If you have bought home a toy poodle, be assured it is a wise choice. A little poodle care and you will have a long-lived, happy and healthy dog. Let us learn how to care for a toy poodle by going through some tips in the following article.
Congratulations on getting home a toy poodle as a pet. They are really high maintenance dogs, who need more attention, more grooming and more care than any other dog. The poodle is considered to be the second most intelligent of all dogs. Therefore, you won’t have much of a problem training and grooming them into lively, well-mannered and obedient dogs.
Only if you are able to spend more time, money and shower your dog with attention at all times, bring home this national dog of France. Once you are able to cover these basic requirements, you and your dog can spend happy times for the rest of your lives. But, how to care for a toy poodle? This is a question that worries most owners. Let me tell you that toy poodle care is one of the easiest things, once you know what your dog needs.
Toy poodles are the smallest of all poodle breeds. Toy poodles, like their standard counterparts, are elegant, intelligent and obedient. They are easily trained and can even be taught retrieving tricks. Let’s have a look at some tips that will help you in caring for a poodle.
Taking Care of a Toy Poodle Puppy
You have recently added a new member to your home in the form of a tiny toy poodle puppy. It is your responsibility from now onwards to ensure the puppy has a comfortable, healthy and happy life.
House Training
Yes, I shall begin with housebreaking for a toy poodle puppy before continuing with any other care tips. This is because house training should start the minute your pup steps into your house. This will also ensure that you and your new companion bond well. After you bring home the pup, take him to the designated area where he is supposed to stay. Never leave your puppy unsupervised, till you have successfully house trained him. This designated area can be a crate, or fenced area and never the area of the house that receives maximum traffic. This means not taking the puppy near the living room or kitchen.
Never, ever leave your puppy alone. After about 15 to 20 minutes of getting the pup home, take him outside to the area where he is supposed to go ‘pee-pee’ and ‘poop’. Make him wear a light leash, and say a cue word like ‘go potty’ as you take him out. Once you reach the spot, say the word ‘go potty’ again and wait for the poodle to do his business. The pup may sniff and check out the surrounding area. Wait for him to pee or poop. If after about 15 minutes the pup does not answer nature’s call, take him back home.
Again after about half an hour, put the pup on a leash and take him back to the particular spot. Don’t forget to use the cue words. Once on the spot, wait for the pup to do his business. After the poodle answers nature’s call, praise him lavishly and give him a small treat. Take him home and allow him to play free, but under supervision. You need to take your pup to pee and poop after every half and hour. Yes, it may sound tedious, but it’s for your and the pup’s own good. Puppies do not have bladder and bowel control that is as good as an adult dog. They will pee or poop in the house, which you definitely need to avoid. Take him to pee or poop before and after he eats his food.
One trip is compulsory before nap time or sleep time. Place your pup in a crate at night. Take him to pee after half and hour, every night as well. You will have to sacrifice your sleep for a few weeks, but it will ensure you sleep peacefully all your life. Never scold or punish a pup who has an accident at home. Simply clean up the place and make sure you take him for a potty trip on time. If your pup does not have a single accident for about 4 weeks at a stretch, congratulations. You have successfully completed the house training session. Any accident and you will need to start all over again.
Food
Diet is very important for the well-being of a poodle. Feed your pup the best brand of dog food. Throw away left overs in the plate. Do not feed him table scraps, milk or change his diet suddenly. This will lead to diarrhea in your puppy. Feed a toy poodle high-grade dog food that contains at least 21% crude protein and 20% fat. The fiber content in the food should be less than about 4%. Feed the dog two small meals per day. They are really small dogs and should not be overfed under any circumstances. Make sure you provide a toy poodle with fresh water at all times of the day, 24/7.
Exercise
No, you won’t find your poodle wagging his tail, begging to be let out. But, these are hunting dog breeds and need to be exercised, nonetheless. Take them on regular walks and play a ball with the dog. This will make sure the dog remains active, healthy and trim always. However, toy poodles do not require a lot of exercising.
Stress
Poodle puppies have a tendency to suffer from low blood sugar. This may be due to stress that occurs after shifting into a new family, traveling, handling and sometimes after too much play. You should add 1/2 teaspoon of honey or Karo syrup to your puppy’s water bowl for 2 weeks after you get him home. This will prevent the blood sugar levels from dropping to really low levels.
Immunization
All dogs need to be vaccinated and so do poodles. After a week of bringing home a toy poodle pup, take him to a visit to the vet. The veterinarian will decide and let you know the required shots and their schedule for your pup. Make sure you follow his advice and vaccinate your pup.
Grooming
The most important part of caring for a toy poodle is grooming. These dogs love to be pampered. You need to brush your poodle thoroughly to keep the hair untangled. Bathe the dog with a good shampoo and then blow dry on low head. Make sure you keep brushing with a pin brush while you blow dry the poodle coat. You can visit a professional for clipping the poodle toe nails. Clean the ears every week with a moistened cotton swab. Poodle grooming should be a luxurious experience for the pup and he should love being pampered.
Enjoy with your new puppy and indulge yourself in pampering your poodle. These dogs are meant to be trained into obedient dogs and pampered to live a life of luxury. Toy poodles are very intelligent and you will find them to be great companions for life.