# day to day life with a poodle.



## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

Hello all, I am hoping to add a miniature poodle to our family next fall or the following summer, and I would like to know what I can expect in regards to (ease of) training, males VS females, and the grooming requirements (which honestly seem a bit ... daunting LOL). I have done a few months of research but I would also like to hear from people who live with this breed every day.

Thanks


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I have standards, not minis but I don't think that matters too much. A well bred poodle is a poodle no matter what size. I have a girl who is very high drive. I love her to pieces and wouldn't trade her for anything in the world, but at 7 she is still "on" more than "off" and therefore not what one would call an easy keeper. Despite how hard she was as a puppy I have done tons of cool stuff with her and our working relationship is excellent. I also have a male puppy who is just over 5 months old. He is the easiest puppy I think you could ever hope for. He is fully housebroken and has been for several weeks. He is easy going and funny as well. He also has good social skills and hasn't been too much of a pest for the older dogs (also have a 7 year old GSD) to get used to having around. Like my other dogs he will do performance sports with me and I think he will be a lovely working dog down the road.

I do my own grooming and it is a lot of work, but with two it is much less expensive to do them myself than to take two of them out. It was an investment to get started and I do still make mistakes, but in the long run if you are nice and patient it ends up being pleasant bonding time.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Welcome, I have had 6 poodles all females three adopted as adults, three as puppies only one was a true mini the rest were toys. I adore my girls. I home groom and keep my three girls in a basic short clip rough 1" during the winter and 1/8" long during the summer, for me it's easy to maintain them myself at those lengths. 

Training for me, well it was easier is some respects with the older girls gotten at 6,7,and 8 yrs as far a housebreaking and being leashed trained ( and no at that age they weren't) .

The puppies were also older than some 18, 20 and 22 weeks so a little more mature, some things they caught on fast too, some thing not so it varied.

Although I swear up and down I was done with winter puppies, housebreaking in bitter cold weather is something to consider I use piddle pads a life saver, I have had three of them during long bitter winters.

Poodles are smart, some are high energy some are not, mine now are low key suits my life style, two 30 minutes walks a day and my girls are happy, which is good since I work full time.

I sure there are other here that have better insight but I love mine.


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## Coldbrew (Jun 17, 2015)

i have a standard poodle and hes still just a puppy (almost 5 months), but I can at least give you the day-to-day puppy life as I live it xD

Jasper is the smartest dog I've ever had. He was housebroken completely within two week and his only accident since was my fault. He's an incredibly fast learner and is very clever to boot. He bonded to me rather than my partner, so if there are people in your family that might get jealous about a dog having clear favorites, you should probably keep that in mind. I've heard many times that they are one person dogs. Not that he dislikes other people, just that he clearly likes me the most.

As far as grooming, we keep him in a short clip and brush him every 2-3 days. If it were any longer we'd need to brush at least every other day, if not every day. His tail and topknot are kept longer and we do brush those every day. It takes maybe 20 minutes on days i brush his whole body.

i have a female doodle puppy as well, and she's been slower to housetrain, but a lot of that was due to medical issues. I have heard that females are more difficult to housebreak though. 

I'm sure you'll love your mini poodle. poodles are so wonderful


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

Do you have to trim the feet up short like I see a lot of people doing or can you leave them the same length as the rest of the coat?

I know about high drive, I have a miniature american shepherd (MAS) that is also "on" more than "off" as well LOL, and I love that. But alas, my allergies are getting worse (I while I have never had issues with dog allergies before, I have also never owned such a fluffy dog before either LOL and I dont think I would be able to handle two MAS in the same house haha). That is why I started researching poodles, because people who like the goofiness and the drive of a MAS or an aussie, but cant handle the hair recommended poodles to me. I have also been doing my own research and the more I read, the more I love them.


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

Welcome Dogdragoness! That's a very pretty dog in your avatar! 

It looks like - if you own that lively looking dog in the picture -- that you already know what it is like to have a dog who needs daily exercise. A poodle - both miniature and standard - will need daily exercise. A nice long walk and some off-leash playtime wold be ideal.

I have a standard female, Dulcie. We live in an apartment in the city and it is very doable. With a daily 2 mile walk and playtime off leash, Dulcie is content to hang out in the apartment with me the rest of the time and is quiet and happy while I work on my computer.

