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Breed guide · Dogs
Her ancestors found truffles in French woods. I hide her dinner round the flat.
Last updated 14 October 2026
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What they brought with them.
Tap a card to see what is going on.
At home
They know you have had a bad day before your bag is down.
What's going onPoodles were bred to work closely with one person, so they watch you all day. A raised voice lands hard. Calm, short training works far better than repeating yourself louder.
At home
The brush comes out, and they are under the bed.
What's going onTheir coat keeps growing and hardly sheds, so it knots unless it is brushed through. A dog who has had a knot pulled remembers it. A minute at a time, with treats, from puppyhood.
At home
Every piece of hidden dinner found, then the room searched again, just in case.
What's going onSmaller Poodles were used to find truffles. Hide part of their dinner around the room and let them search. Ten minutes of sniffing is real work for them, and safer than a walk in the heat.
At home
They run, skip a few steps on three legs, then carry on as if nothing happened.
What's going onIt can be a kneecap slipping out and back, and Patellar Luxation (a slipping kneecap) is on their record from puppyhood. Film it and show your vet.
At home
They have worked out that sitting pretty gets cheese, and which bark opens the door.
What's going onMiniature Poodles learn fast, and that includes the habits you did not mean to teach. Reward the behaviour you want the first time you see it, because they are keeping score.
At home
A toy dropped at your feet, then again, and again.
What's going onThere is still a retriever in them. Some Miniatures carry a toy everywhere. Keep a few toys that are theirs, and throw one along the floor.
The bit nobody tells you.
Their brain
Built for: A working water dog's brain.
In Dubai: Often a long day with nothing to think about.
Their job
Built for: Learning routines and working for a person.
In Dubai: Bought as a small, tidy house dog.
Their coat
Built for: Clipped short to swim in cold water.
In Dubai: Brushing through several times a week, for life.
The barking at the lift, running rings round the household and hiding from the brush mostly start in that gap.
You cannot give them a circus ring. You can give them a job, and the ten things below are how.
Your plan is built around their breed: the health risks for a Miniature Poodle at every age, and the care that goes with each one.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Ten things that make their life better.
For a dog their size, a biscuit from a kind walker is a big share of the day's food.
Every age
Why
For a dog their size, a biscuit from a kind walker is a big share of the day's food.
What to do
Practise "leave it" every day, at home first and then outside. Give whoever walks them the rules: the treats you hand over and nothing else.
A small dog walks close to hot pavement.
Every age, most of all puppies and from 7 years
Why
A small dog walks close to hot pavement.
What to do
From May to September, walk before sunrise and after dark. Put the back of your hand on the pavement for five seconds. If you cannot keep it there, they cannot walk on it. Take water.
They were bred to work with a person. A long, empty day turns into barking.
Every age, hardest from 6 months to 2 years
Why
They were bred to work with a person. A long, empty day turns into barking.
What to do
If you are out for more than a few hours, arrange a visit or a walker. Leave a puzzle feeder or a scatter of lunch. If they are distressed when you leave, contact your vet.
They will test every rule once. Small dogs get away with more, and learn from it.
6 months to 2 years
Why
They will test every rule once. Small dogs get away with more, and learn from it.
What to do
From six months to two years, keep the same rules for everyone in the house. Reward calm greetings. Two short sessions a day, and teach them to stand for the brush as part of training.
The retriever in them still likes to carry. Given nothing, they pick your socks.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
The retriever in them still likes to carry. Given nothing, they pick your socks.
What to do
Keep a few small toys that are theirs. When they take something they should not have, swap it for a treat. Do not chase them.
They enjoy retrieving, and their knees prefer short, low throws.
Every age, gentler from 7 years
Why
They enjoy retrieving, and their knees prefer short, low throws.
What to do
A few throws along a rug or the grass, then stop. Skip high throws and sharp turns on marble.
Some Miniatures love water and some never go near it. Either way, a damp coat mats fast.
Every age
Why
Some Miniatures love water and some never go near it. Either way, a damp coat mats fast.
What to do
If they like the pool, let them swim with you close by, and show them the steps out every time. After a swim or a bath, dry inside their ear flaps, then blow-dry and brush them through.
