It's a bummer that there aren't medium poodles (otherwise known as moyen, klein, mellom...) well established in the US. They fall between mini and standard poodles, and are a brilliant size for a small dog who's a bit bigger and sturdier than the minis. Sadly, there's very few reputable breeders of them in the US, because it's not a size recognized by the American Kennel Club or the United Kennel Club (though many reputable European kennel clubs do recognize it).
Poodles are in general very people-focused and eager to work with you. They're considered easy to train, but keep in mind that intelligence also means that they're good at learning things you don't mean to teach them, too... like how if they bark or paw at you you give them attention (any attention is good attention to many dog). Or how your jacket pockets sometimes have stray dog treats to root out. Or how to open the sliding glass door to the backyard. They do need to be kept mentally stimulated so they don't get in too much trouble.
Mine is a pretty good alert barker when he thinks something weird or exciting is going on. Height really doesn't make a big difference, imo - if they can't see the thing, they can hear it. My poodle always knew exactly when it was my wife coming up the stairs to our first apartment's door, despite being in a communal building with other people going up and down regularly.
Plenty of poodles make good family dogs, although it is important that you're aware that minis can be delicate and kids can't roughhouse or manhandle them. Definitely look for a breeder who is breeding dogs that are thriving in family setting and have a temperament and energy you enjoy. Even if the breeder is very excellent and reputable and producing wonderful, healthy dogs, it's a bad match if most of their dogs are going to competitive sports homes because they're high energy, intense, and need lots of exercise and stimulation.
But keep in mind that some dogs - even great dogs - don't do well in doggy daycare or dog park situations. They can be very chaotic and high-energy, and overwhelming for some dogs. My own poodle is a very poor fit for this kind of dog-dog interaction, and trying to force these interactions on him has made him very insecure and snappy around strange dogs. A dog walker who handles a single dog at a time is a better fit for most dogs if you need some extra help with exercise!
Poodles are in general very people-focused and eager to work with you. They're considered easy to train, but keep in mind that intelligence also means that they're good at learning things you don't mean to teach them, too... like how if they bark or paw at you you give them attention (any attention is good attention to many dog). Or how your jacket pockets sometimes have stray dog treats to root out. Or how to open the sliding glass door to the backyard. They do need to be kept mentally stimulated so they don't get in too much trouble.
Mine is a pretty good alert barker when he thinks something weird or exciting is going on. Height really doesn't make a big difference, imo - if they can't see the thing, they can hear it. My poodle always knew exactly when it was my wife coming up the stairs to our first apartment's door, despite being in a communal building with other people going up and down regularly.
Plenty of poodles make good family dogs, although it is important that you're aware that minis can be delicate and kids can't roughhouse or manhandle them. Definitely look for a breeder who is breeding dogs that are thriving in family setting and have a temperament and energy you enjoy. Even if the breeder is very excellent and reputable and producing wonderful, healthy dogs, it's a bad match if most of their dogs are going to competitive sports homes because they're high energy, intense, and need lots of exercise and stimulation.
But keep in mind that some dogs - even great dogs - don't do well in doggy daycare or dog park situations. They can be very chaotic and high-energy, and overwhelming for some dogs. My own poodle is a very poor fit for this kind of dog-dog interaction, and trying to force these interactions on him has made him very insecure and snappy around strange dogs. A dog walker who handles a single dog at a time is a better fit for most dogs if you need some extra help with exercise!
