minature poodle

Question
I was told I have a miniature poodle,he is 20 pounds.  When I took him to the groomers today I was told he is not a miniature poodle that he is way to big that mini poodles are no bigger ten 10 pounds.  So is he or is he not a miniature poodle?

Answer
Hello Carol,
Let me start by saying that there are 3 registered sizes of Poodles according to the AKC.  They are Toy, Miniature, and Standard.  
A Toy is anything 10" or under at the shoulder
A Miniature is anything 11" to 15" at the shoulder and
A Standard is anything 16" and over at the shoulder.  
The standard doesn't go by weight.

Most lay people think that the Miniature Poodle is the smallest size, not the Toy.  It sounds like your Groomer has it backwards.  
Judging by the weigh alone, I would say that your Poodle is probably a Miniature.  You can take a Measuring stick and if the dog is standing with his front legs straight and under him, hold the stick even with the front leg.  Use another flat stick to lay across the shoulder blades.  That is how you determine height.  

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions for me about this, or other questions in general, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim