Poodle | Description, Uses, Crossbreeds, & Facts - Britannica

Care and upkeep

While all Poodle varieties are active and need lots of play and exercise, the smaller ones can achieve this is in a smaller area—even an apartment—as long as daily walks are involved. The Miniature Poodle ideally should have a small yard, and the Standard needs a good-sized fenced area. Poodles require mental challenges as well as physical ones, so games and organized activities should be part of their routine. The breed is highly versatile. Poodles are eager to participate in assorted dog sports, including agility and obedience activities, dock diving, swimming, tracking, nose work, barn hunt activities, and waterfowl hunting and retrieving. Teams of Standard Poodles have even taken part in the Iditarod dogsled race.

The Poodle’s coat can be a challenge to maintain. The breed sheds little, but its coat can become matted. Daily brushing down to the skin is needed to prevent a shell of matted hair from enveloping the dog’s body. The coat must be clipped, usually by a professional groomer, every four to six weeks. The massive coats seen on show dogs require daily brushing and wrapping and are not reasonable for non-show dogs. Corded coats are even more labor-intensive.

All Poodles should be screened for eyelid or retinal problems. In addition, owners should be aware of the signs of patellar luxation, a dislocation of the kneecap (in Toy and Miniature versions); gastric dilatation-volvulus, a potentially life-threatening disorder in which excessive gas causes the stomach to twist and bloat (in Standards); hip dysplasia, abnormal development of the hip joint (in Standards and Miniatures); and sebaceous adenitis, a hereditary skin condition that can cause hair loss (in Standards).

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