Breed profile · Toy Group · One breed, three varieties

Toy Poodle

The Toy Poodle is the smallest variety of the Poodle — 10 inches or under at the shoulder, a lap dog that thinks like a retriever. It was bred down from the Miniature for the laps of nobility, it has won Best in Show at Westminster twice, and it is the only Poodle variety in the Toy Group. Everything the Standard can do, the Toy can do — in a package that fits on your knee.

This profile covers the Toy Poodle. The Poodle as a whole has its own profile too: Poodle. For the other varieties: Standard Poodle, Miniature Poodle.

Do you have a photo of a Toy Poodle in the American show ring? We’d love this page to lead with one. If you have a show photo you’d let us use, email it to [email protected] — tell us the dog’s name and the show, and it may be featured here.

1. Breed at a glance

• Group: Toy (AKC) — the only Poodle variety in the Toy Group; the Standard and Miniature are in the Non-Sporting Group.
• Size: 10 inches or under at the shoulder. The AKC lists the weight range at 4 to 6 pounds.
• Coat: Curly, dense, and profuse — the same coat as the other varieties, in the same clips.
• Temperament: Bright, alert, and quick; a lap dog with a working dog's brain.
• Lifespan: 10 to 18 years, with the smaller varieties tending to live longer.
• Energy: High for its size. A Toy needs daily play and training, not just a lap.
• Shedding: Very low. The coat holds shed hair instead of dropping it, which is why it mats without regular grooming.
• Recognition: The AKC registers the Poodle as one breed in three varieties. The Standard and Miniature were recognized in 1887; the Poodle Club of America recognized the Toy as the third variety in 1943.

The Toy is the Poodle at its smallest and, in some ways, its most surprising: a four-pound dog with the same intelligence, the same coat, and the same show-ring presence as its larger cousins. It is the variety for people who want a Poodle they can carry — and who understand that a small dog still needs a job.

2. History

The Toy Poodle was bred down from the Miniature, just as the Miniature was bred down from the Standard. The AKC's breed history traces the arc: "During the 18th century, the Standard Poodle was bred down to the smaller Miniature and Toy Poodles to appeal to city dwellers in Paris and other European cities." The Toy was the end of that arc — a dog small enough to sit in a lap, to travel in a basket, to live entirely indoors.

It was a dog for nobility. Louis XVI favored Toy Poodles, and the variety became the companion of choice in French courts — a small, elegant dog that could be carried everywhere and that repaid the attention with loyalty. The Toy's job was companionship, and it has never had another one. Unlike the Standard, it was never expected to retrieve from cold water; unlike the Miniature, it was never a circus performer. It was a lap dog, and it was very good at it.

The Toy came to America later than the other varieties. The AKC's history notes that the Toy Poodle was first bred in the United States in the early 20th century, and the Poodle Club of America — formed in 1931 — recognized the Toy as the third variety in 1943, placing it in the Toy Group while the Standard and Miniature stayed in the Non-Sporting Group. The AKC had recognized the Standard and Miniature as separate breeds back in 1887; the Toy completed the set more than half a century later.

And the Toy has held its own at the top level. Toy Poodles have won Best in Show at Westminster twice: Wilber White Swan in 1956, handled by Anne Hone Rogers — the first Toy-group dog ever to win Best in Show at Westminster — and Cappoquin Little Sister in 1961. Two wins, against the biggest dogs in the sport, from the smallest variety of the breed.

3. The standard and why it's written that way

The AKC Poodle standard is one standard for all three varieties. The only difference between the varieties in the standard is height: the Standard is over 15 inches at the shoulder, the Miniature is over 10 inches up to 15, and the Toy is 10 inches or under. A dog of the wrong height for its variety is disqualified from competition as that variety.

Everything else is shared. The standard calls the Poodle "an active, intelligent and elegant-appearing dog, squarely built, well proportioned, moving soundly and carrying himself proudly." The head is "rectilinear" — straight and fine, with a long, straight muzzle and dark, oval eyes set far enough apart to give an alert, intelligent expression. The coat is "curly, harsh, and dense," and the standard is explicit about what it is not: a soft coat is a fault.

For the Toy, the standard's most important sentence is about proportion: "As long as the Toy Poodle is definitely a Toy Poodle, and the Miniature Poodle a Miniature Poodle, both in balance and proportion for the Variety, diminutiveness shall be the deciding factor when all other points are equal." In plain terms: a Toy should look like a Toy — a smaller dog in every proportion, not a Miniature that stopped growing. Size is the variety; balance is the breed. And when two Toys are otherwise equal, the smaller one wins.

