click for homepage
Michele Clay       386 345-3388

miniature poodle

I raise companion miniature poodles in black, brown, red, apricot, cream, parti, blue merle, chocolate merle, and phantom. A complete listing of my poodles is on the Site Directory. I also have information pages on blue merle poodles, phantom poodles, sable poodles, and parti poodles.

Available poodle puppies are listed on the Puppies page with links to pictures of puppies and parents. Due dates for expected litters are also on the Puppies page. If you don't live in Florida, and need information about shipping, please read the puppy shipping page.

poodle breed information Breed Information
Going by dog club standards, miniature poodles are over 10" and up to 15" at the shoulder. The weight can vary from approximately 10 to 17 pounds, sometimes more, depending on the dog. My breeding plan is to breed similar size or "up", with the goal of producing sturdy, intelligent, enjoyable puppies.

Over the course of many generations, the traditional colors of poodles have altered through natural mutation. Some of these colors, such as red, were accepted and encouraged by those who compete with their dogs. Bi-colors, such as phantom, parti, and merle, were not. A well cared-for miniature poodle can be expected to live from 13-15 years. They make excellent companions, and and can adapt to both city and country living. Depending on how they're raised, they can be friendly and outgoing, or very protective of their home. A poodle raised in the country would have no qualms about killing a rat or chasing a cat. Housebreaking a poodle is usually accomplished in a short period of time as they are a naturally clean breed. No dog is literally "non-shedding" or "hypo-alergenic", but poodles have hair, rather than fur, and shed very little once they have their adult coats.

Genetic problems in poodles Genetic Problems in the Poodle
Every breed seems to have one or more physical problems associated with that particular kind of dog. Miniature and toy poodles have a "predisposition" for luxating patellas (bad knees), which sometimes require surgery for repair, PRA (progressive retinal atrophy), which can cause blindness at an early age (no treatment, no cure; the first indication is night blindness), and epilepsy, which causes seizures. This is not to say most poodles have these ailments; just that these things can occur in a small percentage of poodles produced. When looking for a poodle puppy to purchase, it is important to observe the mobility (movement) of each puppy you're considering. Does the puppy run, play, and prance with a smooth, confident gait? Does it favor a back leg? Does it walk slowly and sit down often? These are things you can detect just by watching the puppies move about for a few minutes.

Legg-Perth's disease causes painful degeneration of the hip sockets. This situation can be greatly improved by surgically removing the ball of the affected hip. None of my dogs have this, nor have their grandparents or any of the poodles with my kennel name on them. Hip displasia is really more common in larger breeds. I, personally, have never known of a miniature poodle with hip displasia. Upon examination, my vet has not detected any hip or knee difficulties in any of my dogs. Diabetes and thyroid disease can also occur in poodles; no occurance of either in any of my dogs. While I don't claim to have "show dogs", I can say with certainty that my dogs are structurally sound. As an old friend used to say, "There's not a durn thing wrong with 'em!"


My Pack
Angelina Frodo Lola Rachel
Athena Gina Meagan Siberia
Coco Irfan Panda Taylor
Cody Kaizer Piper Thunder
Darla Katie Pony Timber
Eldon Layla Portia Toby
Valley Vesna

-- Back to Top --
[ Site Directory ] - [ Application ] - [ Shipping ] - [ Available Puppies ] - [ E-Mail ]