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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I get so many people
who ask me the same questions about poodles, that I thought perhaps their questions will help answer your questions about
the poodle as a family member.
1. GENERAL
INFORMATION ABOUT THE POODLE
Yes,
the poodle is an excellent choice for people with allergies. They are considered the #1 hypoallergenic
dog. Their hair is like our human hair, and thus no shedding. They are excellent with children (no matter how
young or old), and will play for hours. THEY ARE ONE OF THE SMARTEST DOGS, and you will wonder if they understand
everything you are saying. Sometimes, the poodle is so smart, it is scary how much they know and learn quickly. They
are very loyal and loving to their family. But, they tend to make many friends where ever they go. Poodles want
to be by your side 24/7, and I call mine Velcro dogs because they are never far from me. Their favorite place to be in
the whole world is on your lap or sleeping in bed with you. The poodle can be a "couch potato" when you want him
to be, or outside playing, walking, hiking, etc. They are very athletic dogs, and most of them love the water. My
poodles are not hyper, and will not bark excessively. They have been taught from a young age when it is appropriate
to bark and when they should not bark. I have raised the majority of my adult poodles from puppyhood to maturity.
Never have any of them been destructive in any way. There is no chewing on furniture, table legs, flooring, etc.
Give them plenty of chewie toys, plush toys, puppy treats, etc, and they will not chew on your things. It almost
sounds like I am describing the "perfect dog", and in a way I am.
2. DO MALES OR FEMALES MAKE BETTER PETS?
Everybody has a different opinion on this question! Both male and female poodles
make great pets and it is usually just individual preference as to which one to make part of the family. I personally feel
that males are much more loving and get more attached to you than the females do. The main factor in people choosing a female
over a male is that they worry about a male dog lifting their leg on things as they get older.
I have 2 stud dogs, who are also house dogs, and I rarely have a problem with leg lifting. Neutering a male and
spaying a female is highly recommended as this keeps them much healthier since they will not be used for breeding.
3.
TEMPERAMENT
This is probably the
most important issue with prospective poodle owners. Speaking only about my own dogs and puppies, I have to say that
my poodles are the "official people greeters" in my house. Yes, they will bark like crazy because someone is at
the door, but once you are inside the pandemonium stops. Then my poodles become "people dogs". They love to kiss,
sit in your lap, play with children, bring toys to you, and most of all their tails never stop wagging. My poodles
love children, and will play and cuddle with them as long as you let them. They have the sweetest dispositions,
are not hyper, do not run and hide, and are very gentle. In fact, if you are not a dog person, then my house is not
the place to be. You must sit on the floor and fawn all over them because they just love it. If you
are not paying attention to them, you will either get a scratch on your arm or leg with their paw (pay attention to me), or
end up with a dog or two or three in your lap. They do not have a MEAN BONE in their body. So, I have
to say the temperaments on my poodles is excellent!
4.
ARE YOUR PUPPIES AKC REGISTERED?
Yes, everyone
of my poodles is registered with the AKC and some are dual registered with the United Kennel Club which is another dog registry.
I do this so that I can show in both the AKC and UKC shows.
5.
AT WHAT AGE ARE YOUR PUPPIES READY FOR NEW HOMES?
I do not
let my puppies go until they are 8 weeks old. At this age, they have had their 1st thorough Vet health exam, hearts
checked, shots, knees checked, stool checks for worms, even though I have wormed them several times before 8 wks. When you
come to pick up your puppy, you will be provided with the following: a clean, well-groomed puppy, AKC papers, pedigree,
health information, Certificate of Health, and feeding instructions.
6.
WHAT TYPE OF HEALTH GUARANTEE DO YOU OFFER?
My contract
states that you must take the puppy to your Vet within 72 hrs. to make sure that there are no health issues.
Even though I know there are none, it is better for you and me to know that your puppy is as healthy as I stated. I
know they have no contagious diseases that would affect their health. Additionally, they have a Florida Certificate of Health
that guarantees them against serious genetic defects for one year.
7.
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM AN 8 WEEK OR OLDER PUPPY?
Of course
the #1 question is always about housebreaking. I recommend crate training as the easiest way to start the housebreaking.
In general, dogs do not like to dirty where they sleep. The crate should not be a large one because the puppy can move
about too freely, and can potty at one end of the crate and sleep at the other. I use medium crates for my dogs, and my
adults are provided with nice, soft sleeping blankets. In puppies crates, I use newspaper as a lining and put a
small blanket at the other end. I also give them chewie toys to play with in the crate. Eventually, the crate becomes
their "den" where they feel very safe and comfortable. Do not expect an 8 week old puppy to have much control over his
bladder. Their little bladders cannot hold much fluid, and therefore, they need to potty often. I have never liked
the idea of paper training! To me it is double work because you then have to teach the puppy to go from the paper
to the outside. I take my puppies out many times a day, but they still have accidents. I recommend you confine
them to an area of your home that perhaps has tile so accidents will wipe up easily. Some people have luck with the
"wee wee" pads, but I personally have never used them. It is a lot of work housebreaking because the puppy should
be taken outside after waking, eating, drinking and playing. I use the command to "potty" so they know why they are
out there, and eventually, they learn that potty means bathroom time. A lot of praise and a special treat goes a long
way to let them know how good they did. Many of my puppy buyers, have called to tell me how easy it was to housebreak their
baby. POODLES ARE VERY SMART and want to please you. Also, water should be limited in the evening to help
with the housebreaking. The less water, the less pottying. NEVER give them water in their crate during the night.
