Learn How to Measure a Poodle’s Height and Weight Easily

Zack Keithy, our author, is a certified veterinarian technician (UC Blue Ash) for over 6 years (contact him here). The articles written here are based on his expertise and experience, combined with a review by our expert vet reviewers including Dr M. Tarantino. Learn more about us here.

Ever found yourself pondering how to measure a poodle’s height and weight?

From the top of their elegant, curly heads to the tip of their wagging tails, you will learn how to accurately gauge their height and weight.

So whether you’re a curious poodle parent or a seasoned breeder seeking precision, continue reading on as we demystify the art of poodle measurement, one paw at a time.

Let’s get measuring!

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What Are the Typical Sizes of Poodles by Age?

There are 3 main poodle sizes: standard, miniature, and toy.

Although they appear under the umbrella term of “poodle,” there are significant differences from one another when it comes to their sizes.

The following will help you make sense of the typical sizes of poodles by age, including their heights and weights!

Standard poodles

AgeWeightHeight
1 month5-9 lb (2.2-4 kg)10″ or less
2 months16-20 lb (7.2-9 kg)12-13”
3 months22-26 lb (9.9-11.7 kg)14-17″
4 months30-35 lb (13.6-15.8 kg)18-19″
5 months35-41 lb (15.8-18.5 kg)18-23″
6 months41-48 lb (18.5-21.7 kg)18-23″
7 months48-55 lb (21.7-24.9 kg)18-24”
8 months50-57 lb (22.6-25.8 kg)18-24”
9 months52-61 lb (23.5-27.6 kg)23-27”
10 months55-63 lb (24.9-28.5 kg)23-27”
11 months57-68 lb (25.8-30.8 kg)23-27”
12 months60-70 lb (27.2-31.7 kg)23-27”
Estimates only, based on male standard poodles

Standard poodles grow steadily upon their birth and stop growing when they turn 2 years old.

Though standard poodles might be taller and bigger than miniature and toy poodles, they are considered medium-sized dog breeds.

From birth to the 4th week, a standard poodle will grow to around 10 inches in height and 5 to 9 pounds in weight.

If you ask me, I’d say that this is a common size of newborn pups from medium-sized breeds.

Come the 4th to 8th weeks, a standard poodle may grow from 10 to 13 inches in height and 16 to 20 pounds in weight.

These are the weeks when the pup still heavily relies on breastfeeding. Hence its growth is still minimal as it only feeds to appease its hunger.

But when the standard poodle moves from 2 to 4 months old, they are already eating dog food and such. Thus, it can already grow to 13 to 19 inches in height and up to 35 pounds in weight.

Later on, that height and weight will increase more as the standard poodle turns 4 to 8 months. Typically, it will already be 19 to 23 inches tall with a weight of up to 57 pounds by then.

An 8-month to 1-year-old standard poodle may have a growth spurt. At the higher end of the scale, it’ll weigh up to 70 pounds while standing tall at 23 to 27 inches.

At this point, its growth will start to decline and by the time a standard poodle turns 2 years old, its growth will have stopped. By this age, its height will no longer go above 24 to 27 inches though its weight may still go along 38 to 70 pounds.

Standard poodles will no longer grow after two years, and it’s doubtful that they’ll grow taller than 27 inches.

Miniature poodles

AgeWeightHeight
2 months2 – 3lb (1-1.4kg)4-7″
4 months4 – 6lb (1.8-2.7kg)7-10″
6 months6 – 9lb (2.7-4kg)9-13″
8 months7 – 10lb (3.18-4.5kg)10-14″
10 months8 – 12lb (3.6-5.5kg)10-14″
11 months9 – 13lb (4.1kg-6kg)10-14″
12 months10 – 15lb (4.5kg-7kg)10-15″
Estimates only, based on male standard poodles

Poodles are miniature if they stop growing at 10 to 15 inches in height. Such size makes for a “mini” version of a standard poodle, hence the name.

