# Why are so many people surprised at how cute poodles are?



## peonies (Aug 10, 2016)

The other day Charlie (6-1/2 month old minipoo) and I met a 70ish aged woman on the sidewalk. She was captivated by Charlie - and was so surprised at how cute and fun he is! She has a deposit down on a labradoodle puppy (still in utero) and seemed quite amazed that poodle puppies can be appealing too. She said I should breed him to my sister's lab puppy - yikes!! (He came with a limited registration and will never be bred - and I won't even go there on the topic of starting a line of labradoodles). This happened several days ago, and I'm still thinking about it. Poodle owners on this forum know how wonderful their dogs are. This seems to be more of a secret than you would expect in our marketing/branding crazy society.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Amen peonies! I hope the woman you met tries to get her labradoodle deposit back and put it in for a nice poodle instead. A mini poo sounds like a much better option for a 70ish woman too. 

I had a couple who were both in their 70s in my last beginner class. They have a very high energy lab pup. They live in a garden apartment complex with no fenced yards and no on site dog run. The wife is quite petite and wants to get the dog to be able to do therapy work, but has no ability to physically control the dog (she has already fallen once). The husband does no work with the dog and clearly just wants a pal to watch TV with. They made some, but not much progress, in the beginner class. I doubt they did any meaningful training outside of class. The last time they came to novice she wanted to know if I knew someone who would board the dog while they went to their non dog friendly time share in Florida for 4 weeks (originally was supposed to be 8 weeks). I don't know anyone who would board this dog for that long. Why did they get this dog, because their daughter has his litter mate brother! My point is you need to know why you want any dog, let alone finding one suitable to your life stage and physical capabilities. I hope the lady who has the deposit on the labradoodle rethinks her choices or can offer the right environment, training and the like to the labradoodle if she goes ahead.


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## Caddy (Nov 23, 2014)

So true peonies, DH has said "if so many people love poodles when they meet them, why don't more people have them". The "are you going to breed them" question always bothers me, some people automatically think having puppies is what you do. I'm actually very surprised that so many people still think that way.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Caddy said:


> So true peonies, DH has said "if so many people love poodles when they meet them, why don't more people have them". The "are you going to breed them" question always bothers me, some people automatically think having puppies is what you do. I'm actually very surprised that so many people still think that way.


And why do people who love a friend or family member's 7/8 poodle, 1/8th something else not get a 100% poodle either?


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## peonies (Aug 10, 2016)

So true about some people not thinking through the responsibilities of having a puppy and the ramifications of choosing a particular breed (yes, those cute puppies do get a lot bigger & have minds of their own!!). The other half of the conversation with the woman was my sharing some of our experiences with having a young puppy (crate training, using a puppy playpen in the early months and/or confining the young puppy to one room (i.e. kitchen), puppy-proofing for electric cords, etc. The woman was very nice but honestly I had the sense that she has not thought this all through. The fluffy coat and coloring of the puppy-to-be seem to be major considerations.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I'm already envisioning a re-homing situation... I do that sometimes with people and their dogs. For example, a young couple we know with two hounds that are always at doggie daycare and are so disobedient that neither set of parents will allow the dogs in their homes. They just had a new baby... Sometimes it's the wrong dog, or the wrong time in a person's life, owners who don't have the time to exercise and train and can't deal with the result. Or all of those.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Mfmst so sad for the dogs. And curls and a particular color as main reasons for choosing a pup, huh? The woman needs a nice little minipoo, just like my students with the lab. I wish there was a way to have a pre-puppy buying class for inexperienced would be owners, so many re-homes could be avoided.


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## peonies (Aug 10, 2016)

Pre-puppy buying classes would be so helpful!! Not that I have researched all the "new puppy" books out there, but a general comment might be that they cover so much ground that the "puppy fit" message may get buried for many would-be puppy owners. Also there may be many owners who wait until they are picking up the puppy (or already have done so) before reading a new puppy book. Plus, as we all know, reading about how to choose and then raise a puppy is not the same as actually doing so!


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

It has been my view for many years that in our enlightened society no one should be allowed to "own" any animal without the appropriate knowledge of the breed and care regime. This applies to parents considering children too. Far too many people go into animal care without any knowledge at all. And as for child care, just look on your own streets at the results.
Eric


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Socially I think we are on a slippery slope in so many ways and the way we treat our companion and agricultural animals is a good barometer for how we are doing with ourselves as a species. Our dogs are treated like children and we try to be friends with our actual children. Nobody ever loses, yet clearly we can't all win at everything.

