Poodle Room - Where the Poodles Are

Library - Poodle Basics

Your New Poodle Puppy

(article posted July 19, 2006)
by Zefi Famelis

Poodles are gorgeous, proud, regal dogs. Only people who've never had one in their lives can say they are foo-foo dogs. Far from it! They are althletic and very versatile dogs. Standard poodles are, after all, hunting dogs in curly coats. Toys and miniatures clearly carry on many of these values as well.

The decision to add a poodle to your life is one that should be well informed and not something done on impulse. Poodles require a lot of grooming but as a trade-off you get a dog that doesn't smell and wont leave hair all over your clothes, your couch or your bed.

Poodles are not the kind of dog you can buy and leave in the back yard. They are companions, part of the family and live to be near you. They are smart and easy to train, but being smart means they can think up mischief if you leave them to their own devices and neglect them.

If you're looking for a cute cuddly lap dog then a toy poodle may be for you - standard poodles are cute and cuddly but they are definitely more of the 'real' dog size to many people. Miniatures are a perfect inbetween for many other people as well. No matter which size you prefere, once you've had a poodle in your life you wont want to be without one.

But beware! Its hard to stop at just one!

So do your research on the breed, find a breeder you can trust, ask for proof of testing and you're well on the way to having that special dog in your life.

Please remember: you can buy a 'cheap' puppy anywhere, but good breeding, care taken in selecting the right breeding stock and health testing on parents can save a lot of heartache. Make sure you buy from a breeder who can provide proof of testing, who raises their puppies in their home, not in a shed, who doesnt have too many litters, giving each pup the individual care and attention it needs.

The least amount of money a pup will cost in its life is its purchase price - an unhealthy puppy will end up costing you much more than you might save by taking shortcuts in selecting the right pup for you.

Feeding your puppy

I feed my dogs a BARF diet mostly (bones and raw food) because I believe it is the most natural way to feed dogs. They live longer healthier lives on a diet of natural food with less allergy problems and much less tooth problems. By feeding them bones their teeth are always clean and their breath fresh. I like to think of my diet as 'the old fashioned diet' - before processed dog food was invented dogs were fed leftovers and raw bones. I would encourage anyone taking a new puppy home to continue to feed BARF.

If you are uncomfortable with raw foods, at the very least consider a high quality kibble or commerical diet. Though it's not always a given, generally speaking you get what you pay for. Cheap grocery store bought foods are usually full of fillers and cheap ingredients. Higher end brands that may cost more often contain higher quality ingredients and less filler. This can mean you don't have to feed as much to get the same nutritional value as compared to the cheap filler brands. Ask your breeder's recommendations for foods as well. You can start there, and then research foods better as time goes on. Look for quality ingredients and not just a sale price. You can find a good starting point for researching foods over on EskiePages' Dog Food Pages.

Toilet training your puppy

Puppies are cute but there are some rules to follow to keep your sanity. Firstly use a crate. Yes, I know, a lot of people think crates are cruel because they think of them as cages. Dogs are den animals. They think of crates as safe havens and as their own space. If you take a puppy home and introduce him to his crate as a safe spot and den he will always love it. Crates should not be used for punishment. The best way to get a pup used to a crate is to give him a bone to gnaw on while in there, or a toy he loves to play with. He only gets it in the crate so that makes it special.

Remember, a puppy alone in a large house will feel the need to defend the entire house. Thats a lot of work for a little pup. By giving him his own small space he not only feels secure and safe, but doesn't feel the stress of having so much space to guard. A crate trained dog is a safe dog.

If your puppy cries when he's in the crate and you are out there, do NOT go to him. That would be rewarding unwanted behaviour and will teach him that crying gets attention. Going to a crying pup now and then will only make him cry harder next time. Wait till he's quiet then let him out. Giving in to crying encourages separation anxiety.

My puppies are accustomed to regular handling and grooming so all I ask is that you continue to groom and handle them regularly so grooming is never a traumatic experience for them. This is easy to do - every time you hold your pup run your hands over its body, in and around its mouth, its ears, its paws. Every time you do this the pup will become accustomed to being touched and will make grooming that little bit easier.

If you're busy and cannot watch your puppy keep him penned or crated to avoid accidents. The old fashioned way of rolled up newspapers and rubbing their noses in their pee doesn't work. It just teaches them to be scared of you. Instead, watch your puppy. You can always tell when it needs to go out, but rule of thumb is: take pup out after eating or drinking, on waking up and after playing. I always praise a puppy for eliminating where it should and give it a treat. If you do this you should have a toilet trained pup in no time!

The way I've taught all my pups is firstly to watch them and take them out often. Very often. In the beginning I wait till they actually start to pee then I say 'Go pee... GOOD PUPPY!'. And give them a treat. Eventually they learn to pee on cue because they know they'll get a treat for doing it when you ask them to.

Training your puppy

I would recommend you find a good obedience club near you and start taking your puppy to puppy kindergarten as soon as you take him home. At a club he will meet other dogs and socialize and learn valuable lessons to make his and your life easier. I would recommend that you do puppy kindergarten and a minimum of one more level of obedience training to teach him the basics of good behaviour. I prefer clubs that use a positive reinforcement method.

For some handy tips on handling a new puppy check out: 30 Puppy Tips

Spaying/Neutering your puppy

Please get your new puppy spayed (females) or neutered (males) between the age of 7-9 months old. It's not a good idea to keep dogs intact - accidents happen. If you've bought a puppy on limited register it's your responsibility to get your pup fixed and uphold your agreement with the breeder. If a pup has been sold on limited register it's because it's been deemed to not be breeding quality by someone who knows the lines and cares about the well-being of their pups as well as the breed in general.

As a responsible breeder I feel very strongly about doing the right thing by every pup I bring into the world - that starts from the day I start planning a litter and continues for the entire life of the puppy. I also feel very strongly about the new 'designer breeds' or mutts that have been touted all over the television as being better and healthier than pure breeds. I dont know any cross-breed breeders who take the care before and after producing a litter than an ethical breeder does.

If you are considering breeding without the help and advice of your dog's breeder here are some links you might find interesting:

Virtual Breeding

Just One Litter

Puppy needs – my recommendations

These are a few things I would recommend that you have or buy for a new puppy to make things easier when you take your puppy home.

1. a puppy pen or a crate
2. brushes and grooming equipment (see the grooming and care articles)
3. plenty of bedding for the pup (old blankets will do)
4. chew toys and things a puppy can safely chew (ie not your shoes!)
5. a ceramic water dish and a few stainless steel food bowls (do not use plastic as they can harbour bacteria in scratches and can cause skin problems)

A few things I've found useful and recommend are:

1. A Black Dog Halter - its way better than a normal halti or Gentle Leader. (Having said that, there's another side to the 'halti' story: www.flyingdogpress.com/headhalters.html)
2. A nylon 6ft long lead and simple buckle collar
3. A raised bed made of a metal frame and flea proof material
4. A doggie futon, made with flea free materials
5. Shirlee Kalstone's Poodle Clipping and Grooming book

Zefi Famelis is an artist, graphic designer, and poodle breeder/exhibitor living in the Central Highlands of Tasmania Australia. She works from home creating original art for sale, doing pet portraits on commission, design work for print and the web. She is also a partner in creating and maintaining this Poodle Room site. Zefi's own websites can be found at Zefiart.com and PantonePoodles.com. She can also be reached via email here: zefi.art@bigpond.com.

This site is designed and maintained by ZefiArt and EskiePages | Read more about us by clicking here.

Your New Poodle Puppy
(article posted July 19, 2006)	by Zefi Famelis