How High Can Poodles Jump? Here’s The Answer!

Their greater-than-life personality has been a real motivation for seeking to understand Poodles better and better. We want to know everything about them, ranging from their instinctive behavior, their intelligence, and their ability to have great fun to whether or not they are good around kids.

It is time to also know how high a Poodle can jump and what behaviors make them capable of such feats. A lot of us would have seen a small Poodle jumping up on the sofa or even the bed, so it is only logical to wonder just how much they can really jump if they put their minds to it.

When given the right set of circumstances, a poodle can jump about as high as it stands on its back legs. This means that larger standard poodles are capable of jumping over 6-foot fences when necessary!

Just How High Can Poodles Jump?

As aforementioned, a Poodle can jump as high as it stands on its hind legs. What that means is, of the three Poodle types, the Standard poodle typically has the ability to jump the highest.

Miniature Poodle, being the second largest of the three will usually jump up to a lower height than the Standard poodle. And with the toy Poodle being the smallest of the three, they come third in terms of how high they can jump.

Is Jumping Poodles’ Thing?

Contrary to popular belief, Poodles are not known for their jumping skills. In fact, a lot of the dogs who excel at this type of activity are actually Australian Kelpie, Australian Shepherds, Greyhound, and many more!

While it’s not that they hate jumping, Poodles try as much as possible to not jump. However, there are certain situations when Poodles may find jumping more appropriate.

They include;

When required by their owner

Poodles will do almost anything to please their human companions. Therefore, if their owners ask them to jump, they will do so without having to think twice.

When trying to get out of a dangerous situation

Leave alone Poodles, even you can jump high if that’s what it takes to save your life. In a life-or-death situation, Poodles can jump to escape danger. They are known for being great escape artists and they use all skills available to them to find the easiest route out of emergency or threatening situations.

When showing off

Poodles can be the type of dogs who will do anything to stand out in a crowd. Whether it is jumping on someone’s shoulders or exhibiting some other trick in public, Poodles want everyone around them to notice them and be impressed by them. It is because of this that they are likely to jump high in public if asked.

When participating in dog sports

These pups are known to be very intelligent and quick learners, which makes them excellent candidates for dog sports. They are likely to use their jumping skills to excel in such activities as Agility, Fly-Ball, Frisbee retrieval, and others.

Poodles’ Attributes Responsible for Their Jumping Abilities

Poodles have a few attributes that make them capable of jumping very high. Such physical attributes include;

• Poodles are very flexible: unlike other breeds, Poodles are capable of moving their back legs forward and backward, which allows them to extend easier.
• Great sense of balance: this is crucial in almost all dog sports and competitions because it helps them calculate distances better.
• Poodles are energetic: Jumping high requires a lot of energy, and not many dog breeds will be able to capture that kind of energy. Poodles are very energetic and will not tire easily when asked to jump a lot.
• Strong hind legs: To jump higher, back legs must be stronger than front legs for obvious reasons. The muscles in their hind legs are well-developed and help them to propel upwards when jumping.
• Long body and neck: A long-bodied dog is able to cover a longer distance when jumping therefore being able to jump higher than other breeds who have shorter bodies. A Standard poodle’s long neck can also be put to good use because they may use it as an additional limb when jumping up.
• Eager to Please: As stated earlier, Poodles will do almost anything to please their owners. That means they can even jump beyond their expectations if that’s what will trigger a smile!

As seen, Poodles have lots of attributes that can make them great jumpers. Therefore, the next time you see a Poodle jumping some feet up in the air, don’t wonder why they are doing it. They just have the physical assets to make it possible.

Physical Attributes That Limit Poodles’ Jumping Ability

Not everything in Poodles works to make them good jumpers. They still have a few attributes that can limit their jumping ability. Such physical attributes include;

• Poodles are not as strong and muscular as other dog breeds: While we said they have strong hind legs, the fact remains that Poodles do not have very well-developed muscles like some of the dogs known to be great in jumping!
• Poodles are not that fast: Poodles cannot run fast enough to make it over tall obstacles or jump high immediately when needed. Therefore, if a Poodle is trying to escape from a dog attack, it is not likely that they will be able to jump high enough.
• Being sensitive: While Poodles are known for their ability to adapt quickly, they can be too sensitive and find it hard to be forced out of their comfort zones.
• Nervousness: These lovely pups are not the most outgoing or confident dogs and will see that as a reason to not jump very high. Even when trying to impress people, they will often have a lack of confidence.
• Small stature: Some Poodles like the toy poodle, for example, are smaller than other dog breeds. That means they are not naturally privileged with the physical features that help them jump higher.

Why Is Your Poodle Jumping On You?

You might have noticed that your Poodle is jumping on you for no apparent reason. In this case, it is not a sign that they are just trying to show off! They could be doing so for the following reasons:

Excitement

Your Poodle gets excited very easily and seeing you coming home from work will get them all worked up. As a result, they will jump on you to show the excitement.

Greeting

Poodles are naturally friendly and will want to greet people by jumping. When they see you coming home, they will jump on you to welcome you back home! However, if this is not what you want, you can always train them not to.

As a sign of affection

Poodles love their owners and want to show that through showing their affections. They can do so by jumping on their owners when the owner arrives home or when going out for a walk.

As an attempt to cheer you up

Poodles have a very keen sense of knowing when someone is feeling down and will try to make the person feel better. When your Poodle jumps on you, it may be their way of trying to cheer you up!

Can Poodles Jump Over Your Fence?

While they are very unlikely, it’s wise to take the necessary measures to prevent your Poodle from jumping over your fence! They are good at what they do and can jump over fences that are just tall enough.

If you don’t want your canine to jump out of your backyard, consider;

• Creating a high fence, preferably taller than six inches.
• Train your Poodle to stay away from the fence.
• Avoid leaving them alone for extended periods.
• Find a way to keep them engaged when you are away from home.

Final Verdict:

While jumping is not a Poodle’s thing, we cannot deny that they do have the physical tools to jump pretty high. However, a Poodle’s jumping ability is limited by its small stature and other attributes including nervousness.

Additionally, since they don’t love it, Poodles are not very likely to jump over your fence and escape. However, it’s important you put into practice the necessary measures needed to keep your canine in.