I personally am still in shock after our election. Why do we still rely on the electoral college and ignore the popular vote? Why do we tolerate so much disinterest and participation? Why didn't my vote really count, given that my state was a foregone conclusion and even though both major candidates are from my state did neither of them actually campaign meaningfully here? So many things are out of whack!!!!


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## BentleysMum (May 22, 2016)

I think when most people think poodle they get this image:










Lots of people have commented on how cute Bentley is, but they're always surprised when I tell them he's a poodle. Most people think he's a doodle. 

I had one lady at the dog park petting Bentley and telling me how cute he was and that she wants to take him home. Then goes on to tell me how she hates poodle and that they're so yappy and nippy and that labradoodles makes them so much better. I told her Bentley was 100% poodle in a different haircut and walked away.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Breed popularity changes too. It seems to me that most people on PF have either always had Poodles in their lives or like me met many that I admired. (My BF has had every size! I've heard "You've got to get a Poodle" for many years!) Allergy sufferers come to the breed, although now there are now more choices for them.

The Poodle "brand" is an interesting topic and I think unfairly influenced by the Continental 
groom. That's our breed silhouette. Formidable to attain and not to everyone's taste.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Exactly, Bentley'sMum!


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

Mfmst said:


> The Poodle "brand" is an interesting topic and I think unfairly influenced by the Continental
> groom. That's our breed silhouette. Formidable to attain and not to everyone's taste.


I totally agree with what you said about the poodle brand is unfairly influenced by the continental groom. Just recently someone told me that she likes the way I keep my dog in a short easy clip so that they look like "real dogs." She seemed to think that most poodle owners have their dogs in a continental or some other fancy frou-frou clip. I found it very interesting that she had this impression. In fact, I know a lot of poodles who live in my neighborhood and/or go to the parks that I go to. They are ALL kept in a short simple cut. Even people who show their poodles look forward to shaving them down when they get their championship. So where does this idea that "most" poodles are prancing around in continental clips come from?


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## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

I've had odd experiences with peoples' reactions to my poodles. Granted, I've always had the big, 'tough' dogs before, but the reactions I got were pretty much the reverse of what I expected. Friends and family members pick on me for my choice in 'fru-fru' dogs, but the folks at my training club (IPO, no less) that I always considered the rough and tough guys, love my poodles - even the member/judge (older man, retired German Navy) told me how much he loved his poodles and hunted with them. 

I guess non-dog people can't see past the hair and stereotypes and those of us in the know, well, we are the blessed ones, aren't we? 

Under all that hair beats the heart of a (cuddly) lion.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

peonies said:


> The other day Charlie (6-1/2 month old minipoo) and I met a 70ish aged woman on the sidewalk. She was captivated by Charlie - and was so surprised at how cute and fun he is! She has a deposit down on a labradoodle puppy (still in utero) and seemed quite amazed that poodle puppies can be appealing too. She said I should breed him to my sister's lab puppy - yikes!! (He came with a limited registration and will never be bred - and I won't even go there on the topic of starting a line of labradoodles). This happened several days ago, and I'm still thinking about it. Poodle owners on this forum know how wonderful their dogs are. This seems to be more of a secret than you would expect in our marketing/branding crazy society.


I met this lady - well not this exact same lady, but on Thursday I met a woman in her 70's who was walking her new 10 week old puppy in the park - a goldendoodle. This puppy was huge - seemed to be almost the same size as my mpoo. The woman was clueless - no crate, didn't seem to be concerned about letting her dog meet other dogs before all his vaccinations were complete etc. Oh and she got this dog because it was a bargain price that her cousin had found. Huh? A bargain price? I don't see this turning out well. 

BTW somehow I always assumed goldendoodles were beige - this was black because the father was a black standard poodle.


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## oshagcj914 (Jun 12, 2016)

I personally think the grooming requirements for showing in AKC are a real detriment to the breed. Wish the PCA would change that but I doubt it'll happen any time soon. I'll be honest here...I used to think that a poodle in a continental was a total joke and wondered why anyone would want a dog like that. Obviously I changed my mind, but I am thinking about showing my future spoo, and the show clips are still a real turn off. Not to mention that I can't imagine a working dog in a continental - they'd sink! I think poodles just have a real frou-frou reputation due to the grooming that isn't really deserved, and maybe that's part of the reason why doodles are so popular. They look like poodles as puppies but without the girly reputation or the elaborate haircuts.


