# Are Toy poodles really that fragile?



## zoey11 (Oct 26, 2010)

Hmm.... well maybe some are, but I have an 8-pound Toy, who will be 2 in August. She has a very fragile build, yet has gone through a few quite rough situations and has been fine. I mean, I don't want to sound like bad owner, but she has been dropped on her back once on the hard floor (Like a week after we got her!!!) And had a door close on her leg. Of course, she yelped but really was fine. Also, we have a young child in the house who can be rough with her at times and she is fine. Another thing is the neighbor has a year old German Shepherd Mix who is already huge, but this dog is still very playful like a puppy but when he gets too close to our Toy and too rough, she will nip at him! Also, she can go on LONG walks, jump high obstacles and is faster in short-distance than our friend's Standard xD

So, are Toys REALLY that fragile? Are they capable of more than most people expect them to be capable of? Are they tougher than people think they are?

EDIT:

Also, in a post I was reading the other day, someone said "I would be scared I would break a Toy", but I thought, you shouldn't be! My opinion was that Toys are tough!


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## petitpie (Nov 16, 2011)

I think all of those situations could be potential for injury to a toy poodle.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

I'm more afraid of the fragility of yorkies. My little toy dude is pretty tough.


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## pgr8dnlvr (Aug 7, 2011)

I've been very happy with our girl so far, treating her like most other dogs most of the time. I'll admit I'm terrified on walks when I see large dogs come running. If they can tear a rabbit to pieces in seconds, I'm sure my toy would take even less time 

Rebecca


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## peepers (Apr 13, 2012)

*Fragile*

My 4lb. Toy is not fragile, but does require supervision with larger dogs, children etc.


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## qtpoodle (Jan 15, 2012)

I have 3 toy dogs from just under 4 lbs to 5 lbs.. I don't know if they're fragile, but I treat them that way. They play, run, jump, and do everything else other dogs do, but I am careful with them. I don't want them dropped or to jump from high places. They still sometimes jump from high places, but I try to minimize it.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

For example.. when Cairo zoomies he leaps onto the couch, jumps off the back, leaps off, runs across living room, then back to the couch. Today he jumped too soon and ran into the couch. Bounced right off, totally fine. I had a good laugh,


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## dcyk (Nov 30, 2011)

Mack runs at full speed, slams into the kitchen cabinet and keeps going


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## Poodlemama99 (Feb 12, 2010)

I find toys to be pretty sturdy little dogs but I try to minimize situations in which they can hurt themselves or be hurt. We keep a footstool at the couch and after Penelope got away from me (when I was trying to look in her ears) and jumped off the kitchen counter I now sit with them on my lap so the jump down is not as high. 

Nicholas still jumps off the deck into the grass (3 steps down) and short of catching him in the house and taking him down onto the grass we have not been able to stop him and he is almost 6.


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## Poodle Lover (Mar 24, 2008)

I don't have much experience with toys, but there is a lady that comes to the dog park that I frequent and she has an amazing toy poo. The little dog is soooo athletic!!! She is about 6 or 7 lbs and all she wants to do is fetch her ball!! You should see her leap in the air and catch that ball, it's quite impressive. She is also the woman's running parntner and runs with her three times a week and has no problem keeping up.


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## Ladywolfe (Jan 11, 2012)

I usually only put my toy outside on a chain, due to hawks. But, when she manages to sneek by me and hit the fenced yard by zooming through our big dog door, she outruns my other two dogs, including the spoo pup. They chase her all over the yard, and she can turn tighter and run faster, and there is NO catching her.


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## Marcie (Aug 2, 2011)

Toys are pretty sturdy little dogs. But like many of you I try to minimize any hazzard I see them getting into. My little 5lb girl, GiGi jumps on the bed from a chest at the end of the bed at home, but when we went to my sister's house to visit, her beds are really tall, and GiGi must have thought she could jump that high. My sister and I were talking in the bedroom and I wasn't paying attention, GiGi decided to jump on the bed and when she did, she hit the foot board with her mouth and fell to the ground. My sister and I were horrified! I scooped her up and examined her all over for injury and there was none apparent. She then went outside and jumped off my sister's 3 ft. porch and ran to the fence after a deer. Luckily she decided to stop jumping up and off the bed and porch after that.

They are sturdy but not unbreakable and will scare you to death!


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

This may sound bad, but this JUST happened. I had just got off work and was taking my socks off while standing up, hopping around, put my foot down fast to keep from falling down and BAM there's a toy poodle. It seemed like a lot of weight down on my foot, he squealed and ran off. I called him over (tail tucked) checked him over, said happy words, then he's doing happy dog zoomies.

It was probably more of WTF DID YOU DO THAT FOR! moment.


