# Difference between toy, mini, and standard



## jasperspoo (Feb 25, 2011)

I've only had a standard, but the toys and minis I've known have been lightning quick with picking things up. As with anything, there are variations within groups ( having jasper's buddy spoo for the day made me realize just how smart my boy is...) but in general, I've found very little difference. The little ones are just more energetic


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## lavillerose (Feb 16, 2011)

Poodles of all sizes are extremely smart. There isn't a lot of difference among the sizes there. Good breeding helps a lot too.

Chanda-Leah, a Toy, held the Guinness World Record for most commands in her lifetime (she's since passed away). So, your GSD board can eat their words. 

Honestly though, I think several of the toy breeds _can_ be extremely smart. The problem is that many people simply don't bother to train them. They carry them around like babies or fashion accessories and don't ask them to figure out tricks and puzzles to occupy their round little brains. I've seen Toy Fox Terriers, Min Pins, Yorkies, and various others that, given tasks and tricks to do, can live up to the big dogs.

My Mini learns new tricks within one or two tries, and remembers them even if I haven't used them for months. After that, it's a matter of whether or not the treat she gets is worth the effort. So smart!


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## sulamk (Nov 5, 2011)

vicky2200 said:


> Hoping for an answer from someone who has had all three or at least two of the three (but would like to hear any educated answers.) So on a German shepherd forum I belong to somebody asked what the smartest little dog was. Of course I answered poodle; mini or toy. Most of them have been pretty open about how much they don't like poodles (not specifically standards) so I had to tell them about how smart my toy is and how good my mini was ( nobody tried to teach her but she was well behaved and I am sure she could have learned anything!) Then I read all the comments on the thread and someone said how the poodle in the top 10 smartest breeds list is a standard not a mini or a toy and that the only toy on the list is a papillon. I don't really see how a standard could be smarter than Weegee (my toy) because he has been GREAT! So what's your experience tell you?


Vicky I also belong to that German Shepherd forum! But that 10 cleverest dog breeds does not specify size of poodle! If you research poodles you will see that poodles of all 3 sizes have been trained to do many things! Toys particularly being used for circus tricks!


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## vicky2200 (Feb 14, 2012)

I am a huge believer that most dogs, regardless of breed, have the potential to be fantastic dogs. However, many owners fail at bringing out their best qualities. So far, the only difference I have found in my toy poodle and my German shepherd (as far as behavior and training goes) is that the you is more energetic. Both learned extremely quickly and neither one needed me to think out of the box when I was coming up with ways to teach.


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## vicky2200 (Feb 14, 2012)

sulamk said:


> Vicky I also belong to that German Shepherd forum! But that 10 cleverest dog breeds does not specify size of poodle! If you research poodles you will see that poodles of all 3 sizes have been trained to do many things! Toys particularly being used for circus tricks!


Your GSD is BEAUTIFUL! Do you have a poodle? Or just a fan?


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## Leooonie (May 30, 2009)

well ..GSD people like to think they have brilliant 'service' dogs.. the vast majority of GSDs Ive met have , by breeding, been nervous wrecks 
I have only met one nervous poodle, and it was ill at the time 

anywho... all four sizes of poodle have been used in circuses for hundreds of years. the gsd has only been around in 'purebred' form for 100 give or take...
and size isnt everything anyway!! ravens are smaller than most medium sized dogs and are still cleverer!


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## taem (Mar 5, 2011)

Might be stds are more obedient? My mini seems to pick up on things so fast, but getting her to obey is impossible.


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## Ladyscarletthawk (Dec 6, 2011)

*had a female gsd!*

And altho they are gorgeous dogs they shed too much.. and dare I say my poos pick up things faster than she did altho SHE DID pick things up quickly as well.

Both my toy and mini are very intelligent, outgoing girls. but they do have diff personalities, and use their intelligence differently. My toy learned what go to your bed on the first try. Toys and I get this as a concensus from being around many toys . Toys are lil napoleans.. They use their intelligence to get what they want.. they outsmart their owners and anyone else in their range and manipulate them. I see it all the time with my toy, when people visit. They know they are cute and use it to their advantage... I also notice that they need a pack leader or they WILL run the household in as many ways the owner allows. They are also most likely to consider what you ask of them, and decide whether they should follow your instruction or if they dont feel like it.

My mini is very energetic and also learns things quickly. Her co breeder took an hour out of her day to show her the teeter and what do you know a year later she confidently balances on the teeter without any instructions.. perhaps expecting a hot dog treat . Plus I see her thinking when she watches my toy.. she watches what gets her attention and then mimics her!! OMG and lets not forget the fact that she recognises canines of ALL species on tv!! Serious wolf coyote etc.. she ignores any and all other animals humans etc. She is eager to please and willing to do anything you ask for praise and approval!


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## dcyk (Nov 30, 2011)

I couldn't agree more, toys are just so odd, they kind of think over it first before deciding to obey you or not.

Mine when he couldn't read me or what command i'm trying to give him, will run through all the tricks he know hoping one hits what i want him to do.


