If you are trying to decide what sort of dog you would like to add to your life, we have outlined some of the reasons you may (or may not) decide a standard poodle is a good fit for your lifestyle.

GROOMING NEEDS

Standard poodles simply do not shed in the traditional sense that hair is constantly falling out.  This means that all their hair continues to grow and does not just fall out, but it is similar to human hair, a few will fall at a time. The curly poodle coat holds these hairs and they are trapped there until groomed out. You will need to learn grooming basics and be aware of the time commitment (I usually take about 4 hours every few weeks per dog)or be prepared to have your poodle groomed every 6 – 8 weeks. This can get expensive. Even though poodles have a harsh wooly coat, that coat will become a matted mess if it is not cared for. Keeping your poodle in a short clip is easy to maintain and will help reduce mud and wet from sticking to their coat.

Poodles have hair than can be easily styled to your preference and do not have to conform to the image of the “frou-frou” dog. If you like a shaggy face and longer coat, that is easily accomplished, that particular style of coat looks good but can be somewhat of a problem if your dog enjoys swimming. Many people prefer a shaven face, and feet  with a short coat in order to make grooming easier and cut down on mud etc sticking to the coat .There are as many styles as you could imagine.

TRAINING 

Standard poodles are very intelligent and can be easily trained. They require a soft approach to training and do not respond well to harsh treatment. Training must be kept interesting , poodles can become bored easily and if you don’t provide mental stimulation they will make their own fun which may not correspond to your idea of what is fun.. Your poodle will NEVER forget something it has learned, be careful what you teach. My dogs now know many words and can spell a few ( car, meat etc)

People often forget that poodles are hunting dogs. They must be introduced to small animals carefully or things may end tragically. Many poodles (not all) have at least some level of prey drive. Some may be happy to chase balls and retrieve but others are very focused on prey. Whether that prey is a throw toy or a pet hamster, your poodle may chase and possibly injure. Even my sweet ,quiet Locksie leapt in the air and caught a flying blue jay. Needless to say, we were very surprised.

HEALTH

Poodles are a fairly healthy breed overall, they do have some genetic problems many of which can be screened by DNA testing. Because the poodle is a popular dog worldwide, there is a fairly large gene pool, so that inbreeding can be avoided. Some important genetic problems that can be tested before a dog is bred are: vonWillebrand’s Disease, and Neonatal Encephalopathy with Seizures. New tests are being developed to screen even the less common genetic defects. There are several possible non-genetic issues that may arise but the issues are common to all larger dogs.  Some of these problems are hip displaysia, gastric dilation-volvulus. The Poodle Club of America has good information on their website regarding genetic problems, testing and non-genetic issues.

See the ‘Poodle Information Online” tab in the above menu

BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT  

 Poodles are sensitive to your moods and emotions. If your house is very chaotic or constantly unsettled then a poodle may not be right for you. They want to be close and will not be happy with no stimulation. Your poodle will be unhappy stuck in the yard by itself. Your poodle will enjoy some outdoor playtime with a dog buddy but they will come looking for you when they think you have been away long enough.  Early training can ensure that your poodle wont suffer from separation anxiety.

Poodles make very good watchdogs, they are large enough to sound intimidating but are not excessive barkers. Generally, once they have alerted you to whatever/whomever is approaching, they will inspect thoroughly and then accept the thing / person IF you accept but they will remain suspicious if you are uncomfortable. Poodles are protective but it would be very unusual to be vicious, such behavior is usually the fault of poor breeding and occasionally can be due to poor training

Poodles tend to be dog and child friendly ( if properly socialized of course). Obviously, as a rather large dog, they need to be supervised since it is very easy for a large dog to accidentally harm small children and dogs while playing.

In short, poodles are extremely versatile and can perform in any manner you might wish.  It is important to remember that the  activity you are interested in ,or the type of household you have, may not be a good fit for every poodle.  Your poodle and you need to be well matched in order to make everyone happy and satisfied.