From the time I was a young girl I wanted a poodle. I lived on a horse farm and had outside mutt dogs that I dearly loved but I was drawn to the persona of the poodles in the 60's that were draped over the arms of movie stars and fashionable women that I longed to resemble when I grew up. Well I did not become a movie star or a "fashionable" woman and my life still revolves around horses, but my admiration for poodles as a breed did not change.

My husband and I used to own a campground for horse back riders and one day I was sitting on the porch of our ranch talking dogs with some of our campers and I mentioned I had always wanted a poodle and one woman looked at me and said, "Well, you are a grown woman, go get you one." And that was all the incentive I needed. That fall as soon as our season was ending, and against the better judgment of my husband, I searched the papers and bought my first puppy. I have been in love with the breed ever since.

I had no idea what to expect from them, only what I had read, and of course the image they present at the dog shows with their unreasonable hair cut and aloof attitude gives little indication of what these dogs are truly about. I chose a toy because I wanted something small that I could "drape" over my arm but the closest I ever come to that image is when she hangs over my arm at the drive-up window of the bank to get her dog biscuit. She does however wear a rhinestone collar. When I would take Layla out with me I would get so many questions about where I got her, and I was always referring them to the breeder, that one day a friend of mine said, "You have to get a male and go into business for yourself." And that was all the incentive I needed.

That spring I bought a little male puppy for my son who had finished his second year of college and had made all A's. Seemed like a good reward for him and a reason to acquire my needed addition to a new business. Of course most college age guys are not really looking to get a poodle puppy as a reward but by the time we got home with Vincent, he was caught up in the little 2 lb ball of fluff. Oddly my husband being a lover of big outside dogs has grown very affectionate toward both Layla and Vincent.

I have found the breed to be very happy and pleasant natured. They love to play but they are also content to lie in your lap or at your feet as you read or watch TV. They are not hyper and neurotic as many people believe, but because they are greatly influenced by the personality of their owner, they could be made that way. They get along well with other pets and people and are very smart. It is so easy to teach them tricks and housebreak them and the larger sizes are great trail and retrieving dogs.

I guess the only "chore" in owning a poodle is the care of their coat. I have never taken mine to be groomed as I enjoy combing ( I found combing is better than brushing) their coat and bathing them and trimming them myself. I do the trimming about every 2 - 3 months depending on the season, and I do this with scissors except for the muzzle which I do with clippers. I bath them when they need it and comb them out once a week or so again depending on the length of their coat. I usually do the combing in the evening when they are in my lap on the couch. They do not shed and they have no dander, however loosened hair catches in their curls and can form a matt if you do not comb them occasionally.

I have a fenced in front yard that is their play area and they love to be outdoors. They would be content to follow me around the campground but there are too many horses, vehicles, and strange dogs for me to feel comfortable with giving them that much freedom. They love to chase anything from a ball to a bird to a rabbit. I have never seen an aggressive move from them and I have no concerns about their behavior towards small children or strangers

So this is my success story with owning a poodle and I hope I can assist you with a success story of your own.

 

Little Liza Jean
My first poodle.