[SilverSylvio]

Hi all, just curious if anybody has switched from a mini to a standard or vice versa? Besides size what differences have you noticed, if any? I know generalities are hard because each dog can be so different but are there things that you noticed are variety specific? Thanks!!

 

[Newport]

This based purely on reading reports on PoodleForum: standards are more likely to swallow a sock or a hair scrunchie 😉

 

[Raindrops]

This based purely on reading reports on PoodleForum: standards are more likely to swallow a sock or a hair scrunchie 😉

Can confirm: My mini is not a swallower. He doesn't even harm the socks and underwear he steals. And that's after eating plenty of sticks and leaves as a puppy.

 

[Johanna]

I have had standard poodles and occasionally mini and toy poodles for over 50 years. Right now I have a mini. I am considering another standard when our household is down to 3 dogs (we normally have 4). Minis tend to be much more active than standards. Zoe is typical - she wakes up raring to go. After 8pm she becomes much quieter although she is always up for a game of tennis ball. I bought a mini instead of another standard simply because I am getting old and can no longer pick up a standard. That said, I now have a folding ladder for the grooming table so I won't need to pick up a heavy dog!

I have never had a poodle who ate non-food items. They do, however, love to steal socks and underwear. Preferably smelly socks and underwear! Almost every poodle I have ever owned has been picky about food - not like hounds at all!
All sizes of poodles learn quickly. They are normally very easy to housebreak. They usually love agility and obedience - probably because they are people dogs and like to do things with their person(s).

 

[PeggyTheParti]

This based purely on reading reports on PoodleForum: standards are more likely to swallow a sock or a hair scrunchie 😉

Lol! Peggy feels personally attacked by this comment.

Gracie (half mini) was known to occasionally swallow disgusting things like earplugs and tampons. But she didn't gleefully steal things the way Peggy does. How you handle those situations can have a large bearing on whether or not your poodle turns into a "gulper." And the size of your poodle will of course dictate the size of the items their mouths (and throats!) can accommodate.

There will always be exceptions, but I've noticed two other distinct differences between spoos and minis:

1. My spoo is a couch potato. I've never gotten the Energizer Bunny vibes from her that I get from minis. Even in puppy class, the minis could go and go and go. They literally ran circles around Peggy.

2. Spoo barks are deep and ferocious sounding. They can be extremely intimidating (and sometimes embarrassing). And while Gracie had two settings—shrill bark or quiet—Peggy has a wide range of vocalizations. She groans, growls, woofs, boofs, and yes, BARKS. But she's got a good off switch. Gracie would struggle to stop barking once she'd started. I'd call it "yapping" but that term sounds derogatory.

I'm fairly confident our next poodle will be a mini. If 30 lb spoos were common and could be guaranteed, that would be my first choice. I've really been enjoying having such a solid cuddle buddy. But even at a very reasonable 45 lbs and 22.5" (with most of that being legs), Peggy is sometimes too much dog for me. In early adolescence, this was especially true. But I have some mobility issues and am easily injured. Even Gracie could hurt me if she pulled just so and she was only 12 lbs.

I also find it too physically challenging to groom Peggy myself, whereas I handled all of Gracie's grooming for the last few years of her life. It's not the lifting that's the issue—Peggy can be easily directed to jump or climb. It's the surface area.

 

[Newport]

Lol, love you, Peggy dear. I’m not attacking, just reporting the news 😄

 

[SilverSylvio]

Can confirm: My mini is not a swallower. He doesn't even harm the socks and underwear he steals. And that's after eating plenty of sticks and leaves as a puppy.

This based purely on reading reports on PoodleForum: standards are more likely to swallow a sock or a hair scrunchie 😉

You know, after I posted this I thought about foreign body potential!! I was a vet tech for many years, the sight of corn cobs makes me a nervous wreck! Seen too many of those come up on x-rays 😂

Lol! Peggy feels personally attacked by this comment.

Gracie (half mini) was known to occasionally swallow disgusting things like earplugs and tampons. But she didn't gleefully steal things the way Peggy does. How you handle those situations can have a large bearing on whether or not your poodle turns into a "gulper." And the size of your poodle will of course dictate the size of the items their mouths (and throats!) can accommodate.

There will always be exceptions, but I've noticed two other distinct differences between spoos and minis:

1. My spoo is a couch potato. I've never gotten the Energizer Bunny vibes from her that I get from minis. Even in puppy class, the minis could go and go and go. They literally ran circles around Peggy.

2. Spoo barks are deep and ferocious sounding. They can be extremely intimidating (and sometimes embarrassing). And while Gracie had two settings—shrill bark or quiet—Peggy has a wide range of vocalizations. She groans, growls, woofs, boofs, and yes, BARKS. But she's got a good off switch. Gracie would struggle to stop barking once she'd started. I'd call it "yapping" but that term sounds derogatory.

I'm fairly confident our next poodle will be a mini. If 30 lb spoos were common and could be guaranteed, that would be my first choice. I've really been enjoying having such a solid cuddle buddy. But even at a very reasonable 45 lbs and 22.5" (with most of that being legs), Peggy is sometimes too much dog for me. In early adolescence, this was especially true. But I have some mobility issues and am easily injured. Even Gracie could hurt me if she pulled just so and she was only 12 lbs.

I also find it too physically challenging to groom Peggy myself, whereas I handled all of Gracie's grooming for the last few years of her life. It's not the lifting that's the issue—Peggy can be easily directed to jump or climb. It's the surface area.

Thank you, very helpful! I have such serious puppy fever right now it’s ridiculous😂