Appearance

The poodle actually comes in three sizes - standard (the largest and oldest), miniature, and toy. All of them have the same temperament, they simply vary in size. Standards stand at around 15-22 inches, and weigh anywhere from 25-70 pounds. Miniature poodles are around 11-15 inches and weigh in at around 15-17 pounds. And the toy poodle, the smallest of the three, is about 10 inches tall, and weighs 6-9 pounds.

Health and Grooming

In general, the poodle is pretty healthy. Though they do have a high potential for weight gain. Poodles are both hypoallergenic as well as non/low shedding. They are not easy to groom, but at least they don't shed!

Temperament

Poodles are one of the most intelligent dogs out there, explaining their popularity. They were originally meant to be water fowl hunting dogs and are therefore easily trained and eager-to-please.

Friendliness and Exercise Needs

Poodles, despite being proud and regal, are very friendly dogs. They're very affectionate towards kids and other dogs, and usually are friendly to strangers as well. They're extremely loving towards their family and hate being left alone. Poodles do need quite a bit of exercise and need to be kept busy and trained in order to prevent them from being too mouthy or destructive.