For those of you who work all day, the crate is the best place for the puppy to be. This way he is safe, and your home
is safe. He can be left food and water in the crate, as it can be a long day for a puppy to go without. PUPPY
QUARKS - puppies by nature are very curious little beings. They want to investigate their surroundings fully to
see what is in their big, new world. Puppies also are teething at this time, and their little puppy teeth hurt
when they "play bite". Do not let them do this, and reprimand them for this behavior with a small tap on the nose with
the word NO spoken very strongly. With a few lessons, they learn your fingers, arms, toes, etc. are off bounds.
Do not think the puppy is mean - he is only making his teeth feel better. VERY IMPORTANT - poodles are very sensitive to
your moods. They know when you are mad or not feeling well. They do not like you to be mad at them. A firm NO
is usually enough for your poodle to know he did something wrong. Do not scream or holler at him in a loud voice, or
lock him in the crate as punishment. They are so sensitive that they get very upset because for some reason they have
made "the love of their life" very mad at them. They will do anything to get back in your good graces. A poodle
only needs to be spoken to in a calm voice, and they will know exactly what you expect of them. THEY ARE SO HAPPY TO
PLEASE YOU!
8.
ARE YOUR ADULT DOGS TESTED FOR GENETIC PROBLEMS?
Yes, my dogs
have been Optigen tested for prcd-PRA thru either their blood or a DNA cheek swab for a very serious eye issue that affected
many poodles in the past causing them to go blind. With reputable breeders testing their breeding dogs, this problem
is slowly becoming less of a problem. I also have my dogs CERF'd by a board certified dog eye opthamologist
to check for other eye issues, such as cataracts, etc that only shows up on the CERF exam. My dogs also have OFA certification
on their patellas which means they do not have loose kneecaps that can sometimes incapacitate a dog and require
surgery. My black minis have OFA hip Xrays to make sure they have no hip dyplasia. I feel confident that
you will be getting a very healthy and sound puppy.
9. WHAT TYPE OF DOG FOOD ARE YOU USING?
My puppies
are on NATURAL CHOICE PUPPY and my adults eat ADULT SMALL BITES, and they are doing very well on this food.
If you change foods, make sure the change is gradual or they could get dirreaha and upset tummies. Additionally, I mix
a little bit of canned dog food into the dry food just for a little flavor. My dogs are spoiled and will not eat just
the dry dog food.
10.
IS THERE A PERSONALITY/TEMPERAMENT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT COLORS?
I have had many people
ask me if there is a difference between blacks, apricots, reds, etc. I myself, have found no personality difference
between the different colors of my own dogs. Each color is just as sweet and loving as the other, everyone gets
along, no one is smarter than the other, and they all try to be lap dogs at the same time. Pretty hard to have anywhere
from 4-5 dogs on your lap at the same time. Additionally, none of my dogs have a hyper personality. Granted when
someone comes to the door, it is complete chaos. But in about 5 mins. they all settle down and get down to the business of
loving on you, and they expect loving from you, or toy playing. In the time you are here you will see just about
every favorite toy of theirs. In essence, I have to say that NO, there is no difference between colors.
11. WHY
ARE YOUR PUPPIES MORE EXPENSIVE THAN OTHER POODLE BREEDERS.
First of
all, just because someone has poodle puppies for sale does not make them a reputable poodle breeder. Much goes into
a breeding program.Here are a few reasons for the higher price. I spend money to buy the best breeding stock I can find.
I make sure that before I use a dog in my breeding program it has been tested for eye problems, patella (knee) problems -
the patella problems 9 times out of 10 will require expensive surgery to enable the dog to walk without pain, and CERF
(other eye issues.) My dogs are also temperament tested (by myself, by visitors and my grandchildren). I will
not breed a dog who has a temperament problem. I feed expensive dog food to all my dogs and puppies which keeps them
in good health. I spend a lot of money at the vet's (teeth cleaning, and other isses that require a vet's attention.)
My dogs are AKC registered which means a lot of paperwork, and AKC visits to my home. They check to make sure the dogs
are kept in excellent condition ( clean and not matted, clean housing, clean food and water bowls, plenty of room for
exercise, etc). I am never in a panic to only have a 1 day notice by the AKC to visit my home because
my home is kept exceptionally clean at all times. The AKC will stop me from breeding my dogs if their environment is
in any way not acceptable to them, and my paperwork is not accurate and up-to-date. My adult dogs are all house dogs,
and you need at least 6 pair of hands to pet everyone of them at the same time. The love to be loved. SO, these are
some of the reasons why my puppies are priced accordingly.
12.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
I am always
available to assist you in any way. Help is just an email or phone call away. Hope this information has been very
helpful.
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