Discover the Delightful Secret of Moyen Poodles

Rocky Kanaka |

Jun 6, 2023

If you’ve ever considered getting a Poodle but you don’t want a big dog like the Standard Poodle or a small dog like the mini, Moyen Poodles could be your perfect Goldilocks in-between option! Let’s start by answering an important question: What is a Moyen Poodle?

A fourth, lesser-known Poodle size, Moyen Poodles are purebred medium Poodles that bridge the gap between the Standard and Miniature Poodle. “Moyen” is the French word for “medium,” and the medium-sized Moyen Poodle is more popular throughout Europe.

The American Kennel Club only recognizes three official Poodle sizes: Toy, Miniature, and Standard. Because Moyen Poodles are still purebred Poodles, they can be registered with the AKC, but they’ll need to be listed as either a Standard or Miniature Poodle. For this reason, you’ll never come across an “AKC Moyen Poodle,” but that doesn’t mean they aren’t 100% Poodles!

In this guide, we’ll introduce you to the lesser-known 4th Poodle size, meet some Moyen Poodles from Instagram, and go over all the details you’ll need if you want a Moyen Poodle of your own.

Get To Know 7 Moyen Poodles from Instagram

If you live in the U.S., you might never have heard of the Moyen Poodle. There are U.S.-based breeders, but many Moyen Poodles are imported from Europe. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale—which organizes more than 100 kennel clubs worldwide—does recognize the Moyen Poodle, which has helped to keep this medium-sized Poodle breed from disappearing.

Let’s take a moment to meet seven Moyen Poodles to give you an idea of exactly what a Moyen looks like.

1. Copper the Red Moyen Poodle

^Source:^@CopperMoyen

Copper is a three-year-old red Moyen Poodle living in Alberta, Canada where a little snow can’t stop the fun!

2. Charlie the Apricot Moyen Poodle

^Source:^{@Charlie_Poodle_}

Born in 2016, Charlie has been stealing hearts and socks for years and isn’t slowing down any time soon! Apricot and red moyen Poodles are sometimes mistaken for each other, but you’ll notice that Charlie is quite a bit lighter in hue than Copper, as seen above.

3. Louis the Merle Moyen Poodle

^Source:^{@LilPrinceLouis}

Merle Moyen Poodles like Louis are somewhat uncommon since breeding merle dogs is a sometimes risky business. Louis is still a pup and lives in Brisbane, Australia where he’s keeping busy being a super good boy!

4&5. Leia & Jaina

^Source:^{@Leia_Jaina_Poodles}

Bonus Poodle! Meet two Moyen Poodles from the Netherlands! Leia (right) is a 7-year-old black Moyen Poodle, and Jaina (left) is a 5-year-old silver Moyen Poodle. These sweet girls go everywhere with their humans from the beach to the ski slopes!

6. Hendricks the Moyen Parti Poodle

^Source:^{@Parti_Poodle_Hendricks}

Parti Poodles have a white base with patches of a secondary color. In Hendricks’ case, he’s a red and white Moyen Parti Poodle! This Shrek-obsessed pup lives in Arizona. When he’s not playing or on an outdoor adventure, Hendricks is glued to Animal Planet or a fun cartoon!

7. Brownie

^Source:^{@Brownie_n_Friends}

Brownie is a Moyen Phantom Poodle from Oregon who loves to spend his days lounging in the garden, playing with his friends, and enjoying soft surfaces like the couch! Phantom Poodles—like Parti Poodles—are bicolor Poodles, but Phantom Poodles have a very specific pattern while Parti Poodles can have spots of color anywhere.

Moyen Poodle Basic Info

Moyen Poodles—sometimes called Medium Poodles or Klein Poodles (German)—might not be AKC recognized, but they’re still purebred, 100% Poodles.

In the United States, there are only three common Poodle sizes, but abroad the Moyen Poodle is always included to bridge the gap between Standard and Mini Poodles. Considering some Standard Poodles stand as tall as 24-inches at the shoulder, there’s a big difference between the Standard and Miniature Poodle varieties.

Medium Poodles living in the U.S. are typically lumped in with Standard Poodles, but breeding programs that specialize in Moyen Poodles are becoming more common.

Moyen Poodle Temperament

Like all Poodles, the Moyen Poodle is known for being highly intelligent, social, friendly, focused, and energetic. These traits make Moyen Poodles equally good family pets and service dogs, and pick up quickly on training, commands, and routines. Capable of being very gentle with small children, Moyen Poodles make good family dogs, though they should still be supervised and not left alone with kids.

