Poodle, a dog for all reasons

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Why don't we get a poodle?

All the information you need when it comes to owning a poodle...training, feeding, grooming and living day to day with the most naturally intelligent dog in the world!

A primer on poodles

Some things I have learned about them.....

I have always liked dogs. All dogs. But when I was a child I had the opportunity to get to know someone else's miniature poodle. Her name was Angel and she was silver. I used to take her for walks in the woods near our home and she used to love it! She would sniff the air, find partridge and pheasant then flush and point, instinctually! I taught her all kinds of tricks, which she learned easily... I fell in love with that dog.

In 1997, I had the opportunity to attend a large dog show in Saratoga, NY. I saw the most amazing standard poodle, who was the obedience champion in the Utility class. This dog would obey any command from it's handler with only hand signals and from at least 50 feet away! I was blown away..

Many years later I became a dog groomer. I had the opportunity to familiarize myself with a wide variety of dogs. There were many breeds that I considered when I decided I wanted a dog of my own.

Poodles are extremely intelligent, easily trained and are eager to please. One of the things that I liked about poodles was how well behaved they were in the house. After researching all of the dogs I was considering, and only being able to get one... I chose a standard poodle.

Poodles as a rule have a long life span and if you are careful who you buy from, are very healthy. Choosing a breeder who is knowledgeable and conscientious is critical. Do your research. Know that a well bred poodle is not cheap!!! There are no bargain dogs!

Poodles can cost anywhere from $750 for a pet quality to $1300 +/- for a show prospect (breeding stock.) A reputable breeder will do all of the health tests on a breeding pair before deciding to have a litter. These tests cost money and are important to avoid future problems.

A good breeder knows her puppies and can often make a recommendation that will be a good match for you and your lifestyle. For instance, an alpha dog is probably better suited to person who has owned a dog before and knows how to handle a dog who has a dominant personality. Or a breeder can often tell you which pup may end up larger or smaller, (or whatever you are looking for), show prospect, companion, agility or gun dog.

There was only one thing that I was extremely surprised to find out about poodles, and that is the amount of exercise that they require... Rocky forces me to walk when I really would rather not.. so a poodle would be an excellent choice for a jogger or hiker. :)

My Name is Rocky

I keep my mom company 24/7

Maybe some of you have met me already, either walking with my Mom, or maybe performing my job as Goodwill Ambassador at the dog park.
If you haven't, well then Hello there!

I love to do whatever my Mom is doing. I don't care where we go as long as I can come along.I really love going out to the barn with her to visit my brother, Lucky the Appaloosa or driving with her to do errands. I like to visit her friends with her, too. I am a people dog and I pay attention to what is going on around me so that I can continue to learn about life. My favorite thing to do in the world is go to the dog park. I enjoy meeting other dogs and racing with them.

My mom wants to take me to learn agility because I am very fast and like to jump high. I like to make my Mom happy and I am very well behaved in the house and everywhere that I go. I am three years young.

Rocky speaks.....

Rocky says " I love you"

We taught Rocky how to "speak" and entered a contest.
He won third prize for his performance.
Rocky The Talking Dog Wants Your VOTE
by mediadawg | video info

23 ratings | 6,634 views
curated content from YouTube

My Daddy the Champion.......

Absolute Objection Overruled aka Mason

This is a photo of my Dad in full show cut. He is a finished Champion. For any of you who follow this sort of thing, his father was Champion Wycliffe Quantum Leap. I come from a long line of conformation and performance champions. Can you see a resemblence?

Standard Poodles

Harry :agilty class/pràctica de agility
by peropiculina | video info

3 ratings | 3,532 views
curated content from YouTube

Poodles are Real dogs...

You better believe it!

I have written about this before on my blog (http://sohappylucky-beforeiforget.blogspot.com/) but ..

"The poodle has about him an air of distintion and dignity peculiar to himself."

