# (Toy) Poodle Differences?



## canterbury21 (Nov 18, 2008)

Hi

Okay, so I am learning about Poodles (mainly Toy), and I know they are groomed every which way. But one thing has always confused me. I know the typical groomed poodle has short to no hair on it's muzzle, and I've also seen photos of "ungroomed" poodles with short to no hair on it's muzzle..then I'll see the cute "teddy bear" poodles that do have hair on it's muzzle usually the same length as the rest of it's body.

I've included some photos of different Poodles, some are puppies, one reason why I doubt the differences are simply down to grooming. Anyways, my question is - Are the differences in the following Poodles down to grooming or are they actually different types of Poodles? All of the pix below states pure-breed Poodle, so I'm really lost.

Even lengthed:









Even lengthed:









Shorter in muzzle/face:









Shorter in muzzle/face:









Second question - does the hair on Poodle's ears grow faster or longer than the rest of their body, or is it simply how some people groom their Poodles? See pic: 
http://images-cdn01.associatedcontent.com/image/A7669/76696/300_76696.jpg


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## pamperedpups (Dec 7, 2006)

I own Toy Poodles, and am a professional groomer. That's all grooming. It's been my experience that how fast the hair grows out really depends upon the dog's breeding and diet. Puppies go through a coat change at around 6-9 months old where it is VERY difficult for most pet owners to keep their Poodle combed out. In fact, I'd say most pet owners get to that point and opt to keep their Poodle in a more functional (shorter) clip throughout it's life after they realize how much work goes into keeping the coat in good shape. If you aren't going to invest the time to learn how and money to be able to groom your Poodle at home, I recommend a trip to the groomer approximately every four weeks.

Toy, Miniature and Standard Poodles are all the same breed. Meaning, if your Toy Poodle grows to be over 10" at the shoulder it is a Miniature, and if your Miniature grows to be over 15" at the shoulder it is a Standard. For more information, I suggest you check out the PCA:

http://www.poodleclubofamerica.org


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## canterbury21 (Nov 18, 2008)

Thanks pamperedpups, appreciate it. So just to clarify, Poodles hair does not grow out like this:










And their faces in that photo have been groomed, yes? Naturally, it grows the same length on the face as the rest of their body?


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## pamperedpups (Dec 7, 2006)

Exactly. The puppies pictured in your last post have had their faces and feet clipped short. The clippered hair will grow back.

As an aside, I thought I'd let you know that many small dogs get what is known as tear staining. This can get especially icky if you want to keep an unclipped face on your Poodle. Excessive tearing causes staining around the eyes that can have many causes (malfunctioning tearducts, ingrown eyelashes, allergies, diet or water content, etc.). Sometimes the staining becomes goopy and emits an odor if left unchecked, and this can cause sores to develop. This problem may not be evident in some young puppies, though I've heard some reputable breeders may be able to tell you if their lines tend to have problems with tear staining or not. There are products out there to help, and keeping the area around the eyes clean is a big part of the solution, but tear staining may be more or less managable with some dogs than others.


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## canterbury21 (Nov 18, 2008)

Thanks, I've read up on that for Maltese, didn't know it occurred with toy poodles, we are comitted to cleaning it daily, does that prevent it or will special products be required?


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## pamperedpups (Dec 7, 2006)

Tear staining is pretty common in most smaller breeds of dog, including Yorkies, Shih Tzu, etc. Daily cleaning will certainly help, but finding the root cause can also be important. Some of the products available over the counter are mild antibiotics, and though I don't feel it's appropriate to give them to my dogs, many do. If your dog has eyelashes that tend to grown down into the eye these can be clippered short regularly. If your dog has malfunctioning tearducts, your vet may be able to perform a surgical procedure to fix them. If your dog has allergies, you'll want to take steps to help him or her live a better life through managing his exposure to those allergens. And of course you'll want to feed the best diet possible (no cheap fillers, by-products, or chemical preservatives), etc. Some people find that offering the dog bottled water helps. I add a sploosh of raw Apple Cider Vinegar to the dog's water every couple days to not only help with the tear stains, but for the dogs' general health.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

canterbury21 said:


> Thanks, I've read up on that for Maltese, didn't know it occurred with toy poodles, we are comitted to cleaning it daily, does that prevent it or will special products be required?


Sometimes it can be as simple as adding Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) to the dog's water. It changes the ph, and no more problems. When I get fosters (Poodles) who have tearing, I flush their eyes twice/day with sterile saline solution, put them on distilled water, to which I add ACV, and place them on a grain-free diet (EVO).


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

Genetics can also play a major role in tear staining. Parents with tear staining are more likely to have pups with problems, since one of the main causes can be malformed tear ducts.


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