Training is an ongoing project with any dog and poodles are the same in that regard. However, hosuetraining and many of the basics can be very quickly trained with most poodles as they learn very quickly and enjoy learning new skills. Poodles are "thinkers" and can get bored pretty easily if not given enough to think about, so that is where the exercise and training come in. Day to day, this usually means the outings I mentioned plus a few minutes several times a day of in-house training - puppy sit ups (going over the sit, down and stand commands), hide and seek and occasional other games at home -- just a few minutes at a time a few times a day - in addition to the daily outdoor exercise is enough to keep many poodles happy and occupied. 

It is important to speak to your breeder about a good fit for you when considering a poodle puppy. Like any breed, there will be variations in energy level, drives and temperament. If you need a puppy who will be a little less energetic, then you can communicate this to your breeder and they will try to match you with a puppy who will meet your needs. That is one of the most important steps you can take in order to find a puppy whose needs you are able to realistically meet in a day and will help make your day to day life with your poodle more like what you want and expect.

Grooming is a consideration to be sure and yet I have not found it to be as onerous as I expected, baed on what I had read. For sure, any non-shedding breed of dog will require more combing, brushing and bathing than a shedding breed. However, the flipped of that is that what you add to your chore list in grooming you can take off your chore list in housekeeping! No constant sweeping and vacuuming of dog hair! 

I find that keeping Dulcie in a simple clip like a lamb clip or a miami is the best way to keep grooming needs to a managable level. A shorter clip means less hair to keep combed and tangle free - and I can get away with combing her out a couple of times a week instead of needing to do it daily as I would if she had a longer coat. So, I think the grooming commitment depends a bit on how you prefer your poodle to look on a daily basis. You can choose a coat length and style that requires a lot of maintenance or a little.

Nearly everyone I know who has a poodle is amazed and thrilled with the personality and affectionate nature of these intelligent beautiful dogs. Many say that after having a poodle in their lives, they will never choose another breed. I can understand that and I have to agree I probably will only ever have poodles in my life now.

As for house training, YMMV but Dulcie was so easy to house train that I could not quite believe how quickly she became reliable in the house. I expected many weeks of house training and was quite prepared for that. Nevertheless, Dulcie was reliable in the house within a couple of weeks after I brought her home at 8 weeks of age. I didn't test that for many months, but the reality is that after the first few days (when there were a couple of minor pee accidents in the kitchen due to timing errors on my part), Dulcie never had another accident in the house.

Good luck with your search! I could go on and on but I will let other people weigh in here and tell you how wonderful poodles are!


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

dogdragoness said:


> Do you have to trim the feet up short like I see a lot of people doing or can you leave them the same length as the rest of the coat?
> 
> .


I trim them up short, some people like the longer feet you just have to make sure they don't get matted, I leave them slightly longer in the winter, also much to my glee my girl Beatrice likes to wear boots, we will see if Miss Pia will this winter


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## Shellie (Jun 3, 2015)

dogdragoness said:


> Do you have to trim the feet up short like I see a lot of people doing or can you leave them the same length as the rest of the coat?


Of course not! You can trim their feet however you like best. We keep the hair on Maisy's feet about the same length of her coat, which is my absolute favorite look. They kind of look like big bear paws 

EDIT: I have not had any issues with Maisy getting mats in the hair on her feet.


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

I've had three Standards, two female and one male. I really haven't noticed much if any difference between the sexes. I've had a dominant female and dominant male and my current female, Penny, who couldn't possibly care less about any of that stuff. She just wants to play. Poodles are very smart and learn fast though I think Penny is ADD. She has a lot of "squirrel" moments. 
There is a lot of grooming. That seems to be the big turn off to some but I kinda enjoy doing it. I've groomed all three myself and I think it's a great opportunity to get your hands on them to see if there is anything that a vet should look at. Anyway with all the youtube grooming videos available you'll pick it up in no time at all.

Here is Penny at six months all combed out and ready for her first groom.










and after










and here she is with her new boots.










As a non professional groomer grooming is easy. But there is a lot wrong on the grooms I do. If I got them right grooming would be hard but most people don't notice a bad groom like these.

Rick


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

Shellie said:


> Of course not! You can trim their feet however you like best. We keep the hair on Maisy's feet about the same length of her coat, which is my absolute favorite look. They kind of look like big bear paws
> 
> EDIT: I have not had any issues with Maisy getting mats in the hair on her feet.