The standard is written the way it is because the Poodle was a working water retriever before it was a show dog, and the breed's shape still has to work — even at four pounds. The square build, the strong hindquarters, the long neck carried proudly: all of it describes a dog that could move soundly all day. The clips are part of the same story: they were cut to keep the joints and chest warm in cold water while letting the dog swim freely.

Clips

The same clip rules apply to the Toy as to the other varieties. Dogs under 12 months may be shown in the Puppy clip. Adults 12 months and over in regular classes must be in the English Saddle clip or the Continental clip. The Sporting clip is allowed only in the Stud Dog, Brood Bitch, and Parade of Champions classes. Any other clip is a disqualification.

On a Toy, the clips are a study in proportion: the same Continental clip on a nine-inch dog is a tiny, precise package, and the pompons, the shaved hindquarters, and the topknot have to be in proportion to a very small frame. The standard warns that the topknot should not be so heavy as to weigh the head down, and that the coat should never be so long or so thick that it hides the dog's outline. On a Toy, that warning matters more than on any other variety — a topknot that is too heavy on a four-pound dog is a real problem, not a cosmetic one.

The standard also bars bows, ribbons, and other decorations in the ring, and it disqualifies any dog shown with a topknot tied up. Show Poodles never wear bows — the coat is the decoration.

One breed, three varieties — how they are judged

The Poodle is one AKC breed in three varieties, and the varieties are judged separately. At a dog show, each variety is judged in its own ring with its own judge, through Winners Dog, Winners Bitch, and Best of Variety — Best of Variety takes the place of Best of Breed for the nine AKC breeds divided into varieties. Each variety's Best of Variety winner advances to its group: the Standard and the Miniature to the Non-Sporting Group, the Toy to the Toy Group. At the Poodle Club of America's national specialty, the three Best of Variety winners meet in the Intervariety competition to decide Best of Breed. In 2026, that competition was won by a Miniature.

4. Temperament & living with one

A Toy Poodle is a lap dog that thinks like a retriever. It wants to be on your knee, in your arms, in the room where you are — and it wants to know what you're doing and whether it can help. The breed's intelligence doesn't shrink with the body: a Toy will learn the household's routines, learn the sound of the treat bag from two rooms away, and learn exactly which look gets it picked up.

They are alert, quick, and vocal. A Toy will announce a visitor, a squirrel, and a leaf that moved suspiciously, and it will expect you to take the announcement seriously. They are good with children who are old enough to be gentle — a four-pound dog is fragile, and a small child who grabs can hurt it — and they are famously good with older people, for whom the size is manageable and the companionship is constant.

The honest trade-off is that a Toy is a real dog, not a fashion accessory, and it needs to be treated like one. It needs daily exercise — a walk, a play session, a training game — not just a lap. It needs socialization, so it doesn't become fearful or snappy with strangers. And it needs boundaries: a Toy that is carried everywhere, never walked, and never told no grows into a dog that is anxious, demanding, and difficult to live with. The breed's nickname in the fancy is "the dog with the human brain," and a human brain with no job and no rules is a problem at any size.

In sport, the Toy competes in agility, obedience, rally, and scent work — scaled down, but no less serious. The smaller body is an advantage in agility, and the intelligence that makes them easy to train also makes them easy to bore. Training has to stay interesting. A Toy that has learned the pattern will start offering variations.

They travel well — a Toy fits in a carrier under an airplane seat, and most airlines accept them in the cabin. They are good with other dogs and with cats, especially when raised with them. And they are, by every account, the most devoted of the three varieties: a Toy Poodle picks its person and does not let go.

5. Grooming

The Toy Poodle's coat is the same curly, dense coat as the Standard's, and it needs the same care: thorough brushing to the skin at least twice a week, a bath every three to four weeks, and a professional clip every six to eight weeks. The coat holds shed hair instead of dropping it, so a Toy that isn't brushed mats — and mats, once they form, have to be cut out. Regular brushing is not cosmetic; it is the price of the low-shedding coat.

Most pet Toys live in a short, practical clip — a lamb clip or a kennel clip — rather than the Continental or English Saddle of the show ring. A short clip is easier to maintain, dries faster after a bath, and still looks like a Poodle. The ears need regular cleaning, the teeth need regular brushing — small mouths crowd teeth, so dental care matters more for Toys than for larger dogs — and the nails need trimming every few weeks.

Expect to budget for a professional groomer unless you learn to clip the dog yourself — many Toy owners do, since the small dog is easy to handle on a table. Either way, start grooming early: a puppy that is handled, brushed, and clipped from eight weeks old grows into an adult that stands quietly for grooming instead of fighting it.

