Toy poodles: color variations, keeping and feeding

How often do we decide to have a pet and don’t know anything about the characteristics of the chosen breed. It is very important to realize that when you bring a puppy home, you are fully responsible for his health and life. A four-legged friend will love you and be faithful, and you cannot let him down. There are some breeds that have their own grooming characteristics that are unusual for other dogs. In this article, we consider in more detail the requirements for the maintenance of a toy poodle, find out an interesting history of its origin, and also get acquainted with the reviews of the owners.

The poodle itself is a very old breed of dog, no reliable data on its origin has been found, but there are references to them in medieval chronicles dating back to the 8th century AD. For the first time in the paintings of dogs begin to depict in the XV century. At this time, poodles were in great demand in England, France and Germany.

Dog handlers believe that the breed occurred as a result of the crossbreeding of several small curly dog ​​breedsthat evolved over time. It can be assumed that these breeds were: spaniels, barbets, retrievers, point dogs and greyhounds. By their nature, poodles are hunting dogs, they were used to hunt ducks and search for truffles, due to their curly hair they are less susceptible to injuries, but this made movement difficult. And so the breed began to be cut.

The dog received the name of the toy poodle breed in the 16th century, when the French monarch Henry IV scored several dogs for his guard.Having looked at the monarch, the close circle also wanted such dogs, and now more and more often such dogs could be found at balls, rather than swamps. Due to the lifestyle, the poodle also received the prefix “royal” in its breed.

In the XVII-XIX century, the first dog salons appeared. Naturally, France dictates standards, fashion and haircuts.

The International Organization of Cynologists recognized France as the homeland of poodles. In the XX century, the breed began to be actively exported overseas, the range has spread to the United States as well.

The toy poodle has a high intellect and a supple character for complex training, a very sociable four-legged friend, tireless. An equally important advantage is its impressive appearance. The prefix “toy” translates as a toy (and the truth is, a dog is like her).

Despite its short existence, this breed received official confirmation from the International Organization of Cynologists about its breed.

There is a standard toy poodle for exhibitions.

• The dog’s head is slightly elongated. The forehead is narrow, covered with hair. The nose is large and dark in color, almond eyes close to each other.
• The ears extend downward, slightly rounded at the ends, flat and hanging. Throughout the area covered with curly hair.
• As for the tail, it stops in early childhood. Those who oppose such a procedure leave it, even its natural length is allowed.
• The body is proportional, with strong not very high legs, with well-developed muscles. An important gait and proud stance is ensured by a good posture of this breed with a high head position. The legs are gathered in a lump and with neat pads, small by themselves.
• The weight of dogs varies from 2.5 to 3 kg, most often closer to the minimum value. The difference in weight is due to the fact that 4 hybrids are combined in the breed.
• The growth of tetrapods also depends on the breed and type of mixed hybrids, usually from 45 to 60 cm at the withers. In small individuals, from 24 to 28 cm.
• The color of poodles can be varied, but it is customary to count only 5 colors. Dogs of different colors differ externally in appearance from each other

Official colors can only be in five versions.

• Brown color of wool. Regarding taken in relation to black. This type is quite difficult to breed due to the increased influence of many other genes. For example, the G gene eventually brightens brown to ginger or coffee.

• Silver. This is the same black color, but clarified by genes and complemented by early graying. A puppy is born black, and by the age of two it already becomes silver.

• Apricot (peach). In it, as in the previous two colors, there is black color, this can be understood by the black color on the nose.

• Red. In newborns, it looks like dark gray with red, but it lends itself very much to the lightening and spotting gene in the form of white spots on the chest and body.

• Spotted harlequin. This color is obtained by crossing white dogs with "truffle" skin and with a black pleasant gene. This color was recognized in 2008.

It differs from its relatives in its small size, due to which it makes itself a priority for choosing a pet for housing in the apartment. By their nature, they are very sociable and friendly, so they will become part of the family without much effort. These dogs are attractive to buyers in that they are non-conflict and get along very well with children, gentle and patient. There will not be this bright smell of a dog in the house, since the fur of these four-legged friends does not smell at all (of course, if you bathe them on time). Often it is called a micro or mini poodle.

When choosing a dog, the responsible owners always calculate the pros and cons of the breeds for its maximum comfort and the comfort of the inhabitants of the apartment while coexisting with them.

Dogs of this breed will make up the company in duck hunting, but it should be borne in mind that the hunter from it (due to historical features) is not the best, so there is no sense in waiting for some fantastic results (this can be attributed to the negative sides of the dog).

Often, the disadvantages of the breed can cause doubts in the owners when choosing a pet and even scare them away, but you need to know about them so that they do not become an unpleasant surprise.