Yup you can do what ever you want to do. Even this


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## Coldbrew (Jun 17, 2015)

dogdragoness said:


> Do you have to trim the feet up short


not at all! it's totally a personal preference issue. I have both my dog's faces shaved but their feet let long. The first time i got them cut i did have their toes shaved, but I felt their feet looked "creepy (totally subjective!) so i never had them done again. I have, however, heard that once its winter and snow is getting caked into their well-furred feet, that I might want to shave them again so all I need to do is towel them off rather than pick ice-balls out from between their pads!


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

Thank you all you all have been awesome! And yes I do own that lovely dog in my avatar photo lol his name is Lincoln and he is a miniature American shepherd and yes Lively doesn't even begin to describe him lmao, those familiar with Harry Potter will get this reference I always call him my furry bludger lol, he's always crashing and banging into everyone  he is a trip but he is an awesome dog who deep down really wants to please me. He loves both my husband and I but you can clearly tell he is my dog.

He has a good amount of working and sporting drive, he even herd cattle! Know what he likes his toy drive and that is something I would like a little bit more of in my next dog. I was going to get a miniature but he plays too rough that I don't think a miniature would be able to withstand his brand of rough housing, so a friend of mine who is also a poodle enthusiast recommended a standard poodle.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Standard poodles are sturdy dogs! My non-poodle is a German shepherd dog who outweighs lily and Javelin almost 3 to 1. They all play hard together and love it.


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

Don't underestimate a big mini to. Sturdier than you'd think they'd be.

Rick


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

A friend told me that the trouble would be finding someone who breeds "big" mini's. She did recommend moyen/klein poodles but the only breeder she knew of that was any good, that bred moyens was in Indiana ... and I am in texas . I was trying to find a breeder nearer to me because I have never shipped a dog before and I dont know how that would work LOL.

Also, I have an anxiety disorder, and ADHD, and I am borderline bipolar, so I need a dog that wont be affected by my moods and outbursts that are related to my disorders, would a poodle be a good fit for that? I have heard they make great service and therapy dogs.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

The right dog for your anxiety / bipolar will not be dictated by the breed so much as the temperament of the dog. There are hyper poodles and there are calm poodles.

Any dog will be affected by our energy and moods, but the way they react to it depends on their temperament. With bipolar and anxiety, I would guess a calm dog with low/medium energy would be better suited. You need to find a breeder who is willing to reserve a dog for you based on temperament, not sex or color.


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

dogdragoness said:


> A friend told me that the trouble would be finding someone who breeds "big" mini's. She did recommend moyen/klein poodles but the only breeder she knew of that was any good, that bred moyens was in Indiana ... and I am in texas . I was trying to find a breeder nearer to me because I have never shipped a dog before and I dont know how that would work LOL.
> 
> Also, I have an anxiety disorder, and ADHD, and I am borderline bipolar, so I need a dog that wont be affected by my moods and outbursts that are related to my disorders, *would a poodle be a good fit for that?* I have heard they make great service and therapy dogs.


It depends. My first spoo, Roxy, was a rock of stability, unflappable. My second, Beau was fearful and full of anxiety. My third and current, Penny is a party girl and probably would notice. So it's an individual thing. But yes, they can make great service dogs.

Rick


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

So I guess that I would need to get with the breeder on that, right? Sorry for all the dumb questions LOL.


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## sophie anne (Feb 17, 2015)

Hi dogdragoness!

I have a mini poodle named Ari who is just about Javelin's age... 5.5 months old today. I can't say exactly what she'll be like as an adult yet but I thought that I could make a couple of points that haven't already been made since Ari is a miniature and is going to be doing performance activities.

I grew up with a 48 lb standard poodle, Sophie, who is still around and is very patient with Ari's zany puppy-ness. Ari is almost 14" tall at the shoulder and 11 lb right now. I also raised labrador retrievers as guide dogs (50-70 lb), so I've had quite a few medium-large dogs in my life. I like the miniature size better already, because Ari is at least as sturdy but is so much more portable! I'm a small person so having Ari weigh 11 pounds instead of 40 lb makes a huge difference. Training leash walking is so much less of an ordeal for my joints! Ari will be able to fit in a carry-on sized bag for flights so it will be easy for us to travel together.

