people.

The Poodle is also considered as one of the most trainable of dogs. Poodles need to be excercised regularly as they have an abundance of energy, not enough excercise and the Poodle may develop behavioural problems eg. starting to become snappy and high-strung due to the build up of all that energy. Let them loose on the park.

Health:

Skin irritations - Eye and Ear problems are common with the breed. Poodles can pick up ear infections and runny eyes regularly. 

Ensure the ears are pulled down and cover their ear canal's when washing. Their life expectancy is 12 - 15 years