How to Select a Standard Poodle
The poodle, which is the national dog of France, comes in three sizes: standard, miniature and toy. Poised and extremely intelligent, the standard poodle is a developed swimmer that was once used to retrieve waterfowl. The standard poodle is thought to be gentler than its counterparts, the miniature and toy poodles.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Electric Dog Clippers
- Dental Kits (for Dogs)
- Dog Beds
- Dog Brushes
- Dog Collars
- Dog Dishes
- Dog Food
- Dog Leashes
- Dog Shampoo
- Dog Tags
- Nail Clippers For Dogs
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Know that the standard poodle is very bright and quick to train. This dog also makes a great watchdog and guard dog.
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Reconsider getting a standard poodle if you plan to leave the dog alone for extended periods of time. This breed needs to be around people and is very unhappy if left alone.
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Select a standard poodle if you have children or other pets in the house. The poodle is friendly with all.
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Remember that the poodle requires much grooming. Its coat will need to be clipped every six to eight weeks for it to maintain its shape. Your dog will need to be bathed regularly.
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Note that standard poodles do well indoors and are happy to live in an apartment as long as they get enough exercise.
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Look at the poodle's features when choosing yours. The standard poodle, the oldest of the three types, should appear gentle and charming with dark, oval eyes and a long muzzle. The coat should be thick, curly and colored either blue, gray, silver, brown, café au lait, apricot, cream or white.
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Understand that standard poodles are prone to certain health conditions such as cataracts (cloudy eye lens), progressive retinal atrophy (progressive damage to the retina), allergies, skin problems, hip dysplasia (a malformed ball and socket in the hip joint) and Von Willebrand's disease (a bleeding disorder).
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Check out potential breeders very carefully, being sure to ask if they are members of breed clubs, specialty clubs or obedience clubs. Affiliation with a club means you can check their references to make sure that they don't run a puppy mill and that they screen for health problems before they breed.
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Know that female and male standard poodles will reach heights of up to 27 inches. Males will weigh between 25 and 70 lbs., while females will weigh between 45 and 60 lbs.
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Realize that you'll probably pay between $300 and $1,500 for a purebred standard poodle.
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Know that a standard poodle's life expectancy is between 12 and 15 years.
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Tips & Warnings
Poodles are typically clipped in three distinctive styles: the puppy clip, the English saddle clip or the continental clip. All involve shaving part of the dog's body.
Contact the Othopedic Foundation for Animals (see Related Sites) for more information about hip dysplasia in dogs.
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Comments
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Standard Poodles are the best breed!
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Poodles make intruders laugh. How about a German Shepard. That was my first dog. So smart and loving but he saved my life when he was just 6 months old. A guy was breaking into my house through a window, one foot in and he put him back out into the street. What a great dog.
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Do standard poodles instinctively exhibit guarding characteristics as a breed or do they need to be trained? Would a giant schnauzer or a bouvier des flaundres be better choices in this regard?
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onyxpoodle
Oct 26, 2007
Our standard poodle is almost 14. He is smart, beautiful, and loved by all. You have never seen a more passive quiet dog-- we can't even get him to bark if we try to provoke him. He doesn't shed or bite. Perfectly trainable-- he fetches objects, sings upon command, etc. Most amazingly, he jumps up on the door knob and backpedals to let himself out to go to the bathroom--- guests always think they're going crazy when they see the dog let himself out to go to the bathroom. -
onyxpoodle
Oct 26, 2007
Our standard poodle is almost 14. He is smart, beautiful, and loved by all. You have never seen a more passive quiet dog-- we can't even get him to bark if we try to provoke him. He doesn't shed or bite. Perfectly trainable-- he fetches objects, sings upon command, etc. Most amazingly, he jumps up on the door knob and backpedals to let himself out to go to the bathroom--- guests always think they're going crazy when they see the dog let himself out to go to the bathroom.