Ari plays regularly, under supervision, with dogs up to 50 pounds with no problem. I wouldn't let her play unsupervised with very big dogs. I think that a mini poodle would be the perfect size to play with a Mini American Shepherd, and a mpoo puppy might even be able to outplay Lincoln!

Ari is very high drive and incredibly smart; she graduated from her Canine Good Citizen test prep class last night with top marks. She's been housebroken for about a month (meaning she will hold it until let outside, even if I miss her signal! She is also good at persistently signaling to go out!).One of her favorite activities is free shaping and she learns new tricks in 2-3 repetitions. This is made easier by the fact that Ari is a fast mover and thinker so she gives me lots of material to work with and shape. I taught her to put her paw on her nose and hold it there during her CGC class last night because she was feeling bored.

In some ways I feel that the speed she learns new skills at is limited only by my training ability and not her intelligence. Ari is pretty food motivated, but I can also use toys as a reward in some situations. The flip side to all of this is that she needs to be doing a job when she has lots of energy, or she will FIND a job which usually equals big trouble. Probably similar to Lincoln!

Best of all, Ari is happy to curl up and snooze through the night if she's had plenty of mental and physical exercise. She is cuddly and prefers to sleep near me but is independent enough to be comfortable snoozing in her crate.

Poodles are great as far as allergies provided you keep them clean. One downside to the poodle coat (and furry feet) is that the wooly texture is basically the best possible bonding agent for leaves, burrs and beggars' lice. If you go in the woods a lot, bi-weekly baths and a thorough brushing every couple of days will probably be necessary unless you keep your poodle trimmed pretty short. Thankfully Ari is pretty tolerant of being groomed so I didn't have to shave her over the weekend when she got into some burr bushes (I removed over 100 and it took four+ hours!!!! :afraid.

I don't think you could go wrong with either a mini or a standard. They are pretty similar in personality if you get them from a reputable breeder that is breeding for temperament. It mostly comes down to portability and what kind of activities you want the dog to do.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

None of your questions are dumb! As far as service for your needs I agree with others that you need to get a good temperament match by working with the breeder you settle on going with. As far as my two go I would say Lily would not be a good service dog for you since she is very sensitive about emotions. Javelin probably would be though.


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

I think all of your questions are smart and helpful to others reading, too!

Yes, get with an experienced and responsible breeder who will help match you with a puppy whose temperament will be a good fit for you r needs. There are several PF members who are in Texas and who may be able to point you towards some breeders who have experience with that. Sweetheartsrodeo's SPOO Remington is her service dog. Several other PF members have trained or are training their dogs to be service dogs.

I am on the autism spectrum and I am training Dulcie for therapy work, hopefully including for people with mental health issues such as anxiety and PTSD. I talked to my breeder about my plans and I relied on her to select the right puppy for me. It was a leap of faith, and yet it was an educated leap because I chose a highly regarded, excellent and experienced breeder. She chose DUlcie for me and the match is almost perfect (there is no actual perfection when dealing with living creatures - ourselves included! - of course. But the temperament match is really really good). 

Dulcie is one of those dogs that people refer to as "bomb-proof". Fireworks, thunderstorms, trucks backfiring, loud crowds, sirens, traffic noise, jackhammers int he street, the el train barreling overhead as we walk beneath the trestles -- all of this is noted and dismissed by Dulcie as she trots along by my side for her daily walks, or sits or lies down by my side to watch fireworks or a thunderstorm. That is achieved by selecting a dog with the right temperament plus socialization and positive training from day one. It isn't difficult but it does require that you prepare before you bring your puppy home, you select a good breeder who will match you with a puppy with a calm temperament and then you consistently provide the pup with daily opportunities to experience a wide variety of experiences and reward her well for calmness.

I think you could find the ideal companion in either a standard poodle or a miniature poodle. My bias is toward the standards, of course! Good luck with your search!


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

I've fostered two toy poodles and now own a mini-poodle mix (who's pretty high-content poodle from what I can tell). I would say there's a pretty wide variety of energy levels in minis, so if you decide to go that route then you'll just want to look for a breeder whose dogs are the type you like. Archie is about 14 inches tall (so just at the top end of the size range) and he happily plays with dogs of all sizes. 

