# Spoo breeders known for beautiful heads?



## Sis (Nov 7, 2017)

Are there certain breeders (nationwide) that are known for producing spoo's with beautiful heads and faces? I will be looking for a puppy and as a top priority want a dog with a nice muzzle (not a roman nose or dishy nose), good chin, not snipey-looking, with beautiful eyes and soft expression. 
Thanks.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

What other criteria are you looking for in a companion? Beautiful heads are nice, and I am a real sucker for a stunning head, but when it comes to choosing a lifelong companion, there's a lot more to consider.


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## Sis (Nov 7, 2017)

I agree. Am looking for a stable, healthy dog with an outgoing, social personality. And superior intelligence. I plan to do extensive obedience training with her and eventually voluntary therapy work (children and seniors).


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

This isn't going to be as simple of an answer as you're looking for, but you'll find prettier heads by looking for a breeder of blacks or whites. Some of the other colors are known for heavier heads. I might start my search by looking for breeders who seem to produce the type of temperaments you like and then talking with the breeder about which pairings they might expect to produce pretty heads, and be sure to define what you like in a head, but also be careful - because too much focus on a pretty head will turn off some breeders. Everyone values a pretty head, some breeders might weigh it higher than others, although that isn't necessarily always a good thing, but a knowledgeable breeder should be able to tell you what type of heads they expect in a given breeding.

I can think of a lot of possibilities that might work, but the first one that is popping in my mind that has produced some good outgoing, biddable, driven temperaments and pretty heads (although remember, it really depends on the specific breeding, but she's definitely experienced enough to help you...) would be Bar-None. If you want to send me a PM, I can tell you some specific dogs in the pedigree that you might want to look for in seeking a pretty head and biddable temperament.


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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

CM is obviously a great resource in this area! I would recommend keeping an eye on the top show dogs and really seeking out the ones that have the best looking head to you. I feel like it can be a little subjective, and you kind of have to go with what you personally like. I am very bad at judging heads - I have no idea if my girl has a nice head or not but I assume that she does because her breeder said it is a beautiful head and both of her parents have correct heads.

Edited to add: I have attached a picture of her head. She is only 4 months old though and will still have a lot of maturing to do. Also she is teething right now and that can affect the look of the head/face.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Check out Madela Poodles. They have Ale Kai as foundation dogs, show actively and have done obedience with their dogs. My boy Javelin is from them and he is shaping up to be a great obedience dog. You can see him in videos embedded in this thread. http://www.poodleforum.com/24-perfo...-hunting/205393-javelins-road-ring-ready.html


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

And about dish face...I don't think that's really a poodle problem. I think of a dish face as being an issue with breeds that have a lot of stop. And it's more common for poodles to lack stop...


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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

I would love to see on this forum a thread devoted to each body part of a poodle. Like "The Poodle Head Thread" and "The Poodle Chest Thread" and "The Poodle Foot Thread" etc. It would be so nice to have threads like that where everyone can post a picture example of that particular body part on their poodle (good examples and bad examples) So that everyone can get a better visual. I suggest this because I had to look up a lot of the terms in the original post.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Hmm, well I think both of my spoos are among the most beautiful headed poodles of any I've seen of their respective sexes. That probably has something to do with the fact that they have phenomenal personalities that I'm in love with... Rock'nRolla produces poodles with the chin that you like.

Remember that even when you tell a breeder what you are looking for, dogs are individuals and there is no guarantee a dog will be good at everything. I have one therapy dog and one obedience dog in training. The therapy dog would never work out in obedience and the obedience dog does not have the temperament for therapy. Love your dog for who he or she is.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I would also be interested in a thread on puppy conformation advice. How do breeders know which is their pick puppy? It’s hard for a newbie like me to see structure in a puppy.


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

I look at personality first, but really have never seen a poodle face I did not love. I do tend to like the long snout, rather than the short and stubby and almond eyes. Toys manly have round eyes, although Sages has almond with a long snout. My other girls have shorter snouts, but may have something to do with size. I do not know


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

glorybeecosta said:


> I look at personality first, but really have never seen a poodle face I did not love. I do tend to like the long snout, rather than the short and stubby and almond eyes. Toys manly have round eyes, although Sages has almond with a long snout. My other girls have shorter snouts, but may have something to do with size. I do not know


Same here, glorybee. With Maltese it's all about a small muzzle and big eye, but with poodles, I love a long snout and almond eye.


