I haven't owned one, but some folks here do.

As far as barking, we trained our dachshund not to bark within 2-3 days. We kept him in a baby play pen with his crate. When he would bark, we immediately left the room until he stopped.

Now he never barks (well, he does a muffled alert "moof" once in awhile and has been known to bark quite loudly when a repairman comes in carrying lots of scary equipment), so I can take him to the office with me, and people think he is unable to bark.

So it can be done. You have to be consistent just as with any training method.

Hi Skye. While not being a poodle owner myself there is certainly no reason that a poodle like most dogs can't be trained to limit its barking. If you're meaning you want to avoid one of those "yappy" toy dogs it's normally not the dog it's the owners who make them that way and they do that simply by "carrying" the dog more than they let it walk on its own 4 feet and explore. From being carried all the time the dog naturally assumes a dominant role and since it can't do anything other than reamin stationary in your arms all it can do to protect you is yap, then snap at strangers who come to close in many cases. It's always better to have the dog on a leash and socialize it as if it was a german shephard because a toy poodle doesn't have any clue that it isn't. There is also no inherent differnce between the intelligence of a toy poodle as opposed to a miniature or standard poodle, all 3 sizes are on the top of the of the "intelligence" dog scale, up their with Border Collies and such so a poodle from a respectable breeder is a good choice. Healthwise/costwise,, not any different than any other dog.
Lastly,as you prolly know but others might not, there isn't any such thing as a teacup poodle, they only come in 3 sizes, standard, miniature and toy, The "teacup" referring to a small toy poodle. I'm not sure if a reputable toy poodle breeder would refer to them as such. perhaps someone else can answer that.

Teacup poodle isn't an AKC recognized breed, but there are a LOT of tiny poodles running around. All that means is that you can't show the dog. Labradoodles aren't AKC either, but you'd never know that when you plunk down over $1000 to buy one.
As far as healthwise, both the toy and teacups suffer from bad dental disease due to trying to fit a lot of teeth in a tiny little mouth. It's pretty common that toy breed dogs have bad teeth for the same reason. You can do a lot to delay the onset of dental disease, but you have to be prepared that there will probably be many dental prophys in the dog's life. Around here, that easily tops $150 each, not counting extractions, pre-prophy bloodwork, etc.
My 5 minute vet consult lists a HUGE number of potential poodle problems. Some I've actually seen are heart disease, Cushing's disease, luxating patellas, lupus, epilepsy, IV disk disease (serious back problem), tracheal collapse, urine problems (crystals especially but not such a huge problem in females), and various allergies and skin diseases. Some are easier to treat than others, some can be quite expensive (luxating patella surgery can cost easily $1000 per leg).
Both sizes are smart dogs as PKGuy says, and again the barking is controlled by good behavior training. It is extremely important for all dogs, regardless of size, to be trained not to nip (EVER!), bark, struggle to be held for physical exams, to take a pill, have ears and feet looked at, and especially for a dog like a poodle who will be groomed to behave in a civilized manner.
Being small, the cost of feeding probably negates the cost of grooming vs. a mini or standard poodle.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to educate me. I am still on the hunt for my poodle. Maybe I will try a poodle rescue center.

skye, I am a toy poodle mom.
Her name is Chelsea and she is the sweetest little
furbaby i've ever had.
She will be 13 in october and I have to tell you, she has brought us more joy.

Now the part about vet bills etc.
Poodles do have problems with their hearts, some even have
blindness ( Chelsea has been blind for a couple of years)
We have her groomed every other week, but that is just us.
She could go longer if I gave her a bath here at home in
between the clipping. I don't do that. It costs 15 to 25
dollars every time she goes to the groomer, depending on
whether she gets clipped or bathed and brushed.

We took her to the emergency room just 2 nights ago and
when we picked her up the bill was over 200 dollars.
She has Canine Altzheimers and was having a bad night.
She is on 2 medications and 2 different eyedrops. I
don't even know what they cost because whatever it is,
it is worth it to make her feel better and keep her
comfortable. There are pet insurance policies now and it might be worth looking into.

Poodles are smart, loving little dogs that don't leave hair
all over the furniture and you can read all about them and what
different diseases they are prone to have.
I would not suggest getting one from a puppy mill breeder.
The degenerative retina disease is passed on from
generation to generation and a good breeder wouldn't keep
breeding a dog with bad genes.

Good luck and rescuing a dog is a wonderful thing, just
don't expect a dog that you haven't raised and trained from
the beginning to be perfect.

OK, leave it to me to be the dissenting opinion, but if you want a toy breed, I say go for it. However, I would avoid anything that is labeled "teacup" or "apple-headed". AKC doesn't recognize those nominers for a reason. A toy poodle is tiny enough. A chihuahua is tiny enough*. How small do you want an animal to be?? I could go into a long genetic discussion here but I won't. I'll just say that there is a reason cousins shouldn't marry.