Their coat hides their skin, their weight and their teeth.
Every age
Why
Their coat hides their skin, their weight and their teeth.
What to do
Brush them through to the skin several times a week. While you do, look at their skin, feel their ribs and look at their teeth. Weigh them once a month.
They learn fast for food, and a small dog gains weight from a few extra treats.
Every age
Why
They learn fast for food, and a small dog gains weight from a few extra treats.
What to do
Weigh their daily food on kitchen scales. Take training treats out of that amount. Hide part of each meal around the flat or in a snuffle mat, and let them find it. Your plan scores their body condition and muscle at their puppy visits.
Patellar Luxation (a slipping kneecap) is on their record from puppyhood to prime adult.
Every age, evaluations from 6 months to 4 years
Why
Patellar Luxation (a slipping kneecap) is on their record from puppyhood to prime adult.
What to do
Put a ramp or step up to the sofa and bed, and rugs where they run on marble. Keep them lean, because extra weight loads their knees. If they hop on a back leg, film it for your vet. An orthopaedic evaluation (a joint and bone exam) is in your plan from six months to four years.
Two of these are in your plan. The rest you can do at home.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Their health, at every age.
How old are they?
Their age
the first six months
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
6 months to 2 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
2 to 4 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
4 to 7 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 to 10 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
10 years and over
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Breed predispositions indicate an increased risk rather than certainty of disease. What is right for them always comes from their own history and an evaluation.
Before they come home.
Mini Poodle size
Poodles come in three sizes, Toy, Miniature and Standard, and the only real difference between them is height. The Miniature sits in the middle, small enough for a flat and every bit as clever.
Colours
Whatever colour they are, it runs all over. Black, white, apricot and cream are the ones you will meet most, and there are softer shades too, like silver and a pale beige called café au lait.
The first six months
Their full vaccination course, microchip and Dubai Municipality registration come first. Then one minute with the brush and one with the dryer, with treats throughout, so they like both for life.
Puppy health, 0 to 6 months
Getting the flat ready
Put a ramp or step up to the sofa and bed, and rugs where they run on marble. Keep a few small toys that are theirs, so your socks have a chance.
Ten things that make their life better
Before you commit
Ask the breeder what eye and knee results both parents have. Progressive Retinal Atrophy (gradual loss of sight) and Patellar Luxation (a slipping kneecap) are on a Miniature Poodle's record from puppyhood.
Before the clinics open
AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199. No payment now.
For a new puppy: First 30 days with a new puppy · Puppy vaccinations in the UAE · Heatstroke in dogs
When it is not behaviour.
They'll find every piece of their dinner. If they start leaving some behind, tell your vet.
Before they were yours.
The beginning
Poodles started as water dogs, swimming out for duck hunters and bringing the birds back. The name comes from the German pudeln, to splash in water.
What they still carryThe brain, the soft mouth, and the wish to work with one person.
The working clip
Hunters clipped the heavy coat short so the dog could move through water, and left hair over the chest and joints to keep them warm.
What they still carryA coat that keeps growing, and a lifetime of brushing and clipping.
Later, in France
The Miniature was bred smaller from those dogs. In France, smaller Poodles performed in travelling circuses and found truffles by scent in the woods.
What they still carryA water dog's brain in a city dog's body, and a very good nose.
1887 onwards
The American Kennel Club recognised the Poodle in 1887, as one breed in three sizes: Toy, Miniature and Standard.
What they still carryThe same brain in every size.
Today
In the UAE a Miniature Poodle lives in a flat or a villa, and the work they need is for their head more than their legs.
What they still carryA clever working brain in a small dog who may spend much of the day alone.
The ones you type at midnight.
If the Miniature Poodle suits you, so might these.
Toy PoodleThe same kind of dog: the poodle in its toy size, with the same clever, sociable nature.
Standard PoodleAnother size of the same poodle, much bigger, and still a water dog at heart.
Yorkshire TerrierThe same bright, friendly, chatty temperament, in a tiny terrier with a silky coat that needs daily care.
Bichon FriseA similar size and the same low-shedding coat to keep groomed, in a fluffy white lap dog.
