10 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MICRO TOY POODLE - BIOLOGY - 2025

Among the characteristics of the micro toy poodle are its size; It is the smallest variety of poodle, its coat and its docility when it comes to being trained. This variety of poodle is recommended for allergy sufferers since the amount of hair they release is less than that of other dogs.

The toy poodle is the smallest species of poodle of the three that exist: standard, miniature and micro toy. Standard poodles are the oldest of the three varieties and later gave rise to miniature poodles and micro toys.

Of all the poodle varieties, micro toy poodles are the smallest, reaching a maximum height of 11 inches. Here is a list of the top ten characteristics of toy micro poodles.

Also, if you like animals and especially the canine breed, you may be interested in the 15 surprising benefits of having a dog in your life.

List of the 10 most identifying characteristics of the toy poodle

1- Size and weight

Micro toy poodles are the smallest of the poodle breed and reach a maximum height of 11 inches at the highest point of the shoulders, which differentiates them from other varieties of poodles.

It should be noted that the average height of these animals is 25 centimeters. Due to their small size, they usually do not weigh more than 4 kg.

2- Fur

The coat is usually curly and is unicolor, with black, white, gray, cream and brown being the most common tones. It should be noted that, although they are unicolored, they can present varieties of the same tone. For example, the fur on the ears may be slightly darker than the rest of the body.

Although less common, there are also two-tone micro toy poodles, which are generally white (which is the predominant tone) and black or brown (tones that appear as spots).

Dogs usually have two layers of hair: an interior and an exterior. Unlike most dogs, micro toy poodles, and poodles in general, have only one coat of hair: the outer coat. This leads many allergy sufferers to consider acquiring poodles as pets.

Poodles, in general, are known as a hypoallergenic breed because they shed less hair than other dogs. Instead of loosening when it has reached a certain length, the poodle's fur curls up, giving rise to the typical appearance of this breed.

Similarly, micro toy poodles tend to salivate less than other breeds of dogs and therefore release fewer allergens.

However, the word "hypoallergenic" should not be used to describe poodles because, like other breeds, they shed hair. In addition, the curls of poodles are usually reserves of dust, which could also lead to allergies.

3- Physiognomy

The characteristics that define the physiognomy of this variety of poodle are the following:

• The skull of these dogs is slightly rounded.
• They usually have straight and proportionally long snouts.
• The eyes of micro toy poodles are oval and slightly apart from each other. They are usually brown or black.
• The ears are long and flattened.
• The legs, both the front and the back, are proportional to the size of the dog. This makes it easy for them to move around, like other breeds. They are also small and have arched claws.
• Toy poodles usually hold their tails high.

4- Health

Micro toy poodles are subject to multiple diseases, such as immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (AHI), a condition in which the immune system destroys red blood cells present in the blood.

Similarly, they are prone to suffocation, diabetes, epileptic seizures, heart problems, ear infections, and intestinal tract conditions.

The most common disease in poodles is Addison's disease or hypoadrenocorticism, according to the Poodle Health Register.

This condition occurs when the animal's body is unable to produce glucocorticoid and / or mineralocorticoid hormones and if it does, it is in insufficient quantities.

The insufficiency of these hormones can cause imbalances in the fluids of the body, in the levels of sodium and potassium, as well as an inadequate functioning of the blood vessels, stress and insufficiencies in the functioning of the immune system.

Addison's disease is rarely diagnosed since the initial stage of the disease covers a wide range of symptoms that can be confused with other conditions.

On the other hand, these animals tend to suffer from vision problems such as progressive retinal atrophy, which can lead to blindness of the animal. Depending on the photoreceptor structures of the eye that are affected, micro toy poodles can present the following eye diseases:

1. Nictalopia: Blindness at night.
2. Hemeralopia: Blindness during the day.
3. Cataracts: Caused by substances released by the retina once the atrophy of the retina has begun.

5- Micro toy poodles are easy to train

Poodles, in general, are intelligent dogs with ease of learning, being quite active and who like to enjoy the company of human beings. This makes training them a simple task.

When constantly worked with, micro toy poodles can become skilled enough to win dog competitions.

6- Behavior and temperament of micro toy poodles

Micro toy poodles have guard dog abilities because they are sensitive animals that bark at any unexpected movement (intruders in the house, approaching cars, leaves falling from trees, among others). However, they are not usually used as sentinels due to their small size.

It should be noted that this quality could be counterproductive for the animal, since this continuous state of alert could be stressful. However, because poodles learn easily, they can be trained not to bark constantly, thus contributing to the well-being of the animal.

7- Life expectancy

Micro toy poodles have a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years.

8- Space needs

Unlike other breeds, micro toy poodles do not require large spaces to feel comfortable: they may well live in an apartment or a house with a huge yard.

9- Needs of physical and mental activities

Micro toy poodles require a daily walk; otherwise, they may become stressed and bark continuously.

Just as they need to train physically, these poodles need to keep their minds occupied in order for them to enjoy good behavior. For this reason, it is good for them to get involved in activities that require the use of all their skills, games that represent a challenge for the animal.

10- Care and feeding

Micro toy poodles need to be bathed regularly and require shaving once every six to eight weeks, as their fur is not prone to shedding naturally.

Because they are subject to infection, it is advisable to periodically check the ears of these animals, clean the match, if there is one, and remove the hairs that may be growing inside the ear to avoid future health problems.

Regarding food, despite being small, micro toy poodles need to eat three times a day, and even more, since their metabolism is very fast.

It is recommended that they be fed every four hours, at least for the first three or four months of their lives.

More facts about poodles

Poodles, also known as poodles, are a breed of dog characterized by their curly coat, their intelligence and their elegant and distinguished demeanor. In fact, they are the second most intelligent breed of dog, second only to collies.

Likewise, poodles are always alert to their surroundings; this is why at first they were used by hunters.

These friendly and active dogs are originally from Western Europe. The country of origin of this breed is not yet known with certainty, and it is debated between France and Germany.

It is very possible that the poodles come from Germany, where they were used as retriever dogs during the hunting of waterfowl, since the term "poodle" comes from the German "pudel", which means "the one who plays in the water".

However, this dog is the symbol of France and, in some areas, they are known as French poodles.

References

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