How to Care for a Poodle

Spay your female poodle before the first heat to prevent breast cancer and uterine infections. Neutering your male poodle will prevent testicular cancer, help maintain a healthy prostate and curb aggression.

Take your poodle for regular medical and dental checkups and stay current on vaccinations, flea and heartworm preventative. You can also do a monthly home exam of the skin, eyes, ears, nose, teeth and gums. Have your poodle's teeth scaled professionally; ask your vet or a teeth-cleaning professional to recommend a schedule. Preventative dental maintenance can include: feeding dry dog food (which can be mixed with canned or moist), tartar-control biscuits as treats and safe tartar-control chew toys. You may also choose to brush your poodle's teeth with a dog toothpaste.

Feed your poodle a nutritious diet with the proper balance of protein, carbs, fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals. If feeding a commercial dog food, choose a quality brand with meat as the first ingredient.

Poodles can live in apartments and don't require a yard. They should, however, be taken on daily walks and frequent off-leash romps for exercise and to prevent boredom. Toy and Miniature poodles are more active indoors than Standard Poodles.

Socialize your poodle at a young age to prevent behavioral problems. If not socialized early, they may become timid or high-strung.

Give your poodle patient and consistent training. They are very trainable and eager to please, but tend to be sensitive and don't respond well to harsh training methods.

Bathe your poodle when necessary with a mild dog shampoo and clean the ears regularly with baby oil or an ear cleaning solution for dogs. Make sure the coat is clipped at least every three months. Having it done by a professional is best for a poodle. The groomer will also clip the nails and remove hairs that grow in their ear canals that could cause infections. Brushing your poodle daily is a good way to prevent mats and tangles, plus it will make the grooming easier.