You Have Questions. We Have Answers.

Well, the bad news is – you don't! Now before you freak out, let us explain. The odds are good that your dog will actually train you. Over time you'll learn the signals your pet gives you when nature calls – a quick sniff around the room, restlessness after eating or sleeping. That's your cue. Get them to the right spot, and if you pay attention, you'll have fewer messes to clean up.

The most important rule: never punish your dog for going. Without the capacity for reason, they'll only get confused if punished for doing something completely natural. Reinforce the good behavior instead – that's what works.

There's likely scientific evidence somewhere that proves or disproves this, but what we can tell you is that a great many people with allergies to animal dander do very well with poodles. They don't shed, and they don't normally have dry or flaky skin. Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure is to find out – and buying a puppy just to test that would be an expensive and traumatic proposition. A visit to a friend who has a poodle might be the smarter way to go.

Tough question – it depends on a variety of factors. But if you'll allow a sweeping generality: for many people, a male tends to be more loving and less moody than a female. We're not making a gender slam here, we think it's just a hormonal thing! Females can at times be less tolerant and less affectionate, and they tend to bond closely with one person rather than the whole family. Males tend to bond with everyone.

As for spaying or neutering solving the moodiness issue – we're not convinced. We had a little female who was a real crabby thing before she was spayed. We had her spayed and… she is still the crabbiest dog in the house. Go figure!

Both the AKC and UKC officially recognize three sizes: Standard (16–27 inches tall), Miniature (11–15 inches), and Toy (under 10 inches, 7–10 lbs). These sizes are recognized because they breed true – two standards produce standards, two toys produce toys.

You'll also hear breeders refer to the Tiny Toy (4–6 lbs) and the Teacup (2–4 lbs). These aren't official AKC or UKC categories, but puppies in those ranges can still be registered – they'll just show up on the registry as Toys.

As much as we'd like to help, we're simply too busy to keep track of breeders across North America. Your best bet: check the back sections of publications like Dog World and Dog Fancy – they typically carry breeder listings for all breeds and sizes. That's where we'd start.

Perhaps not – and here's our reasoning. Teacups are delicate by virtue of their size. They're prone to hypoglycemic episodes following any kind of trauma, or simply from running low on food. They really do best in a home where an adult is present most of the time. Families with small children are often not the best fit either – not because of any fault of the children, but because these tiny dogs are fragile enough that an accidental bump or squeeze can cause real injury.

If you're seriously considering a teacup, please read our full teacup page first.

Read more about teacup poodles →

At the risk of sounding like we have stock in the company – we've leaned heavily on Purina One for years, because it compares so favorably with the more expensive brands sold by veterinarians and specialty pet stores. The protein is chicken or lamb, and the cereal filler is rice rather than corn, which can cause allergy problems in some dogs. We now also use various formulas of IAMS and Eukanuba alongside it.

Our dogs have free access to dry food and clean fresh water around the clock. For pregnant or nursing females and puppies, we also prepare a wet food mix: moistened dry food combined with scrambled egg, ground beef, and cottage cheese. We include the recipe with every puppy we place.

We hate to turn anyone down on this one – but we have to. Every dog on this site is one of ours, a descendant, or part of our parentage. Placing photos of unrelated dogs would be a misrepresentation of what we do here, and honestly, we think that could be considered false advertising.

The best book we've ever come across on dog training is The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete. You can find it at Barnes & Noble or order it online. We get no kickbacks for saying that – it's just genuinely the best resource we know.

Not really – especially for the smaller sizes. There are a few things to know:

Birds of prey are a real threat. Owls, hawks, falcons, and eagles are present almost everywhere, and they are fully capable of picking up a small dog. We hear these stories more often than you'd think. Never leave a small dog unattended outdoors.

Temperature extremes hit small dogs hard. Their circulatory systems are smaller, which means they're less able to regulate body heat. Cold can be fatal. On the heat side, darker-coated dogs – red, brown, and black – absorb sunlight more readily and are especially vulnerable to heat exhaustion on warm days.

Pools are another hazard. If yours isn't fenced, teach your dog to use the steps – many small dogs have drowned because they couldn't get over the edge of the pool.

The best solution is to learn to do it yourself. You're already bonded with your dog, and the additional physical contact that comes with grooming will only strengthen that relationship. Not everyone has the time or equipment for that, though, so if you need to find someone outside the home, here's our advice:

Avoid large grooming shops that cage-dry dogs. Cage drying means your dog is placed in a crate while superheated air is forced in – and there are documented cases of small dogs dying from heat prostration as a result. Large shops can also be chaotic – clanging cages, constant barking, a steady flow of dogs and strangers – which can make even a calm dog anxious.

Your best options are a home-based groomer in your neighborhood or a mobile groomer who comes to you. They typically work with one or two dogs at a time and use hand dryers. Your dog gets calm, individual attention – and you might just make a new friend in the process.