I'd say adore and love a toy poodle. If someone is breeding something *smaller* than that, then they are NOT considering genetics and the safety of the animal -- PERIOD.

nuff said about that -- there are those that will or won't agree. But I say whatever you wind up with, luv it and hug it on a regular basis :)

Cindy, I have no regrets about having Chelsea in my life.
She has been worth every penny we have spent on her
and we would have missed out BIG time if she hadn't been in our life.

Any dog or cat, if you take care of it will have some expenses.
Vet bills are sometimes very costly.

I agree with you.
If a poodle is what you want, then go for it.
Poodles are a wonderful breed.

If you want a pet...you can find very nice dogs that are not show quality for a reasonable price.

We live in the country, so we have ours groomed once every weeks in summer and go 5 to 6 weeks in winter. Since we are retired, we can bathe them in between. A healthy poodle has no doggy odor, and zero shedding. You have to comb or brush to get any hair out of them.

Doggy dental problems can be controlled with a little effort. You can teach them to let you brush their teeth starting when they are small. I use both doggie tooth paste and Nolvadent to reduce plaque. Takes just a few minutes of your time...you'd spend it playing with them anyway.

We have had a great variety of different breeds over the years, but none that I have enjoyed more. You really should see a 6'2" man walking a 5 pound poodle wearing a red sweater. Never thought I'd see the day he would give up dobbies and shepherds for a poodle. LOL

Cindy, I couldn't agree more. I'm disgusted by all the "teacup" breeds that are now being sold and bought as accessories. Everyone wants a dog they can fit in their purse. Hey, I'm all for little dogs. My pug is only 14 pounds, but she was bred for health, not size -- and it shows. Toy breeds are adorable, but let's face it, they have their issues. I'll never understand why any breeder would compound those by trying for the smallest pups possible. Oh wait, I *do* understand... cold, hard cash.

Please don't put money into the pockets of these backyard breeders and puppy millers. Buy a healthy, happy toy poodle from a reputable breeder, or fall in love with one from a rescue. You won't regret it in the end.

skye, I did a lot of research years ago and knew what I wanted when I started shopping for a puppy. Here is a pic of our Teacup Poodles. They are full of all kinds of mischief, and certainly love to bark for attention. But, we love them just the same!!! The female (on the left) is very small and dainty. She weighs in at 2 pounds and stands 7" tall. The male is heavier boned is shorter but weighs 2.5 pounds.

Oklahoma, I would love to chat with you. I'm curious if you might be the person that we purchased these babies from back in 2002.

Dear Chase,

Your babies are so sweet.
I am having a problem finding a teacup. I do want a healthy pet for sure. The cost is so much too. Seems as though some are selling poodles for breeding & show. I just need me a cute tiny pet that doesn't shed. That is why I chose a poodle.

We are retired and can not afford the kennel fees any more when we go away. Need for the dog to fit in a tote bag so when we travel, we can take the puppy in to restaurants or motels, hopefully without anyone knowing the differance. Besides I like having my pet with me at all times.

Does anyone have any suggestions on who is a good breeder and possibly have a pup that is healthy but reasonable in their prices? Puppies are nice because previous owners have trained the dog to their ways.

Thank you for all of your remarks to help me.

SKYE

Skye, good luck again on your quest of finding the perfect baby for you. Just make sure you do your homework before you get a puppy.

We've been lucky in that our babies biggest expense has been monthly grooming. We normally only visit the vet yearly. But did just recently have their teeth cleaned. Yuck, they sure needed it. But since then, we've learned not to feed them canned food.

The one thing I would tell you is that you want to see the parents to your baby. That is so important to me. I raised teacups back in the 80's and learned so much from parents of these puppies. You can tell a lot about temperament and looks. It is also difficult for people to have 'more than one' teacup in a litter. Be wary of that statement. I'm not saying it isn't possible, just not very likely.

When we purchased our babies, I was looking for a male 'black' teacup poodle. I had talked with the breeder many times and she told me that she would let me know when she had one. Months later she called to tell me that she had a very small 'white' male. I decided to see him and fell in love with him. LOL Then my hubby fell in love with a tiny little teacup female. Long story short.....we came home with two babies! LOL

If you want to email me (you can email me through my page) I will be more than happy to give you the phone number where we got our babies. The lady is most knowledgable and very nice to deal with.

Make sure you know that many very small dogs have a blood sugar problem. Some sites will tell you about hypoglocemia (I'm sure I didnt' spell that right). It will be important for you to know about this. It should not be a problem as long as you know the signs and are prepared. We gave our babies a couple of licks of honey daily until they were almost a year old. All you had to do is get out the little honey bear and they knew what they were getting. LOL

Again....good luck. I do hope that you find what you're looking for.

