Living with Standard Poodles
Exercise & Energy Level
Standard Poodles were bred to be water retrievers (bird dogs), like Labs / Goldens. They are very athletic dogs! Standard Poodles are not quiet, slow, lazy dogs, especially when they are young. They absolutely love to run, jump, play, explore, run, … did I mention RUN? In an ideal world, your Standard Poodle would get about 2-3 hours of outside running time per day – in 2 or 3 one-hour blocks, with a nice nap in between. Chasing balls is an all-time fave for most standards!
There are videos under in our Gallery tab, and on our social media sites, that show Luna running around. She will literally sprint across 5 acres of pasture, and then sprint back, 10 times per day. It's insane!
Is it possible to have a Standard Poodle in a city apartment? Yes; though you’d have to make a commitment to get outside to dog parks or long walks every day.
Anyone who has binge-watched Cesar Milan videos (the Dog Whisperer) has seen how many times he says this same thing: high-energy dogs need a daily “outlet” to burn off all that energy, and if they get that outlet, then they will be well-behaved INSIDE the house.
We run Luna around for an hour in the morning, and then put her in the house for 8-9 hrs while we go to work, and then run her around for another hour when we get home. If we do this, then she is very calm inside. But, on stormy days when she is “trapped” inside for 3 or 4 days in a row, she gets very feisty and starts getting in trouble (pulling bathmats out of the bathroom and running around, shredding a stuffed dog toy, etc).
If you don’t have the ability get a Standard Poodle outside to exercise several times a week, then you might prefer to have a Mini or Toy Poodle. They can be easily exercised INSIDE your house. A good “tag around the coffee table” game will really wear out a Mini!
Grooming & Feeding
Grooming: I know everyone comments on this, and it’s rather obvious. But, the hair maintenance for a Standard Poodle is a legit factor. Poodles do not shed. You can learn to groom / trim your Poodle yourself – it’s not that hard – but your dog will definitely need monthly grooming, and probably a bath every 2 weeks. For reference, a full Standard Poodle groom here in Central Texas with a professional groomer is about $100-120. That adds up over the years, for sure! You can shave your Poodle down to a very manageable short trim, which is easier to take care of and easy to learn to do yourself. And, compared to shedding breeds, you do not have to deal with constant shedding and “hair maintenance” around the house, which is really nice.
Food: Food costs for a Standard Poodle are mid-range for dogs. A typical female Standard is about 45#, and a male is 55-60#. Luna is VERY active every day, and she eats 3 cups of kibbles a day. I feed her Science Diet; most breeders use Science Diet, Purina Pro Plan, or the Costco brand (which I think is made by Diamond). I spend about $50/month (2025 dollars) on dog food. Compared to my Toys ($5-10/month), it's a lot. But compared to my friends with 100# dogs, it's not too bad.
