How Long Do Toy Poodles Live? Life Expectancy Facts You Should Know

Toy Poodles are a great pet to have as they can be easily trained and are not only good-looking but also smart and intelligent.

You can often find a Toy Poodle participating in various dog events and exercises as they are also well known for their agility. At the same time, they have proven themselves at tracking exercises too in the past and are famous for their excellence in water activities too.

You can find three kinds of Poodles generally; the Standard Poodle, the Miniature Poodle and the Toy Poodle with the Standard Poodle being the tallest of all and the Toy Poodle the shortest. These are the general three types of Poodles that are recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) but there are more types of Poodles that do exist. Other than the Standard Poodle, the Miniature Poodle and the Toy Poodle, the American Kennel Club does not recognize the other main variants as well as the various mixed breeds which are known as Doodles. The Royal Standard Poodle is the main variant not recognized separately by the AKC, they consider it as a Standard Poodle but interestingly, a Royal Standard Poodle is taller than a Standard Poodle. A Standard Poodle has an average height of 15 in (38 cm) or slightly more and a weight of around 45-70 lb (20-31.8 kg). The Royal Standard Poodle has bigger feet and chest than a Standard Poodle which makes these Poodle types taller and heavier than the Standard ones. The Royal Standard Poodle weighs around 50-80 lb (22.7-36 kg) and has an average height of 23-27 in (58-68.6 cm). Other than the physical aspect, the traits and features of both these dog types are quite similar. Similarly, there are other Poodle types too not recognized by the AKC, they include the Klein Poodle and the Teacup Poodle. The Klein Poodle is also treated as a Standard Poodle by most of the organizations but their body dimensions are somewhat smaller than an average Standard Poodle. A Klein Poodle weighs around 40-50 lb (18-22.7 kg) which is slightly less than the average weight of Standard Poodles of 45-70 lb (20-31.6 kg). The Teacup Poodle, on the other hand, is not the preferred Poodle to go for according to various buyers. The Teacup Poodle is regarded as a smaller version of Toy Poodles in physical dimensions but they aren't the smartest of dogs out there. Over the years, the Teacup Poodle has not been the first choice of most dog owners. Additionally, similar to the Royal Standard Poodle and the Klein Poodle, the Teacup Poodle is also not recognized by the American Kennel Club. Apart from these unrecognized main variants, there are various Doodles or mixed variants too that do exist. Some of the most common hybrids which exist include Cockapoo, Cavapoo, Labradoodle, Shihpoo and many more. Now the life expectancy of these Poodles depends upon their size and their health condition. This is a rule of thumb that is applicable to all dog breeds - the larger the dog in size, the lower is its life expectancy and vice versa. The reason behind this pattern is, a dog larger in size ages physically at a faster rate than a medium or small dog. Thus, among Poodles, the Standard Poodle has the lowest life expectancy and the Toy Poodle the highest.

If you enjoy this article, why not also read about how long do Rottweilers live and how long do Labradors live here on Kidadl?

The Average Lifespan Of A Toy Poodle

On average, the lifespan of a Poodle is around 11-15 years but there are a number of factors that play a pivotal role in a Poodle's lifespan. The size of a Poodle and its existing health problems, if any, are the biggest factors upon which a Poodle's lifespan often depends. Dogs in general and Poodles in specific live longer if they are smaller in size but have a relatively smaller lifespan if they are large in size. This might seem absurd to certain potential owners who are planning on getting a pet dog but the underlying reason behind this phenomenon is, dogs larger in size physically age faster than the smaller ones. Other than size, the health problems or diseases in dogs are another reason which can directly add or reduce years to a dog's lifespan. In order to counter these health issues, owners can take their dogs for a daily walk or some regular exercise, playing some fetch. These activities keep dogs of all breeds healthy and reduce the chances of diseases or health issues.

Now, coming on to the life expectancy of tiny Toy Poodles, this dog's lifespan ranges from 14-18 years with the pinpoint average age being 16 years. From the perspective of a dog world, the Toy Poodle lives many years more than a Standard Poodle as the latter's average lifespan is 12 years. Once again we see this matter even though both the dogs are of the same breed as a Toy Poodle is smaller in size than a Standard Poodle. These Toy Poodles tend to have a long lifespan if their owners take good care of their timely grooming responsibilities, i.e. their teeth, skin, coat and keep their entire body free from any diseases. Additionally, at times, if a Poodle doesn't get affected by a life-threatening disease such as cancer or heart disease, then a Poodle's lifespan grows manifold. Although on numerous occasions it has been seen that if heart diseases or cancer have been diagnosed at an early stage by a veterinarian, the Poodles then go on to live their entire lifespan. A Poodle's life greatly depends upon how it is taken care of. This is the case with a number of other pet animals as well and not only Miniature, Toy and Standard Poodles.

