# Maintaining a white/cream toy poodle



## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

So we have decided on the breeder (Clarion) from whom we are going to get our 2nd dog when Nickel turns 18 months (9 mths from now). This breeder is famous for her blacks and whites/cream. She might have brown (our desired color) in a very rare occasion but most probably we would have to settle for a white/cream (hubby really doesn't want a black).

I have never had white anything before (my mom never let me get white shoes/jackets … saying everything white is difficult to maintain). So my question is: Does it really take a lot of effort/work to keep a white toy poodle clean and nice-looking?


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## penny_ann (May 29, 2010)

Can't really answer the maintaining question having never had a white dog. My mom's papillon is black and white and she only bathes him once a week and he looks pretty good, not sure that helps though. Congrats on deciding on a breeder! I'm considering Clarion.


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## PoodleLicious (Nov 17, 2010)

As long as its not an outside dog no. My two are white/cream I do bathe them every week because I like the clean smell and fluffy look but no they have never been close to stained or dirty looking (unless they JUST got all muddy in which case a bath would be necessary anyways)

If your dogs get muddy and you let the mud stay in for a long time (probably days) i could see them being stained. I see alot of westies with stained red legs (alabama clay) but they are outside dogs for sure


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## rubymom (Apr 24, 2010)

Tear stains can sometimes be an issue. Although, many times it is a process of elimination that finally resolves the problem. I have also know many to use Angel Eyes or a similar product.


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## partial2poodles (Feb 11, 2010)

Whites have one good thing about them....they make you realize how dirty the other colors really are and how you just don't see the dirt. Once you have to maintain a white, you'll also take better care of your browns, blacks, reds & silvers.


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

Thanks for the replies. All my dogs will be indoor dogs so that should help. I wipe Nickel with baby wipes every day we come back from the park and I will do the same to the future puppy. Now I feel more comfortable embracing the idea of getting a cream puppy.


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## Skye (Feb 19, 2010)

Well, I've only had Auggie for about a month, and I have given him a bath every week, out of necessity! 

The first full day he was home, he found some poop to roll in. Twice, I have had him out a million times, and he would not poop. I had to crate him while I went out; and he pooped in the crate. (Makes me crazy, since I knew he had to go and he wouldn't!) Oh, and the week I didn't bathe him, I took him to the groomers, and they did it! LOL So; I wouldn't know yet if he is really hard to keep clean because of his color; it's his habits!!!!


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

Skye said:


> Well, I've only had Auggie for about a month, and I have given him a bath every week, out of necessity!
> 
> The first full day he was home, he found some poop to roll in. Twice, I have had him out a million times, and he would not poop. I had to crate him while I went out; and he pooped in the crate. (Makes me crazy, since I knew he had to go and he wouldn't!) Oh, and the week I didn't bathe him, I took him to the groomers, and they did it! LOL So; I wouldn't know yet if he is really hard to keep clean because of his color; it's his habits!!!!


Oh…. oh….


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

Beau gets a bath when he gets groomed, which is about every 3 to 4 weeks. He's mostly an indoor dog (we have relatively small fenced back yard) and pretty fastidious in his habits. I've got to get some video of him tip toeing out to pee when the ground is wet. Just a hoot. There was one time the back of his poms got pretty muddy from running around after a rainstorm, but that was surprisingly easy to deal with - just used a damp wash cloth, and the rest brushed right out when his hair dried. He's the only dog we've every owned, so I have no basis for comparison, but I don't see how a darker poodle would be any easier to deal with.

I wonder if this is anything like picking a paint color for a new car? You would think white would show the most dirt, but it doesn't. Black shows the most dirt, by far. The best color for hiding dirt is silver.


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

LEUllman said:


> I wonder if this is anything like picking a paint color for a new car? You would think white would show the most dirt, but it doesn't. Black shows the most dirt, by far. The best color for hiding dirt is silver.


LOL~ Maybe that's why I picked a silver boy


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I don't think you can really compare a poodle and a papillon - Sophy has a fine, single coat that dirt just drops out of. She gets bathed once in a blue moon, but always looks gleaming white. She can come home muddy from a walk, and half an hour later looks pristine again - the floors suffer, of course!