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## peonies (Aug 10, 2016)

From my limited experience (years ago, as a child, maintaining a mini poodle in a show clip), the continental clip can be a ton of work to maintain. My best friend and I both had mini poodles, and the hair maintenance was a deterrent for many years afterwards against having another poodle. But as long as you aren't showing, you can opt for a more "rough and ready" clip - problem solved.
In defense of the show clips, for those that enjoy them - go for it! There is a long tradition behind them, and people should feel free to do as they wish with their dog's hair. 
It is an interesting question, though, whether the PCA is doing the breed a disservice with its show clip specifications. The "doodle craze" (and perhaps ancillary impact on the poodle image) seems to raise that question.


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

oshagcj914 said:


> I personally think the grooming requirements for showing in AKC are a real detriment to the breed.


Interesting comment. I'll have to agree with that. Case in point: My boy Sam has 2 points towards his AKC championship and he has a UKC championship (at least I think he does -- still waiting for the paperwork from UKC). Based on evaluations by a few breeders and judges, I am quite certain that he could get his AKC championship. BUT -- he is not going to. That's because his main job in life is to be my pet, and I don't feel like telling him he can't play with Cammie, can't play at the park and can't run through those bushes that leave little burrs on his coat. I am also not wild about brushing him constantly and I actually do not like the look of the continental. We showed him while he could still be shown in puppy coat and Michelle (his groomer, handler and co-owner) would like to continue with AKC. But I am not willing to deal with the continental. So he is not going to be an AKC champion even though he has fabulous structure (or so I've been told) and a rock-solid temperament.

Seems like it would be better for the breed if the system of selecting and recommending dogs for breeding really focused on the dog's structure, not on their beautiful grooming. A good groomer/handler can cover a lot of faults. Also, maybe we should have more emphasis on health and temperament?


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

peppersb I agree with you about emphasizing the trueness of the structure of the dog to the breed standard. I know someone who has a GCh on a mini that she finished 3 or 4 years ago. The dog is still in a conti because her owner is afraid that she has a ewe neck or something else along those lines and she doesn't want to see the truth of her structure.

Skylar it sounds like the woman you met could be a very good friend for the woman peonies met. They will live happily in their friendship until one of them gets pulled off her feet by her dog and breaks her hip. Then her friend will adopt it and after she gets pushed off her feet and breaks her hip, both dogs will end up re-homed at least once until someone who can train them gets them.

If one has to look for a dog that is a bargain price that person probably can't really afford the best care for a dog. We all know the cost up front is just a drop in the bucket.


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

We got Jazz when I was 65 and in very good shape. Blue came to us a year and a half later, and I was still in good shape. Now I'm 69 and having some mobility problems. They're both well trained and obedient, but they're still strong, fast, energetic, 50+ pound dogs. A sudden burst of enthusiasm or a roaring chase in the yard makes me uneasy at times. I adore these dogs, I certainly don't regret getting them, but no way would I take on a standard pup now, let alone a doodle. At my age and stage of decrepitude, if I were contemplating another dog (which I am most emphatically not :biggrin1, a mini pup would make much better sense.


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

I don't think people are a fan of Lucky when I shaved him and gave him a poodle cut. I don't think any of my in-laws gave him compliments about his haircut. They said he looks like a poodle now and they missed his teddy haircut. I had to justify it and tell them he had eye issues with long hair. Lucky is a Goldendoodle and every time someone asks me they are contemplating about getting one I tell them to look at the standard poodle first because they do share a lot of the same qualities. While I love my mixed breed dog, I think you are gonna get the same quality with better breeding in champion poodles at the same cost. I genuinely think poodle owners are a lot nicer because doodle owners tend to want a dog for what it represents: a status symbol, the hype, and elitism. This certainly isn't true for all doodle owners, some really nice people I know owns doodles and just wants a playful dog but this is rarely the case.


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## FireStorm (Nov 9, 2013)

People's reactions to Hans haven't been at all what I expected. We live in a rural area, lots of hunting dogs, and many of those are pit bulls because they are used for hunting hogs. I've had lots of big, tough looking, camo wearing hunters with hog dogs in dog boxes in the back of their trucks comment on how impressed they are with Hans and what great hunting dogs poodles make. I really thought they'd laugh at us, but they are dog people and seem to recognize a quality dog even though he is a different breed.

