Exercising your dog

The Miniature Poodle may surprise you with their high energy levels. Natural born athletes, Miniature Poodles can turn their paw to any form of exercise, especially if it’s outdoors and involves walking, running or swimming.

Bred to be hunting dogs, they have an inbuilt impulse to retrieve. You can entertain them for hours with games of fetch. As water retrievers, try playing fetch (with toys designed to float!) in or near water so they can stretch their water wings.

Miniature Poodles need around one hour of exercise a day, which will include a walk and trips to the dog park to stretch their legs and meet other doggy mates. It also might include time playing in the garden.

Training your Miniature Poodle

Miniature Poodles are highly intelligent dogs that have a love of learning. They’re always up for learning new tricks which makes training them a breeze.

Throughout their lives, try to spend around 20 minutes every day working on new tricks and commands and giving them the opportunity to show off their skills.

People-orientated, Miniature Poodles also love to please their humans and spend time with them. They respond well to fun, positive, consistent training sessions.

Once they’ve mastered the basics, consider enrolling your Miniature Poodle in dog classes, including agility, to keep them mentally engaged and well socialised.

Your dog's health

By recognising health problems in Miniature Poodles early, you can seek advice and treatment from a veterinarian.

Reduce the risk of health problems by purchasing a puppy from a responsible breeder. Always inspect breeding facilities and breeding dogs, and never buy from a distant online seller.

Health Issues to watch out for:

Joint Problems

Eye Issues

Skin Disease

Hypothyroidism

Grooming your dog

Miniature Poodles need to be brushed every single day, otherwise their fur will curl in on itself. Without daily brushing, their hair is prone to matting, right down to the roots. Not only can this cause skin infections, but it usually needs to be shaved off.

As well as brushing, a Miniature Poodle needs a bath and haircut every 4-6 weeks. You can do this clipping and trimming at home yourself or take them to a professional groomer. Make it a doggie spa day and trim their nails at the same time.

Also check their wide, folded ears - a Miniature Poodle’s hair will grow inside their ear canal, trapping wax and dirt so give them a gentle clean. Finally, 2-3 times a week brush their teeth.