# Puppy or adult?



## Poodlemama99 (Feb 12, 2010)

I love young adults over puppies. Housebreaking is so much easier. Of course an adult who is not yet housebroken can be challenging too. I think when you find the right pup you will know it. I would suggest checking poodle rescues. I think somebody on here posted about an adult that needed reformed. Not sure of age etc. maybe somebody remembers the thread and can chime in. 


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## Liafast (Apr 9, 2011)

I think that you have already made the best choice....A poodle..LOL. Both ages have their pros and cons...Just as Poodlemama99 said...You will know the right one when it comes along.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I am so very sorry for your loss - and can absolutely understand the need to find another dog to share all that love. I think with a toddler an adult would be easier to cope with, but probably not easier to find. Puppies bite and chew and nip and bounce and scrabble and jump and generally behave like Tigger, and even the most dog-savvy toddler can find them worrying. But there are always exceptions, of course!


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## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

One of the best things I did when I had toddlers was to purchase a 'retired' show dog. He was already health tested and trained, well socialized, etc and only 3 years old. He bonded so quickly to me and my daughters that I never had to regret getting him and I recommend that to anyone looking for a dog to blend in with children. The breeder I got Striker from was really patient and allowed us to come visit her home and meet her dogs. We were to actually get a different dog, but he was uncomfortble with the kids so we tried Striker - it was a perfect match. 

Fun part about adopting a retiree, since he was already familer with shows and traveling, I learned how to groom, handle and show with him. It was a win-win situation. 

Best wishes for finding your new family member and my deepest sympathy for the loss of your loved one.


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

When I decided I wanted an adult spoo, I had to have one that I could trust with a toddler and two little shih tuzs. I went with a retired 6 year old female. She had been a breeding dog, so she had been health tested, had been loved and well cared for all her life. She fit right in with no problems at all. Carley was the best gift I have ever given myself. Good Luck and so sorry for your lost.

To find Carley, I e-mailed all the good breeders within a days drive away. I had to drive 12 hours and she cost $800. When I e-mailed I explained my situation and told about the type of home I could provide. I sent out at least 12 emails and heard back from 3. I had to send referrals ect. I had to meet in person, with the knowledge that she could change her mind. But she didn't...lol


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## momtymztu (Mar 27, 2012)

srecord,
First let me say that I am so sorry for your loss. After I lost my aussie about a year ago, I went on the search for a standard poodle to add to my rambuncious family. I loved my aussie dearly but he was not a good dog for kids so it was a challenge to manage him once my boys were born. 

When I went looking for my poodle it was really important for me to find something kid friendly (I have 5 yr old twin boys). I decided on a puppy and went on the search for a breeder. I knew when this particular litter came about that I wanted a pup from the combination of parents. I was very honest with the breeder about what I was looking for and she recommended the puppy that she thought would best fit my needs. Dusty, now almost 7 months old, has been a dream. Easy to housetrain, great with the kids, very gentle with my little dog and very adaptable to every situation I have put him in so far. I know we still have adolescent stuff to go through, but I am so happy with my baby! 

Which ever direction you go, rescue, puppy or retired show, I think being honest about what you want and need is the most important thing...hopefully the breeder or rescue volunteers should be able to guide you to a poodle whose temperment equates to what you need. 

Good Luck with your search, the right one will come along when everybody is ready.


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## Qarza (Feb 23, 2013)

Perhaps if you say what area you are living in. It may help us to help you.


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## srecord (Mar 21, 2013)

Thank you so much for all the thoughtful replies. I really appreciate all the kind words. I do believe that the right individual will come along and we will just know it. I've been reaching out to a few breeders and believe I may have a litter to meet in a few weeks and possibly one young adult to meet. 

Qarza - I'm in Southern California. Sorry, I hadn't thought of mentioning that.


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## P2alix (Jul 4, 2013)

I just saw on the forum two one year old standards in So Cal needing a home, but they must go together its a thought anyway good luck 
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/pet/3955776444.html


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

I am very sorry for the loss of your beloved furkid.

