Poodle Size Guide
One breed name, three sizes, so the measurement matters even more than usual. Start with your Poodle’s variety, then measure.
Measure yours first
Length
From the tip of the nose to the base of the tail, with your dog standing calmly on a flat floor. The base is where the tail joins the body, the point where it starts to move when they wag. Stop there, not at the end of the tail.
Standing height
From the floor to the crown of the head, with your dog standing normally and the head not raised. If their ears stand up, measure to the ear tips as well, and send us both.
Breed charts usually give height at the shoulder, which is lower than the top of the head, so go by your own measurement.
The curl
Wait until your dog is asleep, then measure straight across the widest part of them, just as they’re lying, curled or stretched out. Don’t wake them or move them into position.
Measure twice and use the larger reading, rounded up to the nearest half inch.
The three Poodle sizes
Every size gives 6.4 inches of floor beyond the dog it is drawn for. Heights include the maple base. Where standing height calls for a larger size than length does, the larger size is the one we recommend, because the arch has to clear the head.
Questions
Which size is right for a Toy Poodle?
Most Toy Poodles land in Size 2 — Small, for dogs over 15 to 19 inches from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail.
Which size is right for a Miniature Poodle?
Most Miniature Poodles land in Size 4 — Medium, for dogs over 23 to 27 inches.
Which size is right for a Standard Poodle?
Most Standard Poodles land in Size 6 — Large, for dogs over 30 to 33 inches. A Standard Poodle who measures over 33 inches belongs in Size 7 — Grand. Grand and Estate are fully drawn and come in a later release. If your dog’s size is one of those two, tell us about them anyway, and we will write to you the moment their size opens.
My Poodle is between two varieties. What then?
Go by the tape rather than the name. Measure the length and the standing height, and the size follows from the table. If the two point to different sizes, the larger size is the one we recommend.
My Poodle is still a puppy. Which size do I need?
We size for the dog they are becoming rather than the puppy they are this month. Puppies are sized to their grown-up measurements, never to today’s, and the Concierge can help you get there.
The Atelier List
Hear when commissions open, with pricing and how to begin. Joining the Atelier List is free. Every other breed, and the size it usually lands in, is on Sizes by Breed.