How to Care for a Toy Poodle

Toy poodles may be small in size, weighing in at under ten pounds, but they have personalities just as big (some say even bigger) than their standard-sized cousins. They are well adapted to life in small apartments, but just because they don't take up much space, they still need quite a lot of time and care. The good news, though, is that they will reward all of your effort with a great deal of doggie devotion and a lot of love, licks and laughs.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Small animal veterinarian
• Well-balanced diet
• Grooming implements and/or professional groomer

1. Keep your toy poodle healthy. You will need to schedule regular trips to the vet for her, once or twice a year, so she can receive the proper vaccinations as well as being examined by the vet. In addition to these isits, you will also need to keep an eye on her general health and well being at home, so you can seek medical advice if she shows signs of developing any problems.

2. Feed your toy poodle a healthy, well-balanced diet. You may either purchase a commercial diet or make your own pet food following one of many recipes available in doggie cookbooks or online. Your breeder or vet many be able to supply you with such recipes upon request. With a toy poodle puppy it is suggested that you offer about 1/3 cup of food three times a day at morning, noon, and night. With an adult toy you may eliminate the noon feeding, or you may leave food out all day for him to nibble on as "free feeding."

3. Groom your toy poodle regularly. Many toy poodle owners schedule regular trips to a professional dog groomer every 4 to 6 weeks; others prefer to do the grooming themselves. If you wish to groom your toy poodle on your own, you will need to purchase small electric clippers as well as a brush and comb. Even if you prefer that your dog be groomed by a professional you'll need to do a little maintenance brushing and combing of your own so that your dog does not turn into a matted mess.

4. Make sure your toy poodle gets plenty of exercise. Even if you live in an apartment and you have house trained your toy poodle to use "wee wee pads" or a litter box, you should still try to take her out for regular walks and she may even enjoy the occasional off-leash romp in a dog park or other protected area, although it is best if you take her to a designated area for small pets only or at least keep a very close eye on her so she is not injured by a larger dog.

5. Treat your toy poodle gently, always taking care for his small size. If you play with him roughly, or allow other pets or people to do so, this could be very harmful to him. Remember, this little dog is less than 1/20th (or 5 percent) of the size of many full grown adult humans.

Tips & Warnings

• Many toy poodles enjoy the water as much as do their larger counterparts, as all poodles were originally bred to be water dogs. If you take your poodle for a swim, though, make sure she doesn't become tired or get in too deep
• Teacup poodles are not officially recognized as a breed by the AKC. They are considered to be undersized toy poodles and as such may have a number of health problems due to their having been bred to such a small size