For me...I'd much rather have a puppy. They are like a blank canvas and will learn to do things your way. An older dog can come with baggage and fears that with small kids could be a disaster in the making. Puppies are a lot of work, but when you come out at the other end it is so rewarding and in most cases you have the dog of YOUR dreams...not someone else's.


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## Ciscley (Jul 16, 2013)

*Long story, because your situation hits so close to home*

My work in progress rescue spoo is happily laying at my feet. We searched for over a month within a 500 mile radius of our home to find a standard poodle to rescue before we found him. He is precious beyond words and I know that if we hadn't taken him he would not be alive right now, but as much as I love him, he is why I'm getting a puppy / young dog as my next poodle.

We waited over a year after our standard poodle, Mr. Jules, passed from cancer before getting Danno. We didn't want our judgment to be clouded by grief and honestly unlike your situation it was all just too raw, too soon for us.

Danno was a large, white male, former BYB stud dog whose owner surrendered him to a rescue. He was estimated at 5 years old which seemed like the perfect fit for us. He was house trained, very sweet tempered and good with all animals and children the rescue tested him with. They had also just had him neutered.

We spent over $2000 on him within the first month of owning him saving him from severe pneumonia. He'd aspirated stomach content during his neuter and the adrenaline from the stressful foster environment and then adoption had kept the symptoms at bay (rescue vet and our own had suspected nothing) until the night before Christmas when he spiked a fever and stopped breathing.

During all the follow-up work and months of antibiotics and x-rays, we discovered he had a severe heart defect. He has approximately 40% functional output right now. The vets gave him one year to live. They say they usually never diagnose his condition before a dog is already on his way out.

That was in 2010/2011. We've clearly exceeded that timeline and are finally starting to work on his psychological issues. We certainly feel extremely lucky to have him and the moments when he is in full poodle form, joyful and loving and bright eyed, are well worth all the heartache and expense. And everything the rescue told us was true about him. He is a gentle giant.

If my breeder would sell me one of their dams, I'd jump at the chance, but barring those opportunities, I'd say go for a puppy. Just make sure it's from a reputable breeder. That can take a LONG time to find and most litters from those kinds of breeders are already spoken for by the time they are ready for people to come meet them, so ask lots of questions before getting a puppy from the available litter you mentioned. 

And know that I waited over 4 months to get Mr. Jules AFTER finding and interviewing his breeder, and his parents were fully tested and they, along with all of his litter mates are still happy and healthy. Even if you do everything right you can still lose them. But I'm glad you are getting ready to try again. :hug:


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

losing a beloved family member is always painful and perhaps more so for children. i personally favor retired show dogs, but the real crux of the issue is what you need versus what you can give. i think i would do what carley's mom did, email good breeders, explain your situation and ask for their assistance. if the right dog is out there, whether adult or pup, a good breeder will tell you if s/he has that dog. even though i personally have no problem buying and shipping, in your situation, a breeder within driving distance is very important. for one thing, a good breeder should want to meet you and the family just to verify the fit. all best wishes for getting the poodle that should be yours.


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## Carrie-e (Oct 23, 2012)

I'm so sorry for the loss of your dog,it feels like your heart is ripped out doesn't it,and I can understand you wanting to help fill the hole he left in your lives. I lost my 9 year old spoo in march very suddenly,just found him dead on the floor,and we missed having him so much that we took on an 8 month old standard male pup from the breeder we had our first standard from. I have only had dogs from young puppies before but wanted an older pup that I could take out for walks straight away. Now,what we didn't anticipate was that he had lived with 12 other spoos with his breeder for all that time,and within 2 days of having him he had firmly attached himself to me. He developed separation anxiety and or has taken me quite a while to work through this with herbal medication,relaxation CDs and gradual leaving him. We got an 8 week old miniature poodle girl when we had had him a month,as we felt he needed canine company and that has helped too,they really get on well. 
He is going through adolescence at the moment and can be quite boisterous and excitable at times,most of the while he is very calm.
I think if you are considering an adult,it might be worth getting a slightly older dog,over 2 years,as you have a young child,or get a very young pup that can grow up with it. Our first standard was 4 months old when we got him,and we had children aged 4,2and a half,and 1 at the time. They all grew up together and it was great,he was very gentle with them because he had grown up from small around little children. Standards can be very bouncy and excitable at adolescence but they usually calm right down at about 2. Good luck with your search.


