Standard Poodle

The Standard Poodle has a bit of a dubious reputation, which is due to its appearance and people's assumptions about its personality. Some people perceive it to be a shallow animal while others believe it to be a highly intelligent breed. The reality is that the breed possesses a great deal of intelligence, and is an extremely friendly and likeable companion.

Breeding was initially to serve as a working dog and back in the day it would help hunters catch water birds for hours at end. To protect the dog from lengthy exposure to water, the breeders developed the Standard Poodle to have its characteristic thick coat of curly hair.

While the curly hair persists to this day, Poodles have long ceased to serve as working dogs and people keep them mainly for companionship. The Standard Poodle is a medium-sized dog as it rarely goes higher than 15 inches and weighs between 45 and 70 lbs.

Despite its delicate appearance, this is a strong and muscular breed. It has arresting brown eyes and characteristic ears that fold near the head. The Standard Poodle is easy to distinguish from other breeds by its short and erect tail.

While black and white poodles are quite visible, the breed sports a variety of coats including gray, brown, cream, and blue among others. It is generally observed that the black variety have a more restrained personality while white poodles are more restless and fidgety in comparison.

The Poodle has a congenial personality and gets along well with children and other pets. If you already have a dog and want to get another one, then the Poodle is a good choice, as it will get along quite well with your existing dog.

This is playful by nature and will be comfortable around children during their play. While your poodle may seem to form an antagonistic relationship with your cat, it is just its way of showing an interest in play.

While the Standard Poodle will not give much trouble in an apartment, you should ideally have a large open space such as a fenced-in yard where the Poodle can get its exercise. If that space is not available, a daily walk around the block or in the park is highly recommendable.

Obedience classes have a very good effect on the Poodle mainly because it has a strong aptitude for learning and because it really wants to make its owners happy. Without obedience classes, the Standard Poodle may never learn to overcome its instinctive aloofness around strangers. Sometimes, the poodle struggles to learn new commands and can feel depressed. It is important that you give it a command that it is familiar with as this will motivate it and give it the confidence to learn new commands.

If your poodle succeeds at obedience classes, you may even have it enrolled in advanced obedience classes and agility training. With the right kind of encouragement, they have known to do well in dog shows and agility competitions.

Standard Poodles suffer from a number of health conditions including skin and kidney infections, hip dysplasia, Addison's disease, and even epilepsy. Since epilepsy is a genetic disease, you can reduce the chances of your poodle suffering from it by requesting the breeder to have the parent dogs screened for the disease.

If you buy a Poodle, be prepared to spend at least an hour daily to groom your pet. In addition to brushing, you will have to cut the hair of your poodle to maintain that manicured look. If you cannot manage it on your own, then it is necessary to take your poodle to a grooming salon once every five to six weeks.

Standard Poodles can be a joy to have around because of their friendly and playful nature. If you take good care of their grooming, these intelligent creatures can become excellent companions.