How To Improve The Life Expectancy Of Toy Poodles

The key to a long and healthy life of a Poodle lies in its ancestral traits. Lately, owing to the looks of a Poodle, we think it to be a fashionable dog as a sophisticated animal but in reality, Poodles enjoy physical work and at times need it to live their age of 14 or 15 years old. During the olden days, breeds like Poodle were extensively used for labor, especially as water retrievers, and this ensured that they did a considerable amount of physical work and exercise. It is important for Standard, Miniature and Toy Poodles as well to keep exercising in order to avoid diseases and live a healthy life. Back in times when Poodles naturally did a lot of exercise, they did not have a lot of health problems and lived for several years. Other than exercise, proper grooming of a Poodle's skin is also essential in it living the number of years it can and it should.

Poodles are naturally quite intelligent and energetic, in order to live a long and healthy life for years to come, they must undertake regular physical and mental activities. Playing fetch, taking your dog to a park, training it, playing some sniffing exercises with it are some of the best ways of keeping a Poodle lively and avoiding any untimely death due to health problems. Although it has been generally seen that Standard Poodles or Miniatures or Toy Poodles all die of either heart diseases or cancer, this is not an issue if they live the entire lifespan that they are supposed to. If you consult with a veterinarian, they might perhaps say the same thing about how an active lifestyle helps keep a Poodle healthy and minimize the chances of Toy Poodle health problems. This can be vouched for by the age of the oldest Toy Poodle who ever lived, it was a dog named Seamus, who went on to live till it was 20 years old owing to its healthy lifestyle and good eating habits. Along with keeping your dog active, it is equally important to be conscious of its diet, unhealthy food can damage your dog's health. Especially in the case of Standard Poodles who frequently tend to suffer from gastrointestinal issues and if not taken care of properly, they may turn to be quite fatal eventually. In serious cases, the wise decision is always to consult a vet at the soonest about how to deal with the issue at hand. Owners love it when their puppy is happy after getting a treat such as that of a sweet or some other food, but what dog parents often disregard is the frequency in which they offer these treats to their pet. Treats are healthy for a dog as long as they are in a restricted manner, whenever you include excess amounts of such food in your dog's diet it may not be healthy for its consumption. This unhealthy food that we offer as treats contains high amounts of sugar and preservatives which are extensively harmful for consumption by all dogs. They do not need such high amounts of sugar in their diet, their intake can not only damage the teeth of your dog but oftentimes lead to an untimely death. Apart from high sugar content food, there are also certain types of bones that aren't exactly healthy for dog consumptions. These bones can at times get stuck in the throat of your Poodle and lead to a horrendous situation. Chicken bones and deer antlers are some such kinds of bones that you must avoid giving to your Poodle. Now apart from food habits, in order to increase the life expectancy of your Poodle, you can tend to grooming its skin or coat on a regular basis. Breeds such as the Poodle have very thick and curly hair, it is essential for owners to take extensive care of this aspect of their dog's body. If their coat isn't brushed for a couple of days, it can lead to infections or diseases in no time. Bathing your Poodle with a vet-recommended shampoo is a good way of keeping your Poodle's body free from any sort of infections. At the same time, you can also go to a vet to trim some extra hair on your dog's body, it would reduce the chances of infection and free your Poodle from the extra weight it was carrying around. Moreover, with a reduction in the density of its fur, it would be easier for you too to brush its hair and keep it healthy for the years to come. These are some ways you can undertake to increase the life expectancy of your Poodle to some extent and at least make it healthily live its entire lifespan.

Causes For Death In Toy Poodles

There are several reasons which do not allow dogs to live longer than average most of the time. Dogs in general and Poodles specifically suffer from these diseases more than some other dog breeds. A Toy Poodle's average life span is around 16 years, it can live longer if proper care is taken of its health ranging from its food habits to its grooming to regular exercise. However, at times even after owners undertake all kinds of steps, Poodles die an early death. Heart diseases, diabetes, joint problems top the list in the causes leading to the death of a Poodle.