6. Health testing

The Poodle Club of America's health-testing guidance is specific to each variety, and the Toy's list is the shortest of the three. For a Toy Poodle, the PCA recommends a DNA test for prcd-progressive retinal atrophy, a yearly eye examination, and a patellar luxation evaluation. No hip evaluation is required for the Toy — that one belongs to the Miniature and the Standard.

Progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA) is the disease to know about. It is an inherited eye disease that causes gradual blindness, and it affects Miniature and Toy Poodles. The DNA test identifies carriers, and a responsible breeder tests both parents so that no affected puppies are produced. The yearly eye examination catches other eye problems early.

Patellar luxation — a kneecap that slips out of place — is common in smaller dogs, and Toys are among the most affected. A dog with a luxating patella may skip a step or hold a hind leg up for a stride, then carry on as if nothing happened. Mild cases need no treatment; severe cases need surgery. The evaluation is a simple hands-on examination by a veterinarian.

Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease — a degeneration of the hip joint that causes pain and lameness in young dogs — also occurs in Toy Poodles. It is a disease of small breeds, and it is one reason to buy from a breeder who health-tests and who will tell you honestly about the health of the dogs behind a puppy.

Ask any breeder for the results of these tests on both parents before you commit to a puppy. A breeder who has done them will be glad to show you; a breeder who hasn't is telling you something.

7. The specialty year: the national specialty is the anchor

The Poodle Club of America’s national specialty is the anchor of the Toy Poodle’s year — the one show where the smallest variety shares the ring with its larger cousins, each judged separately.

93rd National Specialty ran Tuesday to Friday, April 21–24, 2026, at Purina Farms’ Purina Event Center, 300 Checkerboard Loop, Gray Summit, Missouri. The show was dedicated to “our 94 year-old Poodle Club of America.” The specialty show and trials drew 577 dogs and 605 entries across the three varieties, with a further 95 dogs and 112 entries in the concurrent obedience, rally, and 4–6-month puppy events. The Toy drew 120 entries (45 dogs, 75 bitches). (Sources: official judging program; premium list; AKC event results.)

The week ran on the usual pattern. Tuesday was obedience and rally, a Parade of Rescue Dogs, and a Parade of Companion and Performance Titleholders. Wednesday was the regular dog classes — Toy 33 dogs — plus the 4–6-month puppy competition (26 puppies) and juniors, and the Parade of Champions. Thursday was the regular bitch classes — Toy 63 bitches — plus Veteran Sweepstakes and the annual dinner. Friday closed with veterans and the hunt class, then Best of Variety for each variety and Intervariety, with 42 dogs in the Intervariety competition. FastCAT ran Monday to Wednesday alongside the show, and the national hunt tests were a separate event in the autumn, October 30 to November 2, 2026, at Guns Up in Advance, North Carolina. (Source: official judging program.)

The Toy judges were Mr. Daniel Augustus for the dog classes and Toy Best of Variety, and Ms. Patti Jason for the bitch classes. The Intervariety competition — the Best of Breed competition — was judged by Mr. Scott B. Wolfe.

Results: Best of Breed (Intervariety) went to the Miniature, GCH CH Karadale The Last Dance, and Best of Opposite Sex to the Standard, CH Aviator’s Mind The Gap. The Toy Best of Variety winner had not been published by the Poodle Club of America or the AKC as of November 2026, and this page will not name a winner from social-media posts. The winner will be added here as soon as the PCA or the AKC publishes it. (Sources: PCA homepage; AKC event results.)

Next year: the 2027 national specialty is announced for April 19–23, 2027. The judging panel is pending AKC approval: Toys, Mr. Fabian Arienti; Inter-Variety, Mrs. Gina Wieser. The venue had not been confirmed in the sources consulted as of November 2026. (Source: PCA judges education.)

8. Regional specialties through the year

The national is the anchor, but the breed’s year runs through its regional specialties, held by the PCA’s affiliate clubs. Every regional below is a three-variety specialty — the Standard, Miniature, and Toy are each judged in their own ring. These are the 2026 regionals verified from club and AKC event sources:

• Greenspring Poodle Club, Saturday, January 24, 2026, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, Maryland — 50 entries. (Source: AKC event listing.)
• William Penn Poodle Club, Saturday, May 2, 2026, Mercer County Park, W Windsor Township, New Jersey — judge Mrs. D. K. Ondo; 23 dogs and 30 entries (Toy 7, Miniature 4, Standard 12 entries); Best of Breed went to the Standard, “Unique Up In The Stars.” (Source: AKC event listing.)
• Washington Poodle Club, Friday to Sunday, October 9–11, 2026, West Friendship, Maryland — three shows, judged by Mr. Daniel Augustus, Dr. Valeria Rickard, and Mr. Gregg Kantak. (Source: Canine Chronicle specialty results.)
• Great Lakes Poodle Club of Chicago, Saturday, October 24, 2026, Lennox, Illinois — two specialties, judged by Mrs. Sandy Bingham-Porter and Mr. Tim Catterson. (Source: Canine Chronicle specialty results.)

