Standard Poodle

Feed a high-quality dog food, and match your Standard Poodle's calorie intake to their lifestyle and energy. Your vet or breeder can help you choose the right food for your dog's age, activity level, and size. The feeding label is a good starting point, but your vet gives the most reliable advice on how much to feed, since the right amount depends on weight, age, lifestyle, and health.

Feed adult Standard Poodles twice a day. A slow feeder bowl prevents fast eating, which lowers the risk of vomiting and bloat, and offering smaller meals through the day instead of one large meal also helps.

Watch your Poodle's weight and body condition. Athletic dogs burn their daily calories when they stay on the go, but Poodles have a lean body type and can gain weight easily, so do not overfeed. Give treats in moderation, since they help with training but add up quickly. Never feed cooked bones or fatty table scraps, and learn which human foods are safe for dogs and which are not.

Because Standard Poodles are predisposed to hip dysplasia, ask your veterinarian how to support joint health.

The curly coat has a long growth cycle, so it is prone to matting. Unless you keep your Poodle in a short trim, brush daily all the way to the skin with a slicker brush. If a full coat is not combed to the skin, the hair mats near the roots and has to be shaved off to start over. The coat sheds very little, which makes the breed a good choice for some people with allergies.

Most owners keep a shorter trim. Some learn to clip and trim themselves, while others visit a professional groomer every four to six weeks for a bath, grooming, and nail trim. Either way, keep the fast-growing hair short enough to stay tangle-free.

Bathe with a dog-safe shampoo about once a month and dry the coat completely afterward, since damp hair can cause skin irritation. A high-velocity dryer helps, or have a professional handle bathing. Poodles can have sensitive skin, so watch for itchiness, redness, or flakiness and book a vet appointment if anything looks out of the ordinary.

Standard Poodles are prone to ear infections, often linked to allergies. Clean the ears with a dog-safe solution after every bath and swim, and talk with your veterinarian if the ears become red, smelly, or waxy or if infections keep recurring. The breed is also prone to tear staining; tear stain removers help limit discoloration, and you should see your vet about colored discharge or redness around the eyes.

Standard Poodles are active, high-energy dogs who need good exercise every day, at least one to two hours. They are eager for all kinds of activity and grow restless without an outlet. Bred as hunting dogs, their impulse is to retrieve, so tossing toys, sticks, or balls works both mind and body, and they thrive on jogs and long walks with their human. Swimming is fine exercise, and most Poodles love the water.

As one of the smartest breeds, a Standard Poodle needs consistent mental stimulation as much as physical exercise. Offer puzzle toys, take long sniff-walks, and keep up with regular training through the day. Bored Poodles can develop unwanted habits like excessive barking or digging when energy builds up.

The breed suits active homes that have the time and energy for daily exercise and mental engagement, ideally with multiple adults or older children who spend the day playing with their dog. A fenced yard is ideal but not essential, and a family interested in advanced trick training or agility is a strong match.

Standard Poodles are intelligent and train easily. They are people-oriented and aim to please, which makes them highly trainable with positive reinforcement. Keep training fun, positive, and consistent, and they are quick to learn new cues and tricks. Once your Poodle masters basic obedience, move on to advanced training to keep them mentally engaged.

Socialize your puppy early to help them grow into a confident, well-mannered dog, and ask your veterinarian for socialization tips. The breed appreciates a challenge and excels in canine sports, including agility, obedience, tracking, dock diving, flyball, and retriever hunt tests.

As long as they have an outlet for their energy, Standard Poodles usually do well with children. A rambunctious one may be too energetic for small kids and, given the breed's size, may knock them over during play, so always supervise children and pets together.