I didn't always have such an affinity for these amazing dogs. It all started with a little white toy poodle rescue named Molly. Molly was such an awesome dog. She quickly taught me just how special having a poodle can be. Later I acquired a tiny toy poodle named L.B., who was equally as smart and lovable, to keep Molly company while I was at work. And then, of course, came my beloved Sophie, a standard poodle rescue who stole my heart forever.
I have to say that of the three sizes poodles come in, standards are my preference.
The Top Five Reasons Standard Poodle is the Best Dog Breed:
Standard Poodles are extremely intelligent.
They have a high tolerance for small children and other pets.
Standards aren't yappy like most smaller poodles.
They are big enough so you can give a nice hug, but not so big they take up the whole sofa.
They are very loyal and loving.
Stuff I've learned from being owned by a Standard Poodle (and my other various animal experience) -
If you want an intelligent dog that won't make you break out in hives, you may want to take a look at the Standard Poodle. If you are under the impression that Standard Poodles are not real dogs, because you've seen those ads where the woman in the pink dress is walking along the street with her matching pink Standard Poodle, take another look at this breed. These big dogs are not silly or shallow. They are loyal, spunky, and smart. In fact, the Standard Poodle was originally created to be a working dog, and many hunters still use this versatile dog to retrieve waterfowl.
Standard Poodles are big dogs, standing at least 15 inches tall and weighing over 45 pounds. Their floppy ears, curly coats, and dark eyes give them a gentle appearance. You can find these dogs in a wide range of colors, from black to parti-colored. Interestingly enough, I have noticed that many of these dogs are more nervous and high strung if they are white or cream colored, while most black Standard Poodles are dependable, calm dogs.
If you want your Standard Poodle to be happy and well adjusted, you will need to be prepared to teach him obedience. These dogs love to learn and excel in both obedience and agility trials. Standard Poodles are eager to please and do better with positive reinforcement, such as clicker training, than with negative forms of training.
The biggest drawback of the Standard Poodle breed is the amount of grooming required. You will need to brush your dog's coat out several times a week to avoid mats and tangles. When your puppy begins to develop an adult coat, it will require daily brushing, because the changing coat tangles constantly. Your dog will also need to be clipped. You can try a puppy clip or go for a more exotic lion or lamb clip. If you can find someone to teach you how to groom your dog, you can buy a good pair of clippers and do the job yourself. Otherwise, you will need to set aside $60 or more for monthly trips to the groomer. Luckily for me, I was a dog groomer and Mark is a dog groomer. Poodles make the best practice dogs!
So, if you want a big dog that loves kids, gets on well with other dogs, and spends his life trying to make you happy, you may want to take a close look at the wonderful Standard Poodle.
We recently decided to add a standard poodle to our family again. It's been over a year since we lost Sophie and it's been a difficult adjustment. Once you've known the love of a standard poodle life just seems empty without it.
While I usually advocate rescuing animals, rescuing just wasn't in the cards for us this time around (we filled out several adoption applications, but all of the dogs we were interested in found forever homes before the adoption groups got back to us). However, as soon as we decided to get a standard poodle everything seemed to magically fall into place. The breeder I preferred had dogs with the temperament that I wanted, in the colors we preferred about to give birth. The puppies were born on February 25th! We will welcome our new family member in 8-10 weeks. :)
The photo below is of me and my girls a month after Tallulah was born and about 9 months before Sophie passed.
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