You bought a poodle. The breeder said toy. The groomer says he looks miniature. Your American friend calls him a standard. Your neighbour insists he is just a big toy. Everyone is using a different system, and nobody agrees.
Here is how to actually know.
The one measurement that matters
The FCI — the international canine federation that governs the breed standard across Europe, including France — classifies poodles by height at the withers. Not weight. Not how big he looks next to your other dog. The withers — the highest point of the shoulder blades, where the neck meets the back.
This is the measurement used for official confirmation at the LOF in France. Everything else — weight, general impression, comparison to other poodles you have seen — is a guess.
The four types — by the numbers
The FCI standard n° 172 defines four sizes for the poodle — the only breed in the FCI system with four official height categories instead of the usual two or three.
Grand (Standard)
Height at withers: 45 to 60 cm, with a tolerance of +2 cm
Weight: approximately 16 to 30 kg, averaging 20-25 kg
The original poodle size, and the reproduction — enlarged and developed — of the moyen. Substantial, athletic, historically a retrieving dog before it was a salon dog.
Moyen (Medium)
Height at withers: over 35 cm up to 45 cm
Weight: approximately 7 to 14 kg
Considered the original size from which the nain and toy were developed through selective breeding. The standard often refers back to the moyen as the reference type when describing proportions for the other three sizes.
Nain (Miniature)
Height at withers: over 28 cm up to 35 cm
Weight: approximately 4 to 6 kg
The most bred and most sought-after size since the breed standard was formalised in 1936. Nain poodles represent more than half of all litters declared at the LOF in France. A nain must look like a reduced moyen — same proportions, no signs of dwarfism.
Toy
Height at withers: over 24 cm (tolerance of minus 1 cm) up to 28 cm, with 25 cm as the ideal
Weight: approximately 2 to 3.5 kg
Only recognised in the FCI standard since 1984 — before that, toy poodles existed across Europe but were disqualified from confirmation. The toy must be a miniaturised nain in every respect: same proportions, no dwarfism signs (oversized round eyes, exaggerated or absent occiput, incorrect stop).
Why this differs from the English-speaking world
If you have talked to an American or British breeder, the terminology will not match what you read above — and this causes real confusion for French owners buying from abroad.
The AKC (American Kennel Club) recognises only three sizes: standard, miniature, and toy. The UK Kennel Club also uses three. Both systems fold the FCI's moyen and nain together into a single miniature category, and their standard is roughly equivalent to the FCI grand.
This means an American miniature poodle could be either a French nain or moyen depending on his exact height — the US and UK systems simply do not make that distinction. If you import a poodle from a US or UK breeder, ask for the exact height at withers in centimetres, not just the size category, or you may not know which FCI classification he actually falls into once in France.
How to measure at home
You will need a proper height gauge or a spirit level and a tape measure — a soft fabric tape alone will not give an accurate reading for height, unlike the chest measurement used for other breeds.
Stand your poodle on a flat, hard surface. Locate the withers — the ridge where the shoulder blades meet, at the base of the neck. Measure the vertical distance from the ground straight up to that point. Do not measure to the top of the head or the ears.
For an official confirmation measurement, this is done by a judge or approved LOF official — the measurement above gives you a reliable estimate at home, but is not a substitute for a confirmation reading if you plan to breed or show.
The FCI coat colours — and the strict rule that makes poodles unusual
The poodle is one of the few breeds where the FCI enforces a strict solid-colour rule. A poodle with any patches, bicolour markings, or parti-colour pattern cannot be confirmed at the LOF in France — regardless of how the colour combination looks or how it is marketed.
The six colours recognised by FCI standard n° 172:
Noir (Black) — the oldest and most recognisable colour. Must be deep black, glossy, without rust tones or white markings. Nose, lips, and eye rims are black.
Blanc (White) — must be pure white, without any ivory or yellow cast. Silver skin is preferred underneath the coat.
Marron (Brown) — must be deep, rich, and warm — not pale or beige. Lighter beige-brown shades are not admitted under the standard. Nose and pads match the brown tone.
Gris (Grey) — must be even in tone, neither too dark (near-black) nor too light (near-white). Some black-born puppies carry the greying gene and lighten to grey by 2 to 3 years old.
Fauve orangé (Abricot / Apricot) — a warm, even tone from light cream-orange to deeper apricot. Ears are often slightly darker than the body, which the standard tolerates as long as the overall look stays harmonious. Very sought-after, especially in toy.
Fauve rouge (Red) — the most saturated version of apricot. Officially recognised by the FCI since 2007. Red puppies are born dark and can lighten slightly with age and sun exposure — a stable, deep red across several generations requires careful breeding selection.
Colours that circulate but are NOT FCI-recognised
Phantom — bicolour pattern resembling a Dobermann, dark base with tan points. Highly sought in the United States. Exists in Europe but cannot be confirmed at the LOF or shown at FCI events.
Parti-colour / Bicolour — patches of two distinct colours. Exists as a separate, unrecognised type in France sometimes called the "chien particolore à poil frisé" — it can compete in national French shows and earn a Champion de France title, but not an international CACIB, because it is not recognised by the FCI.
Merle — the mottled, marbled pattern. Genetically controversial and prohibited by the FCI across breeds where it does not naturally occur, due to associated health risks in double-merle breeding.
Sable — dark-tipped hairs over a lighter base. Not recognised.
Crème — a very pale, ivory-tinted white. Recognised in some registries outside the strict FCI reading but frequently confused with true white — the standard calls for pure white without any yellow cast, so cream falls outside that definition in strict FCI judging.
If a breeder is marketing a poodle as rare or exclusive because of a phantom, parti, or merle coat — the rarity is real in the sense that it falls outside the standard, but it also means the dog cannot be confirmed at the LOF. That is worth knowing before paying a premium for the colour rather than the dog.
The coat types
The standard recognises two coat structures, independent of size or colour:
Poil bouclé (Curly) — abundant, fine-textured, woolly, well-curled, elastic, and resistant to hand pressure. Thick and well-furnished, uniform length, forming even curls. This is the coat most people picture — and the one behind the classic poodle grooming styles.
Poil cordé (Corded) — abundant, fine, woolly texture forming well-defined cords that must measure at least 20 cm long. Rare today, more historic, and considerably higher maintenance.
The summary
Measure the withers. Not the weight, not a visual guess, not what an overseas breeder called him.
45 to 60 cm — Grand.
Over 35 up to 45 cm — Moyen.
Over 28 up to 35 cm — Nain.
Over 24 up to 28 cm — Toy.
Four sizes. Six solid colours. Two coat structures. And a breed standard that takes uniformity of colour more seriously than almost any other — for reasons that go back to what a poodle was bred to look like before Instagram decided otherwise.
Everything else is marketing.