The PCA’s affiliate-club roster — updated September 14, 2026 — lists the clubs that hold specialties and the contact for each; more regionals will be added here as their programs are verified. (Source: PCA affiliate-club roster.)

9. Clubs

The parent club for all three Poodle varieties is the Poodle Club of America, formed in 1931. It is the club that writes the standard, holds the national specialty, and runs the breeder referral service at poodleclubofamerica.org/breeder-referral. Its corresponding secretary is Adrienne Dorland.

The PCA's affiliated clubs are the regional home of the breed. The four that held specialties in 2026 — the Greenspring Poodle Club, the William Penn Poodle Club, the Washington Poodle Club, and the Great Lakes Poodle Club of Chicago — are all PCA affiliates, and each runs its own events, rescue program, and breeder referral. If you want to meet Toy Poodles and the people who show them, a regional specialty is the place to start.

10. Rescue

The Poodle Club of America Rescue Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) established in 2006. Every PCA-affiliated club is required to have a Rescue Chairman, and the national specialty holds a Parade of Rescue Dogs each year. The Foundation rehomed Poodles of all three varieties and all ages — puppies, adults, and seniors — and it takes in owner surrenders, shelter dogs, and dogs from commercial breeding operations.

A rescue Toy is often an adult dog whose history is known: the rescue can tell you whether the dog is good with children, with cats, with other dogs, and whether it has any health issues. The adoption fee is a fraction of a puppy's price, and the dog is spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and groomed before it goes home. If you want a Toy and you don't need a puppy, rescue is the fastest honest route to one.

11. Breeder vs. rescue: honest guidance

There is no wrong answer here, only a wrong way to do either. A reputable breeder health-tests both parents for the tests listed in section 6, shows the dogs, belongs to the Poodle Club of America or an affiliated club, and takes a puppy back for life if you ever can't keep it. A breeder who does none of those things is not a reputable breeder, whatever they charge.

Be wary of anyone selling a "teacup" Poodle. There is no teacup variety — the three varieties are Standard, Miniature, and Toy, and a dog advertised as a teacup is either a Toy sold under a marketing name or a dog bred deliberately undersized, which brings health problems with it. The standard's own words apply: a Toy should be "definitely a Toy Poodle, both in balance and proportion for the Variety." A Toy bred smaller than the standard — under four pounds, or with a skull too small for its brain — is not a better Toy. It is a sick one.

Be wary, too, of "doodle" crosses sold as if they were Poodles. A Labradoodle or Goldendoodle is a crossbreed, not a Poodle, and it does not inherit the Poodle's coat, temperament, or health testing in any predictable way. If you want a Poodle, buy a Poodle; if you want a crossbreed, buy one knowingly, from someone who health-tests both parent breeds.

Parti-coloured Poodles — white with patches of another colour — are Poodles, and they are shown in the UKC and in parti classes at some shows, but the AKC standard calls for solid colours in the conformation ring. A parti Toy from a good breeder is a fine pet; it is not a show prospect in AKC conformation, and anyone selling one as such is misleading you.

Rescue, meanwhile, is not a second-best choice. The PCA Rescue Foundation and the affiliated clubs' rescue programs place dogs that are already house-trained, already groomed, and already known quantities. The trade-off is that you rarely get a puppy, and you rarely get to choose the colour. The gain is a dog that needs a home, at a fraction of the price, with the rescue's support behind it.

12. Claim this page

Sources

• Poodle Club of America — parent club; 2026 national specialty Best of Breed and Best of Opposite Sex.
• AKC event results, event 2026070212 — 2026 PCA national specialty results and entry counts by variety.
• 2026 PCA national specialty judging program — dates, venue, judges, entry counts.
• Poodle Club of America, Judges Education — 2027 national specialty dates and judges.
• AKC, Poodle history — 18th-century breeding down, Louis XVI, Toy first bred in the US early 20th century, 1943 Toy recognition.
• AKC Poodle breed standard — heights, clips, diminutiveness, topknot and bow rules.
• AKC, Westminster Best in Show winners through the years — Toy wins 1956 and 1961.
• Westminster dog show guide (AKC information) — how varieties are judged, Best of Variety.
• Poodle Club of America, breeder referral.