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## Sis (Nov 7, 2017)

I need to learn more about differences in temperaments and their suitability for certain activities. For example, I would have thought that a dog that would make a good "obedience" dog would also make a good "therapy" dog, given the dog was social and stable.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Sis said:


> I need to learn more about differences in temperaments and their suitability for certain activities. For example, I would have thought that a dog that would make a good "obedience" dog would also make a good "therapy" dog, given the dog was social and stable.


There is definitely a good amount of overlap in what makes a good obedience dog and what makes a good therapy dog. Temperament, how the puppy is raised, and the skill of the handler are all very important in whether or not the puppy develops to fill those shoes. Many dogs who enjoy the company of strangers and are also biddable and driven and successful in obedience could make good therapy dogs. But some dogs succeed at obedience and really aren't into therapy. Someone locally has an OTCh, MACH, therapy dog standard poodle. She excels at all three. A friend also has a CDX standard poodle who makes a great therapy dog.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Sis said:


> I need to learn more about differences in temperaments and their suitability for certain activities. For example, I would have thought that a dog that would make a good "obedience" dog would also make a good "therapy" dog, given the dog was social and stable.


I'm not saying a dog can't have both, but you definitely get lucky if they do  I have had dogs for 40 years and raise them all the same, so I really think it comes down to individual temperament. When I got Maizie, I planned on doing obedience with her. But she finds it very stressful--the classes, the dog show scene. So I'll never push her into it. Frosty, on the other hand, is much more confident in those situations. For therapy work, a dog needs to be bombproof. Maizie doesn't worry if a kid grabs her face or someone has a staggering gait; if a stranger touches Frosty and he's not expecting it, he will jump! He's very friendly, he just isn't bombproof enough to handle the unexpected things that come with therapy work.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Those bombproof qualities make a good obedience dog too, though!


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## Sis (Nov 7, 2017)

I will put "bombproof" on my temperament wishlist! LOL
I have scheduled some networking visits with currently working therapy dogs and their handlers, so hopefully I can build on what you all have said.
Thanks CharismaticMillie and zooeysmom!


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

*In the Eyes of the beholder?*

Would someone please define just what beautiful heads and faces are, in poodles. As in humans, it is the beholder who would define this. Show organizations define the breed, sometimes to its detriment.
Eric


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## Sis (Nov 7, 2017)

For me, I'll be doing therapy work with children and seniors, so I think of a beautiful head/face in terms of approachability. I feel there are some poodle faces that can look intimidating if, for example, the nose is very long or the eyes are set very close, etc.
I am just hoping for a soft, generally pleasing face and expression that will bring feelings of comfort (and joy) to those we interact with.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Approachability is all about how friendly the dog and handler are. This is truly a team effort; you are 50% of the therapy team! Maizie is always the most popular dog in our groups, not only because she's the most beautiful (including her head/expression), but she's the most outgoing/engaging. She makes me more outgoing than I naturally am, so we are a good team.


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## Sis (Nov 7, 2017)

Totally agree zooeysmom. I definitely want to learn and do my part! Just want to make some effort to find the best dog with therapy work potential (emotional support focused) and I think part of that equation is a dog with a comforting, soft face.
How did you approach finding the right dog? I see Maizie is a therapy dog...she looks very sweet, empathetic.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Maizie is the sweetest, most loving dog I've ever known. When I was looking for her, I just wanted a silver female from a show breeder who does health testing and keeps only a few dogs indoors as part of the family. She came to me sight unseen, I worked with her from day 1 (several training classes, took her everywhere for socialization, etc.) and I thought she seemed to have the ideal temperament for therapy dog work. Both of her trainers agreed and encouraged me to pursue it. She passed her Pet Partners test with flying colors and we're working on her Therapy Dog title.


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## Markbthompson (May 24, 2012)

Sis said:


> Are there certain breeders (nationwide) that are known for producing spoo's with beautiful heads and faces? I will be looking for a puppy and as a top priority want a dog with a nice muzzle (not a roman nose or dishy nose), good chin, not snipey-looking, with beautiful eyes and soft expression.
> 
> Thanks.




