Toy poodles are cute, small enough to not overwhelm your house, and best of all, they’re highly intelligent. The catch is that they are also highly willful. Therefore, consistent, firm training is needed to make sure they remain a pleasant member of the family instead of becoming a snappy, domineering pest.

The main key to toy poodle training is socialization – not just with other dogs, but with humans as well. You must establish yourself as pack leader and always maintain that position. If the dog sees you as weak, he will instinctively take over the leadership role and see you as the one who is supposed to do the following! To establish yourself as the leader, you must make sure the dog doesn’t get to show any leadership behaviors.

Behaviors to watch out for include jumping, guarding, snapping and other such things. Guarding is a set of behaviors that generally revolve around keeping other people away from you – the dog sees you as its property and doesn’t want anyone to steal you. It is a mistake to think of this as cute or loyal behavior – the dog is mistaking you for its slave. Therefore, you must correct any signs like this as soon as it shows up.

Another thing that should be kept in mind is grooming. Most pet owners don’t want to maintain the time-consuming show cut associated with the breed, but there are other styles that are easier to handle. A regular puppy cut keeps the hair fairly short, but since this style only requires an even length all around, it is easy to do. It is also important to brush the hair regularly. Daily brushing may be required to keep a poodle’s curly hair from tangling and matting.

That said, a properly-trained toy poodle is a joy to be around. Its small size – only 10 inches at the shoulders – makes it a good pet for smaller houses and those who don’t want to have to worry about handling a large dog. They do have a lot of energy, though, so you will need to provide daily walks to keep them from tearing up the place. Since toy poodles are very intelligent, they also need things to occupy their minds. Plenty of play will satisfy this requirement. Toys should be provided as well. With good training and plenty of exercise, these dogs will be well-adjusted and happy companions.