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## KT5 (Nov 13, 2010)

I have a white bichon, white toy poodle and a white socked hairless chinese crested. 
I have one piece of advice. Do NOT let your white dog outside after you've mown the lawn and it is wet. Otherwise, this is what you get... a green dog! Took 2 baths to get the green stain off.


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

I had no colour preference when I got my miniature, just wanted a healthy pup, and timing was quite critical.

That said, I am not sure I'd have anything but black if all other factors were the same! 

Vasco's best mate is a Bichon, and the difference between them after a romp in the park is startling. She is mud brown to her elbows, halfway up her back from her belly, and the bottom two inches of her ears. I dry Vasco briskly with a towel, and give him a brush when he's dry, and he looks good as new. I know the Bichon looks grungy until the next bath. 

Of course, my dog is out in the mud a LOT!


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## Birdie (Jun 28, 2009)

Well Desmond is cream colored, and he does show dirt pretty easily. Taking him to the dog park is the worst, since he will sit in the dusty ground and just be coated in dry dirt (thankfully, I can blast that out with the forced air dryer and brush him, he looks better but still dirty). Otherwise, we don't have much problem. I bathe him weekly and try my best to keep him from getting too dirty.  His feet do look quite brown tinged at the end of the week if he's been to the park, but since he gets a bath every Sunday or Monday, it's not a problem (I can only take him to the park on the weekends, unfortunately). 
I would mostly worry about tear stains in a small, white poodle. Weekly baths will solve most of your other staining issues. Using a good leave-in conditioner can help with repelling dirt and stains too, right?


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## PoodleLicious (Nov 17, 2010)

I had tear stain problems with my cream female, wiping everyday didn't solve anything.
I used angel eyes until the bottle was gone, and its been I think about a year, and they never came back. Angel eyes is an antibiotic, and tear staining alot of the time can mean a type of infection. 

Don't pick a puppy that already has visible huge tear stain problems of course. My male is very dry eyed, he's white, never had a single tear stain on him.


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## Skye (Feb 19, 2010)

I'm thinking about trying Angel eyes. Auggie's one eye tear stains. Are there any other side effects to be aware of with Angel eyes?


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## PoodleLicious (Nov 17, 2010)

Well I did notice her breath smelled better which is really wierd. lol
But other than that no side effects and she loved the taste it was like sprinkling on extra flavor to her food.

I wouldn't keep a dog on it for a year or anything seeing as it's an antibiotic. I think mine lasted two months but I had two dogs eating it at the time.. Try it for a period and then take him off and see if it's better. Sometimes dogs get them back in a few months and you just do another period on it.


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## Skye (Feb 19, 2010)

PoodleLicious said:


> Well I did notice her breath smelled better which is really wierd. lol
> But other than that no side effects and she loved the taste it was like sprinkling on extra flavor to her food.
> 
> I wouldn't keep a dog on it for a year or anything seeing as it's an antibiotic. I think mine lasted two months but I had two dogs eating it at the time.. Try it for a period and then take him off and see if it's better. Sometimes dogs get them back in a few months and you just do another period on it.


Thank you; I was hoping it won't upset his stomach or anything. He is 7 months old; does he need to be a certain age? I'm going to look it up, but I have heard of it before. I think it is worth trying.


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## PoodleLicious (Nov 17, 2010)

I was using it on a 4 and 7 month old at the time. I don't think it upsets the tummy as far as I know there aren't bad side effects.


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## PoodleLicious (Nov 17, 2010)

Vaccinations cause lumps and bumps and cancers as dogs get older, I would assume keeping dogs on an antibiotic for too long would have the same effect eventually


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## flufflvr (Mar 20, 2010)

KT5 said:


> I have one piece of advice. Do NOT let your white dog outside after you've mown the lawn and it is wet. Otherwise, this is what you get... a green dog!


lol! That's really funny. . .I was thinking the exact same thing as I was reading through this thread! 








Except Sammi probably walked through the grass and Cosita rolled in it!
Great minds really do think alike! Or is it the breed or the color?


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