Are Poodles Good with Kids? A Guide for Parents.

When bringing a dog into your home, it is important to know that the dog will get along with your kids. For that purpose, I am here to talk about how poodles do with kids.

Now that you know that poodles are a good fit for children, there are still some things you will want to know before welcoming a poodle into your home. I will explain each of the traits that your children will love in a poodle and some bothersome traits.

Poodles and Children

When it comes to children and dogs, many dogs will do well with your children. However, there are certain breeds which should not be brought into a family setting.

Luckily, poodles match all the qualities necessary to live with kids.

Some of the most important traits for a dog to have to be considered good with kids is:

• Affectionate
• Playful
• Gentle
• Friendly
• Alert
• Cuddly
• Patience

Poodles meet all of these qualifications.

Although it may not seem like it from how movies portray poodles, poodles are actually very playful, athletic, and generally fun dogs. They are the perfect playmate for your kids.

Poodles are very high energy dogs.

If you allow them to, poodles may just play all day long. Poodles simply love to run around and play.

This is one of the many reasons why poodles are a great fit for children. Your kids and your poodle will have lots of fun playing together. All you have to do is simply take your poodle and kids outside, and the games will begin.

But at the end of a long day of playing, you will want a dog that can simmer down and come inside to cool down.

Poodles do just as well inside as they do outside.

If you want a dog that will come right up to the couch with you and be loving and cuddly, you have found the right dog for you with a poodle.

This is especially great for kids who sometimes do not share their feeling very well. Having a poodle there to simply cuddle with and be there for them will be comforting for your children.

Poodles make great service dogs, and they will serve your family well.

This is perhaps one of the best qualities that a poodle has, their ability to switch between tasks. For some dogs, once they are wound up, it is hard to cool them down. However, poodles can easily transition between different activities (they may even be a good example for your kids).

Another feature that people often search for a family dog is alertness.

This trait is important for a family dog to become a guard dog as well. Poodles are extremely alert. In fact, they will often jump when surprised because they are so alert.

With the trait of alertness, poodles will be able to warn you before someone comes. This is just one of the many great traits that will make your poodle so good for kids.

Which Type of Poodle is Best for Kids?

Now that we have determined that poodles are good with children, let’s get a little more specific.

There are three common types of poodles:

• Toy Poodle
• Miniature Poodle
• Standard Poodle

Each of these poodles is titled according to their size. The standard poodle, being the original, is the largest, with the miniature poodle in the middle, and toy poodle being the smallest.

Now, you may be questioning, “does size really matter for my kids?”

Yes! Size matters!

I’m assuming you have children so I do not have to explain to you what they are like. However, because of the things kids do, it is important to have a dog that’s stature can withstand the rough play.

As far a size goes, the standard poodle is the best poodle for you.

The reason that toy poodles may not be the best family dog is that they are just so tiny. When your child grabs a toy poodle by the arms and swings him/ her around for a dance, they could significantly hurt the toy poodle.

What your child sees as simply playing could harm your dog.

With a toy poodle, you may have high vet bills to take care of the poodle. However, with a standard poodle, there should not be as much trouble, if any. Standard poodles have a sturdy build that can withstand kids.

Although standard poodles are best, there are many families who simply want a tiny dog.

If that is you, it’s okay. You can get a toy poodle. However, you will have to have time to teach your children how to treat the poodle.

Toy Poodles

Toy poodles are considered to be the least suited for families with children. Although they still have the many great qualities of poodles, they are small and not as good with children.

Toy poodles have the highest reputation for snapping at children out of all the types of poodles.

Patience is not as prominent with toy poodles.

Of course, every dog is different. There are many toy poodles out there who are incredibly sweet and patient. But, out of all the poodles, toy poodles are least likely to do well with kids.

Miniature Poodles

Miniature poodles are a great fit for families.

Out of all the types of poodles, miniature poodles are considered to be the most affectionate. You can count on mini poodles to cuddle with you and your children on the couch.

Miniature poodles are large enough to where children shouldn’t hurt them too badly.

However, it is still so important to teach your kids how to handle your poodle.

Standard Poodles

Standard poodles are considered to be the very best poodle you could get for your family.

Standard poodles are the largest and have the most energy out of all the poodles. However, they are the best fit for children. They will play well with your kids with a high amount of patience. And, it helps that they can withstand rough play.

What Poodles Have to Offer Children

Poodles are naturally great dogs for children. But what makes them so great as a family dog? There are many things that poodles have that make them a perfect fit for your family.

1. Poodles are Hypoallergenic

With children, it is possible that all of their allergies have not become prominent yet. You may be unaware of allergies. And even in adulthood, certain allergies can show up.

So, even with a knowledge of allergies, it is good to get a dog that won’t irritate any allergies.

Poodles hair is actually continually growing rather than shedding. Even though the hair does shoes, it gets caught up in the curls and does not fall on the floor or other places. This makes poodles hypoallergenic with little chances of irritating allergies.