If you don't plan on showing the dog, seems to me your priorities are out of a line. You want to do obedience and therapy work, I'd think drive and personality should outweigh a pretty face, after all, all poodles are gorgeous to me.
My SPOO at 2, she is a working SD and I hate the traditional clip. 










Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## ItzaClip (Dec 1, 2010)

My breeder seransil standard poodles is known for beautiful faces on her silver's and whites, cream and silver beige. People stop me all the time with my silver boy especially. And he's not tiny, either. The second pic with the pull up is a female 5 month old puppy my breeder is showing right now.






























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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

I had one girl that did not start doing therapy work until she was eight years old, and one boy that started his class at six months. So, zoeysmom, I think Frosty has plenty of time to come around. My girl was very quiet, which made her perfect for people who were a bit reticent about strange dogs. The boy had been in training three days a week since he was eight weeks old, and the whole world was his best friend. He's the one that eventually pulled a cart with our Airedale, that the children rode in. He finished off his career with eight years of reading with high school students. When I worked with training dog therapy teams, we did come across dogs and people who went all the way through classes, only to discover they did not like therapy visits. We tried to prepare everyone for some of the sights/cases they would encounter, but hearing about it, and actually seeing it are two different things. We encouraged teams to visit different type facilities because their dog might like one setting better than another.The need for dog visits continues to grow, so I am happy to see so much interest shown in therapy work. Best of luck with your future pup.


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## Sis (Nov 7, 2017)

Thanks zooeysmom! Maisie sounds amazing! Congrats on your achievements with her ... and best of luck with her Therapy Dog title.


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## Sis (Nov 7, 2017)

Thanks ItzaClip ... the dogs are stunning! I had not heard of your breeder, so thanks for that.


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## Sis (Nov 7, 2017)

Thank you Charmed. I appreciate the advice about staying flexible with regards to types and places of therapy work. Will keep that in mind!


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

Of course, I think my girls had beautiful heads, all parents do! 

Iris, who is gone now, came from Litlann's Poodles, Ann Rairigh, in Louisville KY. I loved her face so much and I thought that a cut with short ears was very complimentary. She was lovely, sweet, kind and loved meeting new people all the time.

Poppy, my current girl comes from Donnchada poodles in Texas. Betty Brown has outstanding dogs and Poppy is a real show stopper. I have had poodle people stop traffic, literally, get out of their car, and run over to meet her. Poppy was a "pick" puppy for Betty, she was going to keep her, show her and breed her. For some reason she changed her mind and I became her fortunate Mom. Poppy is still a work in progress.....she loves everyone and is very social, but with her energy level she would be more suited as a hunting or agility dog than as a therapy dog. When you look at Betty's website, check out "Simon". . . He is Poppy's grandsire .

Here are a couple of pictures of my girls, Iris first, then Poppy. Both of their breeders have Great reputations and were very easy to work with.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Viking Queen, are you going to show Poppy? Since you live in Colorado, I would love to meet you sometime. I'll be showing my minipoo, Zoe, in Colorado - there are no points in minis in New Mexico except at the May specialty show.


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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

Johanna said:


> Viking Queen, are you going to show Poppy? Since you live in Colorado, I would love to meet you sometime. I'll be showing my minipoo, Zoe, in Colorado - there are no points in minis in New Mexico except at the May specialty show.


Johanna we should have a thread devoted to which shows people are going to. I would be so sad if I went to one and then found out later that I missed out on meeting someone there. We will mostly be hitting shows in Las Vegas, and Northern Utah, but there is also the possibility of going to shows in Colorado, Arizona, California, Idaho, and who knows, maybe even NM. I lived in Rio Rancho for a couple of years before moving to Southern Utah about 15 years ago. I was planning to attend a UKC show in northern Utah this upcoming weekend but now not so sure because my son has been so sick.


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## spindledreams (Aug 7, 2012)

Grin this is one in Castle Rock south of Denver the 17 -19 of November alas I will not be able to attend. The next week I have 7 days off after eye surgery


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Regarding lines with nice heads, as a general rule anyone who breeds for show would be likely to have dogs with nice heads. It's much easier to breed pretty heads than good fronts!

On the dog show front - I would love to see a thread on what shows people are going to attend. I won't be doing much for awhile until Zoe develops more chest and has more coat. She has a floppy "baby" coat - plenty of length but soft texture.


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