Adopting a Poodle in London: Toy, Miniature and Standard

The count under the short answer is live: it shows every Poodle and Poodle cross listed with us in London and within about 35 miles, and each profile links to its rescue. Our London Poodle page includes crosses such as Labradoodles and Cockapoos, and in October 2026 most of the dogs on it were crosses rather than pure Poodles. The size pages for Toy, Miniature and Standard Poodles show only dogs listed by size, and they are often empty. That is the honest picture, so the Poodle rescues below are the main route.

The Royal Kennel Club has a page for each size and lists each as needing up to an hour of exercise a day and grooming every day. The home it suggests differs: a flat for the Toy, a small house for the Miniature and a large house with a large garden for the Standard.

On a rescue listing the size is often a best guess, and Poodle Network UK says it goes by what previous owners tell it. Ask the rescue for the dog's height and weight rather than relying on the label.

A rescue fee goes towards vet work and a dog whose character a fosterer already knows. A bought puppy should already be microchipped by its breeder, as UK law requires by 8 weeks, but neutering and further vaccinations usually come on top of the £400 to £3,000 Blue Cross gives for a puppy.

The cost people forget is the coat. Poodle Network UK says Poodles need daily grooming and must be clipped every 4 to 6 weeks, and that grooming costs can vary a lot, so price a groomer near you before you apply.

A rescue Poodle's parents may never have been health tested, so ask what the rescue's own vet has checked. The tests The Royal Kennel Club asks breeders to do differ a little by size:

• Toy. A DNA test for progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA), an inherited eye disease that causes gradual sight loss, plus eye testing and hip scoring (The Royal Kennel Club).
• Miniature. The same prcd-PRA DNA test, eye testing and hip scoring, plus a DNA test for osteochondrodysplasia (OC), a bone growth disorder (The Royal Kennel Club).
• Standard. Eye and hip checks, DNA tests for two forms of PRA, and one for von Willebrand disease, a bleeding disorder (The Royal Kennel Club).
• Across the breed. PDSA's Poodle page, which doesn't split by size, lists luxating patellas (kneecaps that slip out of place), Legg-Perthes disease of the hip, epilepsy, hip dysplasia, Cushing's syndrome and Addison's disease among the problems Poodles can be prone to. It also lists bloat, which it says is often seen in large, deep-chested breeds and is an emergency.
• Teeth. Poodle Network UK recommends regular tooth cleaning, particularly for smaller Poodles, whose teeth can quickly build up tartar.

Poodle Network UK calls Poodles very sociable, active and intelligent dogs that need company and stimulus and don't like to be left alone, and says it takes that into account when it chooses a home. If you commute, tell the rescue honestly how the dog's day would be covered.

It also asks adopters never to let a new dog off the lead for at least the first 4 weeks, and only then if its recall is completely reliable, which matters near busy London roads. PDSA says Poodles need around an hour of exercise a day and love to run, swim and retrieve.

Rescue Poodles are adopted, not sold. You apply, the rescue matches a dog to your home, and you pay its adoption fee. Puppies are rare in rescue and Poodle Network UK matches by the dog's needs, so be open to an adult or an older dog of the size that suits you.

If you decide to buy, Dogs Trust suggests asking your vet about a pre-purchase consultation on likely health conditions and rough costs, and The Royal Kennel Club runs a "Find a puppy" service. Ask to see the parents' test results for the size you want. Report a suspected scam advert to Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud.