[JimmyD]

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to introduce myself. I actually don’t own a Poodle yet but we’ve been looking to buy a Teacup Multi-poo and have been venturing down a rabbit hole. We’ve found a few online but they seem very sketchy. One said that the puppy is coming from South Korea another asked me for visa a walmart gift card lol. I hope you can help. My daughter is looking for a little companion and right now the internet seems ripe with scammers for these puppies.

I live in Toronto, Ontario and would like a breeder that is local and reputable.

Thanks in advance,
Jim

 

[Pytheis]

Multi-poo? Do you mean a Maltese/poodle mix? You won’t find a reputable breeder for such a dog. They simply don’t exist because no reputable breeder purposefully breeds mixed breed dogs. I would definitely avoid buying a puppy online. Have you looked at rescues in your area? They always have mixed breed dogs available to adopt.

Also, in case you haven’t come across it in your research yet, teacup poodles are not a thing, and again, no reputable breeder would breed a teacup poodle. The sizes are toy, mini, and standard. Someone with more knowledge than me will have to inform me if Canada also includes the Moyen size.

 

[cowpony]

You would probably have best luck aiming for pure Maltese or pure Poodle, whichever breed is your preference. Top notch breeders are generally looking to produce the next generation of really nice puppies within their chosen breed. Crossbreds are incompatible with that goal, so you will rarely find a crossbred coming out of a really good breeder's kennel.

I think a lot of casual pet owners mistakenly think toys and teacups are the same thing. A teacup is actually the small end of the toy size. It's not an official classification, but everyone knows what it means. A top notch breeder would never deliberately aim for teacup size, because the chances of health problems increase as the size gets smaller. So, a top notch breeder is going to aim to produce a good healthy dog within the sweet spot of the toy guidelines. So, look for toy and avoid teacup.

 

[JimmyD]

Multi-poo? Do you mean a Maltese/poodle mix? You won’t find a reputable breeder for such a dog. They simply don’t exist because no reputable breeder purposefully breeds mixed breed dogs. I would definitely avoid buying a puppy online. Have you looked at rescues in your area? They always have mixed breed dogs available to adopt.

Also, in case you haven’t come across it in your research yet, teacup poodles are not a thing, and again, no reputable breeder would breed a teacup poodle. The sizes are toy, mini, and standard. Someone with more knowledge than me will have to inform me if Canada also includes the Moyen size.

Hi Pytheis, I meant Toy the very little ones with the teddy bear face. The reason I came to the forum was to educate myself more on this breed and it’s health or even if it’s a good thing. I personally like larger dogs but have been out voted on this. I just don’t want to make a mistake.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Welcome! I agree that your search parameters are going to inevitably lead you to greeders and scammers.

What specifically is your daughter looking for in a companion? How old is she and what sort of dog experience does she have? Will someone be at home during the day? What sort of activities would she like to do with her dog?

I would recommend getting your criteria nailed down and then choosing either a toy poodle or a Maltese—whichever would be a better fit. At that point you can start looking for a breeder that does appropriate health testing on the parents, is passionate about their breed, and isn’t simply looking to get their hands on your money.

 

[Ava.]

teacup is just a fad term to sell more dogs

the teddy bear face is how a dog is groomed

 

[PeggyTheParti]

As far as the teddy bear face goes, that’s simply going to come down to grooming preferences. Poodles can have clean shaved faces, as you see in the show ring. They can have fluffy “chubby” cheeks. The possibilities are endless!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/358106607866984498/

 

[cowpony]

There are many lovely small companion dogs. Poodles are, of course, the best , but it's well worth checking out some of the other small breeds such as Bichon Frise, Maltese, Shih Tzu, Papillon, Havanese, etc. The Canadian Kennel Club has some resources: The Puppy List

 

[JimmyD]

Welcome! I agree that your search parameters are going to inevitably lead you to greeders and scammers.

What specifically is your daughter looking for in a companion? How old is she and what sort of dog experience does she have? Will someone be at home during the day? What sort of activities would she like to do with her dog?

I would recommend getting your criteria nailed down and then choosing either a toy poodle or a Maltese—whichever would be a better fit. At that point you can start looking for a breeder that does appropriate health testing on the parents, is passionate about their breed, and isn’t simply looking to get their hands on your money.

Hi PeggyTheParti, she’s 8 so I’ll be the one looking after the dog primarily. That’s why I wanted a German Shepard. I’ve always loved that breed. I feel it will be too big for my daughter to handle. So we went down the rabbit hole of searching for dogs. I don’t want to make such a big commitment without thoroughly researching the breed. Came across those multese/poodle mixes and she fell in love and I caved. I can tell from my interaction with some of these breeders that I’d have a better chance getting the prince of Nigeria’s money over receiving my tea cup. I do like the Maltese frise also

 

[JimmyD]

Hi PeggyTheParti, she’s 8 so I’ll be the one looking after the dog primarily. That’s why I wanted a German Shepard. I’ve always loved that breed. I feel it will be too big for my daughter to handle. So we went down the rabbit hole of searching for dogs. I don’t want to make such a big commitment without thoroughly researching the breed. Came across those multese/poodle mixes and she fell in love and I caved. I can tell from my interaction with some of these breeders that I’d have a better chance getting the prince of Nigeria’s money over receiving my tea cup. I do like the Maltese frise also

Sorry and I work from home and so does my wife. So we will be around to take care of the puppy. We do like to travel but that’s on hold and most of our travel is to the cottage and back in Ontario.

