The Pros and Cons of Owning a Poodle
Tuesday, December 29, 2009Today, Poodles are thought of as a French breed of dog. However, it is believed that they were originally bred in Germany, where they were used as water dogs (retrievers of waterfowl). Despite the common misconception of Poodles as froufrou dogs, they are actually extremely intelligent; ranked second in extensive tests to ascertain the smartest dog breeds.
As a pet, the Poodle can be a wonderful choice, as it is loyal, affectionate, docile and, as mentioned above, very intelligent. However, before welcoming any new dog into your home, it is wise to research the breed thoroughly to ensure that it is the right animal for you. As a guide to the breed, below you will find a list of the pros and cons of owning a Poodle.
The Pros of Poodle Ownership
As mentioned, the Poodle is very intelligent, subsequently, training is relatively easy and very enjoyable. Poodles are not the most active of dogs and therefore do not require multiple exercise sessions per day. However, the breed does enjoy a medium sized yard to play in. You may have heard a Poodle referred to as a hypoallergenic dog, while this is technically false, it is true that Poodles shed very little and are, therefore, a good choice for owners who suffer from pet allergies. Poodles are very gentle souls that are patient with children and happy to share their homes with other animals.
The Cons of Poodle Ownership
Poodles need to be groomed at least once every six to eight weeks. Similarly, Poodles should be bathed regularly, because if not cared for properly, a Poodles fur can become matted and poorly conditioned. A Poodles nails grow very quickly and will, therefore, need to be trimmed once every two or three weeks. The Poodle is genetically predisposed to certain illnesses, including Von Willebrand’s disease, retinal atrophy, cataracts, skin problems, and allergies.
Types of Poodle
There are three varieties of Poodle: standard, miniature and toy. Standard Poodles stand at 15 inches or taller and weigh at least 20lbs. These dogs were designed as working animals, principally as water retrievers and watchdogs, and latterly as sled dogs and pets. Miniature and toy Poodles, on the other hand, were bred purely as pets and show dogs. The miniature Poodle is between 10 and 15 inches tall and weighs between 12 and 20lbs, while the toy Poodle is smaller still, reaching a maximum of 10 inches in height and 12lbs in weight.
The smaller varieties of Poodle are ideal for city and apartment living. However, a standard Poodle does not need a large home and yard, as it is not among the more energetic breeds. According to the American Kennel Association, all sizes of Poodle should have a pointed head with a long, straight muzzle. The eyes should be egg-shaped and dark in color, while the ears must hang low and close to the dog’s head. Poodles have two coats: a downy undercoat and wiry topcoat, which can be almost any color.
If you intend to show your Poodle, its coat must be clipped and styled in one of the accepted ways. The Continental and English Saddle styles are two of the most popular, both involve the legs being shaved to eave only a ring of fur around the ankles. The fur on the face and tail is also shaved, leaving just a topknot and pom-pom of fur at the tail. Since the 19th century, Poodles have been incredibly popular as pets, in France. Today, they are popular across the globe, as a loving, affectionate and intelligent family pet.
Samantha Markham is a professional writer, she is currently composing articles for Remmeer.com, an online supplier of pet products. Remmeer.com offers its customers high quality items for all pets and their owners, inlcuding folding dog crates and Poodle dog breed gifts.
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- Posted by admin at 04:35:07 in
How to Choose a Family Dog - 3 Mistakes People Make
Dogs are one of the most popular pets in the world. With some countries boasting one in four families actually possessing a four legged doggy friend.
Yet on many occasions families make the wrong decision about the animal they buy and as a result everyone is unhappy. From the family, to the dog and the rescue home the poor animal often
ends up in. This article looks at the 3 most common mistakes people make.
1. Not Researching Dog ownership
Now this might sound really boring and yet owning a dog involves work, planning, and money. From who will look after the dog, to who is going to exercise and puppy train him or her? On top of this there is the expense of “running a dog”. Vet bills are not cheap and pet insurance does not cover everything. Then of course there is the food and all the things dogs need. Many new dog owners do not consider the expenses and involvement from all the family if this is going to work.
