# Good breeders who don't dock tails/ remove dew claws



## djxandermac (Nov 20, 2012)

Any good breeders in Ontario who don't dock tails/ remove dew claws?


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## djxandermac (Nov 20, 2012)

Who breed standards


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## -Lilith- (Nov 21, 2012)

Dew claws are so annoying. As a groomer these nails get forgotten about by owners and grow into the pads. I am glad my pup has her dew claws removed 


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## djxandermac (Nov 20, 2012)

That's what I've heard. I guess the responsibility it on the owner though, right?

I thought this video was interesting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4XflsMEk-k

I go up to my cottage in the winter, and its not uncommon for adventurous dogs to fall through the ice.


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## -Lilith- (Nov 21, 2012)

Yea... Most of the ones I see are flimsy and just wiggle around. I have seen some ripped off as well from getting caught in carpet. 


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## sarahmurphy (Mar 22, 2012)

wow - who knew??? Since we are not in icy water often (ever?), I am not too concerned about them being gone on mine, but a friend has a standard with them, so some breeders do leave them, and if you have a relationship with the breeder prior to the birth, thye might agree to leave yours intact. Do you hunt? 

sarah


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## brownlikewoah (May 3, 2012)

I just went through the hunt of finding breeders who leave tails and dewclaws on dogs, we got a silver poodle from a breeder in California, from Genteel Standard Poodles, very natural, everything is left intact on the dog. 
Some other breeders are Autumn Shades in Ohio, Silken Poodles in Ontario, Harmony Hunting Poodles in Arizona. Sorry that these are not in the area you are looking for, they are just the ones that I know of. You'll have a better chance of finding natural tails with working, hunting lines overall. I contacted a few breeders in Canada and asked if they would be willing to leave tails on, none were. Some might be willing to if you pay for the dog ahead of time, but then you run the risk of that particular dog maybe not being the best match for you. 
As for dew claws getting in the way, being ripped off blah blah, yeah, it can happen, just like with any other toenail. New research is showing that dogs use them a lot more than originally thought, to grip bones, take tight corners when running fast, all sorts of things. They are not the floppy unattached appendages like rear dew claws. A lot more breeders are leaving them on nowadays.


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## djxandermac (Nov 20, 2012)

Sarah- I'm actually looking into getting my hunting license in January. A few of my friends hunt and it would be nice to accompany them, maybe even with a dog. But generally I just go for a lot of walks with my dogs (neither of which are currently poodles). 

Brownlikewoah- Thanks for your post. I have heard of Silken before. I know Cantope recently stopped docking tails and dew claws. I don't intend to get my poodle for another 6-12 months. So I'm just looking around right now, trying to see what's the best option for me.


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## Dog catcher (May 27, 2012)

If you intend to take your poodle hunting you may be well served to find a breeder who desensitizes pups to loud noise early. Many breeders do so with all of their pups. Even if you do not intend to hunt with your poodle, it is wonderful to have a dog who is not afraid of thunder, loud booms and fireworks. Fang lay down and went to sleep at the fireworks display last fourth of July.


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## djxandermac (Nov 20, 2012)

Good call. I'll probably take him out when he's young, shoot off a few .22 rounds and see how that goes.


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

I understand the tail as it is purely cosmetic. But dew claws? Yikes! If you ever see one torn and the huge mess it makes, or one grown back into the foot, you might change your mind.


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## HOTW (Aug 31, 2010)

As a future breeder i do nto want to dock tail however dews are another matter especially rear dews. Active dogs tend to use their front dews but how many people expose their dogs to that lifestyle from an early age to encourage the dews to develop properly? As a groomer I have seen so many ingrown dews and even regular nails it drives me batty! Trimming nails is a skill anyone can learn but few owners want to learn!

Poodles make great hunting dogs! And they have phenominal noses on them-right now our bitch can find things by scent alone so we are training her to trail, in the hopes she can trail deer blood trails. Hubby read about the practice and thinks it s a great job for her.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

djxandermac said:


> Good call. I'll probably take him out when he's young, shoot off a few .22 rounds and see how that goes.


That is not how you introduce a dog to a gun, it would be a quick way to get him gunshy.


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## djxandermac (Nov 20, 2012)

Fluffyspoos said:


> That is not how you introduce a dog to a gun, it would be a quick way to get him gunshy.



Then what is the correct way to introduce your dog to a gun?


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

djxandermac said:


> Then what is the correct way to introduce your dog to a gun?


First I built up my dogs retrieve drive, using one toy as a high value toy and stopping the game before he was finished to build that toy higher. Your dog needs to be retrieving and happy about retrieving. Then I bought a little plastic cap gun at a dollar store, wrapped it in cloth to dampen the sound, then popped it off when we played with the high value toy.

I decreased the cloth and increased the sound as I continued the game, so he associated the loud sound with something he loves to do. Simply taking your dog to the range and letting it shiver out of fear is not going to get you a hunting dog. This was done over a period of weeks, not just in one day. Training a hunting dog takes time.


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## djxandermac (Nov 20, 2012)

Fluffyspoos said:


> First I built up my dogs retrieve drive, using one toy as a high value toy and stopping the game before he was finished to build that toy higher. Your dog needs to be retrieving and happy about retrieving. Then I bought a little plastic cap gun at a dollar store, wrapped it in cloth to dampen the sound, then popped it off when we played with the high value toy.
> 
> I decreased the cloth and increased the sound as I continued the game, so he associated the loud sound with something he loves to do. Simply taking your dog to the range and letting it shiver out of fear is not going to get you a hunting dog. This was done over a period of weeks, not just in one day. Training a hunting dog takes time.


That seems like a pretty genius idea. I'll definitely try something like that 

Thanks


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