From birth to 4 weeks, a miniature poodle is only 4 inches and below in height and will only weigh less than 2 pounds. 

Around 4 to 8 weeks, it’ll grow to around 4-7 inches in height with 2 to 3 pounds of weight.

At 2 to 4 months, you’ll see considerable growth as a miniature poodle will already stand 7 to 10 inches tall with a weight of 4 to 6 pounds.

When a miniature poodle turns 4 to 8 months, you’ll notice that its height will only be comparable to that of a month-old standard poodle.

Its weight is also similar since it’s only 7 to 10 pounds. Just imagine how smaller a miniature poodle is compared to a standard poodle!

A miniature poodle will only grow to 10 to 14 inches tall and weigh 11 to 15 pounds when it turns 8 to 12 months old.

At 1 year and 6 months old, a miniature poodle will stop growing. This gives it a maximum height of 15 inches and a weight of around 15 pounds.

You see, a miniature poodle’s standard full-grown size is merely the approximate size of a 2-month-old standard poodle.

Toy poodles

Toy poodles are very small poodles that are too small to be called “mini.” YES, that’s how small toy poodles are.

In fact, from birth to 4 weeks old, they are merely less than two inches in height and only weigh around 1 pound.

At 8 to 10 weeks, a toy poodle will hardly grow 3 to 8 inches tall with a weight of 2 to 4 pounds.

Come around 3 to 6 months, and a toy poodle will stand 8 to 10 inches tall and weigh 3 to 8 pounds.

A toy poodle will stop growing around 8 to 12 months. Hence it’ll only have a height of 10 inches and will weigh 10 pounds max.

That’s the standard size of a 2 to 4-month-old miniature poodle!

There is also another group called teacup poodles, and they, my friend, are the smallest poodles in the world.

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Factors That Affect a Poodle’s Height and Weight

Diet

The size of a poodle, whether standard, miniature, or toy, might still change based on its diet.

If you’re feeding your standard poodle too little, then it’ll be possible that it might grow smaller than the usual standard poodle size.

The same goes for your toy poodle. If you’re feeding it rather too much, then its size may become bigger than how much it should be.

Exercise and Health

If your poodle is an active dog who constantly plays and runs around with perfect health vitals, then its size will be that of the standard for its type.

However, if your dog is a bit lazy and doesn’t do well with physical activity, chances are it might exceed the typical size for its breed.

Some health conditions also trigger weight gain or loss. Thus, the health of a poodle greatly impacts its height and weight.

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What Tools Do You Need to Measure a Poodle?

What Tools Do You Need to Measure a Poodle

Cloth Measuring Tape

A cloth measuring tape is a measuring tool that can give you the closest measurements of your poodle.

It’s accurate and very flexible to work around your wriggling pup. It’s not uncomfortable, and your dog won’t even notice that he’s being measured.

Metal Ruler

You can use a metal ruler to measure a poodle, but it’s quite hard to navigate when your dog is hyper.

It can’t be bent or adjusted. That’s why it usually produces inaccurate measurements sometimes.

Pet Scale

If you wanna measure the weight of a poodle, a weighing scale that’s exactly made for pets is what you should use.

Using weighing scales for hoomans won’t do because their surface is small. This will cause a poodle to wriggle its way out of the scale easily.

Steps on How to Measure the Height of a Poodle

How to Measure the Height of a Poodle

Get on a flat surface and find the withers of your dog

Finding the withers of your dog is simple since it’s just the highest point of your pup’s shoulders.

You’ll have to measure your dog on a flat surface, though, so that you’ll be sure that the measurement is precise.

Use a flat block to mark a spot on the wall

You can use a book or a piece of wood as a flat block that you can place horizontally on top of your dog’s withers.

Make sure that the flat block is balanced as you mark that spot on the wall at the top edge of the block.