2. Not understanding enough about the breed
This is the most common mistake. Different dog breeds have different needs and personalities. This is the most basic fact to realise when it comes to choosing a dog. We are huge Staffordshire bull terrier fans and love the breed because of its suitability to families and children. Yet other breeds may not be so child friendly. The Staffy for instance needs exercise though not hours each day. So for us and our lifestyle it works.
Another hot topic are allergies. What about allergies and pet hair in your family? It could be a problem if you dog is very hairy or moults all the time. This leads on to grooming. Did you realise that the dog you like will need to be clipped every 3-4 months? This is where knowledge of each breed is vital to make an informed decision. The good news is you are reading this article so now you know where to start at least.
3. Buying on Emotion
Where puppies are concerned this can be a real, challenge. Though if you have done your home work in the other two areas. You will know what you are getting into. That beautiful dog that you fall in love with may also need more exercise than you realised. By researching different breeds you will have knowledge of what each breed is like and how they fit into your criteria.
I know that buying can be an emotional decision, yet bringing home a puppy is not like buying the latest designer handbag. Time and planning is important to make sure your new arrival gets the best start and introduction to life in a human world.
Den Oyston is a huge fan of dogs and crazy about family friendly Staffordshire Bull Terrier Puppies. If you found all the information here useful in how decide on a family dog You can get a FREE mini course at her website at staffypups
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- Posted by admin at 04:34:35 in
How to Train Your Dog Without Verbal Or Physical Corrections
What if there was a way to train your dog without corrections? I mean, no verbal or physical corrections at all.
Would you do it?
You can train your dog without corrections and it is easier than you might think.
You see in dog training there is a thing called, negative punishment. Negative punishment simply means that you withhold something desirable from your dog in order to teach them they are doing something wrong.
An example would be when you are teaching your dog to sit. If you dog doesn’t sit then you simply do not reward them. When they do, you reward them. Your dog is learning how to think their way through the problem. Once they are rewarded a few times for the correct response and they are not rewarded for the incorrect response, your dog will understand that sitting is the action that earns the reward.
Why is training your dog this way far superiour to using corrections? I’ll be straight with you, corrections, when used properly, do speed up the training process, however, there is a major draw back when correcting your dog. That draw back is, your dog learns to respond to avoid correction.
Let me explain that, if you correct your dog a lot, either physically with a collar correction or verbally, the dog will listen only because they want to avoid the correction. What happens here is your dog is not really wanting to work. They are simply working to avoid punishment.
When you use negative punishment you remove the correction. You simply withhold the reward. Once the dog learns what you want them to do, they will repeat it more often and with more vigor than before because you have not put the stress that a correction can cause on them. This develops what we call an “active learner.”
Active learning means that when faced with a problem a dog will figure it out. Try new things, give you responses, and never stop trying to earn their reward. Correction based training often times creates a dog that freezes when faced with a problem. Instead of working to solve the problem they freeze up because they are expecting to be corrected
Patience is a virtue here. If you are impatient like me, you will benefit from this type of training as well because you will learn patience. Removing corrections from the training process has helped my patience tremendously.
Dog training should not be hard. It should not be a task that you have to dread. With some patience, willingness to learn, and consistent training with your dog, training will become more fun, more rewarding, and you will be successful.
Give this a try with your dog. Next time you are training simply withhold the reward until your dog responds correctly. When they do, praise them and give them their reward. Rinse and repeat for long term results.
Jason Mann is the owner of Top Dog K9 Training Solutions based in Lexington, Kentucky. For more dog training tips and online dog training lessons Visit at http//www.TopDogTrainingSolutions.com
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- Posted by admin at 04:30:05 in
Dog Behavior Training - Bringing Out the Best in Your Dog
Do you have a dog who seems perfect enough except for his excessive barking which keeps you awake all night? Not only does he keep you awake, but he could also be making it unpleasant for your neighbors as well. You would not really want it to get to the point where you will hear complaints from your neighbors, or worse, when you and your dog will be reported to the dog pound.
