Toy poodles - any thoughts?

[GeorgianMumto5]

Can't have a dog yet, but would love one. It needs to be a low allergen dog. Was thinking Bedlington Terrier; I think they are gorgeous but the DC aren't impressed. Today we met a toy poodle at the park and all three of us fell in love.

Does anyone have any experience? What are they like as family pets?

[happygardening]

I've only really noticed it/thought about it becasue his best friend of the same age a working cocker is now chewing everything including the walls and skirting boards! I scratched around on my memory bank and I pretty sure all our gun dogs were also chewing everything at this age. He does like shoes etc but only to take into the garden and add to his his current garden design he never chews them.

[AgathaF]

Our standard doesn't chew either happy. I wonder if that is typical of the breed? I've never considered it before.

[happygardening]

My miniture poodle is a great gardener but despite many hours pouring over the gardening books together he is still a bit shaky when it comes to correctly indentifying weeds. Mind you his absolute joy when he sees my face when he's kindly dug up one of my precious bearded iris has to be seen to be believed he bounces up and down on the spot and is ecstatic I can't help but laugh!
One real positive mine rarely chews unlike previous gun dogs.

[AgathaF]

I agree with happy. Poodles adapt to the mood of the house, so if you're calm or busy doing something else, they just settle down and sleep (or people watch from the landing window ). I find that if I'm doing stuff like gardening, or hanging the washing out, ours likes to be there too.

They are really intelligent dogs, they used to be used in the circus because of this, but because they are retrieving dogs (water retrievers) they are really hardy too.

[happygardening]

No not on the go like big guns dogs like pointers. But they do like sitting with you they love cuddles and are of course small enough to cuddle but if you sit down they sit down. There's a miniature poodle club and Jackie Kitchener is the secretary I think she knows everything about them and may also coordinate rescue.

[Quodlibet]

Happy that's a really useful comparison, thanks. I am pretty familiar with whippets as I dogsit one sometimes and agree with slightly melancholy (the one I look after is also a total wuss) and mainly lazy. I am interested in finding out about poodles because i think that the clown-like/cheerful nature appeals, as does the fact they are (I think) brighter than whippets, (not endearing myself to the pointy lovers either here!). Can you tell me, are poodles on the go all day indoors, or do they settle down? We work at home much of the time and I don't think I would want a dog that was always wanting to be involved in everything all day, hence my terrier aversion. Whippies are conveniently sleepy dogs I find!

[OhMyNoReally]

You can also get some lovely poodle crosses. My friend has recently gotten a terry poo. A terrier poodle cross, it's a very cute, very sweet little thing. My friend has a 4 year old dd. so I'm guessing terry poos must be great with kids, her dd even helps walk the pup in the park.

[AgathaF]

Quodlibet - you've probably come across this poodle rescue site, but just incase you haven't

[digerd]

Poodles normally are very active and energetic. The only mini poodles I met were my friend's and saw them only at home and they were lap dogs there.

[happygardening]

Sorry not agatha Quodibet

[happygardening]

Agatha we used to own a whippet a completely different personality. I found whippets slightly melancholy (every whippet owner on MN is now going to berate me). Poodles are clowns they just love laughing at you they're not really naughty just mischievous. Whippets are gentle elegant and kind but not ridiculous idiotic but adorable dogs who love nothing more than to gently and harmlessly wind you up. Poodles also love exercise whippets are far lazier.

[Quodlibet]

Thanks Agatha - that's good to know.

I was actually thinking of looking out for a young adult rescue - I've done puppy stage before with my old dogs, and my parents are doing it now with a new dog, so I know how absolutely full on it is and agree that puppy plus baby would be madness! Plus I'm up for rehoming - my plan was that dog would probably have a year or so to settle before any babies turned up.

[AgathaF]

Quodlibet I think poodles are fantastic family dogs. They are very intuitive as to the ages/abilities of children, and will be very gentle with smaller children, and a bit less so with older ones. They are generally very adaptable dogs.

My only concern would be timescales really. Puppy training is ongoing and time-consuming. If you are planning on starting a family within the next year, I would say hold off on a puppy and maybe get over the newborn stage first. A very young dog/puppy and a newborn would be fairly hellish, in my opinion.

[Quodlibet]

So poodle owners can you advise: I am looking to get a dog in the immediate future once our house purchase is complete and we finaly have a garden, and min poodles are high on my list - at the moment I'm weighing up them and whippets. I want a small dog (easily transportable by public transport) that doesn't have a terrier drive and is fairly low maintenance indoors in terms of both shedding and 'busy-ness'. We are planning on starting a family too. I am giving this a lot of thought (know the workload involved with both dogs and babies)t and realise that a baby joining the family is often a stressful time for dogs - has anyone done this with a poodle and do they cope ok? We are a fairly calm quiet household otherwise, would be living next to a park and expecting to walk/run with the dog a lot, and put energy into training. So - poodles plus small children? Unrealistic or doable?

