# Mini vs Toy Poodle Temperament



## SmilesToday (Apr 11, 2021)

I am ready to get a new poodle puppy after my toy poodle passed away 6 months ago. My husband and I were discussing a toy vs a mini. We know the physical differences between the two but what about the temperament? I read the mini has the most energy of all 3 types. What about prey drive? I would not want it chasing our cat. ( Of coarse I would stop it but still ) what about digging holes in the yard? ( Again would stop that ) I read barking half depends on genetics and half depends on training. If the parents are not barkers would the puppies be the same? Do mini’s bark more then the other 2 types? Are mini’s or toys more socially attracted to you? Who would most likely want to be a tv buddy? I know all dogs like to walk. Who is more up for a walk? What about housebreaking? Is it true mini’s house break faster then toys? I have only had a toy poodle. He was a very well behaved dog. I have no experience with mini’s. Thank You for your replies.


----------



## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

I can only speak about the one mini I have. He is 2 years old. He is a higher energy mini, but there is a great range. Mine is very snuggly with me (but did go through a non snuggly phase as a puppy) but does not like to be pet a bunch by strangers, though he is friendly with them. He absolutely loves to chill on the couch or the bed with me _as long as_ he gets his 1.5-2 hours of activity each day. For us that means a 20 minute morning walk, hour long hike/walk in the late afternoon, and a late night walk. With some play sprinkled in. Alternatively we go to agility class which can really exhaust him. I do not think he is difficult to live with in the slightest. But he would not do well with somebody who doesn't want to be active with their dog. He is a bit unusual for a poodle in that he does not alert bark other than very rare occasions. I do not recall any barking when I picked him up from the breeder so I think none of her dogs barked much. He will bark in play but that's it really. He is actually pretty good at telling me when there's something legitimately concerning like if a tree falls in the yard or he finds a dead rat, but doesn't alert to normal things like other dogs or people. He is very smart and loves to play and do fun things, but he also has a significant mischievous streak that has required creativity to train past. But a lot of work has yielded a very reliable dog. He has prey drive but it is not over the top and he can control it. He is fine with cats, though he does get excited and chase them if they run. He quickly loses interest if they tell him off though.

My general observations are that minis and toys both have a range of temperaments, and they _can _be very similar. But the average mini is a little different than the average toy. Toys are generally recommended for people who want a dog that doesn't _need_ to be as active. I like the sturdy size of minis for their durability, and they are still easy to pick up.


----------



## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

I think Raindrops has pretty well nailed typical miniature poodle behavior. It describes my mini poo perfectly.


----------



## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

I’ve had one toy and two minis. In general, toys are more fragile and less energetic. Both my minis were (are) very energetic, a lot more than the toy. The best tv buddy is definitely a toy, as they can do that pretty much all day with little breaks in between. They still need exercise, but much less. Both will be very happy to go on a walk. Or many walks.

My mini is a barker, toy is not, but that can be different for every dog. Housebreaking and everything else will depend on temperament and education in my opinion. Oh, and prey drive can happen in both sizes. You need to test the puppy before making your choice (the breeder should know).

I think the decision should be based on energy levels.


----------



## Piper 2020 (Aug 16, 2020)

I'm sorry for your loss. It's hard to lose your best friend.

I've had 2 toys and 4 minis. I currently have a 13 year old toy and in 3 or 4 weeks, I'll be bringing home a mini. I love both types and I basically find them indistinguishable except for size. Here is my experience:

Temperament. All of my toys and minis were sweet and cuddly. The minute I sat down, they were either in my lap or sitting beside me. None were high strung, aggressive or skittish. My pups were properly socialized and I can't remember any real difference in temperament between the two types. 

Energy. All of my toys and minis loved to run and play fetch. All were jumpers. Similar energy levels. Both types would continue to play as long as I threw the ball. My current toy loves hour long walks. My first toy and all 4 minis preferred shorter 15 to 20 minute walks. None were swimmers. My minis liked typical dog toys. My current toy has never had any Interest in dog toys.

Prey/cats. I didn't have a problem with this. My first toy (and later 2 minis) grew up with my parents' two cats and mini poodle. Everyone got along. Basically, the mature cats ignored the puppies and the puppies ignored the cats. They basically didn't interact. The cats were probably 7 when first introduced to a pup. The dogs didn't have access to the room with the litter boxes and they were fed separately. There was never a dog around when the cats were fed and vice versa. The only exception was treats. At thanksgiving, there would be 4 dogs and 2 cats in the kitchen begging for a piece of turkey, which they got one at a time.

Digging. None of my dogs were diggers. Neither was my parents' mini.

Barking. Each dog was different. My current toy is a talker, my first toy was not. Two of my minis were talkers and two were not. They all barked for the doorbell. None were hour-on-end barkers.