That description is a direct quote from the "BREED STANDARD" at PCA of America. (see link)

It further states: "A straight forward trot with light springy action and strong hindquarters drive. Head and tail carried up. Sound effortless movement is essential."

If you have ever seen a poodle walk down the street, that just about describes them to a T. But poodles are not just another pretty face in the crowd...
no, they can do anything that any other dog can do! and with STYLE.

Before designer doggy clothes, there were poodles...
creating fashion statements!

Don't let their style put you off!!

Check out the video below to witness a standard poodle hiking with little or no effort!!

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Vacationing: With or Without your pet

To Board or Not to Board

As all of you folks who have checked out this lens,I love me some poodle....of course, my Rocky.

Everytime my husband and I discuss going on vacation, we need to consider whether or not to take him. Just recently we went to the beach overnight and due to circumstances beyond our control, stayed
at a hotel that was not pet friendly. I didn't have time to make a reservation at his regular doggy daycare boarding facility so I was forced to board him for two nights at a kennel.

Now, my dog had never been to a traditional kennel before. You know the kind with indoor/outdoor runs.
Rocky is a social butterfly. We call him the Ambassador at the dog park....He wants to play with other dogs, not look at them through a chain link fence.

It was a very clean and reputable place with a Veterinarian's office attached, so I was sure he was safe, but what I realized too late was - my dog will NOT do his business on the cement floor of his run.
It's just not going to happen, uh uh, no way.

Thankfully, the owner of the kennel realized that he wasn't going to the bathroom and arranged to have him taken out into the play yard periodically to go.

I took Rocky out for the day on the first day, to play with him at the beach and the local dog park, but brought him back at night to the kennel. To say that he was upset about the arrangement would be to assign Rocky human emotions, however, he WAS very upset, there is no other way to describe it...

The point of this is, what are you going to do with your dog when you go on vacation? Leave him home with a petsitter? Board him at a doggy daycare? Send him to a relatives house? Board in a kennel?
Most of these options are things that add to the cost of your vacation and must be factored in, depending on how long you are away. It cost over $500 to send the Rock to a doggy daycare for over two weeks when we went to Hawaii and again when we went overseas.

He is a family member and if it wasn't so difficult, I would have taken him with me both times! I missed him horribly. The only drawback to my dream vacations!

Yet another thing to consider when inviting a pet into your life.....

Reader Feedback

Please help me make this lens better..

Your input is important to me. Please feel free to let me know if you like my lens and if you have any suggestions to make it better. I'm a beginner......!

  • Jul 14, 2011 @ 5:42 am | delete
    Good job! Lots of information about the poodle! I learned a lot! I have a goal in dog breeds as well. I was adding a new race week. Feel free to try!
  • ohmydogsupplies Mar 4, 2010 @ 12:36 pm | delete
    My Aunt had a Poodle and she was so well behaved.
  • stemcells Mar 28, 2009 @ 9:27 am | delete
    Thank you for top information about pets!
    I picked up  a lot of pet
    grooming tips
    from this site:
    Pet Grooming
    Accessories
    and history of bringing up a pets
  • melinda_combs2003 Nov 14, 2008 @ 9:39 pm | delete
    Great job! Lots of great info on the poodle! I learned a lot! I have a lens about dog breeds as well. I have been adding a new breed each week. Feel free to check it out!
    http://www.squidoo.com/choosingdogbreeds
  • cameoquilt Jan 29, 2008 @ 12:17 pm | delete
    Standard Poodles DO need a lot of exercise. As soon as I make room, a friend is giving me a treadmill. I saw the idea on The Dog Whisperer show. We either walk him or throw toys he retrieves. About the time your arm has had enough, he exercised enough...
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Poodles on Amazon

Books, and other stuff.........

