🐩 Picking Your Poodle Puppy

When choosing a puppy, look beyond color and cuteness — focus on personality and how well they fit your family’s lifestyle. Breeders perform personality evaluations and can guide you, but if you have options, here’s how to make the best choice:

​

🌟 Match Puppy Personality to Your Lifestyle

• Activity level

  • Quiet homebodies → calmer puppy that relaxes indoors.

  • Adventurers → active puppy ready for hikes and outings.

• Time alone

  • Long hours away → avoid overly clingy puppies.

• Children in the home

  • Small kids → choose tolerant, gentle puppies (often larger size helps).

  • Avoid overly nippy or excitable puppies.

• Other pets

  • Cats → look for tolerant, low-prey-drive puppy.

  • Small pets (rabbits, rats, etc.) → low-prey-drive essential.

• Dog sports (agility, obedience, etc.)

  • Look for drive, biddability, and proper conformation.

• Therapy/service work

  • Calm, intelligent, low-drive puppies are best.

• Physical limitations (seniors, mobility issues)

  • Choose calmer, people-oriented puppy that won’t overwhelm you.

 

♂️ Male or ♀️ Female?

• Males

  • Often more people-oriented, cuddly, affectionate.

  • Slightly larger on average.

  • May mark (though females can too, especially intact).

• Females

  • More driven and biddable.

  • Sometimes more independent or stand-offish.

👉 In poodles, the differences are subtle, especially if spayed/neutered appropriately.

 

📝 Keep in Mind

• A puppy’s evaluation is just a baseline.

• Environment, training, and socialization play a huge role.

• Your guidance and consistency will shape their adult personality.