The mark you made with the use of a flat block on the wall is a sign of your dog’s height.

Measure from the floor to the mark

Now that you’ve created the mark measure the height from the floor to the mark on the wall.

Whatever number appears on your measuring tape is the height of your doggy.

But make sure that the measuring tape is aligned with the wall!

Create your own wicket

You can make your measuring tool in the form of a wicket too! 

A wicket consists of two upright sticks with a horizontal crosspiece at the top. The upright sticks have their measurements in inches or centimeters. 

You’ll simply have to place your dog between those sticks and lower the horizontal crosspiece until it reaches your dog’s withers.

Use a height indicator tape ruler

Using a height indicator tape ruler is by far the easiest way to measure a dog’s height.

A height indicator tape ruler is a flexible measuring tool you can easily hold against a poodle’s withers.

The tape should be aligned from the ground to the withers for a precise measurement.

How to Measure a Poodle’s Wither to Tail Length?

To measure the wither of a poodle to tail length, simply use a measuring tape, then start on the base of its neck.

Extend the measuring tape to the base of the tail, just where the tail begins. After that, check where the measuring tape ends.

You can do this process twice just to make sure that the digits are correct. 

How to Measure the Weight of a Poodle?

Our dogs are not always cooperative when it comes to staying still, and that’s a problem when we wanna take their weight.

Here’s a simple way to do it with them:

  • Weigh yourself on a weighing scale and take note of your weight.
  • Carry your poodle and weigh yourself together with the poodle on a weighing scale.
  • Subtract your original weight and the weight when you were carrying the poodle.

Whatever the result is, that’s the weight of the poodle. You can do it a couple of times and use the average to be more accurate.

How Often Should You Weigh Your Poodle?

I think this really depends on a few factors.

Typically, you would weigh your poodle a lot more often during its puppy and adolescence period.

This is the time when your dog will be growing quite a fair bit and you definitely want to be on top of things and know that they are growing at a good rate.

I would say, once a week or fortnight is good enough.

When they are in their adulthood, it’s typical to weigh your poodle once a year only, but I mean, who’s stopping you from doing it more often if you have your own weighing scale.

How Should You Keep Track of Your Poodle’s Weight

An easy way to keep track of your poodle’s weight is to take notes of each of its weights every time you weigh your poodle.

Record your poodle’s weight on a small notebook that you can easily access.

Or if you know how to navigate Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, then you better use it to record both the weight and height of your poodle.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How big is a full-grown poodle?

A full-grown standard poodle is more than 15 inches tall; a miniature poodle should be 15 inches and below in height, while a toy poodle won’t grow above 10 inches tall.

When is a poodle considered fully grown?

A poodle is considered fully grown once it turns 2 years old.

How do you measure the height of a toy poodle?

To measure the height of a toy poodle, you first need to find its wither. After that, use a measuring tape to get an accurate measurement. Then measure the poodle from the ground up to its wither.

How big should a 6-month-old poodle be?

A 6-month-old standard poodle should be 19 to 23 inches tall with a weight of 23 to 45 pounds. Meanwhile, a 6-month-old miniature poodle should be 9 to 13 inches tall and 7 to 10 pounds. A 6-month-old toy poodle, on the other hand, is fairly small, with 8 to 10 inches tall and weighing 3 to 8 pounds.

In Conclusion: How to Measure a Poodle’s Height and Weight?

Measuring a poodle’s height and weight doesn’t have to be a daunting task anymore.

Armed with the knowledge and techniques shared in this blog post, I’m sure you’re now well-equipped to accurately assess your poodle’s dimensions.

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Zack Keithy
Zack Keithy

Hey, I'm Zack, the Chief Editor here. I was formerly a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) for a good 6 years before moving on to greener pastures. Right now, I am still heavily involved in dog parenting duties, and it is my desire to share all our knowledge with fellow dog owners out there! Connect with me on LinkedIn, or read more about Canine Care Central!

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