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

You've gotten some great advice so far. My first spoo, Sophie, was a retired breeding bitch, Bob was privately rehomed at the age of 4 1/2 (I met his previous owner at the dog park), and Cammie was my first puppy. All 3 have (or had) wonderful calm temperaments and would do very well with a toddler in the house. I definitely think that either an adult or a puppy could work well. 

There is a wide range of temperaments and energy levels for standard poodles, and it is very important to find one that suits your lifestyle. I think this can be hard to evaluate, but if you are looking at puppies, I would ask a lot of questions and definitely meet the parent dogs (at least the momma). One family that I know with 2 toddlers in the house got a very high energy puppy and it did not work out well. The puppy was from a well regarded breeder, but she bred for agility and her dogs are very focused and energetic. That may be good for agility but it was not good for a home with toddlers. A breeder that says that her dogs are good therapy dogs would be a better bet, IMO. Of course, there are different temperaments within the same litter, but I also think it is good to look at the temperament and energy level of the lines that are being bred. 

I also agree with the potential problems that can come with a rescue. I know rescues that are great and also some that are difficult (as Cisceley described).

I love the idea of looking into the 2 young spoos that need a home together. You could meet them and see if they seem to be a good fit. If you are interested, you might even be able to do a trial for a few days at your house.

Best of luck in your search.


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## schpeckie (Jun 29, 2010)

So very sorry for your loss. It is always so hard to lose at pet. When my toy poodle Shayna passed away, I was looking for 2 black toy girls, but not puppies. I didn't want to go through the training since it was 18 years since my last pup. I searched adoptions and the local pet rescue associations but I know that it would be very hard to find. With me being single and no children, puppies seem to be my only choice. So, it depends on your situation and homelife. Good luck in your find!
Sylvia & the Girls!


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

I'm so sorry for your loss. It's just awful. I'm still not over losing my boy about three months ago. 

I've had both, adult and puppy. They both have upsides and downsides to them. I loved starting with both of them. This time around i'm going with a nine week old pup

Rick


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

I got Lou at 3.5 months old. It was perfect, she wasn't so little that she couldn't understand me. Example: her first day with us she tried to lick a newspaper and I said a firm "no" (I prefer "ah-ah" now) she immediately stopped and looked at me with "I'm Sorry eyes". The breeder didn't train her at all, but she could understand when I didn't like her behavior. No crying either. First night I put her in a crate where she could see us i our bedroom, she tried a little tiny cry and I said "quiet!" She has never cried again ever since. So after saying quiet and she quit I said comforting words with a sweet voice and we all fell asleep. Honestly I don't know about all dogs, maybe I have just been really lucky. But I really liked getting a puppy that wasn't so tiny/young

Here is a video of her first day when I said the first "no" to correct a behavior (it's cute)

http://s1281.photobucket.com/user/L.../LOUfirstvideo3mooldfirstdaycaptions.mp4.html
I dont think this link is working maybe this one below will work if u wanna see it, please copy and paste 

http://s1281.photobucket.com/user/L.../LOUfirstvideo3mooldfirstdaycaptions.mp4.html

Also after we got Lou, recently I rescued a 1yr old stardard poole which i actually believe might be Lou's littermate but anyways, he has also been perfect very sweet eager to please and listens to me sooo well. Again it could have been just good luck.
But I don't think I'd ever get an 8 week puppy... Since my experience with older pups has been so wonderful.


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## 3sps (Feb 5, 2012)

Oh how I feel the pain of losing a dear poodle friend - suddenly is worse than over a period of illness but either way it leaves such a hole in your heart and home.
We also are waiting and looking, hopefully we will be found by a good-hearted SP who needs a loving home with our Sadie.
Best of luck - the right dog is out there! You will know when you see him/her, no matter the age.


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## QueenElizabeth (Jul 31, 2013)

ADULT. Young adult. I am so over the whole puppy thing. Cute, yes, but way more work to get a puppy than there is payoff, IMO. Besides, as Ceasar Millan says, "dogs live in the moment."


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