Apart from the other severe diseases, the majority of dogs suffer from various kinds of chronic diseases with issues in their teeth being the most common one. Whenever there is an accumulation of tartar in the teeth of the Poodle, there are chances of dental diseases. This is applicable not only for Toy Poodles but also for Miniature Poodles and Standard Poodles. It is important that you take your Poodle to a vet at the soonest and address the issue at hand. Dental issues might seem trivial but they are quite severe as loss of a tooth or a couple of teeth can lead to issues in the kidney or even the heart which can be life-threatening and cut down the life of your Poodle by two to three years at an average. Turning towards the diseases which have been among the leading causes of Poodle death, heart disease is right at the top of that list. In the recent past, heart disease is the leading cause for Poodle death, it is the weakening of a nerve in the heart which leads to this issue. It can be prevented to a certain extent by early diagnosis from a good vet and proper dental care. If a problem in the heart is detected with time in hand, with proper treatment and medication, a vet could perhaps prolong the eventually inevitable death. Cushing's disease is another very common reason behind the death of dogs and unfortunately, the Poodle breed is more susceptible to this issue than other breeds. The body of the dog produces an excess of steroid hormone under this condition due to a malfunction in the adrenal glands. You can perhaps detect this condition if your dog is eating, drinking and urinating more than usual. It is important that you get in touch with a vet at the soonest to deal with this issue, although oral medications are the only way to treat this disease. Diabetes in the Poodle breed is witnessed extensively these days as a lot of other dog breeds too are suffering from this disease. Diabetes might be a very common household term, but do not mistake it to be an ineffective issue as diabetes in dogs is quite harmful. Once affected, dogs are then unable to regulate their body's sugar metabolism and would require insulin injections on a regular basis. Several tests have to be conducted to detect this issue and then consult with your vet to decide on the treatment to undertake for your puppy. If treated properly with all the required resources, then the lifespan of a Poodle suffering from diabetes is the same of a Poodle suffering from no health conditions. Joint problems affect a Poodle's life to a great extent, although some Poodles live the rest of their lives dealing with joint pains and getting them treated with all the requisite medication. The only positive for a Poodle puppy in this condition is, whatever be the joint or muscle issue, it can be treated but the owner needs to be very careful with taking care of their Poodle puppy to ensure their Poodle's life is worth living.

Toy Poodles' Lifespan Compared To Other Poodle Types

There are several types of Poodles but only three of them are recognized by the American Kennel Club, the Standard Poodle, the Miniature Poodle and the tiny Poodle. Among these three types, the Toy Poodle's life expectancy is the highest, whereas, the average living age of a Standard Poodle is the lowest. This is the common pattern that prevails unless there are some external factors such as a life-threatening disease your puppy is suffering from. It can then change the number of years your Poodle may survive and it can well be less than the average age of a Poodle. Problems like heart diseases or cancer are the leading causes of such conditions. Some of the other Poodle breeds which aren't recognized by the American Kennel Club but are recognized by other organizations include the Royal Standard Poodle, the Klein Poodle and the Teacup Poodle.

The Royal Standard Poodle and the Klein Poodle are regarded as Standard Poodles and roughly have a similar life span of 10-14 years. On the other hand, the Teacup Poodle is regarded as a kind of Toy Poodle and thus has a greater life expectancy than the Royal Standard and Klein. The inverse relationship between the size of the dog and the life expectancy of the dog plays a key role in these conditions. Now let us take a look at Miniature Poodle vs Toy Poodle lifespan with both these kinds of Poodles being recognized by the American Kennel Club. The Miniature Poodle is larger in size than the Toy Poodle but smaller than a Standard Poodle, its life expectancy is thus 13-15 years, slightly less than that of Toy Poodles. The Toy Poodles live for 16 years on average. Even though both these breeds of dogs have pretty similar traits and characteristics, one has a higher life expectancy than the other as due to its smaller size, the Toy Poodle ages physically at a slower rate than a Miniature Poodle or a Standard Poodle. For instance, if we compare the ages of a Standard Poodle with that of a Toy Poodle, a 13-year-old Toy Poodle if converted into human years is 68 years old. Whereas, on the other hand, if a Standard Poodle is 13 years old and we convert its age into human years, it is 80 years old. This shows that even though they are broadly of the same breed, their life expectancy differs due to their size.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how long do Toy Poodles live then why not take a look at how long do Great Danes live, or Toy Poodles facts?