Poodles 2008 Square Wall Calendar by BrownTrout Publishers

Poodles 2008 Square Wall Calendar by BrownTrout Publishers

Updated calendar with new grooming styles1 point

The Complete Standard Poodle by Eileen Geeson

The Complete Standard Poodle by Eileen Geeson

This book is highly recommended.0 points

Spaghetti Art Ware: Poodles and Other Collectible Ceramics by Wanda Gessner

Spaghetti Art Ware: Poodles and Other Collectible Ceramics by Wanda Gessner

This book will give you information about some of more...0 points

Your Poodle's Life: Your Complete Guide to Raising Your Pet from Puppy to Companion (Your Pet's Life) by Virginia Parker Guidry

Your Poodle's Life: Your Complete Guide to Raising Your Pet from Puppy to Companion (Your Pet's Life) by Virginia Parker Guidry

One of the books we used when we first got our Sta more...0 points

Grooming Poodles 2

Grooming Poodles 2

In this breed specific grooming video, award winni more...0 points

Golf Head Cover Winning Edge Poodle Black

Golf Head Cover Winning Edge Poodle Black

Winning Edge headcovers are as functional as they more...0 points

get a real dog! Get a poodle 11 oz. White Mug

get a real dog! Get a poodle 11 oz. White Mug

I had to add this, for all of the people who know more...0 points

Poodle Owners Medical Manual by Robert M. Brown

Poodle Owners Medical Manual by Robert M. Brown

Probably pretty handy to have around.0 points

The Commitment of Grooming your poodle

Not your average dog...

Everyone knows that poodles have very curly coats that continually need grooming. The hair on a poodle does not grow to a certain length and then stop like some other breeds. A poodle's hair will grow until the day they die.

If you were to let a poodle's hair grow without grooming it, it would turn into filthy, dirty, matted cords of hair, that would keep the skin from getting air, probably blind the dog and eventually restrict the dog's ability to move. Unfortunately, in my business as a groomer, I've seen just that.

As I've discussed on my blog, grooming is a commitment that you agree to when you own a poodle.
A frou frou cut is not a necessity. I've seen everything from dogs completely shaved down to Continental cuts and everything in between.

I happen to belong to a male standard poodle. My husband, though a fan of poodles, refuses to allow bracelets or any style on Rocky that is not masculine. With reluctance on my part, we have managed to keep him looking like a male dog.

If you have a poodle and are interested in learning how to groom your dog, there are many books and video's available to help you.

More than the anything, the right tools are necessary to groom a poodle. A good brushing goes a long way to keeping your dog clean and looking sharp. I have selected some tools in the next module that are, in my opinion absolutely essential to keeping your dog groomed at home. The items can be pricey, but well worth the investment.

If you have no interest in doing it yourself, ask a person who has a poodle for a referral. Expect to have the dog groomed every six weeks. Poodles tend to look scruffy at about four weeks, so six is about the limit. It is good to have your dog used to the routine of getting groomed. He knows what to expect, enjoys the routine of it, is less resistant with the groomer and most of all, he always looks nice. If you aren't prepared to make this commitment, a poodle is not for you.

One last note: Poodles do not shed like other dogs, so you have to weigh the cleanliness of your home against the price of grooming.

POODLE MOVIES

Movies that feature poodles in them..........

Some of these you may have heard of ....
  • Look Who's Talking Now
    Edward Scissorhands
    Best in Show
    Babe, Pig in the City
    Hulk
    Heartbeat
    Kathleen

Great Stuff on CafePress

oodles of poodle stuff

show pride in your breed
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2008 Westminster Dog Show Results

Check this out...

Uno the Beagle Wins Early at Westminster, what a cutie.

But hey, two of the group wins were poodles. The Toy Group and the Non-Sporting Group. Hey, Poodles can't win Best in Show, EVERY year.

Here is the link:

http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/

Great Poodle Stuff on eBay

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by

jcummings

Check out my blog at http://sohappylucky-beforeiforget.blogspot.com  I am a animal lover and a dog groomer. My life revolves around animals. ... more »

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