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## zoey11 (Oct 26, 2010)

Cool responses everyone 

Another thing I would like to clear up, I DO try to avoid any danger that could harm her! I am careful with her


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## dcyk (Nov 30, 2011)

Fluffyspoos said:


> This may sound bad, but this JUST happened. I had just got off work and was taking my socks off while standing up, hopping around, put my foot down fast to keep from falling down and BAM there's a toy poodle. It seemed like a lot of weight down on my foot, he squealed and ran off. I called him over (tail tucked) checked him over, said happy words, then he's doing happy dog zoomies.
> 
> It was probably more of WTF DID YOU DO THAT FOR! moment.


Yep it's just like cleaning up in the kitchen and when you turn around, a toy poodle is there to trip you up and you kick him 4/5 feet out without meaning to.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

dcyk said:


> Yep it's just like cleaning up in the kitchen and when you turn around, a toy poodle is there to trip you up and you kick him 4/5 feet out without meaning to.


Haha that made me laugh. It sounds bad, but they are SO light that they literally just fly harmlessly. I was grooming Cairo today and while drying I was lifting him and lifting legs, well he was trying to jump while I was doing that so it was a dolphin to trainer effect, a jump and a push at the same time and he was just bouncing all over.

I weighed him today, 5.6 lbs, ooooh! Getting heavy!


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## Poodlelvr (Mar 13, 2010)

Well bred poodles of any size are not fragile. If a toy jumps down from about 3 feet, his limbs are sturdy enough to support his 6-8 lbs. My breeder felt that when they are sturdy enough to jump up, they are sturdy enough to jump down. If any animal, be it spoo, toy, or human manages to land wrong, they may break something. I've known people who trip on the last step and end up with broken bones.

We need to protect our smaller poos from large agressive dogs, stupid people--old or young, and wildlife. I've seen a hawk dive at a squirrel not much smaller than my dog. I also know there are foxes and coyotes out there. When my dogs go out, I go out. I am the crazy woman out at 11:00 PM in January with my winter coat on over my robe and nightgown. So far my dogs are safe.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Swizzle is very sturdy and also has the zoomies where he will leap on and off the sofa while running around like crazy. I treat him like a big dog without too much coddling but I keep a watch out for hawks, coyote, other big dogs are rough children. I do think you need to be extra careful in the puppy stage with them.


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## Clicker (Apr 28, 2012)

I think it depends on the individual dog but, in general, I think pound for pound, toy poodles are pretty tough characters! My last toy (6.5lbs) would not take crap from ANY dog. She even starred down a Boxer once! It was a pretty proud moment for me. LOL! I think you have to be cautious though, all it takes is one time for something bad to happen.


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## melissajean (Mar 12, 2010)

We joke that Kira is a little mountain goat. When were out in the woods and hikeing and such she is climbing up rocks and jumping and running. My sister has a bull terrier named Ceser, and they would play together, well one day they decided to play chicken and neither of them turned. They slammed into each other at full speed head on. Oh was sheed peeved. Not hurt at all but mad as all get out. Chased him for 5 mins yelling at him till he ran her over and rolled her. She got up shook herself off, huffed and went on her way lol 
She also ran into a wall full speed when she was only about 9-10 weeks old. She got my moms starbucks double shot, and drank the whoole thing. Mom was so scared she thought she was gonna die. Kira got the zoomies and ran into the wall, fell over and layed there for a bit then got up n zoomed some more. Ever since then Kira goes nuts if she smells coffee


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## ekbaby734 (Jul 1, 2011)

I wouldn't say that my toy is fragile.. He loves playing rough with my Fiancee. One time though (he sleeps in our bed) somehow I must have accidentally kicked him off the bed onto the hardwood floors (I felt so bad) But he was sore for a couple days. I assume any dog would be after that.


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## NorthJerseyGirrl (Aug 15, 2011)

I've had three toys with varying degrees of fragility, so I think there is lots of variation. One had very light bones and such thin-skinned toes that she couldn't walk on ice in winter or hot sidewalks in summer. Two were jumpers, one is not. I'm very protective of my current dog because she is only 4.5 lbs. i watch her closely with little kids and try to make sure she doesn't jump down from high places. (This is the non-jumper so it's not too hard to prevent that, but i'm extra-careful when she's on the grooming table.) Another of my dogs was so athletic that I never had to worry about that. One nice surprise is that my present small toy is a great walker and doesn't get tired, although she does get thirsty faster than any of my previous dogs. She likes snow too, at least for a backyard outing.


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## Poodlemama99 (Feb 12, 2010)

When I first got Penelope I put her on my kitchen counter to look at her ear hair. I touched her ear, she squeeked and I jumped and in that second she got away from me and ran down the counter and then leaped off and landed on the tile floor. I just about had heart failure. She was fine and went running off to the other dogs. I needed about 10 minutes to calm my racing heart.

She weighs a whopping 3 lbs. 6 oz. soaking wet and stands about 7 inches. 

I believe that would be like a human jumping from a 3rd floor window.


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