While Moyen Poodles are often easy to train, they also have fairly high exercise and mental stimulation needs and can become bored rather easily. “[I] have a Moyen. He gets walked 5/7 days a week. The distance varies. If he doesn’t go for a walk we play fetch in the yard. We do training sessions every day to stimulate his brain,” says a Reddit user’s comment sharing advice on what life with a Moyen Poodle is like. “He’s mostly a snuggle bum with spurts of active times, [but] if he doesn’t get his workout (brain or physical) he’s like a naughty toddler looking for trouble.”

More comparable to Standard Poodles in terms of behavior and physique, Moyen Poodles are sometimes called “small Standard Poodles” and may be used in similar ways as service dogs, agility dogs, show dogs, etc. According to Classic Canine Moyen Poodles—a midwest-based Moyen Poodle breeder—“Moyen Poodles are bred with the intention of keeping the Standard Poodle temperament in a smaller size dog.”

Moyen Poodle Weight & Height

Moyen Poodles weigh between 15–35 pounds and stand at 15–20 inches tall at the shoulder. Take a look at this table to see where Moyen Poodles fall relative to the three other Poodle sizes.

Poodle Size	Weight	Height
Standard Poodles	45–75 pounds	18–24 inches
Moyen Poodles	15–35 pounds	15–20 inches
Miniature Poodles	10–15 pounds	10–15 inches
Toy Poodles	5–10 pounds	10 inches or less

Right between Standard and Miniature, Moyen Poodles are not a mix of two different Poodle sizes, but are a size category of their own.

Moyen Poodle Health

Moyen Poodles are prone to some of the same health issues as Standard Poodles, especially hip, bone, and joint problems like:

Luxating patellas
Hip and elbow dysplasia
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease

Other health issues to be aware of if you own a purebred Moyen Poodle include:

Bloat
Eye & vision problems (e.g. glaucoma, cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy)
Epilepsy

Where To Find Moyen Poodles for Sale

Because Moyen Poodles aren’t accepted by the American Kennel Club, it can be difficult to find reputable breeders in the United States. Breeders like Canine Classic Moyen Poodles are beginning to sell well-bred Moyen Poodles to the U.S., but there are still far fewer breeders for this Poodle size than outside of the U.S.

When choosing a breeder, you should always look for ones that openly advertise their health testing standards, quality of care for their parent dogs, and temperament compatibility of breeding pairs. Good breeders won’t offer color or sex guarantees, but will focus instead on ensuring your puppy is bred with care to optimize health and positive personality traits.

Here are a few well-known, well-regarded Moyen Poodle breeders to get you started:

Classic Canine Moyen Poodle Puppies (Illinois)
Magenta Bay Poodles (New York)
Noir Poodles (Missouri)

Remember, you always have the option to adopt a Moyen Poodle, too! Visit your local shelter or humane society, search online rescued databases, and look at breed-specific rescues—you might just find your new best friend in need of a good home!

Moyen Poodle FAQ

Have you learned something new about Poodles today? The Moyen Poodle might not be well known—yet—but when curious dog lovers like you get to know a dog breed, it won’t be long until it becomes trendy! Brush up on your Moyen Poodle facts so you can start to tell others about the mysterious fourth Poodle size.

What is the average Moyen Poodle price?

$3,000–$3,500 is the standard price to purchase a well-bred Moyen Poodle puppy. If you happen to find a Moyen Poodle from a shelter or dog rescue, you’ll pay far less—around $150–$400.

Do Moyen Poodles shed?

Very little. All dogs shed at least a few hairs, but Poodles—including Moyen Poodles—are considered one of the lowest-shedding dog breeds.

Although Poodles are low-shedding, their coats do require quite a lot of maintenance. Moyen Poodles should be taken to the groomer every 6–8 weeks and should be brushed regularly between professional grooming sessions to prevent matting. If you want to keep your Moyen Poodle’s coat long, they will need to be brushed even more often and taken to the groomer every 4–6 weeks.

Are Moyen Poodles hypoallergenic?

No. But, they are low-shedding, and many people who are allergic specifically to dog dander may be less allergic to Moyen Poodles.

What is the difference between a Moyen Poodle and a Standard Poodle?

Standard Poodles are big dogs, sometimes weighing upwards of 70 pounds when full grown. Full grown Moyen Poodles rarely weigh more than 30–35 pounds, and are truly a medium size Poodle.

Let’s take a look at a quick Standard Poodle vs. Moyen Poodle size comparison. Meet Rosie (right)—a Standard Poodle—and King (left)—a Moyen Poodle.

^Image ^Source:^{@IHeartDoodlesAndPoodles}

How long do Moyen Poodles live?

Moyen Poodles are a fairly long-lived dog breed with a life expectancy of about 11-15 years. Considered a mid-sized dog, Moyen Poodles may live slightly longer than their Standard Poodle cousins.