Feeding tip - Add food to your dog’s bowl and allow her time to eat

Add food to your dog’s bowl and allow her time to eat. Leave her alone and give her a chance to eat as much as she likes.

Poodle - Dog Lover

Feeding tip - Secure feeding area

Place you dog’s food and water bowls in a quiet, secure feeding area. Your poodle will eat best if his bowl is in an undisturbed place.

Poodle - Dog Lover

Feeding tip - Decide how much food your poodle will need

Decide how much food your poodle will need. Standard poodles will eat approximately 2 cups of dog food per day while toy poodles might only eat 1/2 cup of food. Take care not to overfeed your poodle.

Poodle - Dog Lover

Feeding tip - Determine what type of food you will be feeding your poodle

Determine what type of food you will be feeding your poodle. Many people choose to feed poodles just a dry kibble, while some people prefer canned food. Canned food is easier for dogs to chew and digest, but can lead to extremely dirty teeth.

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Puppy care - Poodle puppies may chew on household items

Even when provided with plenty of toys, poodle puppies may chew on household items. Puppy-proof your house to avoid having your belongings destroyed or having your poodle puppy chew on something dangerous.

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Puppy care - Use a dog diaper during playtime

Use a dog diaper during playtime until your poodle puppy is house-trained, to avoid accidents.

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Puppy care - Start house-training as soon as your poodle is old enough to easily walk

Start house-training your poodle puppy as soon as he is old enough to easily walk. Since poodles are so intelligent, they are typically housebroken within a few months. Remember, your puppy cannot control his bladder or bowels for long periods of time.

To figure out the maximum length of time your poodle puppy can hold his bladder, take his age in months and add 1. If your puppy is 3 months old, his maximum length of time is 4 hours.

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Puppy care - Low blood sugar is common in small breeds

Drizzle 1/2 tbsp. of honey in your poodle puppy's mouth if you are concerned that she has low blood sugar. Low blood sugar is common in small breeds, since they have a fast metabolism. If your puppy refuses to eat, she may develop low blood sugar. A veterinarian should be contacted if the puppy refuses to eat for more than 12 hours.

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Puppy care - Provide your poodle puppy with plenty of play toys

Provide your poodle puppy with plenty of play toys, especially if you are not around. Poodles are a very intelligent and curious breed. If they are left alone with nothing to do, they may become bored and depressed.

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Puppy care - Clean your poodle puppy's ears weekly

Clean your poodle puppy's ears weekly using a moist cotton ball wrapped around your finger. Any redness or swelling may indicate an ear infection, so notify your vet immediately if you notice any changes in the appearance of your puppy's ear.

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Puppy care - Feed your poodle puppy a nutritious diet

Feed your poodle puppy a nutritious diet. Do not feed him table scraps or change his diet suddenly, since this can upset your puppy's stomach and cause him to gain too much weight.

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Owner guide - Get Poodle from responsible breeder

Only get your poodle from a poodle rescue, shelter or responsible breeder. If buying from a breeder, make sure to visit in person and see the dog’s parents. This is crucial since poodles are often bred in puppy mills or by irresponsible “backyard” breeders and could end up with a variety of health problems.

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Owner guide - Study your Poodle's health problem

Poodles may have genetic tendencies toward runny eyes, cataracts, Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), ear infections, digestive disorders, heart problems, allergies, skin disorders, slipped stifle, diabetes and epilepsy.

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Owner guide - Miniature and Toy poodles may snap if teased by young children

Miniature and Toy poodles may snap if teased by young children, therefore do better in households with older children and adults. Standard and Miniature poodles tend to be more friendly and outgoing than Toy Poodles.

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Owner guide - Poodles may tend to bark a lot

Poodles may tend to bark a lot, but can be trained not to. Make sure they have plenty of toys for stimulation, regular exercise and that they aren’t left in a yard where a lot of people and animals pass by.

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Owner guide - Poodles excel at learning tricks

Poodles excel at learning tricks, including agility and retrieving.

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Owner guide - Poodles love to be around people

Poodles love to be around people, but are sometimes shy with strangers.

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Owner guide - Poodles hardly shed

Poodles hardly shed and have hair instead of fur, therefore are good pets for people with fur allergies.

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Owner guide - Bathe your poodle when necessary

Bathe your poodle when necessary with a mild dog shampoo and clean the ears regularly with baby oil or an ear cleaning solution for dogs. Make sure the coat is clipped at least every three months. Having it done by a professional is best for a poodle.

The groomer will also clip the nails and remove hairs that grow in their ear canals that could cause infections. Brushing your poodle daily is a good way to prevent mats and tangles, plus it will make the grooming easier.

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Owner guide - Train your poodle

Give your poodle patient and consistent training. They are very trainable and eager to please, but tend to be sensitive and don’t respond well to harsh training methods.

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