Would love to find a teacup male poodle if someone can help please e-mail me. Thanks Brenda

I have not read any of the above postings, I suggest you check with pocket pets, an on line rescue for small dogs. I know a couple of issues with the small breeds, they usually have trouble with injuring their knees. Our chihuahua did this, and the orthopedic surgeon said it was one of the most prominant problems.

Hi, I just got my baby "kisses" to me she looks like she has greenish color eyes is this possible? I have heard that there is no poodles with such . how can I post a pic of her? to me she is adorable , she is just a pet quality , she even came with a hernia but I only paid $150 so I guess is no big deal other than that she is perfectly normal.

Posted by kissesmom (My Page) on Wed, Jan 31, 07 at 12:34

Hi, I just got my baby "kisses" to me she looks like she has greenish color eyes is this possible? I have heard that there is no poodles with such . how can I post a pic of her? to me she is adorable , she is just a pet quality , she even came with a hernia but I only paid $150 so I guess is no big deal other than that she is perfectly normal.

How old is the puppy? If she is very young she will have a blue/green cast to her eyes. What kind of breeder sells a puppy with a hernia? Your 150.00 may well cost you thousands in the end. Just because your puppy looks normal doesn't mean a thing.

Hi Skye, I have a wonderful miniature poodle, he is the most intelligent furry kid I've even had and I can't say enough good things about poodles! However, not all poodles are the same! If you're not careful, you'll easily end up with one that may look like a poodle but has the temperament of a yappy terrier, aggressive-fear biting chihuahua, and/or the obedience-intelligence of a beagle.

As with all breeds, you need to make sure whatever furry kid you have should have the best 1) temperament and 2) health. I can't stress enough on these two points! Poodles have been over-bred and unfortunately, most of the ones I've seen out there have really bad genetic diseases (that don't show up much later in life). Many have really bad temperaments, possibly due to the upbringing (lack of socialization) and genetics. Do NOT buy from pet stores because most of them are from puppy mills and you'll end up with lots of problems down the road. Make sure you've done a thorough check on the background. I know this takes a tremendous amount of time, but by doing so you'll save THOUSANDS of dollars of vet bills and heart-aches in the future. Here's a decent site for reference:
http://petgiving.com/adopt/breeders.html

Lastly, note that for hundreds of years, poodles have been bred for primarily intelligence and companionship. When you breed for certain attributes, you often lose other attributes, like their fighting/guarding abilities, their health (they need a bit more maintenance than other breeds), etc. If you don't have the experience, time (for training), discipline, the money for grooming, and possibly lots of money for vet bills, poodles are probably not the breed to look for. If you do have all of the above however, they're the best of the best.

Good luck and please keep us updated on your furry kid search!

Here is a link that might be useful: Things to look for in a breeder

The temperament of Toy Poodle is that they are remarkably intelligent. Highly responsive, they are said to be one of the most trainable breeds. Sweet and cheerful. They like to be with people. Toy Poodles are generally good with other pets and dogs. Unless given rules to follow and trained properly, this breed will tend to bark a lot. If you train the dog to only bark as a watchdog they tend to not bark as much. A toy poodle puppy will cost about $500-$1000 and up.

I have had three mini poodles. the last one passed away and we adopted a rescue toy poodle between 8 and 10 years old with no teeth and only 1 eye. the other eye was removed because it was infected. She has turned into the most loving, sweet, smartest little dogs ever. We have had her for 7 weeks now and she is totally beautiful. I take her with me all over and she is so charming. I would say go for what ever you want. I was a little hesitant to adopt an older dog because I did not want another painful death experience too soon, but I am so glad I did.

i have a one year old tea cup poodle. He is very smart playful and runs the household. He was not breed to be a tea cup. His parents weighed in at five pounds each. He just turned out to be very small. I wanted a poodle for my daughter who has allergies and he does not shed. I just want people to know that every tiny poodle was not breed to be that small. I hurts my feelings when my vet says that they should not be breed to be so small and i have to explain that he was just the smallest of the litter. My child fell in love with him. So not all of us are looking for something to fit in our purse. My dog does have some problems with his knee but we are watching and taking care of him. He is one of the family.

We have chance to get 8 month old teacup from breeder who can't breed her, too tiny. 2 1/2 lbs. Does anyone out there have a healthy, lively poodle that size? Can they break bones really easily? We have no kids but I'm still nervous.

They will break easily and will need steps to get on and off beds and sofa. They do tend to have different problems pop up and may require much more vet care, so I'd start a vet bill saving account.

They get chilled very easily..I recommend if you live in a cold climate to be careful with heat control.

They love to lay under blankets and pillows so make it a habit of checking before sitting down.

Potty training can be a never ending chore. Tiny little bladders so they can't hold it and tend to go indoors more frequently, I recommend potty pads for night or when your gone.

No kids is the best.

They have a lot of energy and burn it off quickly so you should make sure they eat tiny meals more frequently so their blood sugar doesn't drop.

These are adorable and loveable little guys and love to be babied.

Good luck and keep us informed....