2. A Sense of Responsibility

As a parent, we want the best for our children.

One of the things that we hope for our children to learn is responsibility. This is such an important thing for children to learn, and yet it can be one of the most difficult things to teach.

By having a dog, your kids will gain a sense of responsibility.

Especially if you leave your children in charge of things like filling up the food bowl, etc., your children will learn about being responsible.

3. Fun Tricks

Poodles are very, very intelligent. In fact, out of all of the dog breeds out there, poodles rank number two behind the border collie on intelligence.

So, what can you do with a poodle’s high intelligence?

Lots of tricks.

Kids simply love to watch dogs doing tricks and trying to make him/ her perform the trick. Depending on your kid’s age, they may even be able to train your poodle to do these trick.

But, even if the child is not responsible for training, they will love watching the process and be your poodle’s biggest supporter in learning new tricks.

It will take few repetitions for a poodle to learn tricks and your kid will just love it!

4. A Best Friend

For children especially, it is important to have someone there. Although they have you and possibly others, they will enjoy a new best friend as well.

Poodles bond to their owners easily.

Although poodles are not extroverts who love everyone including strangers, they do love their owners. In fact, the bond between a poodle and owner is higher than many other dogs because poodles are so loving and loyal.

Once a poodle loves you, he/ she will stay by your side forever.

The Downside of Having Poodles and Kids

As is the case with anything, there is good and bad.

The same applies to poodles. Although poodles are a great family dog, they are not perfect by any means.

Separation Anxiety

Unfortunately, along with the bond that is formed between a poodle and their owner, poodles have separation anxiety when left alone.

Poodles do not do well when left behind. If your poodle could make the decision, he/ she would stay by your side every second of the day. And yet, this isn’t a likely situation.

You cannot always be with your poodle.

Children will already have a hard time leaving the poodle behind. Depending on the age of your kids, leaving the house for a bit and saying goodbye to your poodle can be a huge event.

We’ve all seen kids throw tantrums about having to leave.

There is always a chance that your kid could throw a tantrum about leaving your poodle. Fortunately, this is just about the worst thing about having a poodle and kids.

Because poodles have separation anxiety, your kid may catch on to this.

If they catch on, it may be even harder for your kid to leave your poodle alone. Because it is necessary to leave your poodle at home sometimes, you should do the best you can to make sure your kid does not notice your poodle’s separation anxiety.

Grooming

Along with the loving and wonderful poodle, you will get a big old ball of hair.

Poodles are famous for their long curly hair. Although it looks beautiful and is so soft to pet, it is quite the hassle to take care of. In comparison to other dog breeds, poodles require the most grooming.

The most important thing that will need to happen in the house is daily grooming.

Poodles need to be thoroughly brushed through every day in order to prevent mattes, which could be painful to your poodle. Luckily for you, this is a task that you can hand on to your kids.

By brushing through the poodle’s hair, everything that has been caught inside of the hair including dirt and dander is able to be cleaned through.

Because mattes are such a common occurrence with poodles, more is required than daily grooming. You will have to take your poodle to a professional groomer every few months for a full short cut.

There are many different hairstyles which you can give your poodle.

This can be something that your children will enjoy with the poodles changing hairstyles. However, you can always keep the same hairstyle as well.

Overall the grooming required for poodles is extremely high.

Not only will this be bothersome to your time, but also to your bank account. You will truly find that adding a poodle to the family is similar to adding another child. Your poodle will require your time in money.

Adding one more thing to your do list, especially when you have children can seem like too much.

But in the end, you will just love your poodle, so it’s okay.

Welcoming a Poodle to Your Family

If you are like me and see more good than bad in having a poodle as the family dog, then I encourage you to take the next step into getting a poodle for your family.

But as you take these steps it is important that your children are ready for a dog. There are a few things that you should make clear to your children as far as behavior goes in order to avoid being bitten.

Although biting is not a common occurrence among poodles because of their patience, it is still possible.

So, what should kids know to avoid being bitten?

1. Don’t scream at the poodle. Poodles are sound sensitive. They are also very alert. So, when a child begins to scream in their ears, they may become irritated.
2. Do not play rough with the poodle. This can likely be resolved over time. Show how to hold and play with the poodle properly.
3. Don’t take the poodles toys. This point is important because some kids can’t tell when a dog wants to play or when they simply want their toy. Make sure your child never grabs the toy directly from the poodle’s mouth.
4. Don’t mess with the poodle while eating. Kids always want to play, even when you’re eating. But when they try to play with a poodle while eating, the poodle could become annoyed.

Overall, poodles are very patient and loving. You should not have any problems with your kids getting hurt from the poodle. However, it is important to teach them how to treat the poodle to ensure the poodle and your kid’s safety.

Poodles are great family dogs, and I would highly recommend them for you and your kids.