[happygardening]

Your right about the loving mud thing. My other dog effortlessly trips round the side of mud (and we've got a lot of mud this year) without even changing his rhythm the poodle straight through the deepest bit tail wagging fortunately he's not interested in water!

[AgathaF]

Our standard was quite bouncy until about 5 years of age, but easy to control too so it wasn't a problem. I wouldn't say barmy though, at all.

He has always liked a good walk, but equally has been happy enough with short walks. We have got a big garden though, so it's always been easy to give him lots of exercise chasing a ball etc, so maybe that has made a difference.

I swapped my car for a Seat Ibiza a year and a half ago (kids learning to drive), and he fits fine across the back seat. It is easier with an estate though, as like all poodles, he loves getting wet and muddy

[happygardening]

People say standards are really barmy is that true and obviously need more exercise although miniature like a lot of exercise. I couldn't really get a standard on my car either but I do love them I saw a red one the other day he was gorgeous.

[AgathaF]

happy - our standard is huge. Someone described him as "the size of a small donkey". He is so, so gentle though, and always has been, with the children and their friends.

[happygardening]

Gosh lots of poodle owners I so rarely meet others and we're surrounded by every conceivable dog breed. Mine chases a ball half heartily but primarily runs around with a stick in his mouth. 3mum is right fab with other dogs fab with children. who when he's due a hair cut think he's a teddy bear fab with elderly in local care home, people who hadn't shown any interest in anything love his soft curly fur basically not big chewers (especially in comparison with gum fog best friend) very intuitive but they can open kitchen cupboard doors!!! Basically the best dog we've ever owned and we've had lots. I would love one day a standard but they can be absolutely huge.

[GeorgianMumto5]

Oh,I think bedlingtons are gorgeous. The DC have no taste! They say they look like sheep. Dd loves the idea of a poodle because the one at the park was lovely and because they fit her 'prettiness' criteria. Ds won't entertain the idea of any dog at the moment, although he did concede that Park Poodle was cute.

Said poodle chased a ball too - more than once.

Via that breed rescue link, above, I discovered that you can foster. That might be a good start for us, I think. Well, if we were approved and there were any locally.

[3mum]

We have two miniatures. I got the first one solely because my youngest has allergies and eczema which ruled out most other breeds. She was so fab she was swiftly joined by another.

Having always had big dogs (labs etc) as a child, I am now a huge convert to poodles. Very bright and trainable, very eager to please and incredibly loving. Mine are very very good with children of all ages, but I got them as puppies and made sure they were well socialised - every small child within a three mile radius has petted them and/or dressed them up at some point.

Not wimpy dogs at all. They love a muddy country walk but are equally happy to settle for a trot around a city park. They are good with other dogs (always a bonus when you are walking them). Agree you either need to expect to pay for a groomer every 6-8 weeks or learn how to do it properly (I got a groomer to teach me).

My youngest does not react to them at all and he sits with them on his lap and love the no moulting!

Can you tell I am now a poodle fan?

[oldqueencrepey]

oh, and we had a black miniature poodle when I was a child. It was EEEEVIL.

[oldqueencrepey]

What do you mean your children aren't very impressed with the idea of a bedlington???
We have one and she is simply gorgeous. looks like a lamb but very much a terrier (stubborn / wannabe rodent killer / stubborn / feisty / stubborn) but such a character and such a sweetie.
They are lovely lovely dogs.

[digerd]

My friend had 2 mini poodles, one black and one white. The white was a bit snappy and nervous and the black was not. She told me that is sometimes the case with the white ones. I love the colour of the apricots and the one I met was very lively and lovely. He was a medium size but still small.

[happygardening]

We've recently got a miniature he's the best dog we've ever owned. The breeder we got him from is allergic to all other dogs. Many breeders will let you spend time with theirs to see if you'll be ok. The miniatures are really not very big max 15' to the shoulder weight under 10 kg mine never yaps and he is completely barmy and has a massive sense of humour easy to train and absolutely full of life. People have this ridiculous idea that their spoilt drippy little dogs but his best friend is a working gun dog puppy and they spend most of their time rolling around on mud. You do need to groom them regularly and have them clipped every 6-8 weeks I'm no Vidal Sasson so I take mine to the dog groomers weeks it cost me £35. I would recommend them to any one. Everyone I meet says "what sort of doodle is that" and are completely taken aback when I say "its nots not a doodle its a poodle" "oh but hes so lovely!!
!??" The breeder we bought him from is a very big noise in the world of miniature poodles told me that the black ones are the easiest and I think the white ones the hardest but I might be wrong about the latter. There are lots on line going cheaply but its definitely worth paying the full price and going to a really good breeder the litters are small but they are often happy to sell you a fantastic puppy that is going to be slightly over height for the show ring mine is a beautiful example of the breed I'm so proud of him, fully health checked and God knows what else. Also a good breeder will have trimmed clipped them from a very early age to get them used to it this is essential.