# Differences in toy poodle puppy face shapes



## jodavid (Jun 26, 2016)

Pardon me if I'm being silly but i see quite a difference in the face shapes of a lot of advertised purebred toy poodles. Is it an age thing perhaps or because they are trimmed or is it a genetic thing? 
Should all these grow up to have a relatively similar face with that lovely longish snout?
So for example, the pictures with the lady and the red toy (a girl about 6-7 weeks), that is a beautiful face that has been trimmed. I think that is a lovely face.

Now in the other picture where you just see the puppy and a persons hands (holding the pup around the "waist"), the face shape looks quite different. Is this just because the pup isn't trimmed and possibly younger (i don't know its age or sex) of does this pup actually have a different shaped snout?

Am i making sense here?


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## Muttly (Oct 1, 2014)

The 2nd one down looks like a cock-a-poo. The face and nose looks much wider than a poodle and the fur isn't very poodle-like.

The first one though, looks a gorgeous lil example.

Both very very cute of course!!

Perhaps @Blitz is better to advise. I know nothing about poodles.


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## lullabydream (Jun 25, 2013)

Trimming the face does make a huge difference..

Hopefully those members who owner poodles will show you with pics!

I know I think poodles who are not clippped, or puppies look nothing like poodles. Just curly haired sweet things!


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## jodavid (Jun 26, 2016)

Muttly said:


> The 2nd one down looks like a cock-a-poo. The face and nose looks much wider than a poodle and the fur isn't very poodle-like.
> 
> The first one though, looks a gorgeous lil example.
> 
> ...


Yes, that first one is stunning isn't she!
I do hope you are wrong about the second one though as this is one produced by the breeder i am planning on buying from


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## Muttly (Oct 1, 2014)

jodavid said:


> Yes, that first one is stunning isn't she!
> I do hope you are wrong about the second one though as this is one produced by the breeder i am planning on buying from


Oh bugger, I hope I am too. As I said, Poodles I have no experience of so don't take my opinion. Pups can be very hard to tell what breed they are sometimes.
It could be the age like you said. I also think his feet look very big, not like the one in the top pic. Poodles have more dainty feet don't they? Under that fur could be those dainty feet though!


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## lullabydream (Jun 25, 2013)

jodavid said:


> Yes, that first one is stunning isn't she!
> I do hope you are wrong about the second one though as this is one produced by the breeder i am planning on buying from


Will the puppies be KC registered?

Its the only way really you can trust your puppy is a poodle...unless not registered for a specific reason.

It also sounded as you had done your research on puppy buying, where to go, what to look for etc...


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## jodavid (Jun 26, 2016)

Muttly said:


> Oh bugger, I hope I am too. As I said, Poodles I have no experience of so don't take my opinion. Pups can be very hard to tell what breed they are sometimes.


Well lets see... 



lullabydream said:


> Will the puppies be KC registered?
> 
> Its the only way really you can trust your puppy is a poodle...


Well yes i think he said they would. Don't they have to be if you are assured?

On a side note, i am going crazy waiting! hehehehe


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## Amelia66 (Feb 15, 2011)

No they dont have to be tested if kc registered so you need to check and ask the breeder if she hip and eye scores and the health history of the genetic line.

Face shape depends on the breeding line as they will look, most likely, like their parents. So seeing the mother [and father if you can] is your best bet to get some idea of what babies may look like. Face shaving makes a huge diffrence, these pictures were taken days apart, same puppy.


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## jodavid (Jun 26, 2016)

oh wow! face shaving makes a HUGE difference lol.
Oh, sooooo cute...


I need to talk to him about Hip scores. He said both parents are PRA clear so that should be ok at least.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

jodavid said:


> Well lets see...
> 
> Well yes i think he said they would. Don't they have to be if you are assured?
> 
> On a side note, i am going crazy waiting! hehehehe


If its an assured breeder then the puppies should be KC registered and ideally the registration certificate should be given to you at time of payment and collection.
As an assured Breeder they also have to do health testing of parents prior to breeding, but some tests are requirements which they have to do, but some are only recommendations so for those they may not do, so you need to know all the tests available.

Each breed has a breed standard for showing purposes, and when a dog is shown, they are judged against this standard the full standard for toy poodles is below.
For head and scull, the standard states the following.

*Head and Skull*
Long and fine with slight peak. Skull not broad, moderate stop. Foreface strong, well chiselled, not falling away under eyes; cheek bones and muscle flat. Lips tight-fitting. Chin well defined but not protruding. Head in proportion to size of dog.

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/breed/standard.aspx?id=4099

You will get ones that deviate from the exact breed standard though too, and certain lines may look different in type to others.

Breeders will sometimes advertise or sell puppies or as "show" quality or "pet" quality too. It doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with them, its often just that they
have small physical characteristics or things, that are not 100% as per the show/breed standard, the average person half the time wouldn't even know the difference. It can be things like they are taller then the breed standard, or have a slightly different tail set as examples.


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## jodavid (Jun 26, 2016)

Oh... I see. Well I am not interested in showing. I do literally just want a little pup/dog to have run around the house and follow me around too hahaha
Give her treats for being good and take her to the park


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

jodavid said:


> Oh... I see. Well I am not interested in showing. I do literally just want a little pup/dog to have run around the house and follow me around too hahaha
> Give her treats for being good and take her to the park


That's all most of us want really.


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

I think the second pic is just a younger pup which accounts for the different coat. I will see if I can find some photos of my lot.


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

I have found far too many but can I be forgiven as I seldom put any up. These are puppy ones, see how short her nose looks in the first ones


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

you can see how she gets paler as the years go by. I cant fine an unclipped face but her face looks really short when she needs doing.


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## Muttly (Oct 1, 2014)

Wow! Well Blitz's pics proves it then. They look totally different without a clipped face.


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## jodavid (Jun 26, 2016)

Blitz, you are awesome, thanks for reassuring me and making me feel better about this. Plus your dogs are gorgeous! Thanks again.


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