He actually made awesome friends with a smaller Aussie at the dog park the other day. He's just over a year old and high-energy, just wants to play play play, and he and the Aussie got along famously chasing each other all over the park. He just doesn't like full-contact wrestling, so he gets along with any dog who doesn't plan to tackle him and nip him too much. So it may depend on your dog's play style. With the smaller herding dogs, they seem to love just chasing him in circles, which is his favorite thing to do anyway.

If you keep them in a short clip and don't mind paying for regular grooming appointments, the grooming is not bad at all. The only thing that's time-consuming for me at this point is blow-drying him after a bath, because his curls get too tight and coarse for me if I don't. But brushing I just do in short bursts every night, and it's totally manageable. You do want to keep up with it, though, or you're in for a world of hurt if you get mats. You also need to pay closer attention to ear care with drop-eared dog like a poodle than you probably would with an Aussie. Oh, and I don't shave his face or feet, which I think makes him look like a little teddy bear. We don't get snow or ice here, so it's no problem.

Anyway, day to day Archie is VERY toy- and play-driven, incredibly smart and needs mental stimulation every day, learns new commands faster than pretty much any dog I've worked with. He's got an incredible memory and great problem-solving abilities (which is both a good and bad thing depending on the situation). 

I used to have a Cattle Dog and have a good amount of experience with herding breeds, and I'd say the main difference is that Archie is "softer" and less intense than they tend to be. When my ACD was fixated on something, it was really hard to shake her out of it; Archie doesn't have the same determination and is much more concerned with keeping me happy than getting his "work" done. My old Cattle Dog also had a ton of prey drive - Archie is mad about squirrels, but otherwise doesn't have the same interest in chasing/hunting animals. He's more curious about them than anything.

Sorry if that's too much! I guess I'm in a talky mood... :aetsch:


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

Now, onto breeders, does anyone know any reputable breeders in my area (north texas) that breed minis or standards, or both?


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

There are a number of folks here from various corners of Texas. Hopefully they will chime in with breeder suggestions for you. I am glad we seem to have convinced you that a poodle will be a good fit for you.


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

I hope so  as I am new to poodles and I need all the help I can get LOL


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I recommend Nancy Wilson of Bar None, near Corpus Christi. Yes, I realize it's a drive but we're used to that, right? She's an AKC Breeder of Merit for SPOO's, but probably can recommend a reputable Mini breeder in Texas. One of her dogs is Dulcie's sire. I asked for a confident, energetic dog because we have 4 fenced acres and I didn't want a shy, coach potato. That has been a great lesson in humility for me! I was operating with the baseline of Scotties and had never trained such a smart dog before. You have an advantage already having trained a smart, energetic breed. Thankfully, Buck has an off button and I got him started in obedience early. I hate to be disloyal to my belated Scottie, but Buck will probably be the best dog I will ever own.

I keep him short, like his Avatar picture with zero apologies. He's professionally groomed because I don't have the best bathtub for washing a SPOO. A short trim is comfortable in our heat and a few comb swipes are all he seems to need between grooms. I get my "fancy" fix looking at other PF members' Poodles 

Let us know how your search goes. Poodles are great in any size.


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## sophie anne (Feb 17, 2015)

Morning Glory miniature poodles is located in San Antonio and is expecting some litters in the spring. Dr. Skrobarcek works closely with Richard Bohannon of Aery poodles, a well-known and liked breeder on the forum.

Morning Glory Poodles


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

Wow thank you all so much! My am getting so many warm fuzzies at the warm reception and all the help I have gotten from every one here, you all have been so great!

Haha yes, Lincoln (my dog in the avatar) is a very lively dude, he is a mini american shepherd (MAS) which is a newly recognized breed bred from the aussie. Lincoln is bred, on his mother's side from working line aussies, his mother has herding ant flyball titles. His father is a mix of show line and sporting lines, he is a dock diver.

Lincoln is a very active, bull headed and pushy dog, he is smart and biddable, but he does have a "outlaw" streak LOL. But deep down he really loves to work with me and to please, and he will try his heart out at every task I ask of him. 

I have been told poodles are a lot like that, as well.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

A lot of your descriptors of Lincoln could apply easily to Lily. Dogs like Lily (and Lincoln) aren't always easy to live with but very rewarding to partner with.

Javelin on the other hand is an easy keeper, but also a quick study and eager to please.


