Poodles Are Not Prissy

Poodles, at least mine are NOT prissy. I currently own a standard and a miniature. Both are ferociously protective of our home and children. You'd be hard pressed to find another dog to rival their intelligence levels.

Not shedding makes them a great choice for people with allergies or asthma this feature however does not come without a price. Grooming is recommended every 6 to 8 weeks to keep their curly coats manageable. Fees vary depending on the type of cut you get. I always go for the stripped down no prissy pom-poms look. Not only does it keep the cost down but it lasts the longest and if you should need to bathe the dog between groomings you won't have as much hair to contend with.

These are HIGH ENERGY dogs. They play and sleep hard. They are resentful when left alone for too long and will entertain themselves, usually to your chagrin. We have learned it's best to remove temptation. Close bedroom doors, keep counters and tables free of food (particularly bread, they can sniff out a bag of rolls even if they are on top of the microwave in a sealed bag inside of a tightly wrapped shopping bag), make sure the trash is not accessible, and close the toilet lid.

Originally bred as water retrievers they chase everything. Ours are partial to birds, squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, cats and sometimes deer. They like to chew and will dig only where you don't want them to. If you want toys that last look for hard/dense rubber and nylon. They love paper: paper towels, tissues, and anything cardboard. Gross as it may be they prefer these items used. Lookouts such as furniture or laundry piles near windows are favorite sprawling locations. They will lie in the sun until they heat up and our standard has learned to use the swimming pool stairs to cool off. Our miniature is not fond of the water; I speculate he doesn't like to work as hard as he has to in order to swim. And no, they don't automatically swim well.

Both dogs compete to be close to whoever is sitting still. Should the big dog get to the ideal lounging spot first the miniature will trot in front of her showing off a ball, tossing it into the air until she decides to join the play. As soon as she hits the floor he drops the ball for her to chase and jumps into her seat. That's a pretty impressive thought process for a dog.

Easily housebroken and trained to adhere to boundaries or perform tricks they are enjoyable pets requiring minimal supervision and providing hours of fun, companionship and protection. They love to be petted and will spend nights cuddling close and watching television. Yes, they both watch television. Our standard has even learned the music to certain commercials that feature dogs and will come running to watch them at the first notes of the score.