The Toy is 10 inches or under at the highest point of the shoulders.

The tiniest member of the Poodle family is the Toy. Bright, amusing, good natured and clever, the Toy Poodle can be an ideal companion for the less active and those with limited living space. The Toy Poodle  makes a fine little watch dog. They are protective of their home but not a dog that barks at every thing that moves. For those who need or want a little dog to pamper, the Toy Poodle seems to be perfect.
 

Smaller than the Toy Poodle are the Tiny Toy and Teacup Poodles which are not separately classified by AKC as of yet.  An adult Toy Poodle's normal weight range is between 6 and 10 pounds.   The Tiny Toy adult will weigh between 4 and 6 pounds while the Teacup Poodle will top the scales at between 2 & 4 pounds with three pounds being the average.
 

The poodle's coat is dense and harsh and comes in all solid colors. Poodles come in multi-colors too. It needs frequent brushing and regular professional grooming to maintain the desired shape. While adult show dogs are limited to two acceptable clips, the pet Poodle may be trimmed in a variety of styles, according to the owner's preference. The Toy Poodle is not fragile, but neither is it robust enough to be considered suitable as a small child's pet. Poodles and Children do fine together, but both need to be taught with patience how to treat the other. They need to know for certain what is and is not allowed.
 

The Miniature is 15 inches or under, with a minimum of 10 inches at the highest point of the shoulder. Miniatures were breed down from the Standard Poodle. The Miniature is the midsize Poodle. The acceptable adult show clips are the 'continental' and the 'English saddle'. They are improved and fancier versions of the original trim used on the Standard Poodle. The Original Poodle Trim was  to lighten the weight of the dog's coat when swimming to retrieve waterfowl. It also protected joints and vital organs from the cold. Extremely versatile, the Poodle was a favorite circus performer, easy to train and full of fun. In addition, his keen scenting ability often found the Poodle working during the winter months searching out the delectable subterranean fungus called truffles. The coat, colors, care and general conformation of the Miniature are identical, except for size. For this reason the Miniature Poodle  is an ideal size for city living, and their charming manners make them a welcome member of the family circle. Bright, intelligent and eager to please. Poodles enjoy obedience training.
 

The Standard is over 15 inches at the highest point of the shoulder.
 

Oldest of the three breeds of Poodle, the Standard is the original Poodle; which the Miniature and Toy were developed. The breed is a member of the family of water dogs and is closely related to the Portuguese water dog and the Irish Water Spaniel. Widely known throughout Europe as a retriever of waterfowl.

it is possible that either Germany or Russia was the Poodle's country of origin, although France seems to be the country most responsible for popularizing the breed both as a family pet and sporting dog. In that country, the breed is known as the 'caniche,' a name derived from the French word for duck. The average being from 22 to 26 in. The coat is dense and of harsh texture and may be in any solid color - red, black, blue, brown, gray, silver, cafe-au-lait, apricot, silver beige, cream and white - with dark pigmentation of nose, lips and eye rims preferred.
 

To keep the coat free of mats, it should be brushed frequently and clipped regularly. Most Poodles need to be clipped every 6 weeks, some prefer to have them groomed every 4 weeks. The Poodle's ears should be kept clean and the hair should be pulled out often to prevent the ear from becoming infected. With his stylish demeanor, clean habits, non-shedding coat and desire to please, the Poodle makes a superior house pet for town or country. The Standard needs best suited to living in the house with plenty of outdoor exercise and play.