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- When Is a Toy Poodle Full Grown? (with Photos)
When Is a Toy Poodle Full Grown? (with Photos)
Every puppy owner is curious about how big their dog will grow. But when it comes to Toy Poodles, the question can take on another meaning; adult Toy Poodles are so tiny that they often look like puppies.
So, when is a Toy Poodle full grown, and how can you tell?
Poodles reach a full-grown size at six to eight months of age. You can try measuring them to see when they stop growing, but since growth tapers off after four months, most Toy Poodle owners simply wait to see how big their dog will grow.
The Toy Poodle’s Adult Size
According to the Poodle Clubs, adult Toy Poodles are no taller than 10 inches when you measure them from the base of their paw to the top of their shoulder.
Furthermore, these dogs weigh as little as four pounds, with dogs on the larger end of the 10-inch spectrum weighing as much as six pounds. Any weight over nine pounds is often obese on a Toy Poodle.
Keep in mind that male Toy Poodles are almost always taller than females. So, if you’re hoping for a Toy Poodle that falls well under the 10-inch mark, you’ll have a better chance of achieving that with a female.
Other Poodle Sizes
The Toy Poodle is one of three sizes the AKC recognizes. Other sizes include the Miniature Poodle, which clocks in at a height between 10 to 15 inches, and the Standard Poodle, with a height over 15 inches.
So, it’s possible to have a Toy Poodle on the verge of being a Miniature Poodle height-wise.
If you’re hoping for a particular Poodle color pattern, rest easy. All three Poodles share the same foundational genes, so you can get a Toy Poodle in all the same colors and patterns as Miniature and Standard Poodles.
The Age of a Full-Grown Poodle
Since Toy Poodle sizes range from ten inches and under, it can be challenging to know when they’ve finished growing. So, you can try turning to your puppy’s age as a guide.
Most small dog breeds stop growing between six to eight months old. Toy Poodles undoubtedly fall under the small canine category, so you can expect your Toy Poodle to reach its full-grown size well before it reaches one year old.
In contrast, medium-sized dogs can take up to 12 months to become full-grown, and large dogs can sometimes take two years.
The Growth Tapering Effect
We use words to describe a child growing like a weed, and you can say the same about newborn Toy Poodles.
Toy Poodles have an exponential growth rate within the first few weeks of their life. These puppies continue to have an increased growth rate, although at a slightly slower pace until they reach about four months old.
From there, their growth tapers off significantly.
So, it’s easy to mistake a Toy Poodle’s slowed growth as them being a full-grown size. However, it isn’t until at least six months when you can feel more confident that they’re close to or finished growing.
That said, once the four-month mark passes, Toy Poodles tend to grow more by putting on more weight rather than increasing in height.
Below is a chart outlining the approximate growth rate of puppy Toy Poodles.
Understanding How a Toy Poodle Grows
I won’t get too scientific on you here, but learning about the growth process of a Toy Poodle will not only help you understand how tall they might get but the situations that can harm their growth.
Like all dogs and humans, Toy Poodles grow utilizing growth plates. They have soft growth plates that produce cells at the end of their long bones. These cells divide and multiply, and as they do so, they add more bone, increasing the size of your Poodle.
Once the growth plates calcify, your Toy Poodle can no longer grow any bigger.
The downside to this growing process is that the growth plates are extra susceptible to injury. A mistake that many Toy Poodle owners make is overexercising their puppy.
Giving your Toy Poodle puppy too much exercise can damage their joints and bones, potentially causing long-term damage.
Should your Toy Poodle suffer a physical injury to one of their legs while still growing, the uneven pressure they put on their other three legs could also cause issues with how their growth plates develop their bones.
Sadly, such injuries are relatively common because of how small Toy Poodles are. Therefore, it is crucial that you take care of your dog at all stages of its life to avoid preventable injuries.
Factors That Determine a Toy Poodle’s Size
In a perfect world, you would know how big your Toy Poodle puppy will grow when you purchase them from a breeder. But since that luxury doesn’t exist, you’ll need to rely on the following factors to help you estimate how big your furry love might get.
One of the most significant determiners of a Toy Poodle’s potential size is how big its parents and grandparents are. That is one of many reasons why choosing a reputable breeder is vital.
Your breeder should have paperwork indicating the exact size of your Poodle’s parents dating back at least through its grandparents, if not more. Although genes work in mysterious ways, taller lineage will often equate to taller dogs and vice versa with smaller lineage.
I already talked about gender earlier. But as a reminder, choose a female if you want to increase your chances of having one of the smallest Toy Poodles in a litter.
Nutrition is another crucial aspect of a Toy Poodle’s growth. You should never restrict your Toy Poodle’s nutrition with the hope of stunting their height. Doing so is harmful and abusive.
Instead, ensure you are giving your Poodle high-quality puppy food designed for its age. As your puppy grows, they’ll require less frequent feedings and a different macronutrient ratio. So, listen to the advice of your veterinarian to know when you need to give your Toy Poodle puppy’s diet an overhaul.
Toy Poodle Sexual Maturity
Many times, people ask, “When is a Toy Poodle full grown?” because they want to ensure they choose the right time to spay or neuter them.
Most Toy Poodles will reach sexual maturity between six and nine months old.
That is a bigger issue than many people realize, given that some veterinarians want to wait to spay or neuter a dog until their growth plates close.
The reasoning is that it prevents the possibility of improper bone development, as an increase in hormones from the procedure can force the growth plates to calcify prematurely.
So, if you and your vet determine it’s best to hold off on fixing your Toy Poodle until after they’re already sexually mature, it’s vital that you keep your dog on a leash at all times. That way, you’ll keep them away from any potential canine partners.
The Adoption Option
If you’re asking, “When is a Toy Poodle full grown?” because you have a specific Toy Poodle size in mind, I encourage you to consider adopting an adult dog.
Adult Toy Poodles come with many advantages; they’re often house trained, know their manners, and, of course, you’ll know they won’t grow anymore.
The only downside is that it can be challenging to find an adult Toy Poodle to adopt since they’re in such high demand. So, you might need to get on the waitlist of your local animal shelter or a Poodle rescue center.
Bringing Home a Toy Poodle Puppy
Welcoming a Toy Poodle puppy into your family will elevate the love in your home. Although it’s possible to use parental lineage and gender as a guideline for how big your Toy Poodle may grow, there’s no way to guarantee their height.
