Pick a small breed of dog (Spaniels, Terriers, I could go on), and you will find some that are quiet and affectionate, some that are quiet and aggressive, and some that are very loud.
If a dog is small then it's bark is likely to be higher pitched, and a yappy dog is one with a high pitched bark, hence smaller dogs are more likely to be yappy. This has more to do with physics than breeding.
There is a lot more to poodles than lap-dogs. Standard Poodles are majestic, intelligent, athletic and loyal. Which is more than I can say for myself.