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

Naturally, I second Mfmst's recommendation of Bar None. As Mfmst mentioned, Dulcie's sire is one of their dogs --GCh Wildrose Bar-None's Most Wanted (Reilly). I met Reilly at my breeder's place (Dulcie's dam was the breeder's Avalon's Crown Jewel) and he was a beautiful, calm, dignified dog with just the right amount of spunk (in my opinion!).


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

Thank you all, I talked to both breeders and I will continue to consider them both, I think the final choice will be morning glory, because her time table for litters matches mine for a puppy. Both have been equally nice, gracious and helpful, it is really very hard to choose, lol.


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

lily cd re said:


> A lot of your descriptors of Lincoln could apply easily to Lily. Dogs like Lily (and Lincoln) aren't always easy to live with but very rewarding to partner with.
> 
> Javelin on the other hand is an easy keeper, but also a quick study and eager to please.


It's weird because despite his quirks, Lincoln is not that hard to live and work with ... at least for me lol... though hubby might beg to differ haha.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

dogdragoness said:


> It's weird because despite his quirks, Lincoln is not that hard to live and work with ... at least for me lol... though hubby might beg to differ haha.



Well I think we must live in parallel universes then since Lily is more annoying to BF than to me. I can find her off switch more easily.


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

LOL Likewise, I find his dog to be very hard to deal with, too. She is a rescue, she was dumped on AC's doorstep in dallas at 4 weeks old, just her and her three brothers, so she has the typical problems of a dog who was taken from their mother too early (No social skills, no bite inhibition etc ...). I am sure she was an "oops" litter where some dog got to someone's female. Because of that she is a very nervous and "fragile" dog training wise, if you put even the slightest bit of pressure on her she folds like a cheap lawn chair, shuts down and wont work for you. 

Hubby doesnt ask her to really do anything and she is one of those naturally well behaved dogs, so because of her, he kind of thinks dogs should "just behave" LOL, and Lincoln is a "Well, if you arent going to 'make' me do it, then I am not going to." type of dog, he is always pushing the rules and seeing what he can get away with. 

He is also a chewing MONSTER and if he doesnt have toys, something is going to get chewed on LOL, that's another thing we argue about, his dog doesnt really chew and he thinks that things like benebones and nylabones are luxuries and all that. No, they are to keep him from destroying stuff LOL.

Sorry for the long post LOL.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Well then double up on the parallel universe thing. I love Peeves but yeah, BF doesn't really expect him to do anything much (I show him in rally, BF wouldn't be caught dead at a show.). So when the poodles are annoying him he just expects them to stop doing whatever they are doing. I am forever telling him to make them do something alternative and static like a sit or a down.

Peeves is an easy keeper, so BF thinks the poodles should be as biddable as he is. Javelin is pretty close, but Lily definitely not.


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

How easy are poodles to house train? Lincoln was super easy, the only accidents he had was when he had a stomach upset, of course I was also diligent in getting him out, too.


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## sophie anne (Feb 17, 2015)

dogdragoness said:


> How easy are poodles to house train? Lincoln was super easy, the only accidents he had was when he had a stomach upset, of course I was also diligent in getting him out, too.


Ari came home at 10 weeks old. Ari understood that going outside was preferable at 11 weeks old and started ringing the "potty bells" to go out at about 12 weeks (maybe sooner, but she got really bad, uncontrollable diarrhea so hard to say). She didn't transition from thinking "I'll go outside if I can" to "All pee/poop must happen outside and I will hold it until that is possible" until about 5 months old.

I think the transition was a combination of her becoming able to control those muscles, as well as having the attention span/willpower and maturity level to hold it. She is now 5.5 months old and 100% trustworthy and will signal multiple times to go out when she needs to go. If I miss or ignore the signal, she will lay down by the door with a constipated look on her face... lol :act-up:

I'd say she was pretty easy to housetrain.


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

I have heard that males are actually easier to house train than females in poodles, is this true?

Lincoln was surprisingly neat and easy to housetrain. I think its all in how they were brought up. If they were born in a neat environment and never know going where they sleep, its natural for them not to want to.


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

dogdragoness said:


> I have heard that males are actually easier to house train than females in poodles, is this true?
> 
> Lincoln was surprisingly neat and easy to housetrain. I think its all in how they were brought up. If they were born in a neat environment and never know going where they sleep, its natural for them not to want to.