1. The poodle is often cowardly, very companionable, does not see danger at all among strangers, so it makes no sense to get him as a guard. Not only a large dog can scare a puppy, and even an adult, but also any loud sounds and sudden movements of both strangers and owners.
2. With insufficient education, the dog can be dangerous for children.
3. Very often observed animal barking in situations where there is no threat.
4. The increased ability to damage yourself something, despite its proportional structure, fluffy bones are very fragile.
5. High care requirements: balancing nutrition, frequent showers, regular nail clipping, ear and eye rinsing, prevention of various diseases, timely haircuts and, finally, warm clothes.
6. The dog is very mobile, you need to walk a lot with it often, and this may not appeal to owners with a sedentary lifestyle, because in addition to walking on the street, you also need to play the dog at home constantly.
7. Dog soreness can also be attributed to the negative sides. The dog is at risk for diseases such as diabetes mellitus, leading to hemolytic anemia. Genetically laid so that the dog’s joints are very fragile, and osteochondrosis can develop up to the paralysis of the dog. Pets are also affected by such a dangerous disease as epilepsy (observed in many individuals of this breed), problems with airborne diseases leading to tracheal collapse. A high probability of tooth and hair loss (baldness) in old age, impairment of vision and hearing is increasingly observed closer to the end of the century.

Given all the disadvantages, we can conclude that with a decent upbringing, the poodle will become a true friend and the most devoted pet for the owners and family.

The best feature of this pet is its focus on interaction with humans, and they are not at all interested in their relatives of other breeds.

Dwarf poodles have many positive aspects, thanks to which they are happy to be brought as pets:

• the coat is completely odorless for a dog;
• Pets are great for people allergic to wool;
• due to its peculiarities, hunting dogs can be easily trained and trained;
• loyal to their masters, and love them very much.

The life span of a toy poodle depends on care and nutrition throughout life, and can vary from 15 to 25 years. With the right diet and frequent walks, the risk of disease becomes less, and the chance for a pet's longevity is higher. Of course, the availability of all vaccinations affects the life expectancy.

Closely monitor the physical and emotional health of the pet.

• You need to comb out your pet every day, given its feature of a high hairstyle, this is very important. For combing, use a massage brush, and after the procedure, wipe the coat with a damp, warm towel in order to relax the pores.
• To avoid the unpleasant smell of a dog at home, a toy poodle must be bathed more often than other breeds - from 6 to 8 times a month. Be sure to use a special shampoo with a complex of vitamins and herbs.As described above, they are prone to baldness, to ensure strong bulbs of wool, you need to do procedures to strengthen them.
• After the walk, be sure to wash the paws and belly of the pet so that bacteria do not start, bathe as necessary, but if he bathed in dust, then be sure to bathe.
• From a young age, temper the doggie. To do this, you need to walk the puppy in any weather and play with him. But watch your pet’s body temperature; do not overcool or overheat a pet. This can adversely affect the vessels of the pet.
• You can’t let go of a dog in rivers or ponds on your own until 4 months, because paws and joints have not yet fully formed, it may simply not stay on the water.

• Pet grooming should be done at least 1 time per month, and if it is summer, it is better to more often so that the pet does not overheat.
• Trimming nails should, like a haircut, be at least once a month (and look according to circumstances). The procedure must be performed with special tools: a nail clipper in the form of pliers is more reliable than a scissor-like.
• To accustom a dog to walking since the very appearance of the pet in the family. It is necessary to walk with him every 2-3 hours, so that he understands that the need should be addressed only on the street. It is also necessary for proper metabolism, so as not to cause obesity in the dog.
• A mandatory event should be a visit to the veterinarian every six months, checking teeth for stones, checking wool for growth patterns. Until the moment you do all the vaccinations, it will be undesirable to bring the dog out onto the street. To preserve the health of the pet, it will be possible to bring the puppy out onto the street after a full quarantine period. In the meantime, train the puppy to the tray. It is worth remembering that the tray is useful to you in rainy weather. In no case can you take the dog outside in rainy weather, then the risk of catching the disease is many times higher.

The soreness of this breed is higher than that of any other dog. This is due to historical factors, since dogs of this breed have always been "lisped", undead, pampered, and their immunity is not adapted for hunting (as laid down by nature). Very often there are diseases of the joints, teeth, diabetes mellitus and a high glycemic index.

Respiratory problems (tracheal disease, such as collapse leading to a pet's death), an increased risk of such a dangerous disease as epilepsy. And in old dogs, problems such as tooth and hair loss, blindness (cataracts) and deafness are haunted. Some dogs are already born with hearing problems.