I kept Hans clipped short for a long time, but now he's in a HCC with a banded topknot (because I got tired of being asked if he was a doodle). I really thought people would give us a hard time about his haircut since that seems to be the thing that people say they don't like. Honestly, though, I think two people have made negative comments, most people seem to love it. I think it's one of those things...people like it better in person on a real dog (who isn't frou frou at all), maybe they are envisioning the cartoon/Hollywood/fictional version of a poodle, in looks and temperament. I can't even walk Hans without people stopping their cars to ask about him. I've met lots of people who grew up with poodles, miss theirs, and need a poodle fix (we have a lot of older snow birds here this time of year).


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Whenever I have one or both of the poodles in Lowes I am bombarded by people who tell me things about how much they miss having a poodle or they wish they had a standard, but don't have space for one and the like. I have only had two times where people were nasty (both with Lily). One time recently in PetSmart was with a moron who got mad at me when I told him to leave her alone even though he had heard me remind her she was working and that we weren't there to play. There was another time a while ago when we were on campus at Cornell along with my mom and her mpoo. We encountered an old man who had spent time telling my mom how cute Wolfie was and then had bragged about his labradoodle turned to me and asked what kind of "thing" Lily was. Although I usually try not to drop to the levels of such people I said something along the lines of her being 100% of the part of his dog that allowed it to be smart enough to find its way out of a paper bag.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

lily cd re said:


> There was another time a while ago when we were on campus at Cornell along with my mom and her mpoo. We encountered an old man who had spent time telling my mom how cute Wolfie was and then had bragged about his labradoodle turned to me and asked what kind of "thing" Lily was. Although I usually try not to drop to the levels of such people I said something along the lines of her being 100% of the part of his dog that allowed it to be smart enough to find its way out of a paper bag.


haha, you showed great restraint.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Skylar said:


> haha, you showed great restraint.


You are very kind. I was pretty angry about it at the time both of those things happened (PetSmart along with that day at Cornell) and I spoke in ways I normally wouldn't.


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## Laumau (Dec 17, 2016)

My poodle is only 11 weeks old and is sable colored. Everyone who stops to pet him asks what kind of dog he is. They all seem surprised that's he's 100% standard poodle. He's just not what people think of when they picture a poodle. I grew up with a black standard (best dog ever, lol) and I remember her looking like a Portuguese Water Dog before she would get groomed


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## blueroan (Dec 28, 2015)

Before I got Honey in her grown up coat, people constantly thought she was poodle mix of some sort. Now there's no mistake with a clean face and pompom tail.

Some are still surprised at her size (mpoo)...they think she's a toy. Heck even the VET thinks she's a tpoo lol. But I think that has to do with her breeding as her dad was a tpoo while her mom was the mpoo. She has the fine frame of her dad and the height of the mpoo (12.5"). 

Just makes up for a super cute 100% mpoo!


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## LittleAussiePoodle (Jun 2, 2016)

When Hendrix was still in his short all over cut I had a woman and her child come up to me and pet Hendrix. The woman was very nice, asking what breed he was. I told her he was a poodle and she pulled her kid away and walk off. I was pretty shocked, to be honest.
Hendrix is really recognizable as a poodle now, but the worst I've gotten is a rude, "She's a poodle, isn't she?" ("Yes, yes HE is."). My family used to hate him but now he's getting older and calmer I'm constantly being told how shocked they are that he's such a good dog.
People seem to think poodles are really yappy and bitey and mean and froofroo, but everyone who meets Hendrix loves him. I met someone with a spaniel x standard the other day and I found it ironic because her dog was barking and acting very neurotic while Hendrix stood calmly as I told the woman he was a miniature poodle.
People also often are shocked when I tell them Henny is a mini. They seem to either think a) that minis are prissy lap-dogs, or b) that he's way too big to be a mini, because they all envision a toy (Hendrix being an oversized mini doesn't help).


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## kchen95 (Jan 6, 2016)

I must confess that before I got my Vontae (oversized 13-inch toy), I was one of those who weren't into Poodles because of the breed's foo-foo show-trim image. 

After Moses, my beloved Sheltie of 13 years, passed away three years ago and I had two years to grieve (after the first year, his cat brother Zeke also passed, which delayed my recovery significantly), I was finally ready for another dog. But, unlike when I got Moses, I was now married with two little kids, and my wife asked that I at least consider a Poodle because she thought they'd be a good fit for our apartment-dwelling family in hot-weather Taipei - basically, she thought of Poodles as Shelties who don't shed (important to her) and do better in Taipei's hot weather. 