 

[JimmyD]

There are many lovely small companion dogs. Poodles are, of course, the best , but it's well worth checking out some of the other small breeds such as Bichon Frise, Maltese, Shih Tzu, Papillon, Havanese, etc. The Canadian Kennel Club has some resources: The Puppy List

Thanks Cowpony, I’ll look into those breeds as well. Appreciate all the help. You guys are a very active group good to see

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Hi PeggyTheParti, she’s 8 so I’ll be the one looking after the dog primarily. That’s why I wanted a German Shepard. I’ve always loved that breed. I feel it will be too big for my daughter to handle. So we went down the rabbit hole of searching for dogs. I don’t want to make such a big commitment without thoroughly researching the breed. Came across those multese/poodle mixes and she fell in love and I caved. I can tell from my interaction with some of these breeders that I’d have a better chance getting the prince of Nigeria’s money over receiving my tea cup. I do like the Maltese frise also

I’m a Shepherd fan, too! Marvellous dogs. Toy breeds can be quite fragile, so that’s something to keep in mind as you narrow down your choices.

What is it about crosses that appeals to you more than purebred toy breeds? If it’s just appearance, I wouldn’t get too hung up on that. Maltese, Bichons, poodles.... They all have very versatile coats that can be groomed to suit your preferences.

With mixes, you’ll be very unlikely to find a breeder who is working to better the physical and mental health of their dogs. And a lot of the traits they seem to promote (like long backs in poodle mixes) come with the risk of chronic pain or worse.

(I speak from experience, by the way. My last girl was a poodle mix. I had her DNA tested in her senior years and she wasn’t even the mix she was told to me as. That’s not all that unusual. She was a wonderful girl who should have lived much longer than she did.)

 

[For Want of Poodle]

I'm not a huge fan of letting kids chose breeds.

Consider maybe a slightly larger dog than a toy, which I think are pretty fragile. Perhaps a mini poodle (15-20 lbs)? You could get a white one for a similar look to a maltipoo. Small enough your daughter can handle it, but a bit sturdier for adventures.

I suggest looking at the pinned posts at the top of this subforim here Finding the Right Puppy & Breeder

One member has made a list of breeders who appear reputable, and there are Ontario listings. Of course,do your due diligence. See here:

🐩 Breeders Listed by Location 🐩 Plus Additional Resources 🐩

GEOGRAPHICAL BREEDERS LIST AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES PLEASE READ THIS FIRST What this list is NOT: This list is not an endorsement of any breeder by Poodle Forum This list is not a list to just go buy from without doing more investigation This list is not comprehensive What this list IS: This...

www.poodleforum.com

 

[PeggyTheParti]

A minipoo would enjoy cottage getaways! Poodles are very athletic, natural retrievers, and often quite water-oriented. They’re big dogs that can come in a range of packages. Love ‘em.

P.S. Oh how I miss Ontario camping and cottages. Sigh...

 

[Skylar]

I had a toy poodle when my girls were young and it was the right choice for us. My daughters were very gentle, well behaved and not very boisterous . However a toy poodle or other small dog is the wrong size for many children who are more boisterous or loud etc. it’s important to be honest about what kind of child your daughter is in choosing the size and breed of dog.

I hope you plan to include your daughter in training your puppy. I teach dog sports and I’ve had several children train. It was a joy to watch them with their dogs.

 

[JimmyD]

I had a toy poodle when my girls were young and it was the right choice for us. My daughters were very gentle, well behaved and not very boisterous . However a toy poodle or other small dog is the wrong size for many children who are more boisterous or loud etc. it’s important to be honest about what kind of child your daughter is in choosing the size and breed of dog.

I hope you plan to include your daughter in training your puppy. I teach dog sports and I’ve had several children train. It was a joy to watch them with their dogs.

We only have one right now. May have another child we’ll see. She’s a quiet and well behaved kid. That said she’ll help take care of the dog but “ daddy had to pick up the poo” so I’m okay with that lol. Girls tend to be better with dogs than young boys. My brother terrorized my poor cat when I was younger poor thing but it would get some good scratched in so all good We’ve been watching youtube training videos and my sister has 2 German Shepard husky mixes. So she’s been around large dogs also and been good with them.

 

[cowpony]

Something to consider about small toys is that some are prone to hypoglycemia. Many reputable toy breeders won't sell a toy puppy before 10-12 weeks for this reason, and even afterwards it is important to watch the dog for symptoms.

When I was a kid I had two dogs in the the 14" range. It was a perfect size for me. The dogs were large enough to handle stairs, jumping off furniture, and lots of playing with me. They were small enough I could walk them myself and lift them into the car if needed.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Do you spend a lot of time with your sister and her dogs? If so, I’d lean towards a larger, sturdier breed. The risk of accidental injury would be too high. A larger mini maybe, or a standard poodle.

I’d also consider your approach to training. What sort of videos are resonating with you? Poodles are sensitive, intelligent dogs, who require a steady but gentle hand. Your preferred training style might help lead you to the right breed for your family.

 

[94Magna_Tom]

Think ahead 12-15 years. Your daughter will be a grown woman long before the life expectancy of a Poodle goes by. Make sure you get what is right for your entire family, not just your 8 year old daughter.

 

[JimmyD]

Do you spend a lot of time with your sister and her dogs? If so, I’d lean towards a larger, sturdier breed. The risk of accidental injury would be too high. A larger mini maybe, or a standard poodle.

I’d also consider your approach to training. What sort of videos are resonating with you? Poodles are sensitive, intelligent dogs, who require a steady but gentle hand. Your preferred training style might help lead you to the right breed for your family.

My sister recommend Zak George on YouTube I’ve been watching him and like his methods. Now with COVID we don’t see her that much. We do get together often, in the summer primarily. I agree this god will be mine probably in her teenage years. That’s why I was leaning toward the Shepherd wife doesn’t want a big dog in the house.