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?

[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]

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!

[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?

[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]

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.

[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.

[happygardening]

Sorry not agatha Quodibet

[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.

[AgathaF]

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

[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.

[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!

[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.

[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]

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]

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

[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.