I haven't really heard of or noticed a difference between males and females in terms of housetraining. Some males get really into marking things and females can end up incontinent if their spay surgery is botched. Outside of either of those things happening I think they're about the same.


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

All three of mine were easy to train. Penny took the longest but only because I was missing her (very subtle) signal. She was probably thinking , man these people are really hard to train.

Rick


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

Dulcie was very easy to train. I expected it to be much more challenging. She had perhaps 2-3 tiny pee accidents the first few days home, and then nothing after. Of course, I was diligent about regular potty breaks outside. She learned to ring a bell to go out at 9 weeks after observing my daughter's visiting dog do it. I didn't take her house training for granted for many months, and yet she never had another accident night or day after that first week. By 5 months, I knew she was solid after an unplanned 16 hour night on a ferry (only meant to be 6 hours) during which time, she held on and did not have an accident. I wouldn't ever do that deliberately, but in that situation I had no choice - I didn't expect Dulcie not to have had an accident, but she made it.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Easiest puppy I ever house trained! I kept a regular schedule and Buck was slamming the bells on the door in no time. I have never had a dog that potties on command. He was mortified if he had an accident in the kitchen. Now he points out spots I missed in the yard. A very clean guy! I did have to put the bells away when he learned to game the system


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

dogdragoness said:


> I have heard that males are actually easier to house train than females in poodles, is this true?
> 
> Lincoln was surprisingly neat and easy to housetrain. I think its all in how they were brought up. If they were born in a neat environment and never know going where they sleep, its natural for them not to want to.


Lily was a breeze to housetrain. As far as Javelin goes, I'd say he's paralleled Ari pretty closely only we didn't use bells.


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

Our poodles were extremely easy to housetrain. They are 100% reliable. The Boston Terriers on the other hand, are a different story! I groom the two standard poodles myself and it's no big deal really. They feel so soft and smell so good after they're groomed, it's a big motivator! Get good equipment and take a few grooming lessons...it's a very good investment. I would say the biggest investment with poodles is your time; you are going to want to go to obedience lessons but it's fun! So good for your poodle, so good for your bond with him/her. Plus you meet cool people there who also love their dogs.


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## aasteapots (Oct 6, 2013)

PoodleRick said:


> Yup you can do what ever you want to do. Even this


I am just wondering what goes thru peoples minds when doing that craziness to a dog. Poor thing! LOL


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

Lol Lincoln has veey subtle signals, they are hard to explain but I know them now, he will start chewing more on his toys, and he will start pestering me lol


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

aasteapots said:


> I am just wondering what goes thru peoples minds when doing that craziness to a dog. Poor thing! LOL


Well the dog doesn't seem to be miserable .... well at lea a t not the one playing big bird haha


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

aasteapots said:


> I am just wondering what goes thru peoples minds when doing that craziness to a dog. Poor thing! LOL


Dog Grooming Contests


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## lsm52 (Oct 12, 2012)

>She learned to ring a bell to go out<

Yeah. About that. I thought I was soooo clever. Let's teach Baxter to ring a bell and he'll tell me when he wants to potty.

Except. He trained ME. 

He rings the bell
so I'll get up
and open the door
so he can go out
and PLAY!

Then rinse and repeat. and repeat. and repeat.

When I don't open the door, because he can't possibly have to go again so soon, he piddles on the floor.

So yeah. he trained me.


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## Coldbrew (Jun 17, 2015)

we also started with a bell and the puppies quickly learned that ringing it means they get to play outside. So we started teaching that when we go out the back door it means they get leisurely time to sniff and potty and bark at squirrels, but that going out the front door means potty fast and come right back inside. So now they prefer to sit at the back door (for obvious reasons) but if they really have to pee they'll whine at the front door.


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

Yeah, I never did the bell with any of my dogs, they would certainly use it against me LMAO.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

dogdragoness said:


> Yeah, I never did the bell with any of my dogs, they would certainly use it against me LMAO.


Same here. They would be ringing them at 5:00 AM for sure.


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

Archie just gets a quick potty break and back in in response to the bells, but that doesn't stop him from trying for more when he's desperate. You can tell when we're late on his evening walk because he starts ringing the bells every couple of minutes.


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## Reiko (Mar 9, 2013)

*Furry Feet*



dogdragoness said:


> Do you have to trim the feet up short like I see a lot of people doing or can you leave them the same length as the rest of the coat?