Socially attracted to me. Indistinguishable. They were like my shadow. My lap was theirs. They all slept next to me. Great in the winter, a little hot in the summer.

Housebreaking. Indistinguishable. I didn't have any trouble housebreaking any of them.

In a nutshell, I find both types make great dogs. I'm getting a mini in a couple of weeks. My breeder plans to have toys available this summer but I didn't want to wait. Good luck whatever you decide.


.


----------



## Apricot mini momma (Dec 22, 2020)

Johanna said:


> I think Raindrops has pretty well nailed typical miniature poodle behavior. It describes my mini poo perfectly.


Although my mini Beau is only 6 months I feel like he’s on track to Raindrops description as well. He was potty trained in a day basically when I brought him home at 9 weeks. It was truly amazing how easy that was, but I don’t have experience with Toys.
When he hit about 4 months he started to bark at almost anything. Easy training has curbed almost all of that, just with socializing him. He’ll still alert bark, and sometimes protective bark, like from the car window if I’m in there with him and someone walks by. He loves to be on my lap and be loved, even though he’s still a little squirmy and chewy 😆

I expect him to be a “more active” dog even when he is older, but that is what we asked for from the breeder. So 💕 him 😊


----------



## Darling Darla (Sep 20, 2020)

I have a Toy a miniature and had a miniature/Moyen. I had to rehome the large miniature poodle because her energy and how rough she was on my smaller dogs was not acceptable. She would fight.


----------



## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

My mini Normie was born to dig. But that's just Normie, not all minis.

Will your dog be able to run free without a leash? That's a big thing for a mini. 

We're older dog parents and walk our mini about 40 minutes a day. Then he races around the backyard chasing birds, planes, and leaves whenever he wants. That seems to be enough.

Normie both needs and enjoys training exercises. I'm guessing that's true for most minis.


----------



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

SmilesToday said:


> I am ready to get a new poodle puppy after my toy poodle passed away 6 months ago. My husband and I were discussing a toy vs a mini. We know the physical differences between the two but what about the temperament? I read the mini has the most energy of all 3 types. What about prey drive? I would not want it chasing our cat. ( Of coarse I would stop it but still ) what about digging holes in the yard? ( Again would stop that ) I read barking half depends on genetics and half depends on training. If the parents are not barkers would the puppies be the same? Do mini’s bark more then the other 2 types? Are mini’s or toys more socially attracted to you? Who would most likely want to be a tv buddy? I know all dogs like to walk. Who is more up for a walk? What about housebreaking? Is it true mini’s house break faster then toys? I have only had a toy poodle. He was a very well behaved dog. I have no experience with mini’s. Thank You for your replies.


. I had a minipoo growing up, a tpoo when my kids were young and I currently have 2 minipoo, (adult and 4 months puppy).

I’m so sorry you lost your tpoo.

I really didn’t notice any difference with prey drive with my tpoo and minipoo. My tpoo was raised by cats, my male cat used to carry her around in his mouth, carried her up and down stairs and furniture. They spoke the same language and were tightly bonded. outdoor cats who hated dogs would come out from hiding to greet my tpoo.

My minipoo adult came to me almost a year old. I had 3 elderly cats and she was great with them. She is great with my daughters new kittens and the barn cats. I did give my cats safety spots to get away from the dog when I brought her home, tethered her when we first visited the kittens so she had a chance to learn good behavior. My puppy will be meeting cats soon, he will be tethered at all times And I will bring treats to help him learn to ignore them.

None of my dogs dug in dirt, none even considered it. When my dogs are outside, I’m with them and we’re walking on a leash or training in the yard. I never leave my dogs outside running loose by themselves. They are never left outside bored and looking for fun digging.

My childhood minipoo barked at the door moderately. My tpoo was a major barker. My current adult and pup minipoo don’t bark at the doorbell. For awhile there were drug ads on tv with lots of doorbells ringing. My adult minipoo used to run to the door when she heard the bell. Since it was an ad on tv, eventually it extinguished her response to run to the front door since these were all false alarms. Neither of my curr minipoos bark at people, the adult is a trained therapy dog.

All my dogs were socially attracted to me And my husband it more me since I do most training and feeding.

All my dogs have been tv buddies. They either want to be on my lap or snoozing next to me with their head on my leg.

We used to take our tpoo hiking, but we can go farther hiking with our minipoo.

I haven’t noticed any difference in toilet training But there is a small chance a tpoo may take a little longer to gain full neuromuscular control over bladder and bowel. Both will understand the concept of potty training early on but they won’t be able to hold in urine and poop until they mature enough to get neuromuscular control around 6 months.


----------