That was a really tough mental, emotional and psychological transition that I had to make myself go through. I was a boy who loved Lassie growing up, and Moses, being a big Sheltie (18 inches), was my Lassie, my absolute heart dog whom I still think about every single day. And, compelling myself to go from my favorite dog in both childhood dream and adult reality, to Poodle, a dog I considered only fit for Paris Hilton, was extremely tough - even if rationally, I had done my homework and knew that Poodles actually can be extremely athletic and active, every bit the athlete that a Sheltie is and, yes, a much better fit for Taipei's hot summer. When I visited Poodle breeders to see the dogs in action, I finally started to have a change of heart and began to see them as "real dogs". And, now that I've had Vontae for one full wonderful year, I am convinced that he's a gift from Moses and Zeke over the Rainbow Bridge, sent to me by them because they knew he'd be perfect for me and us, since he's basically a combined image of Moses and Zeke (yes, Zeke too, because he acted much more like a dog than a cat  and I'd love him unconditionally just like I loved and still love the two of them unconditionally. I am raising Vontae as an athlete - swimmer, hiker, and frisbee catcher - who just happens to look super cute  

Here's a photo of Moses and a video montage of Vontae, two of the great loves of my life.

Kevin


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

Kchen what a nice response and beautiful video. I enjoyed reading your post. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

I have always had toys, and people seem to know they are poodles. I keep 2 short, but Sage has such long legs she does not look good in that cut. I have her in a Continental without the puffs on the hips. I brush her every other day and she is fine, only takes 10 minutes. I really think the grooming depends on what looks best on the dog, first and second what the owner has time to work with.

My 3 pound gets most of the attention, and them Sage due to her hair cut. The ones with the short cut I usually have dressed when we go anyplace, I do not dress sage as I do not want to mash her hair down, she wears a pink bow and pink panties.


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## kchen95 (Jan 6, 2016)

snow0160 said:


> Kchen what a nice response and beautiful video. I enjoyed reading your post.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


Thank you for your warm words 

Kevin


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## letsgoskiing (Aug 5, 2015)

I was one of those who almost got a labradoodle! My family has always had labs and a few other retrievers. I thought labradoodles were cute and had met a few. It wasn't until my husband and I went on our honeymoon to Vancouver Island where we met several Standard Poodles. I realized I wanted a poodle but was trying to rationalize the idea to myself and my family by mixing it with a lab. Then I found PF, learned about health testing and responsible breeding, and couldn't be happier with my SPOO. Now I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a bit of a personal mission to show people that poodles are dogs! Athletic, smart, friendly, happy dogs!


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## RylieJames (Feb 3, 2016)

I was thinking the same thing just this past weekend. I took my Willow to PetSmart and everyone just loved her! But! Everyone assumed that she was a doodle!!! Some people were "oh, what a cute doodle!" and others asked me "what is she mixed with?" I felt like a poodle snob when I was like "she's purebred poodle!" I just think people don't really understand what poodles are besides cartoonist representations. I was actually quite annoyed by it all (although, I probably shouldn't have been). I do think if people knew more about poodles, there would not be this doodle craze. To be honest, I don't understand why anyone would cross a poodle! Often-times when justifying a cross, people emphasize all the good qualities of a poodle--okay, well then why not just get a poodle!? 

Also, with my Bentley, many people didn't think he was purebred poodle. I would give people a pass though because Bentley has very unusual coloration, being a sable phantom, and many people don't know poodles come in other colors besides solid. But with Willow--she's solid. And heck, she's a show quality pup and has excellent conformation--so if people don't think she's purebred... well then they don't know what a purebred poodle is supposed to look like!

And another side note on Bentley: when his trainer first saw him run, she was in absolute awe. She used to work in conformation and always saw poodles in the ring (although she didn't own any poodles herself). So, she was really amazed to see how fast and agile they can be!


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## JamesonThePoodlePup (Jan 11, 2017)

I agree. I think people have this idea that only doodles can be cute, our little guy is still in a puppy/bear cut since he is only about 5 months, and he does not have his adult curls yet and everyone says oh my he is so cute is he a labradoodle, then they are completely shocked to hear he is a standard poodle. 

Poodles are stinking adorable, and great dogs! And just as cute as the general population seems to think doodles are.


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## Laumau (Dec 17, 2016)

I got the doodle comment this morning on our short walk around the block- yes he's in the teddy bear looking puppy coat phase, and he's a sable to boot- so pretty much nobody thinks he's a poodle. But everyone thinks he's good looking lol!


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