Poodle (Standard) puppies

About the Poodle (Standard)

The Standard is the original Poodle, a German water dog refined in France, retrieving duck long before they were winning show rings. Adults weigh 18.1 to 31.8 kg and stand over 38 cm at the shoulder, built square and light on their feet under a dense curly coat. Standards are among the most trainable of all dogs, alert and quick to read a household, dignified with strangers and frequently comic with their own people. Reported lifespan spans 10 to 18 years.

This is a working dog and needs the exercise to match, an hour or more daily, and they take readily to swimming, retrieving and dog sports. The coat must be brushed right through daily at full length, or kept short with a groom every four to six weeks. Standards think fast and find mischief when bored. As a deep chested breed they carry a bloat risk, so avoid hard exercise around meals. Buyers often want the brains without doing the training.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Poodle (Standard) puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming needs are high. Start daily brushing and short, positive handling sessions at eight weeks, well before the adult coat arrives, or the first professional groom will be traumatic. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA), detectable by DNA test on both parents
• Progressive retinal atrophy (rcd4), detectable by DNA test on both parents
• von Willebrand disease (vWD1), detectable by DNA test on both parents
• Hip dysplasia, which breeding stock should be hip scored by x-ray before mating

Your Poodle (Standard) puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Poodle (Standard).
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 18.1 to 31.8 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 31.8 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

More on the Poodle (Standard)

Previous: Poodle (Miniature) · Next: Poodle (Toy)

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Poodle (Standard) breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/poodle-standard/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Tim Wilson from Blaine, MN, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.