I've been thinking, my son really likes it when a dog visits that is small enough to sit in his lap. And there's no way my little one can walk Bella. Ever.
But I do not want a small dog. I do not think a small, delicate, dog would be safe in our house with two kids and a rambunctious standard (okay, and a klutzy mom!). I'd also like to have a second dog...so, how big can a mini be? Do they ever not have those little delicate paws?
This is all speculatory, right now we just moved and are renting in an area of animal-loathing landlords (from what I can tell, argh...that's another story). So I'll wait until we own again.
The Miniature Poodle is 15 inches or under at the highest point of the shoulders, with a minimum height in excess of 10 inches. Any Poodle which is over 15 inches or is 10 inches or less at the highest point of the shoulders shall be disqualified from competition as a Miniature Poodle.
My foster Mini (I really need to work at placing him) is 14.5" He is plenty sturdy enough to stand up to kids, bigger dogs and all the activity we can throw his way.
John Suter who ran the Iditarod three times with his all Poodle team is quoted as saying that he got the idea after he watched his Miniature Poodle keep up with his snowmobile.
My Jäger is about 15 inches, 15 pounds. He plays rough with my father-in-law's 50 pound standard and is just fine. He's fast and athletic, and small, but not really fragile. He is fine with polite kids, but I wouldn't allow young kids to pick him up or pull on his tail, ears, etc. The neighborhood kids love to play with Jäger but I always supervise and remind them to be gentle or calm if they are getting too rough.
We have two young boys, 5 and 3, and a 65 lb mutt. Our mini is about 15 in and 15 lb., and he keeps up with us with energy to spare. He goes to the beach, hiking, running, and then of course, still likes to cuddle up on the couch with him. I do have to separate my three year old and Captain from time to time, but it's because my three year old doesn't always gauge dogs' attitudes very well yet.
Fozzie is 15 inches and 15.2 pounds of pure energetic muscle. He plays well with big dogs (though if they start to tumble him he tends to go off and do his own thing) but especially loves to play with small dogs. Running is what he loves best along with walking and hiking--so he's plenty sturdy for an active family (though I would not recommend running any dog in a marathon).
he does have delicate paws, his body is like a toy with really long legs. But so far he seems as sturdy as a horse. He's only gotten "underfoot" twice, once the first week and recently in my new job where he's just started to learn the routine.
A mini's a good choice, but given a choice I wouldn't recommend most dogs until the kids are 5 y.o. Fozzie does well with my 2 year old niece, but he must be supervised as he could knock her over when jumping up. My 8 yo niece is fine with him.
I had toy poodles as a child starting at 10 years of age, they were fine once mom taught me the rules to keep them safe.
I have been looking for a mini and have run across breeders who are selling show quality minis for pet quality prices because they are going to be bigger than the 15" maximum for minis - maybe 16" or 17". So, if you want a large mini and don't care if its a bit oversize, you might be able to find a very nice dog.
Panda is 17.5" and 20lbs. He doesn't have delicate paws he has giant feet and I think he is the perfect size. He probably wont get any taller but will get heavier as he is still young (well he is nearly 1)
Nickel is 17.5" and 21 lbs. He loves playing with dogs his own size and those that are a little bigger than he is. His best friends are a miniature schnauzer, a PWD and a labradoodle.
My parents "mini" went oversize around 17-18in and around 24+ lbs (he's a little fat)
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