I prefer to keep Zuki's feel like Shellie's (Maisy's) in her photo.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

I'm a bit late joining this thread. My poodles trained for several years alongside Australian Shepherds. Compared to the Aussies, my poodles were less flashy. They had less drive, but they were solid. They excelled at therapy work and did well with both the elderly and children. The male carted and passed his herding instinct test. He did very well with geese, never scattered them, calmly pushed them where they needed to be. They were both bombproof. When Novice handlers needed to learn an exercise with a push button dog, my poodles were used. They were also called into action for special needs clients. I had the opportunity to choose pups with more drive, but I wanted more "biddability". I agree that you should work with your chosen breeder and be clear about what kind of temperament you want in your pup. I have trained service dog teams... and sometimes the dogs that have a lot of drive (like a Malinois) are not the best choice. A service dog spends a lot of time waiting to be called into action. A dog that can relax in the middle of chaos is often a blessing. As for the grooming aspect, the lack of shedding makes up for the need to trim.


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## Reiko (Mar 9, 2013)

*Easy Peasy Poodle*



dogdragoness said:


> How easy are poodles to house train


Zuki was easy: He learned to go outside or hold it within a month after we got him.

We got Azuki when he was about 14 weeks old. I think he knew right away where to go to the bathroom in the yard because he had our older dog around to show him. Inside, he mainly had accidents inside his playpen when I let too much time go by. (We could not crate-train him: He screamed bloody murder. Granted, he wasn't exactly thrilled in his playpen either.)

Once he learned to use the doggie door from our garage to the yard, we discovered we didn't need to housetrain him via a crate/pen during the day. Now that he figured out how to get outside, he knew to go there to do his business on his own. We were so relieved and impressed. What a smart boy! At night, I think we did try to put him in a playpen for a while until we trusted him. I generally took away the water bowl around 7 pm every night to minimize the need to pee throughout the night.

(Compare that to our Bichon Mochi: It took maybe over a year before he got it down without any accidents inside the house!)

When I was outside with him, I did tell Zuki 'Go potty', 'Good boy!' while he was doing his business so that he would understand what that meant when we're out and about.

We trained our other dog to ask to go outside (the days before the doggie door was installed) by tapping on the sliding glass door. Zuki copied that from Mochi but only maybe a year or so later. By then he had moments when he was too lazy to go downstairs to the doggie door! Silly furry head.


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

Charmed said:


> I'm a bit late joining this thread. My poodles trained for several years alongside Australian Shepherds. Compared to the Aussies, my poodles were less flashy. They had less drive, but they were solid. They excelled at therapy work and did well with both the elderly and children. The male carted and passed his herding instinct test. He did very well with geese, never scattered them, calmly pushed them where they needed to be. They were both bombproof. When Novice handlers needed to learn an exercise with a push button dog, my poodles were used. They were also called into action for special needs clients. I had the opportunity to choose pups with more drive, but I wanted more "biddability". I agree that you should work with your chosen breeder and be clear about what kind of temperament you want in your pup. I have trained service dog teams... and sometimes the dogs that have a lot of drive (like a Malinois) are not the best choice. A service dog spends a lot of time waiting to be called into action. A dog that can relax in the middle of chaos is often a blessing. As for the grooming aspect, the lack of shedding makes up for the need to trim.


Oh I totally agree! Aussies arent usually the best with strangers  my boy is a miniature american shepherd, not an aussie but the breeds are very closely related. 

MAS came from the aussie, from the smaller working line aussies, so their temperaments are more .... I dont know how to explain it ... I guess ... edgy is the right word? They are sharper, and more reactive than the show line aussies. They bred some show lines into the MAS but not too many as the show line aussies are larger than their working line counter parts (I know there shouldnt be a split but there is). Lincoln is a very laid back (for a MAS lol) friendly dude but he is very shy and easily gets overstimulated by certain environments. 

I have contacted Morning Glory mini poodles and she was so so nice! I told her what I wanted in a puppy (since I have read that the mini's can be a bit on the timid side as well) that I wanted a confident, outgoing puppy that had drive (working and toy drive). 

everyone I have talked to in this breed has been so nice! I really appreciate all the help I have received and thank you all for putting up with all my stupid questions haha


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