In several of our other articles, we briefly referenced the different kinds of poodle breeds there are. Here, we go into a little more detail about those differences (including two additional poodle sizes) and how they can influence the type of poodle you decide to live with.

The Premium Poodle

The premium poodle is the largest of the poodle breeds, standing in and weighing in over the standard poodle size (described below). Because it falls outside of the standard range, it’s not an AKC recognized poodle.

The Standard Poodle

Both the AKC (American Kennel Club) and the UKC (United Kennel Club) assign the standard class to poodles who stand over 15 inches tall, and who weigh between 40 and 56 pounds. Height is measured from a poodle’s highest part of its back between the shoulders (otherwise known as its withers) down to its feet. And you’ll find some poodles that reach all the way to 28 inches in height. There’s no difference in height among genders, but there *is* a slight difference between female and male weight. Standard female poodles tend to weigh between 40 and 45 pounds – standard male poodles tend to weigh between 50 and 56 pounds.

Both the premium and standard poodle need about 3 cups of food everyday, plus *lots* of room to grow and play in.

The Miniature Poodle

The miniature poodle stands between 10 – 15 inches, and it weighs between 12 – 15 pounds. This is about 5 inches shorter and 10 pounds under the standard, but only about 2 – 5 pounds heavier than the toy. These size differences have no impact on the dog’s disposition since all poodles share common characteristics. Only the standard poodle demonstrates a slight different disposition which is understandably based on its size.

The miniature poodle’s endurance will last with just a single cup of food every day.

The Toy Poodle

Toy poodles fall within 5 - 10 pounds and 10 inches tall. They’re perfect for those who don’t want to or can’t expend the room, size, or expenses of a larger poodle. And their small size gives them plenty of opportunity to exercise running about in a house or apartment (although you’ll find that the majority of them prefer to laze about on your lap instead). Since they’re AKC ‘approved,’ toy poodles can compete in AKC competitions. There’s no difference in intelligence with this dog, so if you desire, you can train yours to perform with as much skill as a standard or miniature.

The Teacup Poodle

Teacup poodles can weigh between 4 – 6 pounds or 2 – 4 pounds, all of which weigh under the 10 pound requirement of toy poodles. As a result, the AKC registers tiny poodles as toy poodles instead of creating a new category for the smaller dogs.

Both the toy and teacup poodle get sufficient exercise in small living environments and ample nutrition from only ½ a cup of food every day.

Personality

On paper, there are only a few minor differences between all the variations above. In the home, these differences could be major. The miniature poodle for example, is the most energetic of the three, and it requires more attention than any other poodle that we’ve described. The standard poodle is more aloof than the others, and both the toy and teacup poodles tire themselves out rather quickly.