Excessive barking is just one of the bad behaviors that a good dog training can help you correct. You need to find out what is causing your dog’s excessive barking - perhaps he is afraid of being left alone outside or maybe he is hungry or cold. Whatever the reason may be, you would benefit if you could understand your dog’s needs better to find out what is causing his constant barking.
Perhaps you never communicated to your dog that his barking in the middle of the night is unacceptable behavior. This is where a good dog training program can be useful. Constant barking maybe corrected early, while the dog is still young. Sometimes, a dog barks a lot because he is suffering from separation anxiety. If he received training while he was still a pup on how to deal with separation anxiety, then you would have a dog who would already have learned to overcome his fear of being left alone.
There are different ways to change your dog’s behavior for the better, however, training him to change his ways does not happen overnight. The process of behavior modification has to be reinforced daily, before your dog will show signs of better behavior.
You need good guidance on how to train your dog to overcome his bad habits. There are many professional dog trainers who can guide you or who can conduct the training themselves. A good self help ebook on dog behavior training can even be an effective guide in training your dog to be obedient, and more fun to live with.
Whichever way you decide to go - either train your dog yourself or hire a professional dog trainer, you’ll reap the benefits of a happier and more obedient dog who will no longer give you sleepless nights. So start with a program now in order to bring out the best in your dog.
Ray L. Jackson has been a successful dog trainer for many years and now shares his secrets in his book, “Dog Training Unleashed.”
For more tips on successful dog behavior training, visit his dog training success website at http://www.dogtrainingevolution.com
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- Posted by admin at 04:29:43 in
How to Prepare For Dog Shows
To be able to enter a dog in a show they have to have a lot of training. There are many places that provide such services to prepare them for competitions and shows. Some of these places are dog training NY, and dog training NJ. Training a dog is not a hard task if the dog is given the right discipline. There are many experts that can help show exactly how to train a dog so that they may be entered into a dog show. A dog must be well behaved and groomed almost to perfection to get good scores in a dog show.
There are many different kinds of dog trainers, and there are several different approaches that they may make. Some trainers believe in tough love, or strict discipline. Some trainers only train certain breeds of dogs. As long as the canine finishes the training and is able to behave and perform then the dog is probably up to the challenge of a dog show. Training, however, is not an easy task and may take a while to prove effective. It’s hard to tell until it is actually carried out how long it will take. So it is best to prepare in advance and not wait too long.
There are certain qualifications that a canine must meet to be eligible to enter and be accepted into a dog show. First of all the dog must be pure bread. No dogs of mixed breeds will be allowed. Another condition is age. A dog must not be too old but it must not be a pup still. To enter a dog the dog must be extremely well behaved. If the furry friend shows any bad behavior it will be disqualified from the competition. There are many little details that must not be overlooked. There are different activities that the dog must complete in order to win or place in the competition.
Dogs must start training early if they are expected to be well behaved. If they are not trained early enough they don’t know their boundaries and they will not be obedient to the owner. It is best to train them when they are young, even as young as puppies. If the training starts when the dog is a pup then they will not know any different from right. They will know from the beginning not to cross certain boundaries and that they have to be well behaved. Training at an early age will almost guarantee the dog a spot in a dog show.
Different breeds of dogs have different attitudes and behaviors. Some are more rowdy and uncontrollable. Whereas some are calm and laid back. The calm dogs are more present in shows because they are more obedient to their owners. Obedience is one of the main things that it will learn when being trained. It is most definitely the most important trait that a canine can have if they are a show dog. Show dogs are the most loyal and the most obedient of all.
Connor Sullivan recently looked into dog training NY for his favorite pet pooch. His wife took a class at dog training NJ to learn how to handle her dog’s aggressive behavior.
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- Posted by admin at 04:29:22 in