Poodles and Children
Poodles can make great companions for children. They're tolerant, easy to train, full of energy, and very smart. However, there are a few things parents should be aware of. As tolerant as poodles can be, you need to teach your kids to treat dogs with kindness and respect. Teach them to notice and obey any warning signals a dog might give that she's had enough attention (a curl of a lip or low growl, for instance).
Essential
Make sure everyone in your family wants a poodle before you get one. The sad truth is that there's an anti-poodle bias out there, and you want all family members to love your poodle and be proud to take him for a walk.
Small children should always be supervised around dogs. In fact, dogs and small children may need to be protected from each other. Toy Poodles are delicate and need to be supervised around rambunctious kids. If your child were to drop a Toy Poodle, the dog could break a leg. On the other hand, an exuberant Standard Poodle could knock over a small child in play. With proper supervision, however, a poodle could easily become your child's new best friend.