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## sulamk (Nov 5, 2011)

vicky2200 said:


> Your GSD is BEAUTIFUL! Do you have a poodle? Or just a fan?


Hi Thanks , yes I have a toy poodle Marula who is 19 weeks! Also a Lab 3 years old!
Here in South Africa all 3 sizes of poodle fall into the utility group which I think causes a bit of confusion!
My GSD adores the poodle!


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## Marcie (Aug 2, 2011)

I must admit Sasha is not the sharpest pencil in the box but my GiGi is almost too smart. You can actually see her thinking about how something works or how she is going to do something. I told my husband to hide the credit cards and not leave the computer open around her as she will have ordered the largest T-Bone Steak she can find on the internet. 

She learns things that she wants to learn, in one try. It is almost like she is reasoning things out and weighing the reward factor and she isn't treat oriented. She reacts to praise.

Yes, Toy and Miniture poodles are just as smart as Standard poodles.


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## PoodlePowerBC (Feb 25, 2011)

These guys say standards are #2 ... could swear they have a pic of a bichon in there though


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## Ixion (Jun 23, 2010)

I have not worked with the other sizes but I agree with the toys being manipulative. Our black tries to think she's the "boss" of the pack but has learned to respect the afghans. Took awhile, LOL! The afghans would just get up on the couch and stare at her with a look of "HA! Try to pester me now!" Helped a lot when we got got Daisy for her to have someone her size to play with, it calmed her down a lot....although she's quickly finding out that she's not 100% the boss anymore either! 

Anyways I've trained both afghans and toy poodles.....to be honest the only difference I've noticed between the two is the poodles allow me to do as many reps as I want and don't get bored. The afghans hate being asked to do tasks they think are beneath them or TOO basic. So personally....I really don't care much for the list of dog breed intellengence since Afghans being ranked LAST is far from true.....the only difference is how they think.


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## Poodle Head (Sep 12, 2011)

I had a mini and now have a standard. The mini was extremely smart and intuitive, as is the standard. My standrd is only a year old, so she still has some growing up to do. I agree with pp that often people don't train smaller dogs as well simply because they are small and don't cause as much "damage". They can jump on people without knocking them over, they can't reach the counters, etc. I think all poodles are smart!


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## pgr8dnlvr (Aug 7, 2011)

Oh man, these responses about the toy are scaring me. Maybe I shoulda tried at least a mini if not a standard! lol. 

Someone please tell me there is hope for having an obedient and fun toy poodle that isn't a constant battle? 

Mind you the video of Chanda gives me some hope! lol 

Rebecca

ps- the thought of someone training afghans to do agility also gives me hope. My first dog was an "opps" between a show standard poodle and a purebred afghan hound who jumped the fence and got in with the poodle. We affectionately dubbed him a "Pooaf" (pronounced poof) 

The breeder had to decide between aborting the pregnancy or keeping it and hiding the litter. Thankfully she decided the latter due to the low but real risk of having troubles with future pregnancies after aborting. I loved my dog, but it was weird having to sign something saying we wouldn't divulge the exact info about where our dog came from! So glad the breeder did decide to keep the puppies and rehome them to pet homes.


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## sulamk (Nov 5, 2011)

I have a toy Marula and at nearly 20 weeks she has learnt sit , down (lie down) sit stay.
She has also learnt be quiet (not to bark at other dogs on our walk) and leave it , where live is rural village and livestock roam in the street with the usual end result being everywhere.


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## happybooker1 (Dec 6, 2011)

*I have a toy*

And he is the sweetest, silliest thing around!! I would think 'mischievious' instead of trying to 'get their way'. Remi is a trash hound and LOVES to go pull paper out and destroy it on the floor. (Not a possibility to get into the kitchen garbage so that's a relief). 

Rather than battle with him about staying out of the trash cans, I have just put them behind stuff or up where he can't get to them. Easier on him, easier on me. I don't like yelling 'no' all the time. And Remi is SO amusing tearing up and killing a toilet paper roll that sometimes I just give him one for fun!

I love my toy. I love the size (portable and cute), I love the fact he can lay on the console of my truck right beside me (in an 8" x8" space!), I love that he's so loving and snuggly and can go from spazzed to asleep in 60 seconds!


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

I think Poodles are smart. Period. I think comparing toy/mini/standard within the breed is hard and much depends on the specific dog and the breeding. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them; I have known spoos who were very very hyper (ok, it was the breeding most likely), and I have known minis that were hyper. Then I look at my Sunny who is so very calm, and compare him to other minis in the neighborhood who bark all the time. I think it is hard to make generalizations. I think most important is to be sure you go to a solid breeder and I would guess whichever size you decide upon, it will be the right choice for you.


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

I had a toy as a kid and a standard now. Both are very smart, but the toy did not get the training that the standard has gotten... I think that is the case most of the time with big v/s small breeds. It is just not as important to train a little guy that you can pick up with someone comes to the door ect.


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