Poodle: Three Sizes, Coat, Colours and Genetics

The Poodle comes in three sizes, set in Canada by height at the shoulder: Toys are under 25 cm, Miniatures are 25 to 38 cm and Standards are over 38 cm. Its curly, furnished coat comes from three coat genes and sheds little, which is why the Poodle is a parent of nearly every doodle. In 2025 it was Canada's fourth most popular breed and the No. 1 breed in Quebec.

At a glance

Three sizes, set by height

The Standard is the original. The CKC describes it as a water retriever known in Germany and Russia since the 1500s, and the English name comes from the German puddeln, to splash in water. Breeders later developed smaller dogs: the Kennel Club in England gave the Miniature separate status in 1910, and the Toy was established by the late 1940s and early 1950s. The CKC treats the three as closely related breeds that differ only in size, and its popularity ranking lists them together as the Poodle.

The small sizes share a version of the growth gene IGF1 with other small breeds: a 2007 study found that one version is common to all small breeds and nearly absent from giant ones. Size within each variety still varies, and our guide to whether DNA can predict adult size explains why.

The Poodle coat, gene by gene

A study of more than 1,000 dogs from 80 breeds found that three genes explain most coat types in U.S. purebred dogs. The classic Poodle coat combines the newer, non-original version of each:

Low shedding is closely tied to the furnishings gene. A 2016 study of more than 4,200 dogs linked shedding to RSPO2 and to a second gene, MC5R, and found minimal-shedding breeds such as the Poodle carry two copies of the furnished version. The curly coat also traps loose hair instead of dropping it, which is why it needs regular brushing to stay free of mats. Our guides to curly coats and furnishings explain each gene.

Low shedding isn't the same as low allergen. A study of the main dog allergen found higher levels in the coats of so-called hypoallergenic breeds, including Poodles and Labradoodles, than in other dogs, though airborne levels in their homes were no different. Our guide to hypoallergenic dogs covers the evidence.

Why Poodles anchor nearly every doodle

Breeders cross the Poodle with other breeds to pass on its furnishings and curl. In a first-generation cross, a puppy gets one copy of each from the Poodle parent, which usually gives a wavy, furnished coat. Later generations vary more, and some puppies inherit no furnishings at all, a smooth-faced "improper" coat.

Our guides to the Goldendoodle, Labradoodle, Bernedoodle, Cockapoo and Cavapoo cover each cross, and our guides to doodle generations and improper coats explain the genetics.

Poodle colours

The CKC accepts any solid colour. Poodle colours come from the same genes as other dogs' colours:

• Black and brown: the dark pigment, made black or brown by the B locus.
• Apricot, red and cream: red-yellow pigment from two copies of the recessive e variant of MC1R. A 2020 study linked how intense the colour is, in both red and dark Poodles, to the number of copies of a stretch of DNA near the KITLG gene.
• White: a 2019 study of white dogs that included Poodles traced this kind of white to the e variant plus a variant of MFSD12 that dilutes red-yellow pigment almost to white.
• Phantom and parti: phantom Poodles have tan points, from the agouti gene, and parti Poodles have patches of white, from white-spotting genes. Neither is a solid colour, so both fall outside the CKC's description of the breed.

Our coat colour hub explains each of these genes.

How long do Poodles live?

In a study of more than 100,000 dogs at English vet practices, the Miniature Poodle was the longest-lived breed, with a median of 14.2 years, though that figure came from only 20 dogs. Standard Poodles are much bigger, and bigger breeds tend to live shorter lives, as our guide to why big dogs have shorter lifespans explains. The PuppyGenes report doesn't include genetic disease or health screening.

Temperament

The CKC describes the Poodle as intelligent, quick to please and extremely versatile. It started as a waterfowl retriever, was used in France to scent out truffles and, by the end of the 18th century, was a fixture of travelling circus acts. Standards need lots of exercise; Miniatures fit city living with a daily walk; and the Toy, the CKC notes, isn't robust enough to be a small child's pet.

Breed is a loose guide to any one dog, though. A 2022 study of more than 18,000 dogs found breed explains only about 9% of behavioural differences between individual dogs.

Poodle mixes and DNA tests

Poodle ancestry runs through nearly every doodle, and it's common in other mixed dogs too: in a DNA study of 919 dogs at two U.S. shelters, Poodle was the third most common breed at both. The PuppyGenes breed ancestry section estimates a dog's breed mix as percentages, including any ancestry that couldn't be resolved, and our guide to doodle sizes explains how the Poodle parent shapes a doodle's size. If you're weighing a test, our guides to whether dog DNA tests are legit and doodle DNA tests cover what to expect.