If you monitor the health of your pet throughout life, spend enough time outdoors, do all vaccinations, organize proper nutrition, then you can not worry about the state of the dog's body in old age. The living conditions of the poodle in the apartment will directly affect the emotional state of the puppy and his well-being and self-confidence. And also on life expectancy.

Consider basic requirements for the content of the pet.

• The temperature in the room should not be lower than +16 degrees Celsius so as not to cause hypothermia of the dog’s body - this threatens serious diseases, in addition to the common cold, it can cause inflammation of the lungs or swelling of the auricles, which can also negatively affect the condition of the dog.
• It is necessary to allocate a place for the dog so that she feels herself part of the family. It is advisable that drafts do not reach the place of the dog and direct sun rays fall, preferably near the battery. The place should be equipped with warm blankets or special "beds" for dogs.
• The dog needs a place to sleep, so that it is always clean, unacceptable, the place is dirty or untidy, then the dog will be sad, her emotional health will suffer.
• The feeder should always be in one place, it should always have fresh and clean water, so that the pet, if necessary, knew where to go for a drink.
• In winter, you need to wear a pet for a walk, because the cold carries its body very hard. It is worth remembering that clothes should be comfortable for walking and for meeting the needs of the doggie.
• As for the leash and collar. It is very important that in this he looks worthy, this is an important aspect of the dog’s well-being. The more he likes himself in a collar, the more confident he will feel.

The condition of the teeth and coat depends entirely on the nutritional balance of the pet. The owner has the right to choose dry food for feeding, but then you need to feed the dog once a day and only at night, calculating the necessary portion (25 g of dry food per 1 kg of weight). You can feed your pet wet and wet, on the same principle, you just need to consider that you need premium foods and super premium foods, they contain the most vitamins, and the percentage of meat is higher than other feeds.

You can complete a balanced diet for your dog yourself. To do this, you will need eggs, cereals, meat (boiled chicken or pork) and fruits. But you need to be careful with fruits, choose only those that will not cause fermentation in the body, for example, do not feed the dog with grapes or orange. You can add grated apple or crushed cherries to the porridge.

It is worth remembering that the puppy's health throughout life and a decrease in the risk of chronic diseases depend on a proper balanced diet.

As soon as the pet has appeared in your house, it is necessary to include fresh greens and fish, boiled and without bones, in its diet, a little bit of fish oil is added to the food - it is very useful for the growing body and helps strengthen bones, which the toy poodle is very fragile.

The puppy needs to be fed vitamins, but just giving him a pill will not succeed, so they need to be mixed in food. It is necessary to add vitamins such as B, A, D to the diet, it is necessary to consult a specialist about the dosage, as well as consult with the carriers, which manufacturers' vitamins and which class are best suited.

In no case should you feed the poodle with your hands; it must be accustomed to the feeding trough. If you choose to feed super-premium food, such mixtures are already balanced with a sufficient amount of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and fats for the healthy development of the pet.

The opinions of the owners were divided: some believe that this is a very cute and useful animal, not very demanding. Easily adapts to family members, even a lazy family. The dog is very emotional, likes to be in the spotlight, it needs to be constantly "in the pack." Very jealous breed, many note loyalty to the owners and devotion to the family. If the pet has a personal place in the house, then his mood and condition are clearly better.

It is worth paying attention to the arrangement of the pet's life. He can sleep with you on the couch or armchair, but he should have his own territory - this is the key to his self-confidence.

Other owners believe that a poodle in old age is very difficult to care for and is already more like a punishment. In his declining years, the dog may have such symptoms: rotting of the ears and eyes, he sees and hears poorly, poor orientation in space. Epilepsy is becoming more dangerous. If it is cold outside (less than zero degrees), then walking the dog is pointless, she will cry and will not want to go. He starts going to the toilet wherever he gets old. A young poodle is young, beautiful, playful, but then everything can change.

Based on this information already, you need to seriously consider whether you can afford the contents of such a moody animal like a toy poodle. In addition to the costs before buying a pet (arrange a place, feeder), keeping a pet is also quite expensive in the process of life (vaccinations, vitamins, balanced nutrition, and so on). As well as the purchase of toys for outdoor games both on the street and at home, special shampoos and brushes for combing.

But it is worth remembering that in return you will get a very responsive friend and a devotee to you and your family who is able to give joy by his presence in your life. Although it is said that a person chooses a dog, in reality it is a pet who chooses a master. Any toy poodle pet is able to fall in love with family members almost immediately. One has only to afford to love a four-legged friend.

You can find out how to trim a toy poodle by watching the video below.