'Low-shedding' gets marketed as 'low-maintenance' but the two aren't the same thing — a Poodle's coat mats quickly and needs professional clipping roughly every 4-6 weeks for the dog's entire life, an ongoing cost that never stops.
14years, median
1.5 years above the all-dog median of 12.5.
Measured, not estimated: the middle age at death across 584,734 UK dogs, 284,734 of them deceased. Based on 8,826 dogs of this breed (listed in the study as "Poodle"). 95% confidence interval 13.8 to 14.1 years. Half lived longer than this, half did not. UK dogs, so treat it as the best available figure rather than a promise about yours.
McMillan et al. 2024, Scientific Reports 14:531 — open access · CC BY 4.0Health tests to ask the breeder for
Poodle Club of America sets the tests a Poodle (Standard) needs for a CHIC number in the OFA's open database. A CHIC number means the tests were done and the results are public. It does not mean the dog passed them: ask for the results for both parents, or look them up yourself on ofa.org.
- Hip Dysplasia (OFA Evaluation or PennHIP Evaluation)
- Yearly Eye Examination by a boarded ACVO Ophthalmologist
- ONE health elective from: Autoimmune Thyroiditis (OFA evaluation); Sebaceous Adenitis (OFA evaluation by an approved dermatopathologist); Cardiac Evaluation (ACVIM board-certified cardiologist)
When to spay or neuter a Poodle: the UC Davis study of 35 breeds treats the three sizes separately. Its suggested guideline is any age for a Toy, a year or later for a Miniature male and two years or later for a Standard male, and any age for the females of all three. The spay and neuter page has the numbers behind it.
- Autoimmune Thyroiditis (OFA)
- Sebaceous Adenitis (OFA skin-punch biopsy)
- Cardiac Evaluation (ACVIM cardiologist)
- Neonatal Encephalopathy with Seizures (NEwS) DNA test (strongly recommended)
- von Willebrand Disease (vWD) DNA test (strongly recommended)
This is the Standard variety. Miniature Poodles: hips, eyes, patellas and the prcd-PRA DNA test. Toy Poodles: eyes, patellas and the prcd-PRA DNA test.
Test names as the club lists them; checked September 2026. OFA CHIC breed page. How to use this at the breeder: check a breeder.
Adopt a Poodle (Standard) near you
Shelters and rescues list Poodle (Standard)s and Poodle (Standard) mixes on Petfinder. Enter a ZIP code to see who is waiting within 100 miles.
Listings come from Petfinder and open there. Petipedia does not take part in adoptions and earns nothing from them.
Living with a Poodle (Standard)
Standard Poodles are working retrievers under the fancy haircut — genuinely athletic, and often ranked among the two or three smartest dog breeds, which cuts both ways: highly trainable, but they bore easily and will invent their own entertainment if under-worked. The coat is a real, recurring cost and time commitment, not a one-off grooming session, and this isn't a breed suited to being left alone and unstimulated for long stretches.
Health you should know about
- Addison's disease (hypoadrenocorticism) — Standard Poodles are one of the breeds most overrepresented for this hormonal disorder, which is life-threatening if undiagnosed and requires lifelong medication once found; genetic research into the breed is ongoing.
- Gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat) — a sudden, life-threatening emergency risk in this deep-chested large breed.
- Hip dysplasia — a real risk in the Standard size specifically (much less so in Toy or Miniature Poodles); screening of breeding stock is recommended.
- Sebaceous adenitis — an inherited skin condition causing hair loss, scaling and coat damage, disproportionately reported in Standard Poodles.
Read the full Dog Care Guide first — costs, daily time, and everything a dog needs before you choose a breed.
Naming a Poodle (Standard)? German dog and cat names, 88 of them, with what they mean.
Sources — 3 references
Last reviewed October 2026. 3 sources listed below. Written and maintained by Petdeals.io. General care information, not veterinary advice — for a sick animal, call a vet.