# When did your poodles start prancing?



## NYCPoodle (Apr 30, 2012)

Hello fellow poodle people!!!!

First of all, at some point soon, I am going to write a freaking essay about how amazing this spoo is. He is four months old and a sweet, cuddly genius. People stop us on the street to ask about him and he sits politely and wags. WHY WOULD ANYONE CHOOSE ANYTHING OTHER THAN A POODLE? They are the best dogs ever! I know you all understand!

So, Gatsby is four months old....and he hasn't really started prancing yet. He hops along and his tail wags when he walks, but he doesn't carry his head up the way grown standard poodles do. I've read through the forum and it seems as though everyone's poodle was born prancing...but to be honest, every morning Gatsby wakes up and his legs have gotten longer and he practically has to learn to walk again. It's like he's on stilts for the first few minutes of every day! He trips and falls all over himself, like Bambi.

Is this something he will grow out of? Or should I start researching how to train him to prance? I LOVE watching poodles walk--we live in New York and take him for two long walks a day. I want him to represent his breed well! He's not really a jumper yet either -- does that come in time?

THANK YOU ALL -- for helping with our puppy questions and your shared enthusiasm for these brilliant dogs. 

POODLE LOVE!

Brooke & Gatsby the Spoo


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Four month old standards are at their gangliest!! Some of them have their rear grow first, then their front or visa versa so they are all discombobulated. They seem to have to reorient just like you are talking about. My 8 week old standard is prancing so cutely and seems to be handling his legs well, but I am sure in a couple weeks he will be galumphing about. LOL

Usually by 6 months old they start slowing down so they can get their rhythm down. By a year they are either prancers or they are not. Some standards don't prance all that well. It depends on how they are put together, but they are all wonderful, sweet, cuddly genius's.  Give him a little more time and lots of exercise, but what you are seeing right now is his least elegant age.


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## dcyk (Nov 30, 2011)

Prancy fella hahaha, i love how mack prances, give him the poodle leg and poodles will look like prancing on high heels.


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## akimpix (Jan 1, 2012)

*I was wondering the same thing.*

Thanks for bringing the question up. Our standard poodle is 4 1/2 months old and is also a little clumsy when he walks. I'm hopeful that he has the prancing genes.


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

Once he gets over his "sea legs", try walking faster. It will bring out the poodle prance. 

Show handlers have to learn what speed to walk to get the dog's gait looking it's best. You'd be doing the same thing.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Yes, you have to kind of trot to get them to prance unless they are running around free.


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## Lily's-Mom (May 31, 2012)

Prancing is not among Lily's traits. She's mostly got her nose to the ground on the hunt. Whether we are on a walk or she's in the backyard, she's usually sniffing. I have to keep a very close eye on what she's sniffing because in a flash it'll be in her mouth. No, she's definitely not prancing anywhere!


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## NYCPoodle (Apr 30, 2012)

*Thank you for giving me hope*

"Gangly" is the perfect word to describe him these days....though I've noticed when he carries a ball or something in his mouth, he holds his head up really high as though he's modeling it. Hilarious.

This forum is so wonderful.

This morning he was trying to hold a bone still with his paws but his legs are so awkwardly long that his paws were too far away and I couldn't stop laughing watching him try to figure it out. I am almost embarrassed by the amount of joy that silly dog gives me.

I'm putting a picture of our goofy little man so you can see how long his legs are....the Gangly Gatsby.

Thank you all!


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## ladybird (Jul 9, 2011)

mine has always always been a "prancy-pants" and steady on his feet!


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## Lily's-Mom (May 31, 2012)

_"This morning he was trying to hold a bone still with his paws but his legs are so awkwardly long that his paws were too far away and I couldn't stop laughing watching him try to figure it out."_

OMG that is hilarious! I can just picture it.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

That is hilarious! Yah, his legs are loooong.  He will be quite goofy with those things until he stops growing and starts to beef up. There is hope, but I wouldn't stress about it. Even if he ends up not a prancer, he looks like an awesome little guy.


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## dcyk (Nov 30, 2011)

Mine knows that when he eliminates on the tray and not everywhere. He will get treats. If we didn't notice or pretend not to, he will proudly prance over to notify us.


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

We brought Lexi home when she was thirteen weeks old. If Lexi was just out and about playing there was no prance, but put her on a leash, even that young and she was all about the prance. It was really pretty funny to see this puppy with all this wispy fur, reminding me of a baby eagle, hold her head up and raise those little fuzzy feet and prance away. It used to amaze me she would do it at all because I thought as a baby that she had huge, I mean big huge feet! Maybe I was just used to seeing feet on nothing bigger than our six pound toy poodle!


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## Sawyersmomma (May 28, 2012)

I got my spoo when he was 5 months... and when I first saw him he was